| There isn't anything quite like a "father and son fishing" | | | | went down the drain when I heard him shuffling around |
| trip for closing the gap of a generation. It's a family | | | | my cabin at 2:30am like a bear because he decided to |
| tradition that was shared with me as a youngster with | | | | drive up on his own. Needless to say, he scared the |
| my dad. The cycle continued as I have shared the | | | | living stuffing out of me. |
| same experience with my sons. The "Kamloops area | | | | After catching a few zzz's, we fished the morning at |
| lakes" have provided us with a lifetime of opportunity | | | | Friday Lake, catching only one fish on the end of my |
| to seal the bonds within our family. | | | | line. We did however, catch up on just about |
| I received my "Father's Day present" a week early this | | | | everything from future relationships, careers and jobs, |
| year when my eldest son Dano was able to join me | | | | hockey, contracts, the upcoming olympics and family |
| at "Teepee Lakes" near Bankier, in the heart of the | | | | matters. With the lack of sleep that we both |
| BC Southern Interior. Dano, now near 30 years old, | | | | experienced the night before, there was a serious |
| started fishing with me at the tender age of three | | | | need for a mid-afternoon nap. |
| when we first moved to Kamloops. Our first trip | | | | After awakening and a quick bite to eat, we drove |
| together was a spring afternoon to "Campbell Lake", | | | | over to Sunday Lake and did a round without much |
| the day the ice came off. It was he who hooked the | | | | action. For the evening, Saturday Lake laid waiting and |
| biggest fish of the day (and probably the biggest trout | | | | again, only one fish to the boat. Even though there |
| that he has ever caught... to this day) on a flatfish as | | | | were quite a few people in the camp we were alone |
| he sat between my legs while I rowed. It turned out to | | | | when we went to both Saturday and Sunday Lake. |
| be 4 lbs and when I held it up beside him, it was almost | | | | The isolation of the lakes allows you a relatively quiet |
| as long as him. | | | | time at any time. Take in the probability of wildlife |
| The "Teepee Lakes" are comprised of 3 small lakes, | | | | viewing multiple species like eagles, loons, deer, bear |
| Friday, Saturday and Sunday Lakes. The lakes yield | | | | and moose, the TeePee lakes are truly a wilderness |
| feisty, usually plentiful rainbow trout that will | | | | destination. Viewing any of these wildlife species |
| occasionally exceed two pounds. I arrived at the | | | | wandering through the camping areas or browsing |
| community store in Bankier on the Wednesday | | | | around the lakes is a definite possibility. |
| morning for directions to our cabin at Friday Lake. We | | | | After returning to the cabin at dark, Dano and I |
| stayed in a rustic log, one-room cabin which could | | | | engaged in a deadly series of backgammon. |
| accommodate 4 sleepers. It also had a table and a | | | | Backgammon is a game he claims to be good at after |
| brand new air-tight stove for heating. | | | | reading the all time bible of the game... "Backgammon |
| I arrived at the campsite where I found my cabin in | | | | for Blood" (which I gave to him as a gift a number of |
| short order and started unloading the van. Soon I was | | | | years ago). Of course, Dad prevailed with a come |
| greeted by two young men, Zach and Kees, who | | | | from behind win to take the rubber match and claim |
| shared some fishing info with me and showed me a | | | | the undisputed family crown. On Friday morning we |
| boat that I could use Friday Lake. After unloading my | | | | packed up most of our stuff and then went out for a |
| van and getting my fishing gear ready, the rest of the | | | | few hours on Friday Lake. |
| afternoon and early evening was spent fishing Friday | | | | There were quite a few more fishermen around |
| Lake. There was a lone fisherman tucked into the | | | | Friday morning as a group of ex-Telus employees |
| north-west end of the lake so I wandered down that | | | | were arriving for their annual fishing derby. A few |
| way and struck up a conversation. Interesting enough, | | | | more fish were being caught by trollers and probably a |
| the gentleman was Marc Laynes, a river fishing expert | | | | lot more stories were being sold. The fish avoided us |
| from Chilliwack who specializes in sturgeon/steelhead | | | | this morning although Dano had an opportunity when a |
| and salmon fishing on the Fraser River | | | | fish struck while he was raising the anchor... he just |
| (bcsturgeon.com). I found it interesting that a person | | | | couldn't get to his rod on time. We finally pulled out |
| that has huge fish at his doorstep would take some | | | | about 1:30pm. It was a great 2 days spending time with |
| down time in a remote place like this. | | | | the once little boy who is now a man enveloped in the |
| The arrangement was for me to pick up Dano in the | | | | rat race of life. Our time was spent casually reinforcing |
| middle of the night in "Princeton, BC". He was going to | | | | our already strong relationship that started so many |
| take the red-eye from Vancouver and I was going to | | | | years ago on the Kamloops area lakes and will |
| go to town at 3am, pick him up and bring him back to | | | | continue for years to come. |
| the lakes for a couple of days of fishing. That plan | | | | |