With the official start of summer only a few days away, I'm really starting to get excited about the opening of bass season – beginning June 26th in Lennox & Addington and area. 

What I’m most looking forward to is introducing my daughter to this great pastime of fishing.  She’s only two-and-a-half, but she’s raring to go with her Dora-the-Explorer fishing pole (can you say “sustantivo”?). She has the attention span of a perch so our trip might be a short one, but it will be fun none-the-less.

For me, my love of fishing started at an early age out on Beaver Lake near Tamworth.  I'd spend most - if not all - of my summer vacation 'back to the lake' with my grandparents. Poppy would often take my brother and I out in his 12' aluminum "Sears" fishing boat - dented from the time he let me try and cross the 'shallow' waters on Neville's Point on my own. The 7.5 horsepower Johnson barely created a wake behind us as we crept from spot to spot.

If my brother and I 'got along', we'd get to go to the mouth of the Salmon River and try our luck.  We didn't get to go very often, but when we did we'd tie off near the dam and walk down the shore, casting as we went. The fish were never all that big here, but you were basically guaranteed to catch one every cast.

It’s tough to beat enjoyment brought about by the fight that a smallmouth gives when you try and reel it in.  It's fun, but not as fun as spending the day out on the lake with your family.  The fond memories of my grandpa and brother out on Beaver Lake are now 20 years old, but it still feels like they happened yesterday. 

I don’t expect my little girl to remember our upcoming fishing trip, but I know it will definitely be added to my memory bank.

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On a related note, July 3rd to 11th is Ontario Family Fishing Week.  It’s the first time it’s been a week-long event.  It's a chance to get out and experience the sport of fishing for free - no license required.  Also free is the chance to create memories of your own.  And if you're lucky - you'll also catch a free lunch.