"FATHER WALLEYE"

On Jan. 4, 2005, Father Mariusz Zajac,the Catholic priest from Carrot River, Saskatchewan, Canada, was fishing in an ice house on the frozen waters of Tobin Lake. He was jigging a Five of Diamonds spoon tipped with a minnow. And he was praying "The Magnificat" (Luke 1:46-55) as he jigged.

His prayers were answered with a bite from a huge walleye. The fish was 36.5 inches long, 22.5 inches in girth and weighed 18.3 pounds.

The big walleye set the Saskatchewan provincial record for the species and also set the world ice fishing record for walleye according to the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, at Hayward, Wis., USA.

Father Mariusz became a media sensation and soon he was being called "Father Walleye," telling his tale of praying and fishing. But really, it wasn't anything new. He had been doing that since his boyhood days in Poland. It was always a quiet time for the priest to talk to God and to sort through life's problems and seek His solutions.

So what should father do with his new-found fame? He put it to good use in helping others. Inspired by an article he read on the plight of the Tsunami fishermen, he dedicated himself to trying to help them. And, he reasoned, once other fishermen heard about the situation in India, they would want to help, too. That's how the Tsunami Fishermen Relief Fund got its start.

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