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KANGIQLINIQ/RANKIN INLET
There's a lot more to catching prize-winning fish when the Beardsall family of Rankin Inlet spend time together.

Patrick, Craig and Emily Beardsall, from left, display the multi-prize-winning trout they pulled from Peter Lake during the Rankin Inlet fishing derby on the Victoria Day weekend. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Ken, his wife, Emily, and sons Craig, 21, and Patrick, 16, took home $15,000 in prize money during the annual Rankin Inlet fishing derby this past week.

But, while the money and fishing success are nice, it's spending time together as a family the Beardsalls truly enjoy.

Emily said the derby is a great opportunity for a family to spend time together and have a lot of fun.

She said the long weekend at their Peter Lake cabin was an awesome time for the whole family.

"The boys are still a lot of fun do things like this with, and during the derby we fished, cooked and ate together all weekend long," said Emily.

"They're getting older, and they both have their own way of doing things, but they're still pretty good about doing family stuff together.

"They're really helpful putting things together, and stuff like that, when we're out camping."

Emily said she hopes Craig and Patrick carry on the tradition of spending quality time together when they have their own families.

She said she and Ken have always tried to stress the importance of family to their children.

"We've always tried to guide them as well as we can, and we've tried our best as a family.

"We do have our share of ups and downs, but we always try to remain a strong family unit."

Ken said it's still a lot of fun to spend time away from computers and telephones, and be together as a family.

He said when you see a family in town these days, they always seem to be texting away or talking on cell phones.

"It's a little different when you're out on the land because you're horsing around in the tent, telling jokes and stuff like that," said Ken.

"To me, all that stuff never gets old because I like being out on the land so much as a family.

"I get a little tired of jigging when we're fishing, but it's nice to meet people out on the land too.

"In town, you see people go by and maybe say hello, but you meet them out on the land and you hang out together and have a bit of fun, and I also really enjoy that aspect when we're out there as a family."

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