Unplugged

Howdy, Neighbor. People have been telling Phil he’s a good storyteller for a long time… so we are trying something new and pretty-much non-sales Just sharing occasional sweet stories, tall tales, and life lessons learned around these parts. Northwoods Notes are a new, semi-bi-irregular peek into the heart and mind of Phil Frasier… you can read or listen… whichever you prefer… and you are receiving a copy because you’re a current customer of Frasier’s Plumbing and Heating, Inc. We think you’ll like them, but you can unsubscribe any time by clicking on the link at the bottom. But we hope you give us a chance!

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Bob Lenz is one of the most charitable guys I know. I’ve been blessed to call him my friend for 36 years.

One year, at one of his many fundraisers, Bob auctioned off a lake trout fishing trip on Lake Superior on the beautiful islands north of Thunder Bay in Red Rock, Ontario.

He asked if I’d be willing to help guide that trip… and I immediately said yes.

An older gentleman bought the trip for himself, his son, and two teenage grandsons.

You could only have two poles in each boat because the fish were biting so fast. You get busy running down riggers and different things. It’s simple, but it’s not always easy.

Your bait is moving up and down, to and fro at the bottom of the lake. You gotta make adjustments on the fly or else you’ll snag one of the 10-pound  balls used to keep the bait submerged.

Within the first half of the first day, those boys were running those riggers and rods like seasoned pros. They’d watch the locator and adjust them up and down, and up and down. It didn’t take long for their dad and grandpa to catch on and join in on the fun.

They didn’t just catch a bunch of fish. They also learned a great way to fish… and that’s a skill they would take with them after the trip was over.

Bob and I reflected on my son Chad’s first trip to Canada.

One morning, I woke up early to do some fishing before anyone woke up. When I returned, I saw my five-year-old out on this long dock holding a wooden fishing pole.

“Where the heck did he get that?”, I wondered.

Turns out Chad had heard me get up and decided he wanted to go fishing, too. He found an old reel and used scotch tape to connect it to a stick. Chad has always had a gift for putting stuff together.

The owner of the place saw him out there on the dock with that old stick turned fishing pole, so he helped Chad get it all strung up with bait.

Chad fished with that pole all week. We had three of our boats in this one hole and my buddy Bob was in another one.

I tell ya… Chad outfished everyone on walleye. He was catching one after another on that old stick turned fishing pole.

Y’know… sometimes we don’t think our kids are ready… but they are.

Sure, you may sacrifice some quality fishing time helping your kids learn how to use a rod and reel. Brothers are gonna fight… but, hey, a boat is the perfect place to work through it. You can’t always have that time together at home because they’re in and out of the house, on the phone, playing video games, or hanging with friends.

But out there on the lake, it’s just you and God’s unbelievable, unpluggable country.

I always enjoy leading fishing trips with businessmen or ministry leaders, or fishing trips with friends… but nothing compares to watching youngsters hook their first fish.

Thanks, Bob, for letting me be a part of that. If you ever need another fishing guide, I’m your guy.

Take care, Neighbor. Take good care.

Phil Frasier.

PS – How old were you when you caught your first fish? I’d love to hear about it.