WHAT WILL 2022 BRING?
While I don’t fish the 200 days a year when I started in this industry, I still love to travel and fish new water. I think that has always been in my DNA and why I loved doing my television show for 15 years. It doesn’t hurt that I am editor of Hooked Magazine plus the fishing columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press. It all means I still get opportunities do what I love the most. For a year and a half when COVID hit everything came to a standstill. There was very little human interaction and travel came to a grinding halt. Over the 40 years as a professional angler, social interaction was the most important part of what I did. Whether it was speaking to a school fishing club, giving a seminar at an Outdoor Show, or talking to other anglers at a boat launch it was what I enjoy the most.
As I waited to be vaccinated and restrictions loosened I dreamt of what could be possible again
NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN ADVENTURE
It all started again when I was offered a trip to a fly in lodge in late June to northern Saskatchewan. There was definitely some concern about getting on an airplane. I told the organizer that it would depend on whether I got my second shot for COVID 19. Luckily I did but I must admit I was still nervous.
During the trip I reunited with many old media friends that I had know from when I first started out in this profession. It is hard to put in words the joy we felt being able to share a boat together then sit around the dinner table like old days. You can read all about the trip in the latest issue of Hooked Magazine.
TOBIN LAKE IN THE SUMMER
That joy was transferred to a trip I made to Tobin Lake with long time angling partner and friend Jim Price in July. Jim was in much need of a holiday, an emergency room doctor that had seen way too much suffering during these pandemic times. He, like so many others in the frontlines was about at the end of the road.
We fished with an old friend from Carrot River, Russ Heatherington and it felt great to be back in that part of the world. At the time though forest fires were ravaging that part of the world, and daytime temperatures soared. It did reduce our time in the boat but did not stop us from having a wonderful visit.
FAMILY HOLIDAY FISHING TRIP RETURNS
I also managed to make it back to Northwest Ontario. On the August long weekend, we had a family get together at Rainbow Point Lodge on Perreault Lake. I got to share plenty of boat time with my family along with many special memories. It was startling to see what an economic loss the pandemic had on this part of the world. There are probably ten lodges on the lake and only a couple were open. At the one where we stayed, they had 14 cabins but only two had customers.
THE LAKE ALL TO OURSELVES
What it did mean is that we almost had the whole lake to ourselves. It also encouraged more Manitobans to venture out to that part of the world. Believe me, it is well worth it. We had a spectacular trip from all aspects. The fishing was hot as well. My son and I got on one point that was absolutely loaded with giant fish of all species. I caught a big musky off that point and lost a bigger one. We also landed a trophy walleye and caught perch and smallmouth bass as well.
LAKE OF THE PRAIRIES
Every fall I would plan a fishing trip with three friends I got to know when I worked television and radio in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. With two years out of the cycle this fall we made it Lake of the Prairies once again. The fishing was outstanding, and I probably landed my biggest pike ever. It was a beast of a fish and was the hardest battle I have ever had in freshwater.
I wrote about those trips because there is one common theme, friends and family and fishing was the bonus. I so thankful to still be able to do this.
TOUGH TIMES STILL AHEAD
When COVID shuttered many of our lodges, it was hard to hear about the hardships that these people were going through. I have travelled to many destinations in this part of the world, and I know a lot of tourism operators. We have some of the most professional in the world and they deserve our support.
KEEPING EVERYTHING IN PERSPECTIVE
In the 40 years in this industry it has been a challenge to keep things fresh and interesting. Luckily for me I have managed to keep in close contact with the industry through my work as editor of Hooked Magazine. I deal with a wide variety of people in this role, many who work full time in the industry. Some are writers, biologists, educators, others hardcore anglers or just passionate about the outdoors and the resource. I must say in the last five years, anglers and hunters have become much more committed to becoming stakeholders in the management of both game and fish. Knowledge is a powerful tool, and the stakeholder groups have been funding major research into understanding the economic impact of both fishing and hunting.
While it might seem a bit of a ways off, there is light at then end of the tunnel. Happy New Year and all the best in 2022 from all of us at Hooked.