Casting Makes Perfect

They say (whoever they are) that everybody has a soul mate. That perfect guy, that perfect gal. Someone who completes you in every way. Someone who makes up what you lack in. That missing puzzle piece, the true game changer. That ideal other who remembers what your favorite lyric is or everything in your favorite color reminds them of you. That perfect person who doesn’t mind that you wear their favorite college t-shirt as PJs or sits with you in the emergency room all night holding your hand. They don’t judge or criticize you or your choices. Supportive in everything you do and everything you say. That perfect person, that…oh, my…sorry I was having a dream. Now, back to reality…

Ok, so your significant other may not be real, but we can guarantee you one thing…the perfect cast does exist. Ideal, superb, flawless. Yes my friends, it is true… there is such a thing as a one of a kind cast.

Don’t believe us? Think we’re yanking your line? Then, you need a moment in the master’s corner. Yes, the only person who can pull off the smell of deet, sunscreen and 3 Dominican Republic cigars and still get a date. The man with the fish-defying frown in every Riverbum photo. The bachelor who raised 4 girls by himself and lived to tell the tale. He is the king of neoprene and feared by rabbits throughout the Midwest. He goes by many names; Obi-won, dad, daaaaaad, coach, motboy, and Tommy Randango. So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, we give you a new segment of the blog (yet again)...

Dad's Casting Corner

The perfect cast consists of a number of essential components.  First, you must be in some incredible place where there are no other humans to witness it.  A place where eagles, bears, wolves are as commonly comfortable as the Lazy Boy in your family room while the most startling sight or sound would be that of another person.  Second, you must be standing in thigh deep water so clear that only the sound of distant rapids contradicts the peripheral allusion that you’re not.  Third, sighting THE spot.  What makes it THE spot is that it lies just beyond the realm of possible, like the number 11 redhead sitting next to the Brooks Brother suit at the other end of the car on the “L”.  Fourth, the road to THE spot is anything but clear, “booby trapped”, by high and low hanging cover coupled with a slight cross wind coming into play on the final ten yards. Fifth, a two handed overhead  (no sidearm would make it) zinger ripped high in the sky with all the force of a Jedi on steroids smoking out line just this side of “birdnest city” with no thought of thumb…and the number 11 redhead steps off the car without the suit at your stop and you’re alone as your topwater hits it’s mark and a calming moment that seems like a hybrid between now and forever vanishes as a sudden crush slaps you out of the dream and the adrenaline ride begins.  Hopefully back to your net.  It was the perfect cast, but was it?  For now that it’s gone, only the perfect cast can replace it.  

I know, he's good. And if you didn't get most of that, well, "Gone fishing" more often and you just might learn to understand what we mean. So, it was a weekend full of perfect casts, one after the other being replaced, more perfect than the last as we ventured to our favorite river in the hearts of the native tribe we hold most dear in Northern Wisconsin. And sorry, but it's still our little secret...

SATURDAY      

High Rise Casting...

It's in the Net!

Is that the Flash poking out of AC's waders?...Maybe...

Rollin in the deep

A Bridge too far...

Close encounters...

Fishing for a Top Water Sponsor...

Purple Water Lackspur

Having a Splash

Ok, this Bass is totally upstaging!

Snagged in the Shallows

Small mouth bass...in the weeds...on a chugger...need we say more?

SUNDAY

Today, we traveled to the Little Wolf again in central Wisconsin to fish for Northern Pike and Small mouth bass...

Along the river, AC promised Dad that she would refrain from smiling in one picture, if he smiled big in one picture. After all, as the Joker once so wisely put it, "Why so Serious?" Surprisingly, he agreed, so she complied with this mediocre of a straight face...

She promised not to smile in this one and yet, there is still a smirk...Cheater!

Largest boulder we have ever seen in this river

Hiding under the downed tree

Have you ever seen the Loch Ness monster? How about big foot? How about Snooki in church? Ya, we didn't think so. Well, one of the wonders of the world has come into fruition. Yes, my friends, Dad with a fish...and he is SMILING...

Get a good look at that smile folks, cause you'll never see it again.

Thanks Dad! A frown for a smile...

No boulder is too small to cast off

Mama of the day!

Measuring against the rod

Got Pike?

AC's favorite shot of the trip...

"Lunging for the catch"

Atleast 6 lbs.

Soaking in the glory

Ok dad, we get it, he's huge!

Inevitably it was Dad with the most perfect casts as he landed the lunker of the weekend on green/yellow belly spotted top water. AC got the silver as she wasn't too far off with a 5 lbs. bass caught in a pool between the shore and a downed tree.

Totals for the weekend: Saturday: 40 bass       Sunday: 30 bass and 1 northern pike

It just goes to show that a few perfect casts can go a long way...

Until next time, we'll see ya on the other side of the river!

Cast Away,

AC & Dad

These Boots Were Made for Wading...

...And that's just what these Bums will do!

It’s not every day that you meet a fisherman that wades all day long with only the nourishment of water for miles on end. Oh sure, in the pictures we look cool, calm, and collected Perfectly lipping that fish, posing and putting on a smile. Or, in Dad’s case, making sure his frown is tight enough to hold his cigar in place. But, behind the scenes, where the river runs wild…there is consecrated chaos.


SATURDAY

The best kept secret this side of Green Bay!

If you ask the average fly fisherman how far he travels in a day of fishing a river, he will snort. Yes, snort, we like to think they snort. That’s because the typical river fisherman doesn’t travel far at all. He focuses on an area for an hour and moves down a few feet to focus on another spot, for another hour. Standing in one position for a very long time. While the average fisherman travels a block in one day, the Riverbums travel miles. We wade through rapids, over giant boulders, through brush, under downed trees, and even take our chances in the deep. No matter what is ahead, we wade through. Eager to see more of that magnetic water, thirsting for the chance to strike a spot never thus stricken.

Range of Structure in the River

But, it’s no easy task. Take it from us; it takes years of practice to walk the way we walk. Starting out we never traveled miles in one day, let alone be out in the river for that long. But as time progressed, our bodies evolved to withstand hours on our feet. We learned to rely on resting against the current. When our backs become restless, we stand in deep water and lean back to allow the current to hold us. But, back aches are not the hardest part. It’s the boulders you have to watch out for. Wading, looking out for jumping fish, casting, and keeping your eye on the water level is a lot to do at once. But, we do it. Imagine a soldier in the jungle as he navigates nimbly in and out of the vast foliage while tactfully allowing his finger to graze the trigger and focusing his sharp eye on everything that moves. Can you see him slowly lunging to and from, rising over tree trunks, and at times gliding backwards all the while keeping the same pace and a steady heartbeat. Ok, well, we aren’t that good. However, it feels like that at times. Stepping carefully in the precise spot between boulders, feeling with your toes where the obstacles sit before you, judging whether you should step over, beside, ontop, or backwards. That’s what wading is like for us. Observing the water, judging the terrain, making a decision, and most importantly sticking to that decision. Because the worst thing a Riverbum can do (other than lose a huge lunker on the retrieval) is not follow through. Always trust a decision and go with it, backing out last minute could mean falling in or worse not embarking on the adventure itself.

So you may be asking yourself, why go through all that trouble to catch some fish? To you, it may seem like trouble, a hassle, messy, tiresome, and just plain boring. But to us, wading in the water is like walking on another planet. Even if it’s the same river. At first, you enter the water and you feel out of sorts, like you just stepped in the wrong house. Everything is foreign and odd. But then, your legs begin to feel at ease, your mind adjusts and as if Spock enabled his mind meld over you, suddenly, you are being teleported to a new space, a new land and you feel completely at ease. Your body loses all tension, your head clears, heart begins to pound in a consistent pattern and you are at peace. It’s more than just catching fish, my friends. It’s about walking a mile in your own shoes, without the noise of the world around you. Suddenly, the sound of your breath, your legs splashing against the current, the trees creaking, your line spooling, a kingfisher chirping, and that jump of a fish in the distance is all you hear. Nobody telling you what to do, where to be, and how to be. Imagine it. Imagine being able to transfer your mind and body to a completely different universe where all that matters is getting over that next boulder and casting as much as you can, wherever you can. There are no directions, plans, and meetings. Dreams seem real, thoughts you have never thought appear, and you start to see things differently. Everything is possible and anything is probable. Don’t believe us? Good, cause it’s not for the faint of heart. Because, once you step in, stepping out is twice as hard. Once you step out, and your wader boot drops that last bit of river water and you are back on dry, solid land, the withdrawal begins to set in and you miss the other world, the other you.

But, it is the time spent sweating, falling, soaking in mighty strife that matters the most. It is the journey of trying, trying with all you have to obtain a fish. The symbol and reward of all that effort. But, why tell you about it, maybe seeing us cemented in time may give you a clearer picture of what it’s like for us to wade away…

AC's first bass of the day on the ************ River

So, as usual we took this Saturday to visit our favorite river that shall go unnamed. We visited an area that we hadn't seen in over a year. Despite the many rafters and floating beer cans, we were the most successful we had ever been this side of the river. With about 20 smallies and 2 northerns reeled in...

Dad fishing the rapids...

A dark bass hiding on the bottom

(but a yellow twisty with an orange jig was sure to drag him out)

Net and Release...

When we emerged from the river, tired and pleased with the days outcome we were met by a wonderful gentleman by the name of Bill. So, please welcome a new segment of the blog...

"I've Met the Riverbums"...

Bill lives along the river banks and was kind enough to hand us bottled water as we waded out. He is a fishermen as well and enjoys time out on his boat. A shout out to Bill, thanks for the water! :)

Nothing like a jumping bass to make the day...

SUNDAY


We left our favorite river behind to move on to the Little Wolf River near Royalton, WI. We arrived early and were able to fish a good 10 hours in 89 degree weather and clear skies. The water was crystal and perfectly leveled...

Netting a Lunker

The Northern of the Day

Gorgeous Coloring

"I've Met the Riverbums"...

We ran into a pleasant man named Rich as he floated down the river in a PFD (personal flotation device) built to float and carry a fisherman down rivers, over lakes, etc. His device looked like this...

A shout out to Rich who also provided us with bottled water. We must look thirsty :). Enjoy the top water Rich!

AC caught this last one while Dad was chatting with the float fisherman.

So, it was a great weekend with final numbers...

SATURDAY: 20 smallies and 2 northerns

SUNDAY: 35 smallies and 1 northern

LURES: yellow twisties with orange jigs, green/white/yellow/red dotted chuggers and one spinner bait with crawdad pattern.

So, until next time...We'll see ya on the other side of the river...

Cast Away,

AC & Dad