Ashleys Pathetic Plea

My story is not your typical fishing story...I didn't start fishing because my dad taught me, or because it ran in the family for years.

It all started with a man named Arnold who owned a lodge on Lake Kashwakamak, Ontario. He was a friend of my fathers, and my family would go up to visit during the summer. Arnold always took my brother and I out fishing the night of our arrival and it was the best part of being there. He bought us our first fishing rods, the ones we used only a couple times a year when we visited the lodge. In our 'down time' we would practice our casting skills off the back porch using bathtub plugs. I still practice but a jig works a little better. If only Arnold knew how much his simple efforts to take me out walleye fishing have amounted to - a life long passion.

As I got older, I was able to go out fishing with friends a little more often, and find out just how much I love the sport. I am now pursuing a career as a Fish and Wildlife Technician by going back to college in the near future. Last year I joined a local fishing club where I compete in tournaments, help clean up and conserve the environment and best of all: volunteer to get children into the sport of fishing. Some parents don't fish, such as my own, but I feel it's important to give kids the opportunity to go fishing.

It is every real fisherman's/fisherlady's dream to catch that 'big one'. I have yet to experience that dream. With an opportunity like ANY of the dream fishing vacation destinations offered by WFN, it would be bound to happen!

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has been supporting me for the past month! 98.9 The Drive for having me live on the air, the Napanee Beaver for running a great article, and CKWS TV for doing an interview and broadcasting me, along with family, friends, co-workers, my Facebook group, and fishing forums - thank you all for getting me this close!!