This
page is in Memory of both and
. Two great Outdoorsmen
,fishing buddies to many,a great friend to all who knew them .These 2 men
had the greatest impact on my life and were my mentors .
Both
my Father James Rodgers and My Brotherinlaw Gary Cooney ,who are
now passed away.May they both be fishing the great heavenly waters
.
My father wasn`t the teaching
type , for he didn't have much schooling himself ,Though he was a great
teacher in his own way .We all learnt from him of lifes problems
and pleasures just by watching and listening to him , "this
no book or teacher could teach us " .My father loved to camp & fish
,so as children we grew up doing alot of both.He used to take us to Stoco
Lake in the summer and Moria Lake fishing in the winter.For him "he had
more fun watching us kids fish than himself "as us kids came first to him
..Although my Dad love to Ice fish more than any type of fishing .It sure
was a site to see, seeing him sitting there in the hut fire going
in the fire bucket having a few wobblypops (which sometimes he had a few
to many but was always a happy person)and a pot of coco or tea for us kids,sandwhiches
or hotdogs.After working 10 or 12 hour days during the winter months
he would take my brothers and I up to the fishing hut aleast 2-3 times
aweek to ice fish.I guess this was his way of releasing his daily stress
from working so hard to keep our family of 8 provided with the things
we needed. He always had something rigged up or some type of snowmobile
to take us for rides or he would help us clear a spot off to go skatting
.I may be a bit bios but til this day I still believe that he is the best
Dad in the world. I'm just sadden that he passed away so young in life
and isn`t around today to tell him . But I believe he knows
how I feel about him no matter where his.He may of been
a bit rough on the exterior But he had a
of .
He was also well like in our community and everyone knew him .It wouldn't
matter who you were (a perfect stranger or friend) if you needed help he
would always take the time to help you.That's what made him so special
to so many people. I`ll end it here but I could go on and on and on but
I just want to say I miss you and
Until we meet
again May the turning tide of twilight time cleanse our souls to let our
Spirits soar.and Let our hearts fly among the Vee's of the
geese tolling as the sun swings evenings door.May your Guardian Spirit
keep guiding me through my daily task and help me chose the best direction
for me to journey
My Brotherinlaw
and Lingham Lake
There
are many great rivers and lakes to fish here in Ontario. Being an fishing
fanatic I have fished many rivers and lakes for all types of fish ,but
mainly Small & Largemouth Bass along with Walleye . My favourite lake
is called Lingham Lake , it is located north of Tweed Ontario south of
Gilmour Ontario .Gary introduced me to Lingham Lake in 1991 although
I knew of it for about 30 yrs or so ,I never took the time to fish
it ,all I can say to this is it certainly was my loss of some super great
fishing.The lake can be accessed only by some sort of 4x4 vehicle
or Atv`s .The road conditions are extremely rough as is the camping and
believe me it is rough camping .I hope that everyone who goes there knows
what posion ivy and oak look like or you`ll be a scratching in places
where (well I'll leave it at that)and if not" OH Well".The fishing
and camping on a island makes the trip all worth while .Yes
just imagine........aaaahhhhhhh Bass for breakfast , lunch , supper with
homefries,panfried bisquick and lets not forget the tropical fruit pork&beans.MMMMMMM
I can see and taste it as I write.
Now
I ask you what else could one ask for ,when you`ve got - great company,super
fishing , sitting around a campfire at night time with guitars playing
, singing and telling tall tails of the big one that got away or while
relaxing in your tent as every sound of Mother nature`s becomes part of
the symphony.
To many "this place is heaven",even with the 4 mile trip in and out driving
through a river that is sometimes high enough the water is level
is upto your windshield or getting your truck stuck in the mudbogs
created by the weekend 4x4`ers . This is all part of the fishing trip although
it may not be for everyone,it is alot of fun and enjoyable to the true
outdoorsmen.Please remember there is no American Plan , just the
great outdoor`s , you and lots of great fishing .Along with friendly people
fishing and camping on other islands,as there is 320 miles of shoreline
with over 1000 island ( big and small )
My
first trip into Lingham Lake
Well
I was camping with my family at Cashel Lake (another bass & lake trout
spot) along with a brother and sister and their families. When
Friday night came along and my older sister and her husband came in and
set up camp.After a few uncolas ;) (wink wink) we began playing the guitars
, singing ,roasting marshmellows and wieners ,having a super great time.When
my brotherinlaw ask me and my younger brother if we would like to go into
Lingham lake in which he and a few of his friends fished frequently .Well
grab the poles and lets go ,don`t gotta ask me twice,even though it
is 2 am .So we loaded up the truck and head to Lingham Lake.
About
1/2 in to the lake there is a mudbog that they call Johnson`s hole ,well
folks this is where I lost my virginity to Lingham Lake,as we got stuck
and my younger brother ( Randy) and I had to get out and push both truck
and boat out of this hole which was full of nothing but clay mud,twigs
and God knows what else,of course this was up to let`s say waist
high or just below :) . By the time we got unstuck both my younger brother
and I were covered from head to toe with this clay mud.Now just pass this
hole is a river about 50` wide .There we were able to get some of this
mud off after wading into this freezing coldwater .Now the rest of the
trip was as well all a learning experience,of course Gary said it was one
of his most unforgettable trip .Sure he drove and laughed at us all the
way and so did my brother and I in our own ways.Now the whole trip wasn`t
like the beginning there were some highlights to this trip as we
caught some fish for a shorelunch and were able to take a few fish home
,even though we caught and released alot that day.
From
that day forward I have been hooked on Lingham Lake ,even though my wife
and I enjoy our trailer on Rice Lake (which is east of Toronto Ontario
)and enjoy fishing it for bass , walleye ,crappie and lunge .Our hearts
belongs to Lingham,(for Lingham is where we spent our honeymoon,her choice!!!
). Gary fished Lingham constantly with many of his friends and family
.over the years .He became well known by all who travel in and out
of Lingham no matter where they came from ( Canada or Usa)for if
you were stuck or just stopped for whatever ,Gary would always stop and
offer his help and made sure you were ok and not in need of help
. He was a true outdoorsman ,a true friend to all that met him .He was
truly in love with nature ,its beauty a true child of Mother Nature.
God must of needed
you "",
to take you from us so young. I trust your new journey will fill the
hearts of many ,as you both did while you were here on earth.My friends,
my thoughts of you are many.For I know you both are only
fishing in different waters and may the waters you fish today bring
you as much enjoyment as Stoco & Lingham Lake.For I know that
a good part of both of you is installed in all of us here on Earth in one
way ,shape or form .
My Father-In-Law
Here is another great man who came into
my life , if only for a very short time .
He taught me many things about his culture,
their ways and traditions
and to just how to enjoy life in general
.He was a man with a very loving heart and loved to talk.
One could sit for hours and listen to
him, his wisdom was always truly intriging and inspiring.
If you asked Phil about
his native land (China) he would never hesitate to answer any or all
your question.It was truly a pleasure in the
time we spent here on This Mother Earth together
You all may be
gone but You'll never be
down here on
Mother Earth
Indian Prayer
Oh Great Spirit. Help me on my path in this
life. Pick me up when I
stumble and fall. Bring me water when I am thirsty and tired.
Bring me your blanket of love when I
am cold and alone.
May the Children of The Great Earth Mother
always remember to
dance and sing in the light of Grandmother Sun, Nunda of the Day
and celebrate the abundance and beauty that is all around us.
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This Page wasLast modified:Dec/2000 by Winddancer aka Bill Rodgers
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