Fish tales lead to renewed friendships and greater longevity

Last week four friends arrived at our cottage. They were up for a fishing week on Rainy Lake and now all are over 70 years of age. You wouldn’t know it by their attitude or their stamina for fishing on hot humid days.
They are a fun group of guys to hang around. Sunday, I participated in the Safeway KidPro with my friend Phil Bangert who I met for the first time sixteen years ago under the tent of the tournament on the waterfront. His partner of the time had slept in and he just wanted to talk. It was his first year in the tournament and Phil was enjoying Fort Frances and making friends with the community.
That same year I met Randy Amenrude, Norm and Dave Lindsay, the Lindner family, Larry Bollig, Larry Hullet, Alex Kezler and a whole boat load of anglers. Every year we seem to renew those friendships that have developed through the tournament.
Some of the pros today were hoping to get picked to be in the KidPro tournament back then. Others were too young to even participate in the KidPro.
Yesterday Bryan Gustafson, and Andrew Rogozinski, who started fishing in the KidPro, were both, taking out young anglers to experience the excitement of fishing. Jeff Gustafson from Kenora took two young fishermen out. Since he started fishing his first Canadian Bass Championship, Joe Thrun has never failed to take a young person out for the KidPro.
Over twenty youngsters experienced the thrill of competitive fishing on Sunday and since its inception over 400 young people have fished the KidPro.
Those fishermen who have voluntarily found time to take the youth of the area out are making friends with several generations of families.
Phil and I took a young lady from just outside of Minneapolis out for the day. Her grandmother and mother who we were introduced to had made chocolate chip cookies for the boat, and we met Annika Roisin’s two sisters and her dad who came to watch the launch and weigh in.
The tournament has introduced me to a great bunch of fishermen and families, many of whom have become friends and I look forward to renewing friendships with them every year.
Early Monday morning, you would have caught me shortly after 6:00 a.m. at the launching ramp shaking hands with fishermen and wishing them well on the lake. It will be repeated every day this week and in the evening, I will probably be found wandering from motel to motel, catching up on the latest gossip of what is happening on the water.
After Phil Bangert and I had finished up with the KidPro, Phil met up with Heather Seiders who he had taken fishing seven years ago in the KidPro. She is now in university, but she wanted to just catch up with the man who had taken an interest in her so many years ago. Every year they have met up with each other, sometimes for a day fishing, other times to enjoy an ice cream cone at the Dairy Queen.
Now most of the fishermen I know can tell great stories. In another life, they would probably be authors of fiction and we would clamor to read their books. Most of the stories are at their own expense and almost all will bring laughter and smile to your face. I think that is all part of what I look forward to.
Often times now with some of the fishermen who are my age, I am hearing the stories of their grandchildren who they are taking up fishing. Their faces are beaming. Years ago, the stories we would tell each other were often of our harrowing mistakes by running a buoy on Rainy Lake on the wrong side, or letting a rod fall overboard while landing our partner’s fish with a net, or forgetting to put the bailing plug in the boat before launching and watching the water seep over the floor boards.
Today the stories are of their grand daughters and grand sons fishing from their boats. The faces beam with pride as they tell those stories of introducing another generation in their family to the thrill of fishing.
For many of the older anglers, they still look to be competitive and look to capture that trophy, but more often, the real reason to come to Fort Frances is to rekindle those friendships.
A study published this past year points to increased longevity and health by hanging out with family and friends and remaining in contact. The study also found that being able to tell great stories contributed to the development of friendship and the bonds that grow from it. The stories are our way of communicating to others our experiences and tell a lot about ourselves.
Perhaps the Bass Tournament is helping border residents live longer by developing a wider range of friends.

–Jim Cumming,
Publisher