DAN SIMMONS Sportsman's Quest MORE COLUMNS SPECIAL TO THE PVT Maria Zamora, her family, and friends gather at a Hunt-of-a-Lifetime Day held for her at Bass Pro Shop, under the direction of Safari Club International, represented by Dave Small (kneeling) and Bass Pro, with Scott Parry. Advertisement

When speaking of a dream team, we often might think of NASCAR'S Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.; of basketball's Magic Johnson and Larry Bird; or baseball's Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Do you remember Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax?

The outdoor world of hunting and fishing has a new dream team. Safari Club International (SCI) and Bass Pro Shops have partnered to help preserve our outdoor traditions and work together on conservation and humanitarian projects around the world.

SCI has more than 50,000 members dedicated to preserving wildlife and our heritage, while Bass Pro is, well, Bass Pro.

Founded by Johnny Morris, the stores are part hunting, fishing and outdoor emporium, part art gallery, part wildlife museum and a favorite meeting place for like minded outdoor enthusiasts who talk fishing tackle, calibers, ballistics, gadgets and campfire tales.

This is a great partnership and is exemplified in Southern Nevada by a Bass Pro store in Las Vegas and the Desert Chapter of SCI.

Make a Wish Foundation no longer grants requests for hunting or fishing trips, but in late May, Dave Small, president of SCI's Desert-Las Vegas chapter, was contacted by Mark Grisedale of Hunt of a Lifetime.

They had received an application from a woman in Las Vegas. Apparently, she was undergoing treatment for cancer, and wanted to go fishing with her two children.

She'd heard about the possibility of help through Hunt of a Lifetime from a lady with the Candlelighters. Could the Desert Chapter Help? Small immediately said to count the chapter in.

The Desert Chapter will be sponsoring the family's upcoming late-July fishing adventure at Panguitch Lake in Utah. We all know that for good fishing, you need good gear, and a lot of it!

To get them prepared for the experience, Dave called Ron Rupert, general manager at the Las Vegas Bass Pro Shop, and Ron's promotions director, Jack Bloom. They immediately stepped up to assist, and last Saturday, Dave met the family for the first time, on Bass Pro's front porch. Maria was overwhelmed as were her two children, Tony (age 10) and Isabella (age 4).

As they entered the store, Dave grabbed a shopping cart, and told the kids the plan for the day was to get this cart filled with fishing equipment! The first item to go in was spotted by eagle-eyed Isabella and was a Barbie Fishing rod combo.

Pink plastic worms soon followed, since being color-coordinated is a surprisingly overlooked aspect of the sport. Antonio picked out a classic Zebco spin casting set for himself.

The vast array of equipment was somewhat intimidating, and Dave soon asked a salesperson, Scott, to help. Scott paired rods and reels for the family, and sought out another Bass Pro professional with experience on Panguitch Lake.

Then they gathered all the rest of the necessities like hooks and Power Bait. In a show of confidence in their success, Dave also added a landing net and a stringer to the shopping cart.

Hats all around were chosen, as well as a pink Barbie life preserver for Isabella. Antonio tried the climbing wall and the electronic shooting arcade. When he caught back up to the family, Isabella firmly stated her priorities, "I'm starving", and it was off to lunch.

Another example of the SCI Desert Chapter's dedication was their recent "Sensory Safari" at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, for physically and mentally challenged public school children.

The event consists of opportunities for the children to see and touch animals from around the world; lions, bears, birds, reptiles and even live stingrays. For many of these special needs children it may be the only chance they have had in their lives to get a sense of the animals that inhabit our planet.

My friend, and fellow writer Roy Keefer (a life member of SCI), got to tell the kids about armadillos, owls and lizards. They were inquisitive and asked lots of questions about the animals.

Often their conversation was facilitated by a teacher using sign language. Some of the kids couldn't verbally express their feelings, but you could see it in their eyes and actions.

Many became excited after touching the hard shell of a tortoise, or the hide of an African lion. One little guy didn't let Down's syndrome bother him as he hugged an impala and posed for a picture taken by his teacher. At the end of the day, more than 600 special needs children had visited the museum, thanks to the efforts of the museum staff and Chapter Members.

More than 25 buses were used to transport the children to the event and the cost of transportation and admission was borne by the Desert Chapter.

Said Small, "This was the biggest turnout to date for the program. It was well worth the effort to see the kids have so much fun."

This type of enthusiasm is not unusual for Dave or Ron, but as a team representing their respective organizations, it will take both groups to new heights and we thank them and wish them well.

Our prayers go out to you and your family, Maria, and good fishing. We'll keep you updated on their trip.

If you would like to get involved in one of these efforts give Small a call at 1-702-731-2330 or go to www.safariclub.org.

Recipe of week

When Maria, Tony and Isabella catch their first fish at Panguitch Lake. they might try this new family favorite.

I like this one for brunch. The seasonings certainly shout, "wake-up" and as a shore lunch over a campfire it's sensational and always well received. If you can't have a camp fire , you can always make this ala' Coleman.

Spicy Skillet Sensation

Ingredients: 6-8 Trout fillets, skinned; butter, melted; lemon; 1  1/2 tbsp onion powder; 1  1/2 tbsp garlic powder;  1/2 tbsp white pepper;  3/4 tbsp black pepper; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 2 tbsp dried thyme;  1/2 tbsp salt

Directions: Place cast-iron skillet on high heat; blend dry ingredients until well mixed; butter fish; dredge fish in spice mix; place seasoned fish in dry skillet; cook 2 minutes per side or until flaky. Serve while hot with wedge of lemon and some pan fries. Serves 6 - 8.

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If you have an adventure, a story or a comment give me a call 727-9777, or email me at dansimmons@usa.net.