I remember the day vividly. The high afternoon sun glistened off water-soaked river rocks, my eyes squinting under a faded blue and overly-curved baseball cap. With my fishing rod in one hand and my other out for balance, I carefully tip-toed my way over foot-sized stones to the middle of the small river, Birkenhead Lake beckoning just 40 feet downstream. Content with my position, I faced the lake and cast my hook and bobber into the bubbling torrent, determined to return to the treeline only with a fish in hand. Being the last day of our three day trip and having no luck during our pre-dawn canoe trip the day before, I was anxious to experience the feeling of a fish on the line, the rush of the battle.
With my bobber downstream, I watched its floundering movement intensely. But the current of the river played with me and unsure if I had a bite, I lifted the tip of the rod out of the water in excitement only to have the hook return empty. Moments turned to minutes and minutes turned to multiple casts. I had a good rhythm and I was enjoying my flow: cast the hook, drift the bob downstream and then pull it back before it snags the river bottom. But then all of a sudden I felt a fish on the line, my body weight yanked forward onto my toes. I lifted the tip of the rod and rocked back onto my heels. Damn this thing felt like a 1000 pounds. My heart thumped and I yelled out "I got one!". Moments later I slowly reeled in the fish and Dad was there to show me how to prepare it for dinner.
This moment will forever be a special memory. And although fishing has been an important part of my family's lifestyle for multiple generations, I think it is important to be aware of misconceptions about the health benefits of a diet that consistently includes fish. In the age of information (and misinformation), I understand it can be daunting to sift through medical journals and correspond scientific conclusions with one another so I would like to share with you the work of NutritionFacts.org.
Have a great day.
CBC News Article: Discusses need for review of health benefits of fish consumption
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