HONOURED  ANGLERS

Professional Guide "Tas"

 

One of the Top Trophy lakes in Ontario

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 somehow we've always made things work for us and together we work well.  I came from the city, bright lights and modern conveniences and Terry came from the wilderness, a "do the best with what you got" kind of person. The very fact that Terry and I had such different upbringings gave us the ingredients to create a place that would be enjoyable for all types of people.  Terry's rugged and backwoods ways, and, my understanding the need for modern conveniences made the perfect blend in the outcome. 

Today, I chuckle when I think about how our friends and family must have  thought we had gone completely out of our minds.  To literally establish a business in the middle of nowhere was almost unheard of and to be quite frank if I saw anyone attempting this today I would feel the same.  However, we were in God's Country as many have called it,  and we wanted to share this wonderful place with others.  I just hoped that God would look in on us from time to time, cause we'd certainly it!

            We actually carved our resort out of the bush.  Blood, sweat, tears, frustration and absolutely no money.  Trees felled land cleared and back then it was all done by hand.  I can't even begin to count the logs and limbs we had to pile, and, the pile of brush were as big as a house.  After that is was a matter of what do we build first.  Like I said we had very little money, and, financial institutions didn't  want to back our crazy idea.  So instead, Terry went to work for the local logging company.  He worked 18 hour days, while back at the ranch I would be clearing more land, or, prepare one thing or another for when he got back home and day by day we worked towards our dream.  I remember several years later while working at a sports show a gentleman approached me and said he stopped in at our place one day.  "I knew you guys would do it", he said excitedly.  He told his friend that was standing beside him that he had stopped by our place one day many years ago.  I was peeling logs and Terry was felling and hauling trees.  He said to his traveling companion:  "See those two there, they're going to make it.   No one can work that hard and fail!".  After the years of sacrifice and endless work, the thoughts he shared with me that day were a gift.  I shook his hand and thanked him for his confidence in us and then he turned and soon disappeared into the crowd.  I never saw him again but he gave me something that would carry us through some rough times.  

We first started a little bait shop store that would fund our venture in addition to Terry's wages, and soon found that many fishermen came from all around to purchase our commodities:  live bait, tackle and ice; all very important items for the fisherman.  The next project was the campground and we developed 30 sites.  However this proved to be very challenging.  Trees in a forest rely on each other for support, and when strong gale force winds began blowing some trees started falling.  For years each spring we'd be picking up more logs and limbs and piling more brush.  It was a little set back but eventually the trees that remained rooted themselves firmly until we have very little cleanup when spring would come around.  The next building that was a must was a shower house.  People came from all over to shower.  It was the door that encouraged more woman to visit this wonderful area.  Because we're remote we have so many people that ask if we have indoor plumbing.  My answer always is:  "We're female friendly!"  Meaning:  indoor plumbing and flush toilets.

            After a few year we then decided the store was just much too small and began working on the lodge.  The lodge consists of:  a store; dining room; kitchen; office; bait room and various other storage rooms.  It's 104' long and 24' wide and after a few outbuildings were erected such as fish cleaning station, shower house, outhouses, ice-house, generator building and various other storage buildings, then came the cabins and dock.  Roofs, windows, electrical and plumbing; it was all done by us.  I've seen Terry scratch his head a few times wondering how to improvise while fixing something.  He always made it work.....somehow.  A Jack-of-all-trades that's what Terry is, but more importantly he's a McGyver and can solve almost any problem.  Terry not only worked for the logging company, but is also a bush pilot, fur trapper, hunter and all round seasoned outdoorsman.  

            We dug water lines, power lines, and propane line trenches.  We made picnic tables and stained and painted.  I dug the well house and as well "witched for water" and as Terry says:  "I knew I was living with a witch!".  As our clientele grew so did our friendships with guests that helped make Wawang Lake Resort what she is today .....and our dream a reality. 

            There was a time, about half way through our venture, when Terry asked me in frustration:  "Are we getting anywhere?".   Years of hard work and struggling for every penny at times seemed like an endless ordeal.  I simply told him, "Just give me a little more time, it will work, don't worry about it, I know it will work".  I'm not sure where I got all the confidence from, I guess I was just so positive it just
wasn't going to be any other way.  I had Terry scratching his head a few times though, ha!

                 Somewhere during all this Terry managed to get his pilot's license.  We also bought an airplane.  A Cessna 180 and I have to admit, she's Terry's baby.  To see Wawang Lake from the air is compared to Heaven, and God must have been watching because Terry's flown through some pretty severe weather and would always return home to me.  You know what they say about those Canadian bush pilots, and after flying with Terry I know it all to be true.  

                 Throughout the winter months of trapping and Terry working for the logging company, I home-schooled our daughter.  So, what did we do in our spare time.  We played our guitars and sang of course.  Terry's father, Lad Kaliska, always said:  "The family that plays together, stays together".   Today, our guests and friends enjoy listening to both nostalgic, and, new songs by us.  We're not professionals by any means, but we do have fun and like to share this talent with our guests, family and friends.

            So, now we both look back on the years and years of hard work and realize nothing comes easy.  Our challenges were met and difficult times were overcome.  We are here today and blessed with many guests, friends and family that visit us annually, and, we're reminded at just how blessed we really are as we see their faces each year!  

So come Join our family and become part of the dream…..Tami  &  Terry  

call us toll free 1-800-268-0849

Email:   wawang@vianet.ca