Pike Chain of Lakes 7/23 – 7/26

When we told our friend Eric that we were heading up north first, he shared our website name with his dad and apparently that was enough to earn us an invitation to park at his house for a while.  Jack was a superb host, offering not only power and water (and the use of his washing machine), but also a beautiful dock to hang out on by Lake Millicent and an entree into his group of friends on the Pike Chain of Lakes.  

• 

• 

We knew that taking our trip at this time changed how we would be able to get to know and interact with other people. We figured that we just wouldn’t have as many chances to connect to others because of the need to keep some distance and our desire to not be vectors between communities.  We were delighted, then, to be able to join Jack and his friends in a way where everyone felt comfortable. It began with dinner at Jimbo and Julie’s where Julie fed us her freshly caught fish while Jimbo plied us with Del Bac bourbon and stories galore.  It was a lovely night and led to an invitation to go fishing the next day with Julie.

Mike and I had brought little collapsible fishing poles with us in hopes that we would  get to use them somehow, but no real plan to make it happen.  I have vague memories of possibly fishing with my grandpa when I was little and Mike had caught and released fish when he was kid, but we had absolutely no experience as adults in fishing to eat. So when Julie was kind enough to offer to take us out, we jumped at the chance.  Over a few hours, the three of us caught 28 fish (mostly bluegill) that were big enough to keep. I broke my pole, Mike and I both got lots of experience untangling line and re-tying hooks… and it was fabulous!  We took our haul back to Julie’s fish house so she could show me how to filet and did  about five fish to my one.  At the end, we came away with bags of fish to throw in the freezer, lots of knowledge, and some new friends.   

• 

• 

• 

• 

•