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IN THE NEWS
When UFA celebrates its centennial in 2009, I believe our co-operative will be even stronger than it is today.
 -Dallas Thorsteinson, President and CEO |
Paul Brandt Blogs About His Adventure During the UFA Open For Life Fishing Trip
UFA & FISHING? Hey Fishing Fans,Well here we go. That's right, UFA is Open For Life, and we're livin' it. In case you hadn't heard, UFA partnered up with me, PB, and the great folks at Wollaston Lake Lodge to bring contest entrants at the Red Deer UFA store an unprecedented opportunity; a fishing trip to the incomparable Wollaston Lake Lodge in the "remote reaches of Canada's serene northern wilderness." Keep checking in as I host Ryan and Bill Francis from Sylvan Lake as we embark on our fishing adventure. We'll have pics and video soon to come. I've been to Wollaston once before, and it's a trip that I'll never forget. I'm sure we'll make memories to last a lifetime on this one as well. Well... we're up at 530a to take the 2 1/2 hour flight north from Winnipeg to the lodge, so I'm going to hit the hay. I'm looking forward to meeting up with Ryan and Bill in the morning, and getting our adventure started. Chat soon! -pb- WOLLASTON DAY 1 Wollaston Lake Lodge- Day OneThe crystal waves licked against the rust colored rocks like my tongue against the maple syrup covered pancakes only moments before. The big water of Wollaston Lake remembered me, I could tell, and it missed me. I tried to figure it out all day, from the moment we zoomed away from the docks and hit the day’s rough water. What is it about this place? Everything seems sticky here, but not in a humid, Nashville Summer Fan-Fair way; more in a liquid, glassy, comforting fashion. Overall, the day was slow. Oh, we caught fish; don’t get me wrong. In fact if you pressed me and my guests, contest winners Ryan and Bill Francis, we probably lost count, but they weren’t ‘Fish’ the way that our guides spoke of in hushed tones. Perhaps it was the choppy water and wind today, or maybe it’s the reason they call it ‘fishing’, and not ‘catching’, but I knew what Chip and Ryan were talking about, because I’d seen those ‘Fish’ before. I had a feeling that I’d see them again on this trip.  The shore lunch, as usual, was amazing. There’s something about eating fresh-caught fish in the great outdoors that is indescribable. You have to smell the boiling oil and the burning pine. You have to feel the heat of the fire and the sun, and the fish flaking on your tongue as you swallow it down. The staff at Wollaston are amazing at taking care of your every whim, while at the same time, letting you appreciate and experience the solitude and peacefulness of this place.  That’s it from Wollaston for now, keep checking in as I continue to update you on our adventure, brought to you by Wollaston Lake... I figured it out... I thing I figured out the question from my last blog... What is it about this place? That syrupy, slow motion feel is memories... this is where memories are made.Had and nice chat with Country 105's Odd Squad this am... Robyn Adair makes me laugh (in a good way). She's always got a great one liner, it's just I can't share any of them with you on this blog. It's a family blog. :-) Ryan (UFA Contest Winner Ryan) caught his first monster pike (plural) on a fly rod today. He's (sorry) hooked. Bill (Ryan's Dad) proved to be good luck for me today as I hauled in a a 46 incher on a nice yellow and orange bunny fur Trophy Tamer (Thanks Suffron!)   We did a 'fly out' today, taking the float plane over to a smaller lake, and caught lakers, pike, and grayling. Another unbelievable day at Wollaston Lake Lodge!  Keep checking in, we'll have video and more pics soon!! -pb- Like a Dream... Over bacon and coffee early on day three, conversation turned to the last few days and the inevitable departure tomorrow."It's like a dream", says Bill, "I think I'll get back home and not be able to believe this happened!" I know what he means. It was only a few years ago that I had the opportunity to be on a fishing trip like this with my father, much like Bill and Ryan are doing on this one. The beautiful surroundings, incredible fishing, and clear water only pale in comparison to the bond that is formed between father and son during an experience like this.   Day 3 was a perfect day for me. Any day that includes fishing and singing is as near perfect as it can get. After dinner the guests and staff all gathered in the main lodge for some Country Music, and we had a great time mingling and shooting pictures together after the show was over. It seems fun was had by all, I really enjoy myself in those intimate settings with a small crowd. Well, we're off again this morning, this time with an eye on completing the "Grand Slam" of fishing, Pike, Grayling, Lake Trout, and now Walleye. If we get all 4, we get our names on the 'Wall of Fame', and a really cool hat. Look out Walleye!! Until next time, -pb- Thanks Wollaston, Ryan, Bill, and UFA! What an incredible time. The moments experienced and memories made at Wollaston on this UFA "Open For Life" contest were amazing. One of the things I love the best about what I get to do, other than singing, is meeting new people, and Ryan and his dad Bill are two great guys. We had a blast cutting up out on the water and watching each other catch fish (and eating tons of shore lunch).All of us were able to complete our 'Grand Slam', and will now be immortalized on the Lodge Wall of Fame. Pretty cool... Thanks for joining us on our Wollaston adventure. I hope we get to do this again soon! Here are a few more pics from the trip... thanks for following the PB blog! -pb-   Click Here to view Paul Brandt's official website |
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