Minnesota Trip 2011 - Day Six

The lake holds some wonderful surprises.

Visually, it is an ever-changing panorama. Often there are blue skies with fleecy clouds reflected off the water. Then the skies can turn dull gray and the water looks greenish-brown. There are three loons on the lake this year and they play hide-and-seek no matter the weather. The eagle seems to have lost its nest in a strong windstorm but can still be seen standing guard, perched where the nest used to be.

From the fisherman's point of view, there are similar surprises. Often the lures that are trolled through the water catch more weeds than fish. When something strikes and takes the bait, often it is a small pike which are tossed back immediately. But once in a while a bass will take the bait, and they give a spirited resistance before being hauled in. And once in a very great while, a very big pike will take the bait, testing the strength of the fishing line as it is pulled closer to the boat. In either case, the prize fish are admired, unhooked and returned to the water.

Today, both Jan and my sister, Louise, caught good-sized pike. Louise's fish measured about 30 inches in length. To compare, Louise is about 50 inches tall, so when photographed, the fish comes chest high on her.

While these don't really qualify as monsters of the deep, they are wonderful suprises when caught. And this is what makes coming back to the family lake such a joy. Soon it ends, as the focus shifts tomorrow to the Minnesota State Fair. And I'll keep you posted...