Archive for the ‘Cabin Fever’ Tag
I took a little time to get out to my home waters and I didn’t see a lot of action, but there were beautiful swallows swooping all around, the trees were flowering and smelling like honey, and the air breathed crisp and fresh.
I hope you can get out to catch some trout this weekend. I’m likely to be seen on the shores of Monona Bay, chasing down a hunch overheard by my ten-year-old son at school about big bass being caught at sunrise. Hopefully I can convince him that Sunday will be the better day to fish. Saturday morning looks like rain and cold. I’d prefer to read the paper and drink my coffee in that kind of weather. But it ain’t easy to make an eager kid wait.
Cheers!
Honeysuckle?
Salmo Trutta!
Sunday, by all accounts, was a day everyone should have stayed inside. It was 34° and raining. A friend of mine cleaned out his gutters on Sunday, so I suppose you could do worse than taking a hike through the woods.
That’s where our troop was, tromping through the woods enjoying the sights and having a good time.
I hope you enjoy the photos!
Skillet Creek runs through the gorge at Pewitt’s Nest
Pewitt’s Nest pine bough
Water drips off the limestone at Pewitt’s Nest
A crew of buddies in the woods at Pewitt’s Nest
Shepard on the slide at Pewitt’s Nest
Sawyer on the Slide at Pewitt’s Nest
Bode on the Slide at Pewitt’s Nest
Heron and Joe on the Slide at Pewitt’s Nest
Bracket Fungi reaching for the sky at Pewitt’s Nest
The work of large woodpeckers was everywhere at Pewitt’s Nest
Check out this picture of a Cutthroat eating a mouse. Pretty cool! Makes me want to keep working on that goal of catching a big trout on a mouse pattern.
Mouse in Trout
The year 2012 was one hell of a roller coaster ride for me and the people in my orbit. Ahead lies 2013, a year that, at the moment, seems to stretch out in front of me forever. There are so many goals, new experiences, trips, and friendships to grow, and healing to be done. I hope your 2013 is off to a good start and continues to deliver on all you’ve hoped for.
The 2013 Early Season Trout Opener is about four weeks away, here in Wisconsin. Have you got a plan? My friends and I have started making plans. Here’s a shot of the stretch we’re planning to fish on March 2nd (sorry, I can’t spray the location all over the internet).
Some Driftless trout water, Wisconsin
Afterwards we’ll wet our whistles here and recount the epic day of fishing we shared.
The Silent Woman
And after that, we’ll come up with many more plans, ideas to improve our success, and talk of hunting Turkeys, Deer, Musky, and many, many more trout.
Here’s to 2013!
Here we are in the thick of wintertime. I was wondering if it would be with us this year. Thankfully it is, at least in my opinion. We are a family of skiers. Alpine skiers. Nothing beats it. I put it on a very high pedestal alongside fly fishing and a good-value-for-the-money bourbon. Like maybe $20 for a 750ml bottle.
Even though I have so much winter to look forward to, with skiing, coaching the Blackhawk Alpine Racing Team with my friend Brian, and some epic games of Cribbage and Euchre to get through the cold, dark evenings, I can’t help but keep my eye on March 2nd, the early season trout opener. I’m not sure if any of you feel this way. Lovers of winter with an eye toward that first spring creek trout of the season.
But since it wasn’t that long ago, here are a few pictures of Christmas with my family. Enjoy Winter, and look ahead to Spring!
Christmas with the Andersons
Rebecca and Wes
It’s fun to feel this way about Christmas
Don’t be mistaken. These two are hell on wheels.
After an hour of Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii and Minecraft on the PC, kids need to get the heck outside. Saturday morning, Stephen and I took advantage of the glorious weather, put rubber pants on the kids, and hit the water. We found clams, set up a hammock, made a little fire for roasting marshamallows and warming hands, and even sniffed a fish or two (it’s tough to sneak up on a trout with 8 small feet tromping around).
Rubber Pants, Marshmallows, Hammock, and Republic Clone Trooper DC-15 Rifle. Check.
Serious Fun in the Driftless of Wisconsin.
This photo needs a caption contest. Any ideas?
When the sun reached its peak it was time for some lunch. We took the kids into Black Earth and filled up at the Luckenbooth Cafe. I highly recommend the burgers. And the kids each got a scoop of ice cream topped with whipped cream and caramel to make good and well sure they were full.
This is what nature does to your kids. Any Questions?
After the long and lazy lunch we stopped over at On The Creek to visit Todd Opsal. I’d bought a TFO reel (the $60 job) and was having some trouble with it free-spooling in the cold weather. Pulling out line felt like Russian Roulette. Every now and then the drag would just turn off, and I’d be left with a bird’s nest of line tangled up in the reel. I had reported this to Todd, who recommended I try one more time out to see if I could reproduce the problem, and after doing so, Todd kept his word and allowed me to trade the reel in. I paid the difference and upgraded to the large arbor TFO reel. So far, so good. Thanks Todd!
After arriving back home, hanging up our gear to dry, and settling in for the evening, my oldest and middle sons both thanked me for taking them out to spend time in the natural world. There often seems to be some arm twisting required when it’s time to get out and play in nature, but without fail, everyone ends the day feeling good about soaking up some sunlight, fresh air, and moving water.
Oh, and the rubber pants. Let’s not forget about the rubber pants.
One of my passions is alpine skiing. I’m a coach for the Blackhawk Alpine Race Team and my co-coach, we’ll call him “Brian”, introduced me to this video. I’m planning to purchase the full movie to watch with my boys this weekend. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!
JP Auclair Street Segment (from All.I.Can.) from Sherpas Cinema on Vimeo.
Sunday was our first family hike with our new puppy, Louie. It was a lot of fun!
Louie likes fingers. They taste delicious.
My son Bode.
My wife Rebecca with Bode and Louie.
Louie on the Ice Age Trail near Verona, Wisconsin
Family Photo: Sawyer, Tom, Shepard, Bode, Rebecca, and Louie.
Love those rocks!
Shepard loves Cherry trees too.
Yesterday Stephen Rose and I did some exploring with our kids and my dog. We went to eastern Iowa county to take a look at Smith-Conley Creek. We checked out a parcel of land Stephen was curious about. And then we went to Donald County Park, a place neither of us had ever visited, even though we’ve each lived in Dane County for over a decade.
Donald County Park is the piece of land that spawns Mt Vernon Creek, at the confluence of Frye’s Feeder and Deer Creek. There are some great hiking trails, beautiful views, and of course, trout.
We had a great time exploring and relaxing in the February sun, sheltered from the wind behind a rise in the Driftless. It’s a neat place to check out, and I’ll surely be back with my fly rod when the trout season is in swing.
Shep and Joe at Donald County Park, Dane County, Wisconsin
Joe and Stephen relaxing in a Hennessy hammock, Donald Park, Dane County, Wisconsin
Shep, Joe, Bode, and Stephen, Donald County Park, Dane County, Wisconsin
Frye's Feeder runs through Donald County Park, Dane County, Wisconsin
Maybea-Dog enjoying her free time, Donald County Park, Dane County, Wisconsin
This morning I was wondering to myself, “I wonder what I could post to the blog that would be of interest to readers?”
Well, look no further than the video below. It is a trailer for the upcoming DVD” Heart of the Driftless”. I’ll be picking up a copy when it comes out in March.
I’m not sure how much I like the attention the Driftless trout fishery is getting. It was OK when a few trout authors put Black Earth Creek in their “Top 100″ trout rivers. I just hope there’s enough water out there for us to keep from running into one another too often. I imagine there is.
Anyway, this looks like a bitchin’ movie that shows off the beauty and quality of the Driftless Region. And I think they use a remote controlled helicopter to get some of these amazing shots. Very cool.
HOTD Trailer from RT on Vimeo.
