Fly Fishing Bass BLOG

Fly Fishing, Banjos, and Bass

Filed under: Observations — admin @ 12:55 pm

Join Brad Miller for a little banjo playing and some info about FlyBass.com.

The Hunting Shack | 1982 - 2008

Filed under: Adventures — admin @ 8:23 pm

In the early 80’s my brother Bruce and I became acquainted with some country boys in extreme western Minnesota near the small town of Bellingham, not far from Ortonville (spittin’ distance from South Dakota). The two characters we met were Merlin Wendland and Kimber Roehl, both of Bellingham origin.

We went there to hunt and have fun. At that time and still today, it’s a sportsman’s paradise with pheasants, deer, geese and ducks. Although the duck hunting has dwindled, there’s still enough around to make it prime late season mallard destination.

Merlin and Cowboy Bob (as Kimber is known), were a mischevious lot with hearts of gold and and a stong land ethic honed from the farm heritage that defines this region. We became fast friends and visited them regularly every fall.  After a couple of seasons staying in Merlin’s basement, it was decided (by Merlin’s wife) the best course off action was to build a hunting shack on Cowboy Bob’s land nearby.

What started as a half wide trailer, 16 x 30, and we added to it a few years later, doubling the width. It was the perfect shack: no running water or electricity. A wood burning stove heated it.

The memories and good times in that shack were too numerous to recount. People came from all over the area on Friday nights to stand around the bon fires while we played and sang music with our guitars, banjo, and wash-tub bass. It was a place where dogs were every bit as welcome as humans. The dogs normally slept along side their masters and competed for snoring honors.

As I was heading out there this past week, neighbor Doug Olson called and reported the Hunting Shack had burned down the night previous. Cowboy’s brother-in-law was deerhunting there and apparently let the Franklin fireplace get too hot and a wall caught on fire. The place was a tinder box and went up pretty quick. No one was hurt, thankfully. Doug rushed up there and valiantly tried to put it out, but failed.

My brother and I felt like an old friend had died. Hunting was different that weekend. We had to stay in a nearby motel (that was not dog friendly). It took a big chunk out of the whole experience.

I wish everyone could experience the magic of a hunting, fishing, or just a get-away shack. The stories told, the stories made. It was more than a makeshift dwelling - it was a gathering place for those looking for the same thing - fun. We created an ungodly amount of fun in and around that hunting shack and we will forever miss it.

I suppose something new will be constructed, but of course it will never be the same. It will be cleaner and brighter and lack the wall ornaments that festooned every available inch of wall space.

My favorite was a stuffed vulture someone found. We had one full shoulder mount Jack-A-Lope and a couple of racks. There were lots of photos telling stories of the characters that come and go around such a place through the years. The floor wasn’t level, but neither were most of the inhabitants.

Thank you - Cowboy Bob and your hunting shack for providing us a place to dream about as hunting season drew near. 

Thank you for giving us a warm destination where hearty laughter and authenticity is all that matters.

Thank you for your vision of allowing your family’s homestead to be shared with the likes of us.

Thank you for the memories we will always hold in our hearts.

Thank you for letting us share the joy of your land, and that of your fore-fathers, and those that follow us.

Taking Photos

Filed under: Reflections — admin @ 10:10 am

I’m a big fan of photography, even though I’m a rank amateur. It’s one of those hobbies I’d love to really put some time into, but I don’t. The key to good photos, I’ve learned, is having a camera with you at nearly all times. I thought I’d share this photo with you, it’s my new favorite. This photo is a good example of what can happen if you go out during the golden periods and look for stuff to shoot.

This next year I’m making a resolution to become a better photographer and take a lot more photos. If you know of any good online resources for learning more, let me know. I know there’s a ton of them out there.