Finally! I scored an illusive Trout using my trusty fly rod and on a fly that I had tied!

I traveled to NE Iowa again(check out my earlier posts from March)with Mel Anderson and Tom Tidemann. We stayed at Tom and Vickie's "cabin" which is near Spring Grove, in SE Minnesota. There are wonderful trout streams in NE Iowa which is only a short drive from their place. We fished Waterloo Creek, and Big Bear Creek where both Mel and I caught our first trout on our fly rods. (On our March encounter we had some swipes but no landings.) So this being our second attempt we were eager to score! We fished until 9:30 PM Thursday evening, Tom caught and released three, Mel and I were successful in catching thistle plants and dill weed plants some of which were in back of us and some were in front of us. Thursday evening Mel found out what happens when you forge a stream that is about 24 inches deep but you are wearing only 20 inch high boot waders. He said that his feet were cool the whole evening.

Friday morning was a different story. We both "broke Through" and landed Rainbows - not huge ones but they were certainly frisky. Don't laugh till you have tried this type of fishing. I had a couple of others "on" but they got away.

Young, Small, Hungry, and Dumb -- The FISH that is.

Mel at work on Big Bear Creek

Mel's First Trout with his fly rod.

Mel caught two Rainbows using his fly rod. He then annouced that he had mastered the art of fly fishing and changed to his ultra-lite spinning tools and hauled in another one! What a talented guy!

Mel Up close and personal

Sunrise on the English River, the day we departed.

June 2006 Spring Fishing Trip to Canada

4 of us ventured back to Grassy Narrows, ON, back to Dream Catcher's Lodge, on the English River. The lodge is operated by our First Nation friends. We had a fine time, the weather was outstanding, breakfasts and diners were great, much better than in 2005. The fishing was good, the guides were...I will tell you that we had 'issues' with the guides. Upon our arrival we were told that neither of the guides we had reserved would be available. One (a school teacher was still on a field trip with his students?) The other hadn't been seen lately or at least since his last pay day. Two 'pinch hitters' were brought in, but one of the subs also disappeared after two days of guiding. A third guide was recruited, he was there in body but his spirit was elsewhere. At one time or another one or the other of the guides forgot to load; a landing net, reserve gas can for the motors, the shore lunch box(correction, he didn't forget the shore lunch box, he just forgot to put the food into it) the minnow bucket, and depth finder batteries. Other than that all went well and we chalked it up to yet another great adventure.

Trout Fishing in Iowa? You Betcha! NE IA from 35,000 Ft. Mississippi River is on the right

  

Frigid Fly Fishing

When it is to cold to golf, what is one to do? One naturaly turns to fly fishing. And who better to do it with than with friends. Mel and I were in ACE Hardware and they had their fly fishing equipment on sale. Can you say bargain? So we are now fly fishers, OK maybe we aren't good yet but at least we look good and have the right equipment. (we have since found out that there is more to this sport than meets the eye)

Three of us packed up my Highlander and traveled to the North East Corner of Iowa in search of some trout fishing. Our friend Tom Tiedemann, an acomplished fly dude, invited us to his hunting cabin which is in SE MN. Tom has hunted and fished these parts for many years. We based out of his place and fished the streams in NE IA, which were about a half hour away.

We arrived to a new 6+ inch snow fall which added a little spice to our first fly fishing adventure. I soon found out that it was almost more of a challenge to keep in an upright position than it was to cast the fly; what with the cold, the clothes, funky boots, snow covered rocks and icy banks. What follows are some snaps of the country side, the fishers of men, my first ever Rainbow trout, Tom's shack and a few other odds and ends.

My First Rainbow Trout - March 2006

 
 
  

NE Iowa Fish Fun - March 2006

 
 
 
  

Note to Turkeys -- be ready, Mel, Tom, and I will be stalking you soon.

  

Handi Work

 
 
 
  

Tom's Shack.

 
 
 
  

March 2006 Fly fishing in NE Iowa.

 
 
 
  

Ho Ho update from Balmy South Dakota

Hello from balmy Sioux Falls. December 24th and shirt sleeves? Yup that was the way it was this year. Well maybe not shirt sleeves - but I did leave my jacket in the car as I popped in and out of several of my customers' offices, to drop off some goodies and exchange Merry Christmas greetings. Our snow has all but disappeared. Even the larger drifts couldn't outlast Mother Nature's sunny rays and high 40 degree temps.

Christmas at our house - one of those occasions that you look forward to and are then glad when it is all over. We were blessed to have Roberta, Sam, Jeff, and Erin here with us this year. Jeff and Erin will go to Watertown and be with his folks over New Years. Roberta is having a few friends over for New Years eve, at last count 20+, and old Mom and Me are staying home - we will fondue, watch the New Year celebration from New York City (cauze it happens an hour earlier there) and will be conked out by midnight our time - after all I did turn 61 a week ago!

On Friday Sam got a new wheel chair. For those that have not experienced such and acquisition let me enlighten you. This process starts out with an 'evlautation and recommendation' session which is conducted by either an Occupational Therapist or a Physical Therapist. Now the going rate for either of these types here in Sioux Falls is $105.00 per half hour. Of course because of Sam's multiple needs it takes one of each of these birds to conduct his "Eval". That of course equates to $210.00 per half hour. The Eval session lasted 1 3/4 hours with the head of the department sticking his nose in from time to time - it is yet to be determined what nose sticking in bills out at. After the Eval then the chair is ordered and you wait 4 to 6 weeks for the chair to come. Then comes the "fitting" session. Yup you guessed it. The same OT and PT get their heads together, look at Sam sitting in the chair, stand around and discuss the weather, adjust the seat, visit a little, then go back into the shop and adjust his tray, then they admit that they may not have ordered the correct seat base -- and can you come back next week so we can go through this dance again, which of course we did. So Friday we were back for another round of fitting. This one went much better - it lasted only a little over two hours (the first fitting was almost three). Anyway, Sam had new wheels for Christmas, Children's Care Re-hab Center had a nice increase in revenue and his new chair is supposed to last him till he reaches 150 pounds.

We had a great Christmas - some pictures follow along with some pictures of Mom.

My best to all.........

Harriet Bennett at lunch 12.26.05. A couple of bites of meat and then right to the cookie and her piece of cake.
JB

I would like to share this kiss with all of you - Mom was alert and in good spirts today some days are much better than others, This was just before I wheeled her in for lunch today.
JB

Mom is amused as I fumble with my camera.
JB

Got a little reaction from her - once in a great while she laughs and seems to have a good time.
JB