Mill's Family Reunion July 1 -5, 2013

The Mill’s Family arrived on Monday afternoon July 1, 2013. Kelly Wagner had been planning their trip to Rainy Lake Houseboats all winter. Wendy Reiners from Rainy Lake Houseboats helped with every detail. Kelly opted to reserve a Lady of the Lake, a Gold Rush Jacuzzi, and a Minnitaki to accommodate the Mill's family of twenty.

Once the houseboats were loaded Captain Andy Dougherty led them on a Rainy Lake and Voyageurs National Park route through Brule Narrows and beyond. Rachel Helleloid went up the lake ahead of the houseboats to find a nice mooring location for the three houseboats. Rachel found a nice sand beach in Hitchcock Bay. Andy and Rachel helped the Mills moor the houseboats in an arrangement that allowed the Mills to move from houseboat to houseboat effortlessly.

Kelly arranged to have two guides join the group on Tuesday and Wednesday and three guides on Thursday. John Balaski, Kevin Erickson, and Billy Dougherty guided the group. Three family members went with each guide on Tuesday morning, and three new members in the afternoon, ditto on Wednesday. The guides cooked shore lunch each day for six of the fishermen. While the guides had six people fishing the rest of the Mills went fishing in the sixteen foot Lund skiffs or swam, hot tubbed or made great use of the water slides.

The weather was spectacular for house boating, eight seven degrees, and blue skies. The fishermen would have liked to have a little breeze for fishing that did not happen on Tuesday and Wednesday. We fished in current areas to catch walleyes for shore lunch. Tracy tag teamed a 18 lbs. northern pike the first morning. The northern pike was doing the same as us, catching a few walleyes for lunch!

During the afternoon we fished for smallmouth bass and northern pike. Jesse had a dandy bass hit her Skitter Prop. Unfortunately after several jumps the smallie won the battle breaking her line after a jump and a dive under the boat.

Wednesday was a carbon copy of Tuesday weather wise. More walleye fishing, another shore lunch, more water slides, hot tubs and just plain enjoying a family reunion in one of America’s prettiest settings.

 

Kelly had planned a fabulous day for Independence Day. More fishing with the guides, a family shore lunch for twenty on the houseboats. The guides filleted fished for lunch, the gals cooked the O’Brien potatoes, heated the baked beans, and with all the other condiments lunch was ready.  Lunch was true Americana every one wearing red white and blue to celebrate July 4^th and our independence!

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After lunch it was back to fishing, it was still hot and sunny but there was a nice breeze blowing. Kelly, Tracy and Jim Mills were in my boat for the last afternoon. We were going to troll Ratlin Rogues for pike, walleyes or bass. Kelly’s dad Jim was seated next to me, he gave a little wink, I looked and he had wound a little line around his finger and proceeded to take a little nap! He would feel the fish strike with the line on his finger. You could tell that this remarkable family reunion was winding down, they would soon be enjoying there last night with the remarkable sunsets seen each evening from their mooring site.  Kelly was hoping for a Christmas card photo with a fish she caught, that happened.

We went back to the houseboat, a little bit sadly I must say. We are very fortunate to spend time with many wonderful guests; this was a bit more touching than normal. The Mills were ready for a great family picture. They arranged the family on the “Lady of the Lake” and had their reunion sweatshirts and hats on.  The last picture was the family waving good bye.  Jon, Kevin, and I turned our boats west and headed back to Rainy Lake Houseboats, and I would be lying if I did not say I had a little tear in my eye.

Friday morning my nephews Andy and Lucas went back up to the Mills houseboats and helped them untie, and Andy led them back to RLHB.