Parks Ride In
Wow what a great day, weather wise, hard to believe it is February. Today was the great ride in at gramps on Parks Pond. Actually it was a chem free celebration for a close friend. The event included all the food you could eat, pies, trash can turkey, chilli, chop suey, rolls, cakes, deserts, juice, coffee and so much more. What a time it was, all that heard were invited. The lake saw a dozen or more sleds, atv’s and even a dirt bike. Kids had a blast being towed and fishing. Traps covered the lake, yet only one fish was taken. Story, there were more stories than one could shake a stick at today. Not only did family attend, neighbors and friends from roads away stopped by to have a bite and say hi. Mikes ice house was the talk of the lake. Mike purchased a great little camper, not very big, but with table that makes into a bed, a bed, frig, stove, gas lights and closet. The thing is weighs very little. Dennis put his skills to work and an old set of skis had a basket welded on them in which the tires fit. You tow the camper or shack to your favorite hole, jack it up and drop the tire into the basket on the skis. Connect it to the sled and off you go, it tows wicked easy. In todays case of no snow, we just hooked it to the four wheeler and out we went. Needless to say I finding me an old camper, no more struggling with the heavy shacks, frozen skis and such and heck its already insulated and can be used year round. Today was one of the best events I have seen in a long time. On the flip side, according to the news, the Sabago Derby was canceled because of poor ice conditions, with a number of cars, sleds and atv’s visiting the water. It is also reported that a warden and his atv went in. No one was injured and at least one day of the event was held. At the time of this writing, the temperature has dropped and it is snowing. Snow is expected all week off and on, but since temperatures during the day will be forty, I am not sure we expect much snow.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wind Swept Alligator
Wind Swept Alligator
Zach and I headed to Alligator for a few hours of fishing today. Conditions to the landing were good, road getting a little soft. There were nine vehicle of various sorts. The lake is glare ice and the wind was like whipping straight down the lake at us, like at forty knots or so. There are four shacks on the ice today. As we started out, first the hat went, then the cover to the trap box, then the ATV was blown down lake. Seriously it was blowing. As usual the coves on the east shore have no ice and the rock point coming out of the landing is open. We checked on the old homestead and then traveled north toward Turtle Rock, where we set our traps. The wind was so bad you had to hold the traps or they would be blown away. The shore was great, we layed back in t shirts, on ice was like -20 or so. Soon we saw a couple walking or attempting to walk. I thought it was Chris and Rachel, so we went out to meet them. It was a guy name John and girl name Heather coming out to check on friends. They were walking…one step forward, two back. I carry slip on cleats which I gave to them and off they went. Fishing was slow, with only two flags. As we picked up to leave late in day, we saw John and Heather walking, so we gave them a ride back to landing. It was a real nice day, but the wind was just plain raw. Talked with a few other groups on the ice and none reported getting any fish today. As a side note, our bait guy is running low, price is now $5 a doz for shiners and $1 a smelt. I am thinking I can get a lot of salmon at shop and save for the cost of just bait. But where is the fun in that! The other part of the crew headed to Hopkins and reported no fish and just a few fishing. The old man did manage to flip his ATV backwards on himself. The cause, just being a MOMO. Sunday gang is heading back to Parks for perch.
Zach and I headed to Alligator for a few hours of fishing today. Conditions to the landing were good, road getting a little soft. There were nine vehicle of various sorts. The lake is glare ice and the wind was like whipping straight down the lake at us, like at forty knots or so. There are four shacks on the ice today. As we started out, first the hat went, then the cover to the trap box, then the ATV was blown down lake. Seriously it was blowing. As usual the coves on the east shore have no ice and the rock point coming out of the landing is open. We checked on the old homestead and then traveled north toward Turtle Rock, where we set our traps. The wind was so bad you had to hold the traps or they would be blown away. The shore was great, we layed back in t shirts, on ice was like -20 or so. Soon we saw a couple walking or attempting to walk. I thought it was Chris and Rachel, so we went out to meet them. It was a guy name John and girl name Heather coming out to check on friends. They were walking…one step forward, two back. I carry slip on cleats which I gave to them and off they went. Fishing was slow, with only two flags. As we picked up to leave late in day, we saw John and Heather walking, so we gave them a ride back to landing. It was a real nice day, but the wind was just plain raw. Talked with a few other groups on the ice and none reported getting any fish today. As a side note, our bait guy is running low, price is now $5 a doz for shiners and $1 a smelt. I am thinking I can get a lot of salmon at shop and save for the cost of just bait. But where is the fun in that! The other part of the crew headed to Hopkins and reported no fish and just a few fishing. The old man did manage to flip his ATV backwards on himself. The cause, just being a MOMO. Sunday gang is heading back to Parks for perch.
Love Duck Lake
God Love Duck Lake
Mike, Chris and Dillon were excited about the trip to Duck in search of a few salmon and maybe the rare trout held in its cold clear waters. The trip depends on the depth of snow each week and year. Without snow the truck can make it into the landing at shores edge. With snow it becomes more of a chore, anywhere from fourteen to twenty miles by snowsled, depending on what roads the paper company is plowing.
At 3a.m. the boys had the truck running, I was more for like six or so, but not them, they had to have traps in by sunrise. We arrive at the Old Man’s at four o’clock, just as he requested. This trip was his idea to begin with anyways. He was still in bed resting his eyes when we pulled in.
But he is headed, up the Alligator Road to the Stud Mill, then to the 32-00-00 road where we would park and unload the sleds. All was going as planned.
Sleds were unloaded and the tub was attached to the old man’s four stroke, long track, Bearcat. Dillon was to ride with the old man and Chris and Mike would share the other sled. Up the 32-00-00 (Duck Lake Rd) we went for a day of fishing. The trail or road was in great shape, hard packed and groomed. The old man really liked that four stroke and the way it rode with his two hundred and eighty pound frame. I called him one-eyed Willy, as the old man only had one eye, so he really had no vision. Hell most of the time we were looking around anyway. He scared the hell out of everyone. Before long the old man, who was leading, was really cruising on the straight always. I am leaning toward sixty mph in places, while towing the tub of gear and grub.
We have done this trip hundreds and hundreds of times over the last thirty years, every Friday night for close to thirty years. He knew the trail and road better than anyone. I think he even helped lay the base for the road back when it was a mud run. Cause every time we got stuck he would be the one fetching rocks to fill the holes.
As we came near the Red Rock, about the half waypoint, where the road goes down to Sabao and Nicatous Lake, there is always a YesMa in the trail. By now the old man was putting distance between the sleds.
As we rounded the corner it looked like a bomb went off. There was food everywhere, bait buckets in the woods and two poor Jiffy Augers in pieces; the tub was twisted around a Maple tree, but no old man. Pretty soon we see the headlights of his sled coming back down the trail.
There is pain and suffering to be explained, see the old man didn’t own anything but the food. Damage so far on this trip, six dozen smelts at $8 a dozen, two augers, traps, the tub and grub.
The old man was quick “dam pin let go on the tub”, he gruffed. Dillon chimed in as he picked up the parts of his Jiffy, “don’t think speed had anything to do with it, especially be air borne over the yesma, do ya”? The answer was quick and sharp from the old man “nope”.
We gathered our goods and repacked. Upon reaching the lake, it was nice to see an old friend at an icehouse who was kind enough to let us borrow his auger for a few holes.
This is a typical trip to Duck and Murphy’s Law is always with us. The old man’s brother, Joe, vowed many years ago never to go to Duck Lake again, it was just too costly.
Our trips involved countless flats, blown transmissions, shocks, trailers coming unhooked and passing us, motors falling off boats, transoms ripped off, lower units destroyed on rocks, atv’s and boats bounced off the trailers, close calls with loggin trucks, broken springs, motors and at least two front pumpkins while pushing mud. Not to mention the times we have been stuck or struck by lighting. God we love Duck Lake.
Mike, Chris and Dillon were excited about the trip to Duck in search of a few salmon and maybe the rare trout held in its cold clear waters. The trip depends on the depth of snow each week and year. Without snow the truck can make it into the landing at shores edge. With snow it becomes more of a chore, anywhere from fourteen to twenty miles by snowsled, depending on what roads the paper company is plowing.
At 3a.m. the boys had the truck running, I was more for like six or so, but not them, they had to have traps in by sunrise. We arrive at the Old Man’s at four o’clock, just as he requested. This trip was his idea to begin with anyways. He was still in bed resting his eyes when we pulled in.
But he is headed, up the Alligator Road to the Stud Mill, then to the 32-00-00 road where we would park and unload the sleds. All was going as planned.
Sleds were unloaded and the tub was attached to the old man’s four stroke, long track, Bearcat. Dillon was to ride with the old man and Chris and Mike would share the other sled. Up the 32-00-00 (Duck Lake Rd) we went for a day of fishing. The trail or road was in great shape, hard packed and groomed. The old man really liked that four stroke and the way it rode with his two hundred and eighty pound frame. I called him one-eyed Willy, as the old man only had one eye, so he really had no vision. Hell most of the time we were looking around anyway. He scared the hell out of everyone. Before long the old man, who was leading, was really cruising on the straight always. I am leaning toward sixty mph in places, while towing the tub of gear and grub.
We have done this trip hundreds and hundreds of times over the last thirty years, every Friday night for close to thirty years. He knew the trail and road better than anyone. I think he even helped lay the base for the road back when it was a mud run. Cause every time we got stuck he would be the one fetching rocks to fill the holes.
As we came near the Red Rock, about the half waypoint, where the road goes down to Sabao and Nicatous Lake, there is always a YesMa in the trail. By now the old man was putting distance between the sleds.
As we rounded the corner it looked like a bomb went off. There was food everywhere, bait buckets in the woods and two poor Jiffy Augers in pieces; the tub was twisted around a Maple tree, but no old man. Pretty soon we see the headlights of his sled coming back down the trail.
There is pain and suffering to be explained, see the old man didn’t own anything but the food. Damage so far on this trip, six dozen smelts at $8 a dozen, two augers, traps, the tub and grub.
The old man was quick “dam pin let go on the tub”, he gruffed. Dillon chimed in as he picked up the parts of his Jiffy, “don’t think speed had anything to do with it, especially be air borne over the yesma, do ya”? The answer was quick and sharp from the old man “nope”.
We gathered our goods and repacked. Upon reaching the lake, it was nice to see an old friend at an icehouse who was kind enough to let us borrow his auger for a few holes.
This is a typical trip to Duck and Murphy’s Law is always with us. The old man’s brother, Joe, vowed many years ago never to go to Duck Lake again, it was just too costly.
Our trips involved countless flats, blown transmissions, shocks, trailers coming unhooked and passing us, motors falling off boats, transoms ripped off, lower units destroyed on rocks, atv’s and boats bounced off the trailers, close calls with loggin trucks, broken springs, motors and at least two front pumpkins while pushing mud. Not to mention the times we have been stuck or struck by lighting. God we love Duck Lake.
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