Making Memories

As the years pass by I’ve realized that making memories is as important as anything, maybe even more so than landing a big fish.

As the years pass by I’ve realized that making memories is as important as anything, maybe even more so than landing a big fish, winning a tournament or some of the other things that over the years I thought were milestones in my career. As I get older I realize that it’s the special moments that are what life’s really all about.

It could be a trip that you’ve done with a friend; it could be a fishing day on the water that was incredible with lots of laughs; it could be as crazy as getting caught in a rainstorm with your fishing partner. As I go through life, making memories is something that I will always cherish. Obviously, there’s been some good, some bad and some ugly ones, but they’re all memories.

An example of a good memory was this past fall when I was up at Killarney Mountain Lodge. We caught fish, had some incredibly tasty meals and shared some good laughs. And of course, a lot of the best memories are really about the people that you’ve been with when you’ve had some of these experiences.

In this case, my companions were John P. Allen and Brian Good, who have each celebrated more than 40 years in the music business. Between the two of them, these musicians have won 14 Juno awards. John has played with the Tysons, Tommy Hunter, The Good Brothers, and Prairie Oyster. Brian has been a member of The Good Brothers for 47 years. These guys have travelled the world and played for thousands of people over the years, yet the three of us made a great memory simply sharing a boat during our three days at Killarney Mountain Lodge.

Entertainment-1

I met Brian through John. My wife and I went to visit John when he was in the hospital in 2019. He was in dire need of a new heart and didn’t have long to live. It was during that visit that I said, “If you get a heart and pull through this we’ve got to go on a fishing trip.” Fortunately, he did get a heart and the transplant was successful. He was in the hospital for three months prior to getting the transplant. It's a miracle that he pulled through

John then introduced me to Brian, who had organized a fundraiser for John when he was going through his tough times. I found out that Brian liked fishing—he ended up purchasing the fishing equipment I had donated for this fundraiser, so John and I thought it would only be fitting that Brian joined us on this fishing excursion at Killarney Mountain Lodge.

I can tell you that spending three days with these two talented and successful guys created a memory that I’m sure they’ll never forget and that I will cherish for the rest of my life. They had each composed their own original song for me prior to the trip. Brian's song was called, “Fishing with Bob.” John’s acoustic violin and guitar song were named, “Bob Izumi’s Revenge.” I was both honoured and flattered that these guys composed these numbers and performed them for me, my crew, and the guests during our stay in Killarney. Not only are these two great guys, but they’re also fun to be with.

We shared a lot of stories during our time up there and that’s really what memories are made of. It’s the experiences that you share with somebody and that’s one thing about fishing that I will say. It’s the perfect way to bond with somebody. It doesn’t matter if it’s a family member, a friend, a neighbour, or somebody that you just met. When you're there in the great outdoors in a beautiful setting—perhaps on the northern part of Lake Huron, in a boat spending quality time with two amazing people—I will say that you don’t get a better recipe for making a memory.

Experience Northeastern Ontario by Visiting:

www.northeasternontario.com

About Bob Izumi

Bob Izumi is a Canadian professional angler, and the host of Bob Izumi's Real Fishing Show. He is most known for his success in bass fishing, and was awarded angler of the year in 2004.

Recommended Articles

Top 5 Flies for Smallmouth Bass

The inside scoop on bass flies from the hosts of The New Fly Fisher.

Ontario Brook Trout

Fish these 10 sweet spots.

3 Great Ontario Walleye Destinations

Karl of Extreme Angler recommends must do walleye lakes in Ontario.

Spring Fishing Tips for any Angler

Increase your chance of success

Five Brook Trout Flies

What flies to bring when fishing for brook trout.

5 Places to Shore Fish

Fish’n Canada shows you where to go shore fishing in Ontario.

Wag Your Tail For More Walleye, Bass and Trout

Fishing with friends brings camaraderie and a lesson, or two.

Fishing and Foraging

Add some fresh foods and forage to your fishing adventures!

Top 5 Musky Destinations in Ontario

The Musky Hunter shows you where to land the best musky in Ontario waters.

Stalking Prehistoric Long Nose Gar

Hosts Angelo Viola and Pete Bowman took to the waters with the objective of 100% sight fishing.

Ontario Fly Fishing Hotspots

The Top 10 List

Lake of the Woods

10 Facts You Didn't Know

Year Round Fishing in Ontario

Who Says You Can’t Fish All Year in Ontario?

Four Seasons of Bass in Ontario

Northern Ontario is home to year-round bass.

Terrestrial Flies for Brook Trout

These fish feed like crazy and look for opportunities for a big protein meal.

Long Nose Gar

A Fish for the Bucket List

Spring Perch Fishing

Use These Tips on Your Next Ontario Fishing Trip

Discover the 3 Best Bass Fishing Lakes in Ontario

Check out these lakes for hard-fighting smallmouth bass on your next fishing trip to Northern Ontario.

World Class Walleye

Fishing Day Trips on the Bay of Quinte

Walleye on Lake Temiskaming

Fish'n Canada heads to Lake Temiskaming to tackle Ontario Walleye.