The Spirit of Christmas and Lasting Relationships

I started the Bow River Blog three years ago with the intention of helping people succeed where I had failed. Many futile trips to the river and the tackle store and I always walked away from the river frustrated and discouraged, and with no fish. So the idea was hashed out on a public golf course with my friend Brent. Three years later and with the help of so many wonderful people we have a solid beginning in the Bow River Blog.

In the spirit of the season I want to thank all who have helped the Bow River Blog become what you see and read today. So this may seem long winded and sappy but I feel it needs to happen. First we need to thank Brent for making this all come to life, without the idea we had three years back, none of this would be possible. Brent’s hard work and countless e-mails back and forth to upgrade the site, fix some issues with the way the site operates, the site going down, plugins added and so on, I thank you so much. Brent encouraged me to Blog about something I was passionate about and immediately I said “Fishing”. I am glad he never suggested to Blog about the weather, which I know nothing about. Thanks for all your hard work and making the site come to life. Thank you for all your help in keeping the site looking great.

Next, after writing some articles and pecking away on my new laptop keyboard; I met a kind gentleman via the Blog. Oh and by the way, I never owned a computer and never typed an article since that day Brent and I talked on the golf course. His name he left with a comment on the Blog. Dwayne K. Parsons, Dwayne stated he was from Idaho where there are some awesome fishing destinations. He offered to help me become a better writer and he offered to edit my articles for me at no charge. In fact money was never even mentioned, ever. So I sent Dwayne my rough copies and he would comb through them. Once he was done editing he would send the article back to me and I would then post it to the Blog. Remember I needed lots of help as I never wrote an article since high school and was very, very rusty. Dwayne is a writer, editor and has published his own books for many years now. Thank you Dwayne for mentoring me and taking me under your wing, thank you for helping me get my ideas out of my head and onto the Blog. For that I am forever grateful.

Then I started to get better at writing and fishing as well. I took Dwayne’s suggestions and posted my articles to other fishing sites on the internet. Then I heard about this new site that was gaining serious popularity among the fishing community world wide. Bounty Fishing was a new concept that was taking off and making anglers some big bucks in the process. I was asked by the founder Richard M. Shafter to write articles for Bounty fishing’s Blog. I was blown away by the offer and gladly accepted. If you have never seen Bounty Fishing’s website and you are a serious about fishing, you need to check it out now. Thank you Richard for your support and your generous offer to contribute to what has become the Mecca of fishing websites, Bounty Fishing.com. I have had the honour of meeting so many awesome, helpful people through this site.

To my clients who I have meet and had the opportunity to work with and for, thank you so much for fishing with me the past couple of years. You teach me more than I have taught you, believe me. There have been many fantastic memories created on the banks of the Bow River, and in the boat also. I hope to serve you for many more years and capture that “Fish of your dreams”. Thanks to those who take the time and send in questions and comment on the Blog, I know this is time consuming so thank you for your time.

Many thanks to the following people or websites who encourage me to carry the fishing message to others. Teeg Stouffer at Recycled Fish, you guys are awesome. Keep up the great work. The WFN, which stands for the World Fishing Network. Thank you for accepting me as a WFN Ambassador. I am looking forward to our working relationship for many years to come. Thank you to everyone I have met on E-Bay, many great pieces of fishing tackle were bought through you. Thank you for your fast delivery and excellent communication skills. Thanks to YouTube for giving me a creative outlet I can share my fishing experiences with and in turn, help others “Catch the Fish of Their Dreams”. Thank you to all those who have linked to my site and added me to your Blogrolls, or who have added a link to the Bow River Blog in one form or another. Thank you to Cody Janson from Saturn Inflatable Rafts, who has put up with all my inquiries about his rafts for six months or so, a new Saturn raft will be floating the Bow River this year Cody that’s for sure. Thanks to all those who have fished with me in the past, and for putting up with all my jokes and tricks we play on each other, my favourite trick is “Oh yeah, here we go, fish on” when the second cast of the day is being retrieved. I miss you big Tom. Thanks to Ari Vineberg for all your encouragement, I look forward to fishing with you soon my friend. And last but not least, my best friend Tom. B, we have known each other for thirty seven years, let’s fish another thirty seven years brother.

So cheers to everyone who I have mentioned and I am so sorry if I have forgotten to mention you. Let’s keep our fisheries healthy and clean for the next generation of fishermen. Practice catch and release only, except when we are hungry and need to take a fish home for dinner when allowed. Let’s stop the spread of deadly diseases like Didymo, Whirling Disease and (VHS) Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia. Take all precautions necessary to protect our fisheries; after all if there are no fish left then we all suffer. Please use barbless hooks even if barbed hooks are allowed, it is known to reduce mortality rates after a fish has been hooked. The use of artificial bait is also known to reduce fish mortality. Take the time to introduce someone who has never fished before to the sport of fishing. This is a good way to help someone find a hobby and have some great fun for many years to come.