After a summer of fishing every day in Fountain Lake off Sunset Avenue, the joys haven’t gone away for two young boys. Last week, like they had all summer, the two boys dangled lures into water. Then Ben Enger, 9,

got a bite.

&uot;Holy. I got one. Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy …&uot; he shouted, reeling in the fish attached to his daredevil lure. Turning his fishing pole to the side, grabbing the line with one hand, Ben slowly pulled in his first northern.

&uot;Oh yeah. This is a northern. They don’t fight,&uot; Ben cried to his friend Cole Keyeski, 8, and anyone else who could hear him. He still struggled as he pulled the fish.

Keyeski scampered down to the rocks, as the northern pike appeared in and out of the murk. Keyeski pulled the two- to three-pound northern out of the water, and then Enger carried it up.

The two spindly boys with shaggy blond hair and navy and green St. Theodore’s uniforms said they’ve spent nearly every day since school let out for the summer fishing. They say they sometimes catch several fish a day.

Cole’s grandfather, Paul Pierson, said he treasures the boys’ love of fishing.

&uot;So many hours here they’ve spent,&uot; he said. &uot;They’ll probably have these memories forever.&uot;

He said with so many children these days spending their afternoon in front of a television, what Ben and Cole do is special, a hobby he said they are likely to continue for the rest of their lives.

It’s difficult not to be charmed by the boys. To adults driving by who know them, Enger shouted, &uot;I got a northern. &uot;

Enger said the two have been fishing since they were little, starting around preschool.

Enger said they’ll fish the lake when it rains, and when it freezes they’ll go ice fishing.

Keyeski realizes

that in a couple of years, he and Enger won’t have as much time to fish. He said that’s kind of weird &uot;because I know I’m not going to be used to doing other stuff.&uot;

(Contact Tim Sturrock at tim.sturrock@albertleatribune.com or 379-3438.)