There are times when I have a hard time starting a story and then I think back to the good times of years passed. Whenever I think of my childhood and remember the good times that I had as an aspiring young outdoorsman (kid), it inspires me.
I have mentioned many times over the years about playing at the “bridge” that Goose Crick runs under. The “crick” runs between Goose Lake and Bancroft Bay. As a kid I spent many hours exploring that slough that this crick runs through. This was a place where a kid could learn so much about nature and the creatures that lived there.
Fast forward to the present day and I find myself reminiscing about past fishing experiences. I often think about times spent on Spider Lake. Before I share some of those times, I want to share some experiences from around the area.
As a kid I was always exploring streams and ponds just to see what kind of critters lurked below the surface. Ponds would usually hold turtles and frogs and, of course, the red winged blackbirds would build nests in the bull rushes. I always found the call of this bird brought music to my ears. In early spring, when I would first hear that distinct call, I knew that spring had arrived.
In the summer, I would often ride my bike to my friend, Jim Foley’s parents’ farm, where we would spend hours playing in the hay barn, exploring the nearby woods and walking the small creek that ran through their land. One time in early August we discovered that part of that creek had dried up, leaving a few potholes. We discovered that those potholes were full of minnows, small sunfish, crappies and bullheads. Although it was exciting to see those fish, it made me sad to know that they would eventually perish if we didn’t get some rain soon. This was part of the life cycle of nature.
A little later in life I started to pursue my love of fishing. I would head to northern Minnesota with my family in tow. My wife liked to fish, and, as my sons grew older, they also had a fondness for fishing and the outdoors.
We stayed in resorts on Sand Lake in the Bowstring chain of lakes and eventually found Spider Lake. A friend that I worked with at the Tribune in the 70’s named Charlie Thompson and I first visited this lake in the mid 70’s. I fell in love with that lake, and it has been my favorite since I first laid eyes on it.
Once the boys were a little older, we began camping at a resort on the lake. There are only permanent campsites on the lake today. This eliminated any chance of camping there for a long weekend or weekly.
Since we built our cabin in the area, I still like to visit the lake at least a couple of times a year. We are taking day trips to Spider now. We pack a lunch, and then pull up to one of the free national forest campsites to eat and stretch our legs. I think that whoever goes with me enjoys the shore lunch. My grandson, Dylan, and his dad, Brad, are going with me to Spider in July. We will stay at the cabin and drive over to Spider for the day. I can’t wait!
Until next time: June seems to be going by fast. If a person takes the time to stop and take it all in, you can savor the moment. Appreciate what nature has to offer and take nothing for granted.
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