Ask anyone how they learned how to fish and I'll bet the majority of them will say "My dad used to take me fishing." It's almost like a rite of passage to have your dad take you out fishing when you're a child.
At the resorts and lodges in Sunset Country, you'll often see three generations coming up year after year. The grandfathers started taking their kids, and then the kids started having kids of their own and they started coming up too. It's so great to see many generations heading out on the lake for a day of fishing or a week in the Canadian wilderness bonding over campfires and "the one that got away."
Multiple generations make the annual trip to Hanson's King Island ResortThink back to when you first went fishing. Who taught you how to cast, how to hook a minnow or how to get off a snag? Who taught you which tackle to use or the best place to fish? Chances are it was your father or grandfather.
The boy in this video sums it up how exciting it is to be taken fishing in Ontario.
A well-known local fisherman, Jeff Gustafson of Fishing with Gussy and Gussy Outdoors, loved going fishing with his father and grandfather as a child on Echo Bay near the cabin on Lake of the Woods. For his Christmas present when he was 10, "Gussy, as he's known, received an entry into KBI, a bass tournament in Kenora. At first the pair struggled in the tournaments, but his dad would still take him and eventually when Gussy was 17, he and partner Chris Savage won the KBI. Now Gussy has several first place wins under his belt as well as many other solid showings in bass tournaments in Northwest Ontario as well as in the Walmart FLW Tour in the United States. The knowledge he learned from his father and grandfather on the lake has helped Jeff become what he is today.
Many dads have spent many hours teaching their sons and daughters many things, including fishing. Even my father-in-law, who wasn't a fisherman at all took his son on a fly-in fishing trip when he was about eight. He wanted his son to experience fishing.
This year, how about returning the favour and take your dad fishing for a day or even a week. Show your appreciation for all the things your father has done for you and the many days he took you out on the lake.
Father-and-son duo make an annual trip to Maynard Lake LodgeHere's a few ways to repay your dad for all he's done for you:
- Plan a fishing trip for you and your dad at one of these outfitters in Northern Ontario: Fishing Trips in Ontario
- Pick him up some of his favourite tackle: Bait & Tackle Shops
- Book a fly-in day fishing trip: Day Trips to remote fishing lakes
Happy Father's Day! How will you be spending it?
