WISH continued from page 59


complain once and kept his and our spirits bright the whole day. Captain Ian, on the other hand, was ticked off. He had caught some monsters the week before (and, as I would find out later, some dandies in the weeks to come). Like a good captain, Ian offered


us a great deal to come back when the salmon started to bite for a fish. Unfortunately, with conflicting schedules, the four of us were unable to fit this is into our plans. Since that trip, Tijan and the


family moved to a home on a small


lake up in the Ottawa Valley; and so, this past February, we decided that we would target our walleye there. It was Family Weekend and we picked


Sunday to head up and give it a try. As Stephen and I headed out to pick up my brother, Jerry, who would join us, we talked about the great friendship we had made with Chris and Tijan and said that catching any fish was just a bonus. We arrived at the lake around 2


pm and headed in shifts to their fish hut out on the point. Not only did we have a lot of fishing gear. Chris decided to take Tijan’s wheel chair on the sleigh behind his Skidoo so he could fish in comfort. Stephen also had his sonar ice fishing unit so we could check depth and structure in the area.


Our 10 holes cut with the slick


gas auger, we were ready to give it the old college try for a few hours. With four of us outside the ice shack and Tijan comfortably inside and warm, we started our search for that elusive walleye. In the first half hour, we started


to get a few hits, and up from the depths came some small perch. We all had a jigging hole and pretty soon Jerry had a good hit and a small pike arrived on the ice. Tijan called from inside the shack that he had a fish on; and, as we made our way to him, he informed us that it was a good hit but it had spit the hook. As it got closer to dark, and the magic walleye time was upon us, things got very quiet. Jerry got another good hit and another pike exited the lake to be returned for another day. Another “fish on” from Tijan and


this time it was “Holy cow, is this thing fighting!” Stephen scrambled into the hut to see what all the fuss was about, and there was Tijan, reeling hard and totally excited. Stephen played guide, and what


they thought was a good walleye began to strip line with Tijan hanging on for dear life. A few minutes later, the fish tired and was ready to come to the surface. With Stephen now bent


60 BOUNDER MAGAZINE


over the hole to give Tijan a hand to get the brute into the shack, they both realized it was not a walleye but a nice four pound pike. Out it came! Stephen got the hook out of its


mouth and handed it to Tijan for a picture. The razor-sharp teeth on the slippery, flipping fish nicked Tijan’s finger, but Tijan was all smiles as the pike landed on the floor. Stephen guided it back down the hole for another live release. Half an hour of more fishing and it was time to pack everything up and head back to the house. It was another great day for all,


re-acquainting friendships with Tijan and his dad, Chris, and for Stephen and Jerry meeting Tijan’s mother, Sonja, and sister, Tijanna. For me it is moments like this


that are truly awesome. To be able to be in the great outdoors with my son and share friendships with others ends up being very special. I can’t wait to get back and have those great conversations and camaraderie with all of them in the near future. It all started with a wish from the


Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern Ontario. From there it went to a relationship that you couldn’t replace or find anywhere else. On the way home that evening,


all Stephen and I could talk about was how Tijan, now 19 years old, with a life-threatening illness, could be so happy and excited and about how much he loves life -- and because of that, have a profound effect on others. Yes, there truly is something to be said about The power of a wish.


If you know a child between the ages of 3 – 17 with a life-threatening medical condition, please call the office of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern Ontario at 613-234-3555, ext. 146.


You can listen to Mark Papousek on Y101 Mornings.


www.bounder.ca


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