It was a trip that we didn't want to end. A time of learning, of adventure, of fun. Our fishing trip to God's Lake in Northern Manitoba was a first for my 11-year old son, Johnny. And, it was my first to be in a boat for 4-days with him, alone except for our guide.

Sure, I've coached his Little League teams and his school's basketball teams, and we've fished and hunted together locally. But, to head to a fish camp in the far reaches of the North where all you did was fish was to be a new experience for both of us. Would he get bored? Would he not want to be in a boat all day? Would he get scared of the big water when the wind kicked up? Would he get discouraged if he didn't catch fish?

I worried about all these things. And, yes all these things happened. But, much more happened as well. He grew up. He dealt with adversity and pushed ahead, and we grew even closer.

Our trip started with a series of flights to Winnipeg where we stayed the night. The next day we caught a charter flight to God's Lake and landed on the sand runway next to the lodge. For Johnny, you could see the excitement and the fear as we approached the postage stamp sized runway. Our gear was brought to our cabin and the guides began to wander in. I was looking for a guide that I thought would like being around kids when a guide that was just a kid himself walked in. Craig, who was only 17, had a ready smile and seemed to be ready to go. I said, "Let's do it."

We got our gear ready and were in the boat in record time. Soon we were roaring across the lake. I could tell the big water scared Johnny. "How deep is the water here, Dad." How far do you think we are from shore, Dad." "How big is this boat, Dad." "When will we get there, Dad."

I answered each of his questions and my answers didn't seem to ease his fears much. When we finally reached our destination, Boot Island, Johnny threw a 5 of Diamonds Daredevil next to shore and hooked a 6 pound Northern Pike. Suddenly all his fears melted away and cast after cast brought fish to the boat. He caught 24 Northern at Boot Island before we headed back to the cabin.

The next day the wind kicked up and we spent most of the day ducking in and out of little coves. At Knife River, Johnny landed his first Walleye on a Rattletrap. He also got hung up for the first of maybe 50 times during the trip. This day he also experienced his first shore lunch with the guides cooking fish we had caught along with fried potatoes and onions. While they were cooking he was fishing from the shore and got hung up. At lunch, he ate like a boy possessed. He stuffed filet after filet in his mouth. I told him he would have to catch more fish tomorrow if he continued to eat like this.

The ride back that afternoon was wild. Waves of three to four feet challenged Craig as he maneuvered the boat back to camp. I watched Johnny and there was concern in his eyes, but no fear. He had confidence in Craig and the 18-foot Lund and he had his life jacket on.

Day three broke without the wind, but with rain. We donned our rain gear and headed to the boat. Our first stop was near Craig's village where we fished for Walleye. Though Johnny and I both fished, I was the only one catching fish. He got discouraged and quit for a while. The more fish I caught the quieter he became. I told him, somewhat prophetically now, that to keep trying and he would soon catch something. Later that day he hauled in a trophy Walleye. It measured a little over 28 inches long. He got recognition that night at the Lodge and the province of Manitoba will send him a certificate and a medal for his catch.

On the last full day of our trip, we rented a float plane to take us to another lake. I wanted Johnny to have the thrill of a float plane ride as well as get to fish a lake with no other boats on it. We flew into Knife Lake and stopped by our guide's cabin. He trapped there during the fall and winter. He showed a wide-eyed Johnny his traps and how he set them for beaver, wolf, martin, etc. Then we headed for his favorite fishing hole. There we caught Walleye on nearly every cast. We used lead heads with jigs for Walleye and threw top water and spinner baits for Northern. We also got hung up a lot. Johnny lost about half the lures in his tackle box and was soon into mine. We caught, according to our guide, 36 Walleye and another 45 Northern at Knife Lake.

When the plane came back for us that afternoon, we were beat. But, Johnny made my day when he said, "Can we come back here tomorrow." Unfortunately, tomorrow we were heading back to Winnipeg.

We did get to fish that last morning and one more thrill awaited Johnny. We were catching Northern not too far from the fish camp, when Craig turned to Johnny and said, "You be the guide." He showed Johnny how to work the outboard, how to watch the waves and current to keep the boat within casting range of the fish. And, then when we had to head back, he told Johnny to take us in. And, he did with a grin a big as God's Lake on his face.

There may have been other moments in Johnny's life like the time he hit the game winning hit last spring or blocked a shot in basketball to seal a victory and a trip to the finals, or played his viola flawlessly in a concert, or got that A in math on a tough semester test, but watching the grin on his face as the wind and spray pelted him on the boat trip back has to rank right up there.

Someone once said that you can either go fishing or you can take your kid fishing, but you can't do both. That person was wrong. That person was so wrong.