Whenever someone picks up a newspaper, there is usually a columnist they tend to read ahead of others.
I’m no different.
From 1970 to 2000, there was one such columnist I eagerly looked forward to reading whenever our sister publication, The Toronto Star.
During those years, John Power penned a column catering to those who fish or hunt.
I was among those who shared in his interests.
While John’s prose are a thing of the past, they evoked plenty of fond memories.
Even now after hearing of his passing Oct. 1 in Brampton at the far too young age of 75.
Being a sports fanatic back then as I am today, John’s literary works took priority.
Even more than reading about the ups and downs of Toronto Maple Leafs, Argonauts or Blue Jays.
The most enjoyment I got from John’s columns was the manner in which he could convey an image of anticipation and excitement whenever he went on some excursion.
One of which involved his annual fall pilgrimage he took with a group of anglers, known as the Muskyteers, to the Moon River basin near Sans Souci in his never-ending quest to catch a muskellunge of “brogdignagian” proportions.
His stories would, more often than not, whet my appetite to get out and emulate his experiences.
In other columns John wrote, they hit closer to home by providing valuable insights informing outdoor enthusiasts if their interests were being threatened by the “bleeding heart Liberals” or “tree huggers”.
What I will miss most though are the personal interactions I had with John, whom I first met back in the early 1980s at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show.
Through that initial encounter and others that followed, which often included an annual invitation aboard the Toronto Star Great Salmon Hunt media vessel for a day of fishing on Lake Ontario, our discussions often centered on how things were going in our profession.
Not to mention a few tall tales of how the big ones did or didn’t get away.
I’m certain that somewhere up in the heavens John is finding some new places to go fishing and hunting.
He might also be writing a column that exists up there for those who share his love of the outdoors.
*And you know, become friends, I was most happy.
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