Fishing and company

Fishing and company

I wanted to get a group photo on my fishing trip last weekend, but I left my tripod in the van. We came up with a modified tripod by using a tackle box and the tailgate of my brother’s truck, and by setting the timer on the camera, I got a photo. It was a fun day hanging out on the lake with my dad and older brother, doing a little hard-water fishing. – Photo by Allan Olson.
By Allan Olson
If everyone weekend was this much fun – why would anyone go back to work? I got to spend last Saturday in a fish house on Lake of the Woods. When we got up to head out to the lake, it was a balmy -10, not counting the brutal winds that felt like they were cutting through us like a hot knife through butter.
We (my dad, older brother and myself) made it out to the local resort at about 7:15 a.m., and the line of eager anglers waiting for the gate to open so they could head out onto the big lake was already long. On normal days the gate opens at 7 a.m.; however, because the wind blew with tremendous force all through the night, the resort’s ice roads on the lake were drifted shut, and it took a while longer for the resort crew to open their roads. Finally at about 7:30 a.m. we were able to head out on the ice, and we arrived at our little house on the lake about 15-20 minutes later. Soon the truck was unloaded, and my dad went to work at drilling holes while my brother got the heat fired up; I worked at cleaning up the holes after dad moved on to the next one. It seemed to take a long time, but in reality we had lines in the water less than an hour after we got to the resort. Truth be told, I could have just as well left my fishing poles in the back of the truck, or for that matter, in the garage at home.
While fishing, we discussed a variety of topics, from work, to relatives, to my parents upcoming vacation and the places they will be visiting. We had lots of fun and all managed to rib each other quite a few times during the course of the day. While we were fishing, my brother’s brother in-law stopped in for a visit, adding even more laughter and jokes to our day. Ultimately we (excluding me) landed a total of five fish – my brother caught and released a very small walleye, kept two others and one northern, and my dad landed one decent walleye for the frying pan. Personally, I just got a lot of fresh air and fed a couple fish. I did get a decent hit on my line once, but I messed it up and the fish got a free meal, so I didn’t contribute to the frying pan.
We ended our fishing trip at about 4:30 p.m., since both my brother and I had to drive home that evening and neither of us wanted to be on the road really late. Of course, our departure time would’ve probably been a little different if the fish had really been biting.
Once we were back at my parents’ place, I loaded my stuff in the van. We ate some supper, and I started the van to warm it up. I snacked on some more homemade pumpkin bread and finally ventured for home. It was a long ride by myself, but I listened to an audio book to help keep me awake.
We were lounging around the house on Sunday, avoiding the cleaning and other things in need of being done when we learned that my cousin was on the way, family in tow. Our house was soon to be invaded by four more people, so our lounging plans were thrown out the door. We scrambled to make the house presentable. A couple hours later, the company arrived. They had plans for Monday; due to the weather they were banking on school being cancelled, and it ended up being a good gamble. When Monday morning arrived they were just two hours closer to their afternoon plans. That evening we had a good time visiting and playing a game, and the kids did too. Their son and Marcus (both about the same age) were barely seen the entire time they were visiting. So it turned out to be a very enjoyable weekend.
Our plans for this week include just staying warm! As for next weekend, I have not a clue. Right now, no fishing and no company are expected, but that could change at a moments’ notice.
Please be safe while ice fishing this season, and remember to take a picture to preserve a lifetime of memories. Also please watch out for the buses that are transporting our children, and remember to drive safely this winter season. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! For more of my columns visit: http://allan-crazykids.blogspot.com.

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