Warmington: A Fishy Tale

[Twocoda]

TORONTO - Legendary Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion is a member of the Order of Canada.

 

So is Canadian comic legend Gordie Tapp.

 

Not many can say they have been mayor for 12 terms like McCallion can.

 

Then again, how many in show business can boast spending 23 years as the head writer and a key performer on TV’s iconic Hee Haw as Tapp can?

 

McCallion’s almost 35 years as mayor will be difficult for anybody to match. And Tapp is not only in the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame but also was a recipient of the Order of Ontario. Both will both appear on my Late Shift show Tuesday on Newstalk 1010.

 

But this was not about career accomplishments.

 

It’s was about fishing.

 

Ernest Hemingway would have loved this assignment since this story should be called Two Veteran Anglers and the Lake.

 

Similar to the themes in Old Man and the Sea, this is a tale of a classic case of salmon envy.

 

You’ll have to decide for yourself who has the bragging rights. Either way they are two Canadian greats who are both are over 90.

 

McCallion is 91 and tap turned 90 this year. Both say they have more to do and that this best is yet to come.

 

And there they were Thursday on Capt. Dolly Erbrecht’s Salmon Express II being hosted by Walter Oster of the Toronto Sun sponsored Great Ontario Salmon Derby which is on until Aug. 25.

 

Hurricane Hazel tries to get out every year as part of her quest to promote salmon fishing off of Port Credit.

 

“It’s always been the best,” said the proud mayor. “I have a 32-pounder I caught out her mounted in my office.”

 

Last year she dragged a beauty she caught down to Toronto City Hall to present to Mayor Rob Ford as evidence the fish are pretty big out in Mississauga.

 

However the biggest salmon caught so far in the 2012 Great Ontario Salmon Derby is a 36.8 pounder hauled in by Jan Broeker off of Scarborough’s Bluffer’s Park.

 

There’s been some 33 pounders caught near Port Credit this year and for a few moments there Thursday ole Oster was sure Hurricane Hazel would find herself in the mix and maybe even win one of those weekly Toyota Matrix’s or even the grand prize winning Toyota Tacoma?

 

“Fish on,” yelled Capt. Dolly’s first mate Bowen Sandercock.

 

Mayor McCallion grabbed the rod and started to reel.

 

“It’s a heavy one,” she said. “And strong.”

 

She reeled and reeled and as she brought this fish to within 30 feet of the boat, no one had yet seen it.

 

“The big ones never surface,” said Sandercock. “This is a big one.”

 

“Watch he doesn’t go under the boat,” barks out Capt. Dolly.

 

Finally got the fish to the surface.

 

“What is that thing a shark?” Oster jokes. “A whale?”

 

It looked like either. It was a monster.

 

Hazel kept work it and finally dragged the trophy Chinook salmon into the boat.

 

At first weight it word as it was 29 pounds. Later, on shore, the weigher said 25 pounds. Who knows but that thing was a giant fish.

 

Then it was Gordie’s turn.

 

“Fish on,” yelled Sandercock.

 

Tapp reeled it in with ease and joked to Hazel “it’s not that hard, eh.”

 

Of course, his was just two-and-half pounds.

 

“Hers was bigger for sure but mine is a better size for eating,” joked Tapp.

 

As we all said on the boat when you are more than 90 and catching fish as Tapp and McCallion were doing Thursday, everybody is winning.

 

Eat your heart out Hemingway.

 

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/08/16/warmington-a-fishy-tale