I gotta fish!

The first year Tal and I came to Shining Falls Lodge neither of us knew quite how to fish for wall-eye and great northern, large-mouth bass and bream anglers that we are. So, things were a bit slow for the first few days. During one fishing outing on that visit we were trolling back-ward, anticipating catching wall-eye, when I thought my lure had become caught in some sort of underwater structure -- grass, a submerged tree limb or rock (there are just a few of both of those particular items around!). I gave a mighty jerk on my fishing rod -- and something jerked back: a 103 cm northern. What a fight to get him into the boat. I've always secretly wanted to do that again, but it just hasn't happened.

Not until today, that is. We were in a very pretty bay and had caught our limit of wall-eye to take back to camp. All the pressure was off! Backing into a cove there was a particularly dank looking corner on my left, complete with two fallen tree trunks jutting into the dark water. Northern territory for sure; get a fish or lose all your tackle in the process of trying.

Just like that he took my bait and the fight was on. After five minutes of reeling and back-reeling and moving the boat into larger water while reeling and back-reeling and with Tal's quiet AND intense encouragement, I got him near enough to the boat that Tal could get the landing net under him. At 95 cm he's not quite as large as the one in 2004, but I'm thrilled.


After all was said and done -- photos taken and the great fish returned to the cold water of Family Lake, I was just about as shaken as I was to be pulled over by a turbo Otter!