How it all started

Janalee was even photographed holding up her catch of the day!

The Taylor family vacationed (many years) in the UP of Michigan on Big Manistique Lake...at Gronland Resort...owned by Roland Headley, the brother of former Lebanon doctor Jim Headley. When you turned into the long drive through the woods to get the to the resort I remember a triangular yellow sign that said, "Slow Bump." I also remember my dad's annual comment..."That really IS a slow bump...it hasn't moved an inch since we were here last year. " Yeah, I know, that's a bit corny. But it's another one of those many small memories that gets created on a trip to the north woods. Dad died in 1971 on a golf course in Logansport, Indiana...and, with him, died my trips to Big Manistique.

I joined the Cassell family in 1976 and I must confess that, by that time, I had grown sick and tired of hearing the word "Canada." "Canada" this..."Canada" that. SICK! There was hardly a family get-together that didn't contain SOME mention of that horrid word! SICK...SICK...SICK OF IT!

Fast forward to 1987.

Bob pestered me for many, many years to join the guys when they headed north on their fly-ins. I managed to dodge the invitations for a very long time, but he said to me one day, "If you'll go north with me just once, I'll pay your way. " Oh great...how do I get out of this one? No good excuse came to mind...no good reason that I thought would be accepted. So, being the dutiful (and cheap) son-in-law that I am, I accepted his offer. But as I thought about it more, it made NO SENSE to go on that trip. "Why do I want to drive 25 straight hours; stay in a tiny little hotel room overnight; grab a float plane in the morning that weaves and bobs in the air, and which requires at least 4 air sick bags, multiple Dramamine tabs and copious numbers of wipes; in order to bring back 6 fish?" Bob said to me, "Well, you don't go JUST for the fishing." I did a calculation one time that showed us that each fish brought home from one of those trips was worth $216.83 (back then)...that was the cost of the trip divided by 6 fish! You bet I savored every bite of those 6 fish!

"Well, you don't go JUST for the fishing. " How right he turned out to be.