A Trip Up North

After some much needed time off, an artist friend and I made our way to the North Woods where I spent Summers with my Dad’s grandparents as a kid in search of scenic water and solitude.  I’d ply the water, while my friend sketched.  The plan was to fish the upper branches Sunday to avoid the paddle crowds, and hit the main branch the next day as all the paddlers headed home for warm water species.  The plan was flawless; every access point the entire weekend (Memorial Day weekend at that) was void of any signs of human life.  Rock formation, boulders, birches, pines and other vegetation beautifully littered the banks.  There were terrific hatches while I plied the upper reaches but never saw a single rise.  I eventually caved and nymphed a heavily weighted stone fly through the deepest rocky stretches without a single dip of the indicator.  Of course I ripped a streamer with a sink tip to round out the assault.  I didn’t see a single fish at all on day 1.  I hit the lower main branch from about 6am – 11am the next morning for bass and pike.  The main branch was even more stunning and provided the only action of the trip.  A respectable pike followed my large yellow Dahlberg diver and when it made it’s move, so did I.  The hook didn’t set and just came straight out.

I really wanted some positive reinforcement to venture further from home to hook fish on new scenic waters, far away, where a day trip is out of the question.  Instead I left with a big ol’ skunk which is best handled by wearing it like a badge of honor, but yet I seem to go through the same psychological perfunctory dance from time to time when I get skunked.  “Do I need to catch fish to enjoy myself ?”  It’s a common complex negotiation we’ve all gone through and when it’s over, you circuitously arrive at the same conclusion you always have.  “Of course not.”  It’s the thought of packing up and all the promissory notes and drudgeries that go along with it that are a drag:  The trips over, 5 hours of road to cover, you won’t be wetting  a line anytime soon, and you have work the following day to name but 4.  Once I’ve justified my sour mood, I start to remember all  the things I enjoyed about the trip.

Scott did a ton of cool sketches and really enjoyed himself.  It’s amazing to see a great artist render an object in such a short period of time.  I’ll probably make it to the North Woods again this fall.  There’s no end to the potential, solitude, and beauty up there.

We saw lots of skeletons in the large bird and squirrel range. I couldn’t help but think there must have been the handy work of a wild cat or Timber Wolf