– Prayer of Rainy Lake –

Our father who art on Rainy Lake
Hallowed be thy fisherman

Thy awesome fish shall come
Thy clear waters will be done

On Rainy Lake as it is in Heaven

Give us this day a 20 pound bag
And forgive us for poor jigging

As we will not disrespect our fellow fishermen
And lead us not into being skunked and keep us from unforeseen humps

This we ask you our heavenly God of the angler

In the name of the rod, the bait and the holy lure

Amen

– Please, oh please –

Let the winds be steady
and let the sun shine bright
Let the smallmouth’s bite be ready
yet no Northerns, because they bite

Keep me healthy
so I may fish
Keep the population wealthy
– this is my wish

Keep the spawning
from being late
My tackle box expanding
with lures and bait

Give my lovely wife
the patience of many
For this is my life
though it may take my every penny

Oh, how I love
this sport that will always grow
A gift from above
that has many highs and many lows

Please, oh please, hear our cry
oh great and beautiful lake
To you we prey till we die
with hands clenched and hearts in constant ache

– Queen of the Lake –

Queen of the Lake, full of grace
Our smallmouth bass fish are with thee

Blessed are you amongst the bucketmouth
And blessed are the fishing beds of thy lake floor

Holy queen of the lake, mother of perch
Pray for us anglers

Now and at the hour of our casting

Amen

– The Creed –

I believe in the artificial lure, and the balao
Creator of the bait bucket and the bell sinker

I believe in catch-and-release, the code of the lake and the circle hook
I was conceived by the Great Lakes and the power of the jerk-bait

I have been plagued by the skunk
And have been a victim of the backlash

I have descended with the bottom rig to the depths of the snapper
And have perfected the Adam’s Special

I have been bitten by a Northern
Have a had a largemouth tease me from below

I am too poor for a bass boat
And too big for a rubber dingy

I believe in the power of the bucktail and the cinch knot
I believe in the coffee grinder and the cane pole

I am a master of my fly tying
But am still weak with my jigging

I ask you for strength with my leading
And direct my line to the King Mackerel

In this I ask you my Lord

Amen
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Comments? Suggestions? Bible-study hours? E-mail me at emoutsatsos@fortfrances.com