Bob & Roger - Installment #1

The "Tackle Box" with Bob Poley and Roger Aldag

"I grew up fishing mostly on rivers and creeks back home in Prairie River – God’s country. We’d start out fishing for chub, these little bait fish, then we’d use those chub on big rigs to catch big pike, walleye and sometimes trout. There were some lakes with perch in that area too we’d sometimes fish.

"I’ve been on lots of fishing trips, so it’s hard to choose a favourite. I remember taking my son Bob Jr. down to the Estevan area and watching him catch small-mouth bass off the pier when he was seven or eight years old. That was pretty neat. I’ve also had a lot of good times ice fishing – drilling a hole and trying to find them.

"I think most of my trips up north are what I remember the most. I remember going with my Dad when I was young, then taking my Dad later on. One time we left a 3:00 a.m. A friend of mine and I got home from a party, we woke the old boys up and we went. By 5:00 a.m. we were fishing up in northern Saskatchewan on the Red Deer River. By 9 or 10:00 a.m., we were sleeping on the bank while the old boys kept fishing. To me, the best trips are spur of the moment, when you throw a little lunch together and go catch some fish.

"Roger and I have gone on a few trips together.  One time we were on Last Mountain Lake and ran out of gas in the middle of the lake. I thought we had lots… guess not. We always said when we retired from football that we’d go fishing during training camp. So one evening on Last Mountain Lake, during training camp week, we went fishing – we didn’t catch anything, but we were fishing and not at training camp. We always said we’d do that. It took 17 years, but we did it. That’s when this young guy started teaching that old guy new tricks!"

(Click here to see video of Bob and Roger's 1993 fishing trip)

Roger Aldag:
"I started fishing when I was very young back on the farm near Gull Lake. I remember my Dad taking me fishing down to the river when I was about 4 or 5. We fished from the bridge or along shore trying to catch anything from suckers, to trout, to jack fish.  We fished for anything we could catch and just thought it was unbelievable. It was a great age to get started and was something I’ve carried on my whole life.

"As I carried on fishing I liked to go around Bone Creek in the southwest where there are little streams for catching brook trout. You can walk a little bit along the river and find some great little spots where you can sneak up on some of the brook trout.  I have a soft spot for that part of the southwest, it’s a lovely area with some great fishing.

"I’ll always remember this fishing trip before one football season, going up with Bob Poley, Gerry Hornett and Kerry Berryman.  We went up to Besnard Lake. This was just a week before training camp and we were going up there for about threes days of fishing. We got just outside of Regina near Southey and my great friend Bob Poley’s vehicle started on fire. That was the first memory of that fishing trip – we didn’t know if we were going to make it. But, Bob stuffed out that little fire in the dash and we made it up to Besnard Lake. It was three of the best days of fishing and camaraderie before training camp. It’s a trip I’ll never forget." 

Below is video from a fishing trip Bob and Roger took in 1993 during the Saskatchewan Roughrider Training Camp, the year after they both retired from the CFL. NOTE: this video was prepared under controlled conditions for a news feature; always wear a lifejacket when fishing.