Episode 132: Reel Moments Together

Some memories hook you for life. We dive into how a childhood spent on a riverbank grew into a mission to help families create those same anchor moments—first casts, first fish, and traditions that bring everyone back to the water year after year.

We share a weekend at the Spring Fishing and Boat Show that sparked it all, highlighted by a dynamic father–daughter seminar with Angler & Hunter TV’s Mike Miller and his 16-year-old daughter, August. Their message is simple and powerful: give kids real gear, real responsibility, and room to try. From weedless stick worms and barbless hooks to letting young anglers tap the sonar and GPS, small choices set them up to win. We pair those takeaways with our own stories of dock monsters, brochure-worthy walleye, and lodge-side tactics like tossing dead minnows where perch stack so kids can catch fish within minutes of arriving.

Running a lodge taught us that we are not selling fishing trips—we are selling experiences. You will hear how thoughtfully pairing families with kid-savvy guides, planning shore lunches that end with fresh-made donuts, and protecting easy-access dock fisheries turn quick wins into lifelong loyalty. Those bright, sensory-rich moments—cedar-scented valleys, the shock of a northern exploding from the weeds, the first time a child says “I’ve got a fish”—become traditions families defend on the calendar. We talk about setting a non-negotiable annual trip, unplugging from screens, and using the outdoors to teach patience, respect for wildlife, and calm in a noisy world.

If you are a parent, mentor, or lodge owner, this episode gives you a clear playbook: equip for success, celebrate small victories, and build repeatable rituals that make kids proud to be anglers. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a nudge to plan that trip, and leave a review with your favourite first-catch memory—we might feature it on a future show.

Transcript

River Beginnings And Wonder

SPEAKER_01 0:05

My mom would uh because dad would be working and she was at home looking after us kids, she'd take me down to the to the Grand River, and it was uh uh uh in the summertime when the water was lower, it was this awesome place, and I could walk into the water and there was rushing water, and I just fell in love with the aquatic life. I fell in love with, you know, catching crayfish and and frogs and and trying to catch fish and you know trying to figure all that stuff out. This week on the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Networks, Diaries of a Lodge Owner, Stories of the North, we're casting our lines into something truly special. Passing down the love of fishing from one generation to the next. And we'll dive into why those moments on the water with your kids are more than just a pastime. They're the memories that anchor us for a lifetime. On this show, we talk about those unforgettable first casts, the thrill of a child's first catch, and the simple joy of unplugging together in nature. We discuss how these experiences shape not just young anglers, but whole families. So settle in and join us as we explore the magic of teaching the next generation to love the great outdoors. One fishing trip at a time. Welcome, folks. Steve here in another episode of Diaries of a Lodge Owner. And this topic that uh that uh I'm diving in with all of you today is a very special topic for me, and one of the things that I love talking about um whenever I can. And it's funny, this weekend um my son, Rayburn, he asked me to go to the uh sportsman show. Not the sportsman show, sorry, the spring fishing and boat show, which was an anchor for me when I was younger. And um, you know, through uh uh owning the lodge, I had a booth there quite a few years, but for whatever reason, this year it just um uh it kind of uh slipped my my mind. But uh because he's become an addict um in a good way, a musky fishing addict. Um the Sunday at the Sportsman Show, Sportsman Show, sorry Andy, the spring fishing and boat show was Muskie Sunday. And Andy put together a panel of the best muskie anglers, really. Like, I mean, um Mike Lazarus, uh, he is the he is the goat, he is the legend. Um Jim Serik, uh a young guide, uh Doug from uh the States, and um Rayburn wanted to see these guys, and he was on me, Dad. Can we go to the um uh spring fishing show? And I was like, Yeah, yeah, you know, it is Super Bowl Sunday. Not that I'm a big football fan, but I uh, you know, there was a party that we were invited to over at the um the shed at Scases, and uh we needed to be back for that, was my only concern. But um I said, yeah, sure, man. That's that's that's awesome. Let's do it. So we went down and um uh saw a bunch of people, you know. Number one, these shows are great for for um networking, right? You run into people you haven't seen in a while. For me, it's the it's it's lodge owners, it's um it's uh fellow podcasters, it's uh guides, um uh people uh you know. Um actually on Fry on the Friday of the opening day, um, I went down first thing in the morning for the industry breakfast. Um Pete and Ange and Dean and uh Nick were were were following uh fairly close behind me, but um the weather was terrible and uh there was an accident that happened between uh me out in front and them in behind on the 407 and and they had to uh make a call and spin around and and not make it. But I went, I represented and and um uh was at the uh breakfast where they um induct uh three people into the fresh fishing, fresh water fishing hall of fame. I'm having a little uh uh time here speaking today, but if uh if you guys know me, I'll get I'll get through that pretty quickly. Um anyway, down and uh had a great conversation with um with a few people, um uh Cam Brownson, uh a college buddy that um that I haven't seen in a in a long time. And Cam and I were um were high school or um college buddies for years and um he was there sat down with him and I met a fella at the table. I I know his name, JP DeRose. First time I met him, very interesting and and uh great guy to meet. And uh I run into uh Patrick Walsh, another another friend of mine. He came up to the lodge and he's the um the editor over at um uh Ontario Outdoors uh and uh had a great conversation with Bob Azumi. Uh and Bob and I have been uh have been friends for for quite a while, you know, and and just um better than acquaintances. He came to the lodge on uh on a few occasions and um uh shot a show and and I entertained some of his uh clients as well. And that show was a great show. Um we fished bass uh back in uh Marshy Bay and Wigwam Bay, and uh, and that was a great show. If you haven't seen that one, you can find that on YouTube. But just catching up with everybody was a great um um morning. And then uh Sunday found me heading back down uh to the show with uh with Rayburn. And uh we watched the first part of uh of um the Muskie Sunday. Um I hooked up with uh um my great buddies over at um the Eating Wild Podcast. Um and um they were they were there. Um and uh and then I found myself just putting in some time and I heard another another awesome dude. Uh I heard his voice, and that was Mike Miller, and he's the host of the Angler and Hunter television show. And Mike and I go way back. But um I I sat down and um uh he was at um he was um doing a seminar uh at the front, and he's got the uh the big uh casting tank, and that in itself is uh is um an awesome thing to go down and see. Like, I mean this tank is is um um oh it's gotta be 41 feet or so. Like it's a tractor trailer, but it's a it's a glass tank, and on each end of this tank, way up at the top, there's um there's two platforms. And the first platform is the bow of a I think it's a Lund boat sitting on the uh on this tank facing the inside of the tank. So that's one platform where um uh guest speakers uh will stand up there and address the crowd. On the other end is the back of that boat um on on that end. So you can you can have two speakers on both on each end of this tank with um with uh all of these fish. They had trout in there. I think they had um rainbow trout in this tank. And I mean it was it was full of trout, right? And it's a it's such a a really impressive uh deal. And Mike was up there, and the other speaker was Mike's daughter, uh August. And uh August Miller, um I think she is uh 16. And um she has fished with Mike for years, but she's actually got a budding um a budding business within the the the fishing community. And um Mike and August, the the whole seminar, they talked about this, uh the importance of taking your your kids fishing. And um there were a couple of times and and it's a very it was very dynamic because uh you were getting August's point of view, and she would she would be saying things like, you know, when I was four years old, my dad, he didn't give me a um um, you know, a Barbie rod to fish with. And I didn't just sit in the boat and watch. Did my dad gave me his equipment, and that made me feel very special because I was fishing with a with the with the real equipment, with big person equipment. And um, and Mike uh said flat out right from the start, he said, you know, I um I I realized that if I taught my kids when they were young how to fish properly, that would mean that we could actually fish efficiently when they were not like when they're older, but not that much older. Like um she was very proficient with a uh with a rod from an early age, but that's because Mike took the time to give her a spinning combination and and you know, you put a uh wacky rigged Sanko or even a um uh weedless rigged Sanko worm, which is just a worm, and the hook is basically buried in the bait so that when they're practicing to cast or whatever, they're not hooking people. Like, I mean, when you're teaching a a kid and and you're giving them the um you're giving them the equipment that we would use on a regular basis, you want to set them up to win. So you don't take a uh a Rapala with three uh sharp trouble hooks on it and hand them that and say cast, right? You take them uh bass fishing and those Senko's, like I mean, man, anything will eat them. They're fishing with Senko's. Mike had a big old pink Senko on on this, uh, on the on the platform, and and um August had a a green um uh three-inch um Senko and or whatever, they were power baits or whatever company had given them, but they're a rubber stick bait, and they were pitching them out into this tank, and these trout were were going nuts. That's half of the allure. Like, I mean, sitting there watching uh listening to them talk and watching the fish in the tank fighting over this bait and carrying it all over the place, right? So um that was that was part of it. Like, I mean, when you start your your kids, make sure you set them up to win, right? Um, give them that the the equipment. And uh I uh there were a couple of moments really, um, and and I I uh I um I would I talked to Mike after and mentioned it to him. But during that talk, um hearing uh August talk about her experiences with her dad when she was young and how she felt and how she felt so good because it wasn't like she was a pain. It was um she was learning to fish the with like she was an adult and um and how much she loved it. And and uh there was just a couple of things that she said that I felt like I was tearing up. Like, I mean, it was uh it's an emotional thing too. And and what it was doing was it was reminding me of some of the experiences that I had with my kids and taking them out fishing. And um, you know, I had the benefit of of the lodge and and well, a benefit sometimes and not so the others times because it really didn't allow me to get out as much as I should have or wanted to with my kids. But when I did, I remember we took a um uh I I asked Pat and Jen to come out fishing with us. And Pat basically being one of my top guides, um, took us to all of the uh the places that were on fire. And uh we went out with Maddie. I don't even think Violet was around for this trip, but it was it was Maddie, Mikey, and Rayburn and and uh on that day, and still to this day, um the the kids talk about it. And that and that goes back to the uh in the um um intro. Um I wrote in there uh their memories that anchor us for a lifetime. And um they truly are, and the kids they remember Rayburn remembers that that big walleye that he caught on that trip because he had a jig in a minnow and he got hooked onto a fish and he said, Dad, I got a big one. And I looked over in my wisdom and I said, No, but uh, I think you're snagged. And Rayburn said, No, dad, I'm pretty sure I've got a fish. And just the way the rod was bent and it and it didn't look like it was moving a whole lot, and Rayburn was shaking the rod around, right? I I just I just thought, nah, no, blah blah blah blah blah. No, here's stag, here's stag. And then when it when and then the third time he said, No, I think it's a fish, and it started pulling drag. I knew it was a fish, and he fought that fish in, and that um that picture that we took that day made uh the brochure. So that was a brochure fish. Maddie also she caught um a uh a beautiful uh largemouth and uh was wearing this um cute little um I don't even know what color, but it was polka dot. It was like a white with pink and purple polka dots, like a big brimmed hat. And um she was holding, she was a daredevil, like she just uh she loved holding the fish. So she was holding this big largemouth, and uh we got that picture from that day, and that made the uh the brochure, and it's those moments that are anchored in their in their memory and um brings them back to the water all the time. Like Rayburn is is ridiculous, he's got the bug bad, um, you know, and uh even myself, like those I don't have a whole lot of childhood, vivid childhood memories, but I have feelings about things. And um uh when I was very young, mom and dad didn't have a whole lot of money. And um the my grand, my dad's mom and dad, my grandma and grandpa Ned's wiki, they uh they gave um my uh my dad and my uncle uh one acre lot each off of the farm. So um in 1975, uh dad um and into 76, dad built uh a house on on that property and um worked, worked, worked to pay that mortgage off. And we didn't have a whole lot of disposable income. Like, I mean, we didn't do a whole lot of trips uh um until I was about, I don't know, 15. Um, the biggest trip that we would take, and I looked forward to it every year, was um all the aunts and uncles and cousins and everybody, we'd all get together and we'd go to Wasaga Beach and we'd spend the day at Wasaga Beach. And that was a big deal in the summertime, right? Um, another memory that's anchored in my mind. But my mom would uh, because dad would be working and she was at home looking after us kids. Um, I'm not sure even if uh this is this is before my my I had siblings. She'd troll me on her bike, and she had one of them little bike seats that go on the back tire behind, and strap me in there, and we would draw a bike to Waldemer, Ontario from our house. And that was probably about one, two, three, four, five, six kilometers, six, seven kilometers to get there. And uh she take me down to the to the Grand River, and it was uh uh uh in the summertime when the water was lower, it was this awesome place. Like the the uh I don't know whether it was shale or limestone or whatever it was, but big sheets of rock that were really flat were uh led down to the water, and that and that kind of right in Waldemar under that main bridge and where the old train went over, um, it was that big flat rock. And then I could walk into the water and there was rushing water, and I just fell in love with the aquatic life. I fell in love with, you know, catching crayfish and and frogs and and trying to catch fish and you know, trying to figure all that stuff out, um, and and and eventually that leading into my dad taking me fishing. And uh we didn't go fishing in Waldemar because that's just not where dad uh was was comfortable. But if you go down the ninth line of Amaranth, which is the road that we lived on in those days, and you take it uh south to um just this side of Five Side Road, just north of Five Side Road at the bottom of the uh the um valley, there was a uh a creek. I think it's called Willow Creek. Back in those days, there was a lot of water that was in that Willow Creek. It was probably six, eight feet deep right under the bridge in a big hole. And dad would take me down there uh uh again in those younger days. And um we would uh we would go fishing right off of the um bridge um with a bobber, a hook, and a worm. And um we'd drop it in off of the bridge, one of those big old um uh it was a steel, like a bowstring bridge. It's gone now. It's um it's been replaced by a a concrete bridge. And um, but in those days we would drop our lines and catch um catfish and we'd reel them up, and sometimes there were catfish that were big enough that we couldn't get them reeled up because the the line would break. So dad would have to take the rod down the side when we got one like that. And we kept them and took them to my grandpa's wiki and uh because he loved fish and them catfish, he'd eat them up like candy. But those memories um are so vivid in my mind, and um uh the excitement as a kid when um dad said, Yeah, I'm gonna take you fishing, and uh to get into the truck and and um grab your fishing rod, and I'd have to go dig worms and inevitably every Saturday morning, um, you know, I got up and watched cartoons because that was cartoon day. And as soon as the cartoons that I liked were done, I would go right outside to the garden and um start digging for worms. Because if I had worms, Doug, I learned awful quick, you know, if I wanted to go fishing, it was going to happen. The chances of us going fishing were way better if I already had the worms. Because if I went and said, Dad, can we go fishing? And I expected dad to go dig the worms, well, that wasn't uh that it happened sometimes, but not not all the time. So I become a real good worm digger. And uh jumping in that truck and getting down to Durkin Bridge, getting out and down in that hollow in that valley, um, it the the the the shoreline was all lined with cedar and uh and uh some maple, but mainly cedar and the smell of the water and the smell of the air down there was um was magical. Like, I mean, that smell I I'll never forget. Um, and then you know, once I got old enough to get on the bike and go, I got on the bike and I went down there all the time. I went down there all the time and I took my bucket and I kept all the fish because Gramps would pay me a nickel for every fish that I brought them from Dirkin Bridge. And um that was my my my thing, man. Right uh until I until you know I got a driver's license and uh I could I could expand and move out and and then Then I met uh some buddies at uh high school, uh Eric Poole in particular, and and um his dad then took took me um with them fishing from a boat, you know, that was a big thing. And um, and that's really how how where it started for me. But those early days, those anchor memories, um they um they they they live long and hard. And to be able to to to to then do that with your children um is uh is amazing. And when I was listening to August talk about those days with her dad and what she's doing now as a 16-year-old girl and how important the things that her dad did to to shape her life and the way that she's she and the direction she's going now, it was very it was emotional for me. Um I didn't hear, I like, I mean, I didn't lose it or anything, but after the uh after uh the seminar, I went up to Mike and I said, Hey, uh I I don't know how you stand up there. And you've you've um been a uh uh a hugely successful Canadian tournament angler. You're you um uh you were on the Fish in Canada television show as a co-host. You're now the host of uh the out of um uh the angler and hunter television show. And you've taken your daughter all over the world. She she was talking about being in Africa hunting and you know um uh shooting her first deer with her dad and uh fishing and like I mean she's part of that show with Mike. And um, I said, I don't know how you don't you don't tear up up there, you know, like that's uh that's a pretty freaking awesome, awesome thing you got going on. And he said, Yeah, I know. He said, Well, the first couple of times I did this uh with her, um, yeah, it was very tough. It was very tough because I'm proud of her, and so you should be, you know.

SPEAKER_05 24:18

Back in 2016, Frank and I had a vision to amass the single largest database of muskie angling education material anywhere in the world.

SPEAKER_04 24:26

Our dream was to harness the knowledge of this amazing community and share it with passionate anglers just like you.

SPEAKER_05 24:33

Thus, the Ugly Pike Podcast was born and quickly grew to become one of the top fishing podcasts in North America.

SPEAKER_04 24:40

Step into the world of angling adventures and embrace the thrill of the catch with the Ugly Pike Podcast. Join us on our quest to understand what makes us different as anglers and to uncover what it takes to go after the infamous fish of 10,000 casts.

SPEAKER_05 24:54

The Ugly Pike Podcast isn't just about fishing, it's about creating a tight-knit community of passionate anglers who share the same love for the sport. Through laughter, through camaraderie, and an unwavering spirit of adventure, this podcast will bring people together. Subscribe now and never miss a moment of our angling adventures.

SPEAKER_04 25:12

Tight lines, everyone.

SPEAKER_05 25:13

Find Ugly Pike now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts.

Emotions, Memories, And Kids’ First Trophies

SPEAKER_00 25:25

As the world gets louder and louder, the lessons of our natural world become harder and harder to hear. But they are still available to those who know where to listen. I'm Jerry Oulette, and I was honored to serve as Ontario's Minister of Natural Resources. However, my journey into the woods didn't come from politics. Rather, it came from my time in the bush and a mushroom. In 2015, I was introduced to the birch-hungry fungus known as Chaga, a tree conch, with centuries of medicinal use by indigenous peoples all over the globe. After nearly a decade of harvest, use, testimonials, and research, my skepticism has faded to obsession. And I now spend my life dedicated to improving the lives of others through natural means. But that's not what the show is about. My pursuit of the strange mushroom and my passion for the outdoors has brought me to the places and around the people that are shaped by our natural world. On Outdoor Journal Radio's Under the Canopy podcast, I'm going to take you along with me to see the places, meet the people that will help you find your outdoor passion and help you live a life close to nature and under the canopy. Find Under the Canopy Now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts.

Childhood Trips, Worms, And Willow Creek

Lodge Life: Selling Experiences

Dock Fishing Magic And “Jerry” The Northern

SPEAKER_01 26:53

I took it to another level too. Like I didn't, when I bought the lodge, I didn't realize um I didn't, I thought I was selling fishing trips. And when when I became successful, I understood that I wasn't selling fishing trips. I was selling experiences. And a lot of that experience was families. And being able to set up a family with a guide, knowing that those guides were good with families, and they were building those first catch memories. That was something that was hugely important. And, you know, I always took the time to hang out with the kids on the dock. And and, you know, I was busy. I was really busy. And there were times when, you know, I would talk to guests and and um I'd have to not cut it short, but I, you know, I had to move on. But when it comes to kids on the dock, I never cut it short. I never cut it short. And we had a rule that it was live release off of the dock for people fishing because I wanted those fish available. And there were some pretty good uh northerns and largemouth or uh smallmouth and uh perch on that off the dock that uh because you know, right at the at the the dock, we had the dockhouse, which had our uh bait shack and shop, and um all of the dead live bait, um, dead minnows, dead worms, whatever, and with the minnows especially, they were hard to keep alive. There was a lot of die-off. We'd just throw them right out in front of the um shop off the dock, and uh we had a shit ton of fish coming to eat them. Like we fed them all the time. And then, you know, I would set up the kids, I'd say, Hey, you guys wanna, you know, they'd get there and really excited, and you know, have you ever caught any fish? And then I would bring, I would uh, I would say to the the parents, I'd say, Okay, listen, uh, the boys are gonna go get you guys set up. Um, take the kids with you because it's exciting to see the your you the place you're living uh for the next week and and see the lodge and uh and that. And uh um I usually picked it up from the lodge. I'd let the the boys take all of their gear to the cottage and then I'd tell them to come meet me down at the lodge, or I would just take them to the lodge and then walk them to their cottage. But it always came with the caveat, come on down, I'm gonna show you how to uh how the kids can fish on a dock. And uh they'd say, okay. So, you know, half an hour later, I'd see them walking along, they'd be looking for me. And uh I'd take the kids down, and it was as simple as um uh using a dead minnow and a hook with no weight and just toss that dead minnow out because that's what they're eating. They're eating all the dead minnows that we're throwing out on the dock, especially in the morning. Uh, but it didn't matter what time of day. And uh the kids could go down there and just hook on a minnow and throw it out, and then they would catch fish off the dock. And uh it was um, those are those anchor memories. And some of them, like I mean, for the most part, it was perch and um um, but we had one big northern, uh Jerry. Um, and he came back for about three or four years in a row. There was a uh weed bed right in the corner of um of the dock. It was almost like um the main dock and from the dockhouse went uh straight across and then up the hill, and then along the shoreline. Um, I had another beautiful big dock with a bunch of floater docks coming off of it. And in that crotch, in that uh angle, right on the shoreline, there was this awesome little weed bit. And, you know, it would range from from you know six feet deep on high water to to three feet deep in low water. But old Larry or Jerry, Larry was our snapping turtle, Jerry uh the northern, he'd sit right in that grass and what and his thing was, and it was great. It was a moneymaker for me. The kids would um would throw out their dead minnow and hook, they'd catch a perch, and then um, and then Jerry, he would see that perch coming in and he'd explode like, and it was only like 10, 12 feet from where the kids were fishing from this weed bed. He'd explode right out of the weed bed and hammer the perch, and then take that perch and go, and the kids are going, the kids are going nuts, right? Because all of a sudden they think they have a little perch. And now near that rod's being near pull out of their hand because there's a 36-inch northern pulling that uh pulling that uh uh perch that they had on their line and gone. And uh nine times out of ten, he'd uh he'd he'd shake that, he'd get that hook right off. Um, I always pinch the barbs because you know it was always live release, right? And we don't want to hurt the fish they're catching any any more than than uh we had to. And with barbless hooks, man, they you know they fall right off that uh that hook. And sometimes they were catching the same freaking fish like three times in a row. Um, but uh not when uh not when Jerry got a hold of them. Um and and that right there, that's a memory that kids do not forget. Um my uh my nephew Quinn, uh, he was up when he was young and he caught a uh freshwater drum or a sheep's head right off of our big um our big boat uh dock. And uh he still talks about that day to this day. Hey, Uncle Steven, you remember when I caught that fish? Yeah, I do, I do. And uh so it's it's all of those those um those little memories. And as a lodge owner, I fell in love with giving families those anchor memories, and um, and I realized that that was what I was selling. That is as what I was selling because and and in particular to the kids. And and uh anybody who owns a lodge or an outdoor business or or whatever, anything kind of close to that, take this one to heart because this was was uh was a um um this converted near all the time. You take those those families with kids that are are old enough and um uh had the desire to do whatever you're offering. In my case, it was fishing and catching fish, uh, or or going out and picking blueberries, uh, or whatever I could do. Those are your key to a returning guest, those kids, because if you give those kids a memory and and a desire to come back, there is no person on this planet that is more um uh um is more resilient and uh and uh uh um will not give up than kids. And I totally after after a year or two, and it wasn't until I had a couple of families coming back and rebooking and them saying, Steve, I had to book this trip because I couldn't take Jesse talking about going to Chaudiere anymore. Like it was relentless. I couldn't, I couldn't handle it until we booked a trip and Jesse knew that he was coming back. Uh it was a freaking nightmare for us. So good on you. And right there, and then I thought, oh my God, that is a recipe right there. And I put like uh uh uh 80, 90 percent of my focus when I had those kids, whether they be early teens, whether they be four, five, six, seven-year-old kids, I put my focus on them. I put my focus on them so that they were my salespeople without even knowing about it. And um, I remember there was a group, the Vanner group from Buffalo, and it was a father-son group. And um once and this the they come after I had kind of developed these thoughts, and um um they wanted to go out with guides and shore lunch and everything else. So I made those shore lunches and I I designed them for the kids. So I brought um um extra guides or um I brought some of the servers, housekeeper servers out, because they were a group of um of 30, I think the the largest at one point, they took the whole lodge. So there was one year where I had my head chef come out to shore lunch. I had the girls come out. Um, Micah, my uh Sioux chef, Micah Ricci, he's been on the show. Um, Micah come out. Actually, I don't think Philly Phil came out. I think it was because he was he was he was busy doing dinner, but Micah come out and um he had come up with this idea um at the um at the for the for the lodge for in the lodge, he was playing around with making his own donuts in the deep fryer. So I saw him messing around with these donuts in the deep fryer, and I knew that the vaners were coming. And I said, Micah, um, is there a way that we could make donuts at the shore lunch? Like we've already got the hot oil. Do you think it's possible? And he said, Well, I think it should be possible. So that's what we did. I took the girls out, they were serving, and and the boys were all in that, you know, um, I'm gonna say eight to 13, 14 years old. The girls were beautiful, so you know, for young boys with the girls out there, they love that. And not only that, the donuts that Micah was making after we did the the the fish fry, the fish and chips, they turned out amazing. Like, you know, uh all I can say is when you have um um an awesome recipe for a meal already, which is you know, fish and chips and uh donuts, it's one thing to do them in a building. But when you do them in a in a place like the shoreline of the upper French River somewhere, and you're cooking the fish you caught that morning, all of a sudden it becomes magical. And that food that probably tastes exactly the same in the lodge versus out on the water tastes so much better. It's the atmosphere. And by building that, I've those boys they that that group still goes to the lodge today and they still do the same thing. And those those anchor memories, what happens is when you nurture them, they turn into um they turn into uh um um tradition. And once you build a tradition within your your family unit, your business, um, whatever, those traditions um are the most valuable. Whether you're a lodge owner and it's a tradition that people are coming back to your place, whether you're a family, like, like for me, for instance, we have built a tradition over the last 15, 20 years that on Thanksgiving we are on the Upper French River. And it started that we were at Chaudiere. We were that was our closing, and and that's when the kids and Melissa and all of my family would come to the lodge, and it started there, and then it's continued once we got our cottage and island on the upper French. Come Thanksgiving, it doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing. Um everybody knows we are on the Upper French River, on that 18-acre island, spending time with each other. And um, that will never change. That'll never change. And those traditions are so important to families, and I'm just beginning to see it, right? Like, I mean, it's it's uh Mikey is over in France right now on an on an exchange, right? So he's been gone now for well since um uh September, right? Um but when your kids move away and and they might they might fall, you know, to the next concession or live in the same town, or they could be across the world somewhere. But for me to build that tradition is hugely important because I want to make sure that I see my kids once a year and they know, and it's not even a question. To the point where I had to I had to tell Anjum um that uh I wasn't available to go to Kanso, Nova Scotia to fish for bluefin tuna, which you know, that is a bucket list. That is something that um that uh it it it it really hurt me in a way to say no I can't do that. But I have no regret about doing it because I know that if I don't make if I lead by example, the chances of the kids missing those trips are gonna be a lot lower, right? So those those traditions are are huge. And not only that, when when you're you're taking these kids out into the um into nature, whether you're fishing, whether you're hunting, whether you're hiking, you know, you're away from your phones, you're un you're you're unplugged. And the one thing that um that happens is it's a great environment to teach patience. And with patience comes, you know, quiet. And if you can teach your kids to just appreciate the sound of the water, or watch the birds, or you know, close your eyes and feel the wind. Those are things that are are really um important to teach your kids. Like, I mean, those little moments, uh, and I and I feel for for kids today, I really had a wonderful upbringing. Um we were in the country, uh, we had very little money, and uh I had a I had a great home, um always had good food because we lived on Graham and Graham's hundred acres. And um so many times I would go outside and just lie in the grass somewhere and stare at the sky. And um, and I I vividly remember just doing that. And it it left a lot of space in my mind, you know, and um, or in the springtime, you know, you go out and and you start playing in the water as things are melting and you get that earthy smell. Um, those are those are moments that our children aren't having. And um, if you can as a parent um give them the space to and and give them the space in location and the space in in um letting them go, um, those are some of the the best um um experiences, the space to play in the water and to um catch frogs and you know like I mean with my kids on the island um um at the lodge the lodge island before I had the one that I've got now um we had a trail that kind of went through the back and there was a big big pine tree that had blown over and the root clump that come that that tipped up 90 degrees was like 14 feet high and it it it it um cleaned out a hole it was a depression in the in the rock so it was like a a two foot deep um 12 14 15 foot diameter um depression in the granite where the root system lifted everything out and um it filled up with frogs and bugs and this and that and for years they would talk about the frog pond we're gonna go to the frog pond and you know I I I when they left the lodge right until they were probably 11 or 12 years old it was the rule was as soon as you walk out the front door of the lodge you put your life jacket on. I don't care if you go into the water or not right and that was uh that was something that was hammered into their into their brains and it was just second nature. So I could let them go and they would go out to this frog pond which was that depression and they would spend hours back there just messing around in the water and you know what I mean? So there's those types of things too and um these are the things that um for children today it's so important to to try and and foster that relationship between nature and them between the outdoors and them teaching them uh proper um um um respect for wildlife and and how and the relationship that um that we have whether it be um the relationship in a sense that um uh it's uh hunting you know you can there's nothing wrong with hunting as long as it's done for the right reasons and in the proper proper way the relationship between uh uh the uh that fishing can bring and fishing is a great one because and and hunting too depending on how you're doing it but that is one of those things where um people and parents uh and kids uh and grandparents can spend quality time together right and um um it's it's one of those things where if you if you take your kids out and you treat them like they're another angler rather than a snot nosed kid that's in your way you know another thing that Mike said was um you know if the kids want to play with your electronics and so many people and you know what I've been guilty of it too because I didn't in the beginning know my electronics all that well and if the kids pressed buttons I didn't know how to get it back to the way it was set up and I'd have to go to Pat and say hey can you fix this thing up because it doesn't look like it used to and I don't know what the hell is wrong with it. But if you know your electronics well enough and it's not that hard you just press buttons until you figure it out you can let your kids do the same you know they're on phones constantly let them go at the GPS and and sonar or your live scope or whatever you're running you know just by pushing buttons they're pretty they're pretty resilient machines like it's not like you can mess them up right so you know if you treat those kids like a fishing friend um and and teach them like that now you know it's okay to to have the friend idea but uh uh there you there's there's ne that's never an excuse to not be a parent right and um but um that's uh there there's there's there's a very happy medium and um treating your kids like some like an adult and and and teaching them valuable lessons with proper equipment there is uh that's what Mike did and um uh that's what I did a lot too out of uh out of um necessity because I didn't have the you know the the kid fishing rods or whatever all I had was the rental equipment that I would rent out and my own personal stuff and I just put that stuff in their hands and and uh let them go right um and and in those first years it's about managing the managing them right you're not really gonna get a whole lot of fishing done um untangling uh birds' nests and tangles and putting worms on hooks and reties and break offs and lines stuck in the engine and you know all the baloney all the baloney but it um in my case and in Mike's case um it is totally worth it because now I have a family of um very proficient anglers that um number one want to go and number two can go without me so you know uh it's it's it's a wonderful win all around um so there you have it that is uh that is what's what uh what uh was spawn at the uh spring fishing and boat show um this weekend and uh thank you mike and thank you August uh you guys are you guys are awesome and keep up the good work because um um it was inspiring it was uh it really was so good on you guys and uh Andy uh you did a wonderful job again this year um spring fishing and boat show it's the it it's the first fishing show of the year um um in Toronto and um it was worth uh worth heading down for sure um so uh folks next year uh put that one on your calendar and um thank you for getting to this point I really appreciate it thanks to our um our producers um Anthony Mancini uh dean taylor and uh Ang and Pete over at the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network we appreciate it and folks I appreciate you thank you for getting to this point and uh fire me uh uh off uh an email and and let me know what your interests are and how we're doing and if you've got a guest that you might like to hear from uh you know how to get me it is steve.n at fishing canada.com and uh also uh I'm still uh doing the firearms collecting things so if uh you know of uh um somebody with an estate that they've got uh and needs somebody to have a look at uh some firearms you can also reach out to me in the same way uh and uh thus brings us to the conclusion of another episode of Diaries of a Lodge Owner Stories of the North I'm a good old boy never meaning no harm I'll be the whole you ever saw been reeling in the hog since the day I was born bending my rug stretching my line some day I might on a lodge and that'd be fine I'll be making my way the only way I know how working hard and sharing the north with all of my pals while I'm a good old boy a bottle lodge and live my dream and now I'm here talking about how life can be as good as it seems yeah hi everybody I'm Angelo Viola and I'm Pete Bowman now you might know us as the hosts of Canada's favorite fishing show but now we're hosting a podcast.

SPEAKER_03 52:46

That's right every Thursday Ans and I will be right here in your ears bringing you a brand new episode of Outdoor Journal Radio.

SPEAKER_07 52:53

Hmm now what are we going to talk about for two hours every week well you know there's gonna be a lot of fishing I knew exactly where those fish were going to be and how to catch them and they were easy to catch.

Kids As Loyal Guests And Return Trips

SPEAKER_03 53:03

Yeah but it's not just a fishing show. We're going to be talking to people from all facets of the outdoors from athletes all the other guys would go golfing me and Garchomp and all the Russians would go fishing.

SPEAKER_07 53:16

To scientists now that we're reforesting or anything it's the perfect transmission environment for line season to chefs if any game isn't cooked properly marinated for you will taste it.

SPEAKER_03 53:29

And whoever else will pick up the phone. Wherever you are Outdoor Journal Radio seeks to answer the questions and tell the stories of all those who enjoy being outside find us on Spotify Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts