"It's Tradition"

We have witnessed our Tall Pines Campers doing some common things- and also a few not so common things- with the simple explanation "It's tradition." So many examples really stood out to me recently. An opener week large group of men doing their traditional shore lunch 5 out of 7 days at "their spot" for 20+ years. Week 3 Bears Den crew leader Skip coming for over 50 years and passing the traditions of his Dad's generation down to his son- The concept of going out at the crack of dawn, coming back for a siesta and then going back out, down to the bib overalls and initiating any group newbie with the jump in the lake. Three Guys Fishing trio traditionally has new glassware designed each year they come to enjoy their post-fishing cocktails, with a TGF coffeetable book they revise/add to each visit, and immunity rock necklaces added as is their custom. Steve Ballard's Dad used to treat him and Sandy to a Tall Pines trip, and now they pass that on by treating Damian and grandson Tyler (and their girls) to a trip to Tall Pines.

Craig brings his boys Ryan and Jeff and buddy Jeff each year to help keep those traditions he had with his Dad still alive. Here's some pics with his Dad in the 70's while staying at Tall Pines,

and then this June keeping that shore lunch tradition even amongst a fireban.

It's the "we always stay at (fill in the blank) hotel on the way up cause thats where we always stay even though its a dive".

It's the "we always fish in (fill in the blank) spot using the same lucky rod/lure"

It's the "we always play (eucre/cribbage/poker/pitch/dominoes/fill in the blank card game)" around the table at night

It's the contest/pool/tally sheets of fish caught you keep on the fridge

Its the "we always make (fill in the blank dish) for potluck!" (I'm not kidding you - guests recently ran into one another at Fort Frances hotel, one recognizing the other "You're the pizza dude" - and thank goodness Chris kept that tradition in bringing his pizza oven again.)

It's tradition.

So many aspects of your trip may start as a spark, and with success you realize you gotta do that one again.  I'll talk more about these to wrap it up, but lets first take a look at some more of our latest anglers and their catches:

Shannon had a test of patience and was rewarded with the biggest of the week, a 27" thick walleye:

5 years of traditions and counting at TPC, Lori and Gordon caught quite the bunch of fish species last week (those TPC shirts may be a good luck charm):

The Dahls came for some 3 generation fishing time; Gramps Keith showed Isaac how to catch a walleye and Isaac wanted to fish morning to night! This just might be the start of a new tradition for them:

Matt and Karo have embarked on their third trip to Tall Pines and had a blast with all the species- looking forward to having Jerry and Anne return with them next year to keep with their tradition.

Tom and Carol have brought numerous family and friends with them over the years; this year it was grandson Andrew and brother Dan:

Mark and Sandy returned, full of their own traditions and caught some nice perch, walleye, a 30" pike, and even a crappie and a lake trout:

And while Karen always misses the moose sightings, she kept with tradition in catching the bigger pike than Elmer:

And twin Carol wanted a pike of her own, and landed this 37"er:

Ryan and I have our own tradition of sneaking out for a few hours on Fridays and here's a couple of recent catches:

And AirForce vet and camp comedian Buzz created quite the buzz around camp with tales of his 59" musky:

And sometimes traditions have to be tweaked- Week 4 and 5 we kept the potluck tradition but relocated to the campground pavilion to get out of the wind! And you know what- it was great.

And Colin wanted to make the firepit area a little more spiffy, but we wanted to keep the original firepit -cause "It's tradition" of course- so this is what they came up with (thank you to our camp models Al, Gerry, and Nick who were using it within an hour of completion):

Some recent wildlife our guests were able to witness (yes that is a snapping turtle!):

A special shout out to each and every one of our week 4 and 5 guests who followed every camp "rule", email suggestion, were all so positive and kind hearted, and so far win on leaving cabins the least messy. We owe our sanity to you :)

Water temps are hovering around 63 degrees right now; we've finally gotten a little rain the last few days, but the water level has still dropped 8 inches or so since opener. At a safe level for now, but still want more rain. Emerging weeds are growing fast and still a shallow bite going on with live bait being successful as well as artificial.

Leaderboard update:

The sunset pic I always wrap up with:

"Back in the Summer of '25" These boys will someday recall

I agree traditions act as an anchor that can help you hold your spot and feel grounded in life... That history repeating itself that gives you some peace and comfort... That feeling of reliving a memory. And sometimes we think if we have and keep these traditions then we'll also have a repeat of that epic day fishing. Sometimes, these new trips are chasing that feeling of the first/best/last trip on the water. Many of us have a yearning for the past, and so participating in your own Tall Pines traditions helps us break through that barrier known as time, and go back to the days when you fished with your Dad, back to the time when you were young and every experience on the Wabaskang was new and adventurous. I think that all of you honoring these traditions are paying respect and homage to those that can't do it anymore- and they thank you. Keep doing them!

Until you can't. The bittersweet part of traditions is that at some point, something changes. If you're like me, you may have a very hard time with this. When things are going well we don't want change. Earl was our tradition at Tall Pines for our first 6 years, and how do you just start over? So many of you have lost a fishing buddy and so you've either found replacements or shrunk your group size- its not a bad thing. But it is different. Or maybe you just can't physically do the trip anymore and so you were forced to end your tradition. Wherever you are at in your fishing and life journey, I hope you can appreciate one another a little more, take pride in your current traditions, enjoy memories of the old, and if you're lucky... you may just get to do it again. Afterall, it's tradition.

It's time for takin' it easy

It's time for takin' it slow

Old bones don't move so fast

As they did once in the past

Now if I have to run, I simply don't go

But I love life, I'd like to live it again

Though I might not be much more than I've ever been

Just to have the chance to turn back the hands

And let my life begin

Oh yeah, I'd like to do it again

Oh yeah, I'd like to do it again.

"Old Bones" - George Burns