Karen Anderson
What do you do when you’ve been invited to go on a Canadian fishing trip even though you’re not that much into fishing? You go. You fish. And, you enjoy the company of good friends.
At the 2017 Aiming for a Cure Foundation annual banquet, our friends Kevin and Val Schmitt had the winning bid on a fishing trip to Canada donated by Kevin and Kathy Knutson. There was one condition; the Andersons and Rieses (Jodi and Steve the founders of Aiming for a Cure) were to join them.
The trip had to be postponed a year but on August 9, 2018, six of us loaded the van and took off on our 13-hour drive to meet the Knutsons at their fishing camp the next day. When we arrived, we were greeted by the most spectacular view of tall pines, beautiful spruce, peaceful waters and the Knutson clan.
“Waste no time, the fish are biting!” they said.
After being properly outfitted in Mossy Oak Fishing gear, we were off. There we were, each of us in our Mossy Oak Elements and our lines in the beautiful waters of the English river. The Knutsons know the “hot spots” so it wasn’t long before we were reeling in the keepers. (OK, so this was nothing like fishing off the dock back home with my 4, 5 and 6-year-old grandsons.
The next three days were filled with abundant walleye fishing, wonderful food, roaring laughter, and great, great memories. Every day was just as beautiful as the day before on the scenic waters of Ontario. Obsession? I totally get it now.
For someone who is not that much into fishing, I had a wonderfully, unforgettable, can’t-wait-to-go-back time. Spending those days with my husband Tim and the other very special people on this Aiming for a Cure trip was amazing. If I learned anything, it is this: don’t ever hesitate to do something you’ve never done. You might surprise yourself and end up with a big catch.
