I have fishing on my mind. Apparently also in my blood. These first photographs are of me, my grandfather, and father. To be honest, I never really cared too much for it, because as a kid it always felt like a lot of sitting around on a pier with nothing really happening and then you'd catch a bluegill or something that was about the size of a silver dollar. This was obviously way before I learned the lovely pleasure that is just sitting around, and quite a while before fishing clicked for me.
Several years ago my father invited our family to join him on one of his bi-, sometimes
tri-annual guys trips to Canada. It's an 18-hour drive from Chicago to the
Stormer Wilderness Lodge, just north of Red Lake, Ontario. This in itself might sound like a drag, but when you have the personalities of a bunch of fisherman and stops for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supplies, plus a stay at one rundown and mildew infested hotel along the way, it's all part of the fun. I also have an uncanny knack for passing out in moving vehicles, so unless we're at a stop, I can pretty much sleep the entire trip.
When we arrived, it was past dinnertime, but up there in July, the sun doesn't go down until well after 10 o'clock. I apprehensively layered up and went out on the water. Within minutes I had my first Northern Pike. The size of the fish, the fight to get it in the boat, and the excitement upon doing so, well, I was "hooked". I can't believe someone snapped this picture, you can see it on my face. And I absolutely love my dad in the foreground. That
smirky smile is saying "she's in".
The whole week we're there, I have no trouble whatsoever waking up without an alarm and being up at the lodge for breakfast. Then we'd pack up the boats with gear and live bait and head out. Look what I'm wearing: Two button-down flannels, a wool sweater, a fleece and a
Gore-tex shell. It's July. I'm a cold person by nature, so to some this is may be overkill. In fairness it does warm up during the day as long as there's sun. See? Here I am, clearly fishing.
The lake is large, so there is a lot to discover and learn to navigate. And if you follow my Dad around, who knows the sweet spots to hit, it's not impossible to catch over, no joke, 50 fish before shore lunch. At noon, the 20 or so people staying in cabins at the lodge meet up on a little beach. There, the guides fry up the fresh walleye that were caught that morning in an enormous cast iron skillet over an open fire, and serve it up with buttered bread, baked beans and potato or pasta salad. It's hands down the best fish I have ever eaten in my life.
After lunch, we'd head back out until dinner time. You might be thinking, that's over 9 hours of fishing every day? For 6 days? And like I said, the sun doesn't go down until way late, so a lot of guys go out after dinner, too, for a few more hours. Well, I call it after dinner to build up a fire and read. And I also call it if it's pouring even though I've got head to toe rain gear. I'm not crazy. But that whole week I never tire of being out on the water, with a pole in, ready to catch the next big one. If you've ever spent 10 minutes trying to land an enormous 30-inch walleye or pike, you know why. It's so exhilarating!
It's also great knowing, there's nothing else you can or should be doing. It's just this. And it's a good feeling looking around with not another boat or person in sight. Just trees. And wild life. We see moose, bears, bald eagles, beavers, otters, turtles, all just hanging out doing their thing. If you've never seen a moose in person, you should. It's my favorite animal to see in the wild. My brother is also a favorite animal to see in the wild.
I have since learned about and tried all kinds of fishing. Chartered boats off both coasts, catching flounder or these beautiful orange spiky things I've forgotten the name of, wearing waders or riding flat boats in rivers of the south or standing by ponds in Colorado fishing for trout. But for me, nothing beats floating in a boat in the middle of nowhere, watching bald eagles soar by, and suddenly feeling that bite on your line and reeling in a big walleye or pike.
I have fishing on my mind. Apparently also in my blood. These first photographs are of me, my grandfather, and father. To be honest, I never really cared too much for it, because as a kid it always felt like a lot of sitting around on a pier with nothing really happening and then you'd catch a bluegill or something that was about the size of a silver dollar. This was obviously way before I learned the lovely pleasure that is just sitting around, and quite a while before fishing clicked for me.
Several years ago my father invited our family to join him on one of his bi-, sometimes tri-annual guys trips to Canada. It's an 18-hour drive from Chicago to the Stormer Wilderness Lodge, just north of Red Lake, Ontario. This in itself might sound like a drag, but when you have the personalities of a bunch of fisherman and stops for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supplies, plus a stay at one rundown and mildew infested hotel along the way, it's all part of the fun. I also have an uncanny knack for passing out in moving vehicles, so unless we're at a stop, I can pretty much sleep the entire trip.
When we arrived, it was past dinnertime, but up there in July, the sun doesn't go down until well after 10 o'clock. I apprehensively layered up and went out on the water. Within minutes I had my first Northern Pike. The size of the fish, the fight to get it in the boat, and the excitement upon doing so, well, I was "hooked". I can't believe someone snapped this picture, you can see it on my face. And I absolutely love my dad in the foreground. That smirky smile is saying "she's in".
The whole week we're there, I have no trouble whatsoever waking up without an alarm and being up at the lodge for breakfast. Then we'd pack up the boats with gear and live bait and head out. Look what I'm wearing: Two button-down flannels, a wool sweater, a fleece and a Gore-tex shell. It's July. I'm a cold person by nature, so to some this is may be overkill. In fairness it does warm up during the day as long as there's sun. See? Here I am, clearly fishing.
The lake is large, so there is a lot to discover and learn to navigate. And if you follow my Dad around, who knows the sweet spots to hit, it's not impossible to catch over, no joke, 50 fish before shore lunch. At noon, the 20 or so people staying in cabins at the lodge meet up on a little beach. There, the guides fry up the fresh walleye that were caught that morning in an enormous cast iron skillet over an open fire, and serve it up with buttered bread, baked beans and potato or pasta salad. It's hands down the best fish I have ever eaten in my life.
After lunch, we'd head back out until dinner time. You might be thinking, that's over 9 hours of fishing every day? For 6 days? And like I said, the sun doesn't go down until way late, so a lot of guys go out after dinner, too, for a few more hours. Well, I call it after dinner to build up a fire and read. And I also call it if it's pouring even though I've got head to toe rain gear. I'm not crazy. But that whole week I never tire of being out on the water, with a pole in, ready to catch the next big one. If you've ever spent 10 minutes trying to land an enormous 30-inch walleye or pike, you know why. It's so exhilarating!
It's also great knowing, there's nothing else you can or should be doing. It's just this. And it's a good feeling looking around with not another boat or person in sight. Just trees. And wild life. We see moose, bears, bald eagles, beavers, otters, turtles, all just hanging out doing their thing. If you've never seen a moose in person, you should. It's my favorite animal to see in the wild. My brother is also a favorite animal to see in the wild.
I have since learned about and tried all kinds of fishing. Chartered boats off both coasts, catching flounder or these beautiful orange spiky things I've forgotten the name of, wearing waders or riding flat boats in rivers of the south or standing by ponds in Colorado fishing for trout. But for me, nothing beats floating in a boat in the middle of nowhere, watching bald eagles soar by, and suddenly feeling that bite on your line and reeling in a big walleye or pike.
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