The amount of moisture we have had in the area the last few weeks has not only greened things up but has raised the water levels in our lakes and streams, which is good. This spring has been especially hard on the farmers who make their livelihood growing corn and soybeans.
The fishing in the area has been has been pretty darned good when it comes to panfish and Fountain Lake has been giving up some dandy northern. The walleye fishing on Walnut Lake was going hot and heavy earlier this spring.
My oldest grandson Trevor has been hitting the lakes in our area hard with some very good results. He has been catching a lot of nice northern and some dandy bass. Trevor has a nice fishing boat and he spends most of his spare time putting it to good use. He has probably caught and released more fish in this short fishing season than I’ve caught in the last five years. This is great to see because I know he is a true outdoorsman and does things the “right way” which makes Grandpa proud.
It is so important we get our youth interested in hunting and fishing to ensure the future of our outdoors heritage will be preserved. Seeing my grandsons interested in the outdoors brings back many memories of my own youth. In the summertime I was always doing something that involved fishing or nature. Maybe it was partly because my access to other activities was limited because I lived in the country
There were times when a few of us kids would walk a “crick” just to see where it went. Occasionally we would get in trouble if we went too far and were gone too long without notifying the wardens (moms). Walking a “crick” didn’t always mean fishing, it just meant we’d follow it to see what types of critters were living those waters. One hot August afternoon my friend Jim and I followed a small creek that eventually connected to Goose Lake from the north. We found this small “crick” had dried up in places, leaving only pools alive with small bluegills, bullheads, minnows, crayfish and frogs. As a kid this was exciting, but yet sad at the same time because I knew there was nowhere for those creatures to go and what the end result would be. The exciting part was finding those bluegills in that water because we usually never saw other “edible” fish except for bullheads. Walking that small stream was exciting because the natural flow and route of the water was how it was always meant to be.
I spent many summers walking Lime Creek south of Emmons with my cousin Richard. That “crick” wound snakelike through the pasture of their farm. To me that is what a stream should be, natural, with a few trees and bushes sprinkled in. There were times we’d swim in that creek only to go around the corner and find the cows standing in the water doing what cows naturally do. I imagine that is why Senora, Richards’s mother, always made us take a shower after swimming.
I always enjoy watching the creek that winds through Twin Lakes from Lower Twin and eventually finds its way to Grass Lake and the Shellrock River. There is just something peaceful about seeing a creek that has not been turned into a drainage ditch but has been allowed to flow naturally as nature intended. As you travel farther north in our state you will see many beautiful streams and rivers that have not been altered and are pretty much untouched by man. Observing nature as it was meant to be always gives me that “life-is-good” feeling.
I was curious about the difference between a brook, stream and creek and the answer I found on the trusty Internet made some sense. A brook flows on pretty much flat land and sort of meanders along, a stream flows a little faster, and the beloved creek I always talk about flows even faster yet. If this is the case, do creeks in late summer turn into brooks as the water level goes down? Just a thought.
If you find a dry day and want a little exercise, taking a walk or a bike ride on one of our area trails can be a great way to enjoy nature and get a little exercise as a bonus. I have always liked walking on the Blazing Star Trail early in the morning because morning is my favorite part of the day and there are not as many folks out at that time. If you haven’t given it a try now is as good a time as any.
On another note: I have been seeing a black and white cat in my yard for the last few weeks and in that same time period I have found dead birds and a dead baby rabbit. No wonder the birds quit coming to the feeder. I did have quite a collection of critters between my yard and the neighbors that I enjoyed watching. Cats find baby birds easy pickings, so please keep your pets at home this time of the year. I am not a cat hater, but I feel if I really wanted one, I’d have one. Besides, I can pretty much see more cats than I care to on Facebook.
Until next time; get outdoors and enjoy some fishing, take a walk or just take in the beauty of one of our many lakes and streams of the area.
Please remember our service men and women who serve our country so that we may enjoy the many freedoms that we have today.