STANLEY TIRE IS PROUD TO SPONSOR

AN OUTDOORMAN’S JOURNAL

By Mark Walters

Hello friends,

I'have'had'a'ton'on'my'mind'and'schedule'lately'as'well'as'a' nagging'injury,'so'I'came'up'with'the'idea'of'bringing'my'golden' retriever'Ruby'to'an'island'on'the'Mississippi'River'via'my'16foot'canoe'and'doing'a'whole'bunch'of'nothing'for'three'days.'

Monday, June 21st High 78, low 53

Black' Hawk' Park' is' managed' by' the' U.S.' Army' Corp' of' Engineers' and' is' south' of' Genoa' on' the' Mississippi' about' five' miles.'Back'in'the'80's'I'used'to'camp'here'and'was'a'backwater' fishing'machine'a'good'8-weekends'a'year.'

Today it would be Ruby and me and I had no idea where I

was'going'to'paddle'to'other'than'to'just'get'away.'Other'than' camping'gear'I'also'had'fishing'equipment'for'panfish'as'well'as' paddle'trolling'for'walleye'and'northern'pike.'

I'hit'the'main'channel'and'then'touched'into'some'backwaters' and'just'like'that'my'trip'changed.'I'found'a'downed'cottonwood' tree'that'was'in'the'river'and'had'several'other'trees'with'it.'High' water'from'like'2018'to'2020'had'flooded'most'of'the'islands'and' killed literally thousands of trees if not hundreds of thousands of

trees'for'at'least'200'miles.'

The'loss'of'the'trees'will'be'very'bad'for'the'islands'as'they' literally'are'the'glue'that'holds'them'together.'On'the'other'hand,' deadfalls' in' the' river' that' are' in' deep' enough' water' are' fish' magnets.'

So,'it's'3:00,'I'decide'to'paddle'right'into'the'deadfall,'tie'off' my'canoe'and'try'vertical'jigging'with'light'jigs'and'just'like'that' I'catch'a'9-inch'gill.'All'common'sense'left'my'brain,'I'had'not' even' thought' of' building' camp' or' unloading' and' I' fished' until' just'before'dark'and'had'a'dozen'dandies'when'I'started'building' camp.'

Tuesday, June 22nd High 81, low 54 So'I'forgot'my'stringer'again'and'last'night'put'my'entire'catch' in'my'net'in'a'tree'limb'that'allowed'my'fish'to'be'in'the'water.' The'tracks' in'the'sand' told'the'story,' a'small,'probably'female' bobcat'had'flipped'the'net'and'my'fish'were'gone.'

I' paddled' to' the' snag' and' fished' hard' for' 7' hours' working' several'snags'actually'and'only'kept'4'gills'and'a'perch.'

Let'me'tell'you'about'my'dog'Ruby,'she'has'been'bred'for'just' over'three'weeks'and'is'growing'quite'rapidly.'Ruby'spends'her' day'at'camp'and'watches'me'as'most'of'my'fishing'is'30'yards' away.'Ruby'is'rapidly'becoming'one'of'the'best'goldens'that'I' have'ever'had,'and'I'got'my'first'one'in'81.'

So,'this'afternoon'I'tried'a'different'spot'on'the'snag.'It'can'be' pure'insanity'in'a'good'way.'All'fishing'is'done'by'dropping'my' jig'straight'down'and'jigging.'At'least'20'times'on'this'three-day' adventure'I'hooked'into'very'large'fish'that'simply'cut'my'line'or' wrapped'it'onto'a'branch'and'broke'it.'

Tonight'about'7:00'the'fish'bite'turned'on'and'it'was'incredible.' I'would'catch'two'big'gills'and'then'have'a'big,'toothy'critter'cut' my' line,' then' I' would' catch' an' 11-inch' crappie.' I' was' simply' having'a'blast.'

Well'before'dark'I'paddled'to'shore,'started'a'campfire,'and' filleted'fish.'While'filleting,'the'ugliest'raccoon'that'I'have'ever' seen'strolls'into'camp'and'Ruby'wants'to'fight.'I'had'her'stay'and' let'me'tell'you,'this'coon'wanted'to'fight'as'well.'

At'11:00'I'was'about'to'hit'the'sack/sand'and'the'coon'came' back.'I'did'my'best'to'make'it'feel'unwelcome'and'slept'like'a' baby.'

The'next'morning,'I'caught'one'of'the'nicest'catches'of'bluegill' and'crappie'that'I'have'ever'caught'out'of'a'canoe,'broke'camp' and'headed'home.'

My'plan'of'laying'around'and'resting'did'not'materialize'but'I' had'a'great'time'and'actually'did'not'even'want'to'go'home.'

Puppies'for'sale,'maybe!

High water over an extended period of time can be devastating to the trees on a river system.