Goin' Fishin'

When I joined my brother and his kids for a day of ice fishing in February, I never dreamed it would lead to me heading on a week-long, hard-core fishing trip.

Each year, John & Dad set off with Josh & Kaelyn for a week of fishing in a top secret location. It's secluded but the fishing is awesome! They eat, sleep and breath fish during this week. I've never really considered this appealing, yet each year, John would ask if I wanted to join them. I always looked at him like he was crazy and said "um, no thanks."

Well, this year when he asked, I hesitated. I have really enjoyed the times I've gone fishing since getting my license in February. Maybe I ...no. Seriously? What was I thinking? A week in the bush? No. Definitely not.

Then he'd ask again. My niece Kaelyn would smile and say "if you came, Auntie Janice, I wouldn't be the only girl!" Well, this is true, but... could I really handle a week of fishing? No shower? A makeshift toilet? No connectivity? I was seriously considering this invitation. When I asked John if he thought I could hack it, his response was profound and can be applied to most things in life. "The trip will be whatever you decide to make it, Janice".

I've decided to make it an adventure.


I can see that John is excited to share his passion of fishing with me on this trip. This weekend he gave me a hand made fishing lure. My first! And I can add it to my tackle box, whenever I get that! There are so many styles to choose from - slide out drawers, pull-up shelves, soft-sided, traditional hard-sided... When I was at John's house this weekend, he showed me the variety they have so I could get an idea of what I like. I also got tips on what footwear to bring, strategy for avoiding bugs, and general "what to expect" info.

I'm excited to see what's in store as I head out on this experience. I have a feeling a whole lot of memories are waiting to be made.