I remember when Mike and I were working for Tommy Hog in Alberta selling Niagara Adjustable Beds. One time I was down from Edmonton visiting my sister Kathy in Calgary. I remember Mike showed up out of the blue (he was like that ya' know - just shows up outa' nowhere). We couldn't think of any thing to do so we decided to take Willy fishing. Mike was going on about this great fishing spot he and Willy found along some river nearby. Wasn't too far.
The only problems were I was driving, he was directing and out of beer. When it came down to it - he couldn't really remember where the spot was. A few hours into the not too far away beer location we eventually arrived at the "Great Fishin' Hole."
Turned out to be over a cliff in a steep, narrow, rocky pass. It was so roaring loud we had to shout over the sound of big, water, gushing through the gap at 100 miles an hour. Hell, there was nothin' there but thundering rapids a steep embankment and Mike, Willy and I.
Oh! Did I mention Fish?
Well if there were any fish they were smart enough not let us know that they weren't stupid enough to be there.
About all Mike and I could do for fun was threaten to throw Willy in the river.
Never knew until I read his story why he didn't really seem keen on going fishin with us that time. Now I know. ( see William Pataky's story below, one of Mike's Nephews)
We were probably the reason he never went with us again too.
Hey! Did I ever tell you the time Mike and I (looking for a cheap breakfast) went fishin' for Artic Char while lying on Niagara Adjustable beds, with our fishin' rods dangling from the back windows of our Vans, while on sales calls in Fort McMurray?
It was like shootn' fish in a barrel up there!
Or, how about that time in Kincardine when Mike, Pat and I dragged that old dead Carp home for Mom to fry. We were like Cool Hand Luke, only younger. It took all of us 4,5 & 7 to drag that big, stinky, old, dead fish home. That fish was so big (how big was it?) ... we wore the tail right off of it.
Or, did I ever tell you about the time Pat and I borrowed Mikes rubber raft to ...
Funny. For a guy who never really did a lot of fishin' sure had a lot of equipment around when you needed it. Thanks Mike for some of the best, fun, fishn' memories I ever had.