That One Time

There was that one time we went fishing together.  My 17-year-old daughter Casey and I planned to go out fishing on Georgian Bay together so she could experience what it was like to bring in a big fish.  We had gone fishing together as a family a few times when the kids were young but it had been a very long time since.  Too long.  My son Riley and my father and I had been having consistent success lately catching lake trout not far from where we camped in our trailer on the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron.  Casey asked, “When can you take me out in the boat, I want to catch one of the Lakers on the big water too.” My daughter who has never shown any interest in fishing in the past was now loving the outdoors and had a spark of interest in angling ….”Certainly!!” I said – I was a little shocked but this excited me to the core.  There has always been an open invite but it did not interest her in the past.  Over the years she has become a great outdoors person weather its camping and hiking or wild edible foraging. She has great outdoor skills. 

She is an incredible swimmer, one of the strongest I know of and is great on anything with a paddle.  She loves to kayak, hike and tent out.  She can build cabins in the bush all out of found debris like old fallen trees and branches and weave in ferns for cover.  She was the one that all the kids look for to catch a snake that has been spotted.  “Casey come quick, there’s a snake on the dirt road over here!”  She would catch it and the kids would crowd in excitement for a chance to touch it or hold it.  Same goes with frog hunting – there is no better frog wrangler in the swamp than my girl – always been that way.  As parents we were never afraid of wildlife or exotic animals as we were interested, knowledgeable and safe with them.  It’s a trait that I’m proud she picked up from my wife and I. 

We woke up around 8 am and packed up a couple sandwiches for the trip.  I was so excited that she wanted to get out and enjoy the sport I love and experience it again now that she was older. 

The sky turned out to be clear and sunny which is perfect for Lakers – I usually don’t hit the water till approximately 9 because most of my luck has been between 10am and 2 pm when the sun is up the highest – My theory is that the high sun catches the lure as its moving and flashes it in the depths to entice a strike – And I like to be lazy and sleep in sometimes.  We departed the dock and started on our way.  She was beside me in the passenger seat of the boat with her hair swirling in the wind, ball cap pulled tight and sunglasses on – as pretty as her mom.  I cranked up the music and we rocked on to some AC/DC and Metallica at almost full rip singing at the top of our lungs.  We always had this in common.  It was a nice smooth ride too as it was a calm day – finally – It had been windy lately and the flat water made for great boating conditions.  This is a time when I take a little “mental picture” as I like to call it and cherish it in my mind forever.

We drove about 5 miles to the spot and I slowed down to a troll.  I rigged up the lines with my trusty Northern King spoon “watermelon” pattern on one side and the “purple thunder” on the other rod.  We started trolling over some sunken shoals and bowls in about 65 feet of water with our downriggers set at 45ft.  We chatted about the latest music she was into – Marianas Trench and Avenged Sevenfold – I had overheard a few songs from each that she played in her room at home and it was pretty cool rock.  I thanked my lucky stars that she and my son was into music I loved as well.  Many of the kids her age today listened to some pretty edgy rap music riddled in profanity that I certainly did not like.  But to each their own. 

We talked about her competitive swimming meets and about some of her friends, what they were into and wanted to be when they grew up. Casey wasn’t sure what she wanted to be – really though, neither did I at that age.  She explained that 17 is tough and a lot is expected of you at that age – when you’re approaching the end of high school, parents and teachers are always inquiring as to what you want your child to be when they grow up  - we have high expectations of great marks in all your courses.  We hope you have have the right friends that aren’t into drinking and partying too much – boyfriends, girlfriends, peer pressure to be someone you are not…man its endless.  I don’t think when you are that age that you understand that parents went through the same things.  But we did.  And I understood and listened.  I tried not to push my opinion as I normally do. 

We trolled for 2 hours and not a bite – just my luck – the fish were here yesterday and now …nothing.  “Jeepers, this is all I need” I thought– she finally wants to go fishing and then… we get an off day, and no bites.  The weather was almost too nice as we usually do better with a slight chop on the water, but today was super calm.

Casey’s fishing patience started to wear a bit thin but didn’t complain and she knew we had to persevere a bit, so she made herself comfortable on the front deck on the boat and laid down with a cushion folded behind her head.  Her eyes were heavy.  She had enough of talking for now and the late night at the fire was catching up with her. 

Well, little did she know, that I was having one of the best trips of my life.  I felt a reconnection and closeness like never before – I know she held back on a lot of stories she told me just now, not to give away too much information that may not reach my approval, because I am “The rules guy”.  I’m the dad with all the rules – I had worked with troubled youth in the Ministry of Correctional Services and had seen the worst of the worse – kids that never had guidance or a chance from the get-go and I just wanted the best for my kids as any parent would.   But let me tell you, I deeply appreciated the small window into her life that she finally let me into and I embraced it with all my soul.   She unloaded some of her teen stresses, trusted in me with what she could, and it truly filled my heart.  I was living every moment of it.  Everything in my world was now perfect and I could see some weight was taken from her shoulders as well. 

Floating along to the hum of the motor and odd whine of the downrigger lines, I looked at my little girl – now curled up on the front deck of the boat with a tournament jersey wrapped around her having a little snooze and twitching awake when a fly or bug would nip her leg. ha ha ha.  I thought “Wow, almost done high school, where will life bring her? Who will she become? A mom? A career lady traveling the world? She will figure it out.  What will be will be.”

One thing I have learned as I age is that you shouldn’t wish your life away “I wish I was in high school, I wish I was old enough to drive, I wish I was old enough to drink at a bar, have a car, have a career, have a family -- I wish I was old enough to retire and travel.”  As you get older and wiser you know not to wish for the future to happen now - because it happens very quick so enjoy all the moments and take in even the trying and sad times.  You will look back on these times and say wow we went through this together and it made us stronger as a family.

ZZZZZZZ from the reel!!  AHH!!!  The rod pumped hard and I knew we had a good Lake trout on.  “Casey, you got one!” I yelled.  She sprang up full of excitement and threw off my coat.  “Hurry! grab that rod and keep the tip up.  Just don’t reel against the drag.”  The rod thumped and the fish pulled hard “If the rod comes up then reel down into the fish to catch up the line – just keep the pressure on it.”  There I go again, ”Mr. Advice” barking orders, I had to calm and stop myself and let her figure it out.  Casey said, “Oh my god this thing is pulling hard, I can’t believe how strong it is.” I coached her to take her time as I pulled up the other line and riggers.  Quickly she had the fish almost to the boat so I grabbed the net and jumped up onto the back deck.  “Ok slowly lift the tip of the rod to the sky.” I said and then I netted the fish.  A fine catch indeed and I congratulated her with a slimy handshake and a one-armed hug with the other hand. “OH MY GAWD! That was so cool.”  She said, smile brighter that the sun.  Now she was awake.

We set things up and started trolling again – and in about a half hour there was a repeat performance of excitement with a bit of a smaller fish.  She was satisfied after pulling in two and we proudly headed for the camp with her catch to be baked on the barbeque for supper.

It turned out to be and amazing day of bonding with my girl and topped off with a catch and the only pic of her holding up fish she caught with me – just us.  I look back and appreciate the fact that we did get out that one time, and got that photo, but the mental picture will stay in my mind forever.   We ended up fishing again on a back speckled tout lake a couple years later and can’t wait for another opportunity to make some more memories in the woods.

The country song “She thinks we’re just fishing.” by Trace Adkins hits the nail on the head!   It always reminds me about my first fishing trip with my daughter.

Shortly after this story, I had the opportunity to meet Brad Pallister at a fishing show in Toronto and noticed that Len Thompson was displaying Northern King lures at their booth.  We chatted and exchanged stories about the lures and kept in contact.  A couple years later Brad and his sister Jess Pallister-Dew had offered me a chance to be a Brand ambassador for Len Thompson/ Northern King and I could not be more excited – I had used their families’ lures that they developed my whole life, and now with their acquisition of Northern King another style of spoon I had also used …wow…what a great partnership – it’s awesome to be a part of the Brand Ambassador crew representing a company with such deep Canadian history and such great people behind the wheel.

Rob Ouellette