DAN SIMMONS Sportsman's Quest MORE COLUMNS SPECIAL TO THE PVT A group of fishermen gather on a pier at Harrison's Cove, in British Columbia, Canada. Advertisement

This is a story of fish and family, of three generations on a quest to build relationships and tradition. It's told through the eyes of an eight-year-old boy, but is a timeless saga of men going into the field.

The purpose is not, as it once was, to provide food for the family. It offers something equally vital: the bond.

I was fortunate and privileged that they invited me along. We caught big fish, planned and worked together, took care of each other when necessary and gave more than we received.

That's the lesson and the way it's done.

The location for the adventure could not have been better -- the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, at Harrison Cove Lodge. They understood the family objective and provided the atmosphere, equipment and most importantly the staff to make it the trip of a lifetime.

You read of the fishing in an earlier article. Now, here is "Gage's Story."

Fishing in Canada

By Gage Fiorentino

This is a story about me, my dad, my friend Dan, and my grandpas.

My dad and I got up early and drove to the airport with my grandpa (I call him Cow Pa) and met my other grandpa (Papa Rick). We were on our way to Seattle and then would catch a float plane to a British Columbia, Canada, fishing lodge for a week of fishing, fun and just being together.

First, we checked in at our Seattle hotel and started to explore. We got tickets and went to see a Mariners game; I couldn't wait to see Ichiro play, and I got a really cool hat.

After the game we went to the fish market. We looked at all different kinds of fish, buildings, listened to music, and watched magic tricks. Best of all, though, was just being together.

The next morning we got up and went to Wal-Mart. I was nervous and excited about our flight. I got a Halo magazine, and Papa Rick got motion sickness pills.

Then it was off to the sea plane base. We checked in, sat down for awhile and I wondered what the seaplane ride would be like.

The plane was small, but cool, and we took off. I slept most of the ride and when I woke up we had landed at the Canadian border to be checked. Then I looked out the window for the rest of the ride; there were so many trees.

When we got there we grabbed our bags and went to our rooms. It was cool too, it was a floating lodge. They had a little puppy named Barkely; I played with her. Then we looked at the fishing schedule, and our guide's name was Browner. We met him and headed out.

The boats had special machines (downriggers) for the poles because the boat was moving (trolling). You would clip the line to a 15-pound lead ball, then you pull a lever and set it to a depth. We soon hooked up to a double header (two fish at the same time).

It was my first double header. It was an 8 pounder; on the other line we lost a much bigger one. We also saw Humpback whales. One was jumping clear out of the water, right next to Cow Pa and Dan's fishing boat

That was all for that day. We headed in for a delicious fancy dinner, and then went to bed. It had been a long day.

The next day we were up at 4:15 in the morning, got dressed, ate a little bit and headed out to Big Bank, far out in the ocean. We couldn't see land, but Browner had GPS and radar on the boat. I wondered how big of a fish we would catch.

As it turned out, our fish chest was full that day. We had 8 halibut, 4 King salmon and 2 ling cod. We caught many more, but released them. That was a lot of work. The halibut were really hard to catch.

One time Dad hooked on to something really big. He fought it all the way until it broke his line. We thought it was a huge fish until we got back and another guide told us. Dad had actually hooked his boat. It was a long day of fishing. We got back, had a snack and hung out for awhile. Then we had dinner and went to bed; another long day.

The next morning, really early, I started getting seasick, but I still went fishing. I didn't eat breakfast that morning. Later on in the boat I was sick again, but I still fished. That's what guys do. That afternoon, though, I didn't go fishing. I stayed back and played cards with Papa Rick. That was fun; I beat him pretty bad at Rummy. That night we invited our new friend Browner to dinner. He and I talked about baseball cards, video games and fishing. After dinner we went to bed, another long day.

The next day, it was up at 4:20 again. We went fishing at Sail Rock. I caught a 13-1/2 pounder. He is going on my wall, but we lost an even bigger one. That was great, but the best part was being with my dad, Cow Pa, Papa Rick and Dan.

Long days, but great days to remember.

For more information on Harrison Cove Lodge, and Recipes; go to www.harrisonscove.com.

Update

The fishing is great in Canada and Central, but we have some great fishing a lot closer. San Diego's offshore boats are having a great time with albacore and yellowtail, while the three-day and long range boats are at their peek with tuna, dorado and yellowtail. They're even seeing the occasional Marlin.

For more information and daily fish reports go to www.hmlanding.com or give Phil Lobred a call at (619) 222-1144.

Recipe of week

The food at Harrison Cove Lodge is first class. Fresh catch of the day, seafood for those who want it (folks like me), or beef and chicken specialties to go with it.

In keeping with the theme, here is one of my favorites, suitable for any fancy lodge or at home with the family on that special occasion. Enjoy.

Ingredients: 1 lb linguini, or any favorite pasta;  1/4 cup olive oil; 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 medium zucchini, diced;  1/2 each green and red bell pepper, diced; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper;  1/2 tsp crushed red pepper; 1 cup chopped basil; 5 plum tomatoes, diced; 1  1/2 lbs sea scallops; 3 tbsp fresh Parmesan

Directions: Cook pasta in salted water until tender (al dente) and set aside. In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté garlic for 1 minute.

Add zucchini, bell peppers, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper and sauté over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Add basil and tomato and simmer 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Brush scallops with olive oil and grill over medium-hot, 3 minutes per side or until opaque. Quarter scallops, add to sauce and pour over pasta in a bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.

This goes well with a fruit salsa and your favorite green salad.

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If you have a story to tell, or a comment, give me a call (775) 727-9777, or e-mail me at dansimmons@usa.net.