Our White Whale
Three weeks, six guys, and 10,000 kilometers. A short story about a legendary cross- country fishing trip with an unexpected catch.
None of us had ever been in, let alone driven a RV before but we were soon taking “her” up mountains like pros or you could say, like old Sherpa’s. The Forest River FR3, our Santa Maria, had all the amenities of home and strangely enough, it felt to be just that even with 6 guys. She held firm to the road as we cruised west across plains, prairies, valleys and mountains. We ventured through torrential downpours, hurricane force winds and even a maelstrom but she soldiered on without a bat of a headlight. After a glorious trip through the mountains and many fishing stories and hiking tales now behind us we headed back East. We set our sights on Kenora Ontario, The Lake of the Woods and our last fishing expedition. There we would find our “White Whale”.
The day started off like most. I awakened to a broom gently nudging my feet interrupting my dreams of sugar plum fairies and the like. However, today there was one very distinct difference. When the boys were called, “Time to get up!” they actually got up, even knowing how hard it is to leave comfortable beds. Right there and then I knew today was going to be one to remember.
The youngest of the boys, Sammy, 13, wasn’t feeling too well but that wasn’t a deterrent to him. He’d been the quiet one for most of the trip, silently biding his time. He had been a virtual unknown in the three week long fishing derby trip but today Sammy would teach us about perseverance. After our 5:30AM bacon and eggs we grabbed our fishing gear and drifted out onto the glass-like lake. After just twenty minutes of watching our bobbers float in the water, Sammy felt a strong tug on his line and instinctively stood up and began to reel in vigorously. Before anyone could prepare themselves for what we were about to see, Sammy was face to face with our white whale. The enormous pike’s 40-inch body weighed in at an excess of 20 pounds and was only a foot shorter than Sammy himself. The spotted lake dweller didn’t stop but only encouraged Sammy to cast out again and again each time reeling in success. Several massive walleyes followed the pike and the guide even said they were the most beautiful fish he had seen in the lake in years.
After a legendary adventure and one last monumental day of fishing, it was time to head back to reality. Reluctantly, we returned out Outdoor Travel and our regular lives but the memories of the trip and all the time we spent together will stay with us always.
