This years trip for me had a more laid back feel to it. Do not know why it felt that way to me as most of the elements are the same. Decide a date, create a list and go......(forgot at least one item; this year it was the milk).

Going in June resulted in an increased amount of bugs, especially on arrival day. The weather was mixed as per usual. The walleye were a challenge to catch; no change there. The first trip out with the pontoon boat yielded David a 19-inch walleye within the first hour. Everyone was pumped. Later we learned Pete landed a 21.5-inch walleye. Fish on a bun was had by all. Over the next couple of days the weather improved, the bugs and fish went into hiding, so a few of us took the canoes to Kenogaming Lake. A very big bald eagle flew directly over David`s and my canoe. David caught a pike and we found an excellent swimming island with a 1 meter diving rock. On shore there was a 3 meter jumping cliff to investigate next time.

The final day was tense. We needed to catch fish for Ben`s special dinner. I got up with the crows at 5:15 am and made coffee. Everyone out of desperation committed to an early start. By 6 am most were up. We were all on the lake by 6:45. Ben landed the big one as per the pictures.

There is a new FishingPal; George Smith. Check out his BIO.

The 2009 version of FishingPals marks the first year where one of the founding members (Ron) had to miss out on this year's merriment. Work commitments prevented his attendance. However, this is also the year that we introduce the newest member of the FishingPals gang, George. George has had a long standing invitation to join the boys for years, and was able to accommodate the trip in his schedule this season.

As in seasons past on Sashihaw Lake, the boys were comfortable with the surroundings and knew what to expect. The big change this year was going in early June. We knew the bugs were going to be bad, but hopefully, the fishing might improve. We didn't have any chaperones this year, but we managed to run things smoothly. The only problem we had was trying to start the pontoon boat after the first day.

Initially, the fishing looked promising as we bagged a couple of good sized walleye for lunch, but the streak didn't last long. A short day trip was made over to Kenogaming Lake, but we didn't have much luck over there either. The weather was wet at first, but the hot sun showed up by Sunday. Ben's Steamed Fish dinner looked like it might be at risk, but he saved the day, and caught a monster 5 pound walleye. No oyster sauce, but all meals were tasty and we had enough to eat.

This trip proved to be another successful endeavour as no one got hurt, and we had enough to eat. Thankfully, Wiseguy Ben was able to land a big walleye, or else we may have been eating pike for Tuesday's meal! Hula-Man proved to be a monster "reperzentin' the North side". Eric and I proved to be no match for the behemoth. Eric starts his training regime for next year's re-match, while I have long since surrendered to any competitions of strength to young Skywalker. I'll just stick to my 'signature' moves. David is tormented with feats of magic that boggle the mind. Maybe next year David! Peter found time to expand his mind with hypertext markup language (and caught the second biggest fish), and George shows that he can fit in with the gang like he's been there since day one.

FishingPals is now in its sixteenth year of existence. This group has proven that it can stand the test of time, and we have had a lot of fun along the way. In the end, fishing becomes a simple ruse to our real efforts of enjoying each other's company. Already looking forward to the next decade of fun...

Thanks as always, to Andre and Eddy for being so kind to allow us to use the camp again. We don't think we could find much nicer accommodations in the northern Ontario wilderness.

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