Fall Trip Part 2

I was up making coffee before the sun rose on Saturday morning. Rainy Lake looked like it was going for the spectacular mode. I enjoy taking pictures maybe even more than guiding.  I grabbed a cup of coffee and  my camera and hopped onto the beach and it was oh my god!

A deer had walked down the beach during the night; the colors were absolutely breathtaking, making Idle Hour Bay seem like something out of a fantasy book. Rainy Lake was flat calm without a ripple. The beach, water and peaking colors sent this photographer’s adrenalin on the rise. Breakfast was going to be delayed.  It looked like we were going to have one of the most beautiful days anyone could ask for.

The girls gave a shout “time for breakfast!” After breakfast we went fishing on a walleye fisherman’s dream -  flat calm water.  Who cares! The mood was set, Rainy Lake providing beautiful vistas, the shorelines flaming with colors and temperatures around 70 degrees in the morning. Throw in a few walleyes and a great morning was complete.

We pulled back into the Lady of the Lake where Cathie and Pat were lounging in the hot tub on the roof. A call down of  “how does a Bloody Mary sound?" was met with s unanimous "yes" from our boat.

Sitting on the roof enjoying our libation brought back memories of a houseboat trip on Labor Day weekend  in 1978 or 1979 with Guy, his wife Linda, Gary and Julie Hockin, myself and friend Cress Masseth.  We had sunny weather but it got windy for a couple of days. Back then I was fishing with a S-18 Lund Boat, not the fancy boats of today.

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We wanted a walleye dinner so I told the gang I had a secret spot that only big walleyes roamed. I would go try it but it was too windy for them to come along.  I did not tell them I was going to Loren Erickson’s: a commercial fisherman who lived south of Rabbit Island.  My grandparents purchased walleyes from Loren to serve at their world famous Kettle Falls Hotel. The walleyes he caught were usually from 19-21 inches long. Loren would catch the odd really big ones, but restaurants and commercial fish buyers would not buy these. I asked Loren if he had any freshly caught big ones.  He had four from 6-9 lbs. that I got as I told him what I was up to. Loren was laughing as I put them on a stringer, tied them to my boat and put them in the water. The fish were cold from being on ice so I had to warm them up to make it believable that I had caught them.

It took me a while to get back to the houseboat. When the crew saw the fish they went nuts. It was still very windy and I said it was too rough to go out. I will cook them tonight and if the wind is down we will go to the spot in the morning. Guess what the wind was down in the morning.  Guy was ready to go. I was worried 6-9 pounders just don’t grow on trees. We went to a reef and dropped down our jigs and minnows. We were not there ten minutes and Guy says I got one. It looked like a good fish, I thought northern for sure.  I get the net, Guy gets the fish close to the surface and I scoop it up. I can’t believe it Guy has at least a seven pound walleye. He was so tickled. He put the jig down and gets another good fish on. It was the same kind of battle as the last one, fish digging for the bottom and taking line. Up comes a six pound walleye, I net the walleye.   I cannot believe what has happened. I said to Guy  “we have to leave this spot; it is secret and I don’t want anybody to see us here."

The day turned out beautiful. We started back and stopped at Wind Mill rock and jigged by the green marker buoy. The walleyes were snapping, we caught two limits while barbecuing.   I did not tell Guy about the trip to Loren Erickson’s until just a few years ago. We had a good laugh.

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After lunch and stories we went back out for more fishing. It got hot, close to eighty, no wind, but the fish did bite.  We had dinner and looked over the tree line to the east and a full moon was on the rise.  Time to go up top and hot tub and enjoy the spectacular setting . The night could not have been more beautiful. 

Losing a Close Friend Hurts

Losing a Close Friend Hurts

My wife Cathie and I learned on May 24, 2012 that my friend Guy LaFrance passed away in Loveland Colorado. Sadly Guy took his own life shocking us all. Guy’s parents Buzz and Gloria lived in International Falls along with my parents. We all moved to Hoyt Lakes about the same time in 1958. Guy and I were childhood friends, we lived only ten houses away from each other on Arlington Road.

Once we were old enough for school I found out Guy would be going to the Anna Keefe Grade School and I would be going to Boese School. I was not very accepting of this at kindergarten age but managed.  We played sports together as youths and on into high school. We had a lot of fun growing up together, maybe a little too much at times. Guy’s parents moved to Aurora, MN and built a home across from the White Community Hospital. Hoyt Lakes and Aurora are five miles apart with the high school for both towns in Aurora.

Aurora-Hoyt Lakes was a wonderful place to grow up. Friendships were close and long lasting.  Guy always had a smile and an easy laugh. A loving person, he was so in love with Linda, almost made a fishing and hunting nut like me jealous. I always wondered if I would ever meet a gal that would that would spur my loving feelings. I am thankful to the lord for that did happen to me, my wife Cathie and I are in our 32^nd year of marriage.

I was not able to attend Guy’s memorial service in Aurora. A  Norm Westerhold a friend and customer from Chicago passed away on October 6, 2011. Norm's wife Sue sent some of his ashes to be spread on one of his favorite Rainy Lake haunts with his fishing partners on their annual Rainy Lake Houseboat trip. Guy's and Norm's Memorials were scheduled on the same day. I have to say it was one of the toughest days I have experienced two close friends lives being celebrated but not being at both was extremely difficult.

Not having closure is a very difficult situation to overcome. I gave a lot of thought about the close friendships I have with the guys who grew up in Aurora, and how lucky I am to have those. I thought what a better way to spend some time together, talk and laugh about Guy than to get together and toast Guy.  I called Pat Bloomfield and the planning began to gather together on a houseboat and spend three days at the end of September with our high school friends Rick Erickson, Jon Hakala and their wives.

I will write about the trip in three segments, it was an experience to be shared with all as the man looking down upon us gave us a time to be treasured forever. 

Rick and Jane Erickson, Jon and Joanne Hakala, Pat and Pat Bloomfield met us at Rainy Lake Houseboats on Friday morning September 28th. We loaded the houseboat with our belongings and were quickly on our way up Rainy Lake.

The colors were beautiful, the weather fairly sunny, a very pretty back drop on the way up the lake.

  Pat Bloomfield

Pat Bloomfield, Jane Erickson, Rick Erickson, Cathie Dougherty

Jon Hakala

We drove through Brule narrows, took a route down through Kempton Channel and moored at Idle Hour Bay.

Idle Hour Bay Houseboat mooring site

After landing we had enough time to go enjoy the remainder of the afternoon with a little fishing excursion on the reefs near Blueberry Island. The afternoon turned absolutely spectacular, warm weather, totally flat water, and some decent fishing.

Rick photographing Jon and Joanne

Joanne did not take long to match Jon's walleye!

Time flies on Rainy Lake, it was time to head in for some supper and a little happy hour.  Beer can chickens were on the menu supper.

Rick checking out the chickens!

As Commander Cody said "Nobody here but us chickens"