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You can’t predict what experiences you will have on a vacation. Three years ago, we started the tradition of going on a fishing trip for our wedding anniversary on the first weekend in June.
The first year we rented a cabin on Cowan Lake, but with COVID restrictions, The Hubs and I went on our own. Last year, we returned to the same place on Cowan, and our daughter and her husband joined us. This year they brought their two youngest daughters, aged three and six, along. It is a six-hour drive from their home to the lake, but they are always up for an adventure.
In 2020 the weather was horrid with nonstop rain and wind. It felt like no amount of extra clothing could keep us warm, plus we didn’t have adequate rain gear or shelter on the pontoon boat.
After that episode, we bought an enclosure for our boat and rain suits. Last year it was +28, so we didn’t need the enclosure or the rain suits!
This year we switched things up and went to Delaronde Lake, located in North Central Saskatchewan near Big River, only an hour and a half from our home. Delaronde Lake is 55 km long, and you can fish for northern pike and pickerel. Although it’s not far, the landscape is different from around Leask. The lakes are larger, and there is more rock and bush; it is beautiful country.
The weather flipped between chilly, windy and hot. We were in tank tops, then an hour later, the toques and winter coats came out, but we were prepared. Saskatchewan’s erratic weather means bringing a lot of stuff, but we are used to it.
I love the month of June with its long days. The water was too cold for the kids to go swimming, but they liked walking along the shoreline and dipping their toes in; well, the youngest got more than her toes wet. We were the only people on the beach, so it was peaceful. I try to be outside between 9:30 and 10:00 to watch the breathtaking sunsets. I even set a phone alarm, so I don’t miss it.
Our cabin overlooked the marina, and it was interesting to watch the beavers that live in the channel banks. Every night around 10 o’clock, they were out of the water sitting on the shore. We observed two yearlings and a huge female. The kids loved watching them swim around and were especially amused when the beaver slapped its tail on the water and dove under. We showed them pieces of wood that the beaver chewed with their powerful teeth.
The girls are starting to play softball and are keen to learn. They brought their ball equipment and played in the empty lot next to the cabin with their parents and The Hubs. He is a softball coach from way back and is pretty hardcore. His coaching methods may be deemed controversial by some. He told the six-year-old she has to be mean when she swings the bat. He said to imagine it is a boy at school that bugs her pitching the ball. She thought about this for a second and said with a smirk, “well, there is one,” and said she would imagine hitting it and knocking his teeth out! Hearing this blonde-haired, blue-eyed, gentle little girl say that cracked me up.
We did all the things: campfires with s’mores, spent hours on the boat and watched the loons. Some mosquitoes were out, but it wasn’t too bad considering our proximity to water and bush.
We had a picnic lunch at Zig Zag Bay Beach and another day we found an area where we could beach the boat and walk the shoreline looking at shells and driftwood and then we ate our lunch on the boat.
We kept seven jackfish and had enough for a delicious fish fry and brought some home. The Hubs cooked the fish in a pan over the campfire like a real bushman.
I bought some pirate eyepatches, big gold hoop clip-on earrings and glow-in-the-dark glasses for added entertainment which the kids had lots of fun with; OK, I did too. Doesn’t every grandma have pirate eye patches on their grocery list?
The Hubs looks after his boat passengers making sure rods, hooks and bait are all in order. This year he treated himself to a new rod and reel, an Ugly Stick®️, yes that is the product name. The first day we were fishing my daughter asked him for a different hook, so he put his rod in the holder on the side of the boat and went to get the hook.
All of a sudden there was a commotion as his rod and the holder were pulled overboard by some mysterious force of nature. He claims it was a huge fish, but it could’ve been weeds. I guess we will never know. The huge fish version makes for a better story. We searched for it, thinking we could maybe snag the line and pull the rod up, but our efforts were in vain. The kids were quite worried about their poor grandpa losing his new rod and felt bad for him.
Life is funny when something good happens then something that’s not great happens and it all balances out. On the morning we left on the trip he got a rebate cheque in the mail and commented that it was enough to cover what he had spent on his new rod.
The Hubs texted his buddy for moral support after this traumatic event. This friend and his wife were fishing at another lake with The Hubs’ boss and his wife. When he got to work Tuesday morning his boss gave him with a new ugly stick. I talked to him on the phone during the day and he told me about receiving the replacement rod. I was surprised by their generosity, until I saw the rod. I guess it’s the thought that counts. The creativity, workmanship and attention to detail they showed making it is impressive, maybe they can start mass production and sell them at Cabela’s. I bet they had a good laugh making it. If you want to place an order, I can provide their contact information.
Our daughter loves fishing and is quite competitive. If someone is pulling fish in and she isn’t having any luck she’s quick to inquire how they’re doing it, what hook they’re using and then will switch her hook to try and get it on the action. Over the years she has borrowed and lost several of her dad’s best Rattlin’ Rapala®️ hooks, so her hook debt is mounting. Our son-in-law, bless his soul, puts up with all of us. He doesn’t stress about catching fish, he helps with the kids and enjoys taking in the scenery. The girls brought their little Paw Patrol®️ and Barbie®️ rods and fished hard.
They are scared to get too close to the fish but they each helped their mom reel one up to the boat and then they cleared out before the netting process. When one feisty fish jumped out of the live well onto the floor it caused some excitement. The three-year-old is passionate about fishing; the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree.
It seems the food you make camping tastes better than when you make the same thing at home. We had big breakfasts, took lunch with us and made homemade burgers, steak and fish for our suppers. The fish were delicious, served with fried potatoes, pork and beans and fresh squeezed lemon you can’t beat it, better than a restaurant meal, hands down.
The joke to the kids was that if they misbehaved they wouldn’t get invited on another fishing trip. You know how it is you say something off the cuff not realizing kids take things literally. Our granddaughter was laying in bed the last night of the trip and she said how much fun she had and she sure hoped she would get invited back next year. As if we’d ever give those precious littles the boot, I am more likely to be the one to get the heave-ho then them!
Our Packing Essentials for a Successful Family Fishing Trip - Saskatchewan
- toque
- winter coat
- long underwear
- tank tops
- shorts
- fuzzy socks and runners
- flip flops
- sunscreen to prevent the wind from ripping the skin off your face
- allergy pills for the poplar fuzz
- spare rod and reel
- extra hooks
- pirate eyepatches and hoop earrings
- glow in the dark glasses
- outdoor games to play with the kids
- s’mores and lots of snacks
- pork and beans
- lemons
- wieners in case you don’t catch any fish
It usually takes a couple days to pack and several more to unpack so it’s a lot of work, but the memories we make on these trips make it all more than worthwhile.
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