Column: Reflecting on visits to a farm

Staff

Published Friday, June 30, 2006

Dick Herfindahl, Woods & Water

As we venture a little further into summer I sometimes take time to reflect on my summers as a youth. There are many fond memories of fishing and time spent exploring the great outdoors that were just a stone's throw away from home.

One event that I always looked forward to every year was spending time at my cousin Richard's, who lived on the family farm located on the Iowa side of State Line Road just west of Emmons.

I would usually spend a week or two with him and his family each summer. I always looked forward to this time each summer. I can also remember that on more than one occasion I spent most of the first night being “sick,” which was later diagnosed as a severe case of that dreaded disease known as “homesickness.”

Once I had made it through the first night things went smoothly. Breakfast was another adjustment. Living on a farm meant having an endless supply of fresh milk and eggs. I wasn't quite used to putting milk from the cow (by way of the milk house separator) right onto my morning cereal. It was a little thicker and warmer than I was used to. Hartwick, Richard's dad who was an easygoing man and spoke with a very distinct Norwegian brogue, would just smile at the city kid as I tried to eat my cereal, but I do suspect that inside he may have been laughing a little, too.

He had given Richard certain chores to do for the summer, and I eagerly jumped at the chance to help. I'm sure Richard was wondering why I was excited about doing chores like cleaning out the calf pen when I really didn't have to. Every morning the cows had to be milked and after they were milked the pigs were fed with what the old timers used to refer to as “slopping the hogs.”

They also had chickens and ducks, but the one bird I'll always remember was this feisty little bandy rooster that would chase you if you got into his space.

The rewards of living the farm life for a week or two were well worth a little work I did. Senora, Richard's mother, made good old-fashioned family meals for us and the food was always great.

When the chores were done it was time to play. We'd spend hours in the hay barn jumping off of the haystacks, swing from ropes and playing army. Then there was the “crick” which flowed through the farm. This was really what it was all about. We both loved the outdoors and fishing. We would spend most of the afternoons walking the crick, swimming and fishing in it. Although the fishing wasn't much more than seeing if we could spot a fish or two in the holes that were cut under the banks by the current. For the most part the crick held minnows, suckers and a few bullheads.

Richard boasted that he had once caught a northern in the spring of the year and I had no reason to doubt him. There's nothing like swimming in the crick and later going around the corner and finding cows hanging out doing what cows do in the water upstream. This must be one reason why Senora always made us shower immediately after swimming.

One year I came down in the spring for a few days and the water level was really high. Richard fashioned some fishing poles out of branches and used heavy string and hooks with a machinery nut for weight. Add a can of angleworms and we were in the bullhead-fishing business. I thought this was great because we were catching fish that usually weren't there in big numbers when I came down in the summer.

This was simple fun spent in the country that gave me an appreciation of life on a small farm. Watching TV was really not one of the options, so we created our own fun, which may occasionally may have included teasing Richard's sisters Teresa and Karen. By the end of a typical day we were ready for a good night's sleep, which came fast and morning seemed to be there with just a blink of an eye.

It's kind of sad to see that the days have long since gone where the family farm had a little of everything and the small family farm was pretty much self-sustaining.

The memories of those laid back times spent being a farm kid for a week or two are priceless. I once again look at those days as times when kids made their own fun and all it took was a little imagination.

Here are a few fishing reports from around the state:

LAKE OF THE WOODS: The Lake of the Woods Tourism Bureau reports that jigging leeches or nightcrawlers is the way to go for walleyes around Pine Island, fishing in 20 to 30 feet of water, and also at the Light House Gap and the flats in front of Zippel Bay. Gold blade spinner bait is also popular. A 40-pound muskie was caught and released there this week.

LAKE VERMILION: Nightcrawlers drifted off the bottom in the evening in 10 to 14 feet is producing walleyes, according to

Lake Vermilion Trading Co. The big bay reef bite should kick off anytime. Use slip bobbers in 18 to 28 feet with a leech. Muskie action continues to be slow.

BRAINERD LAKES AREA: The fishing remains good in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The walleye fishing remains stable, with Gull and Whitefish lakes producing the most fish. Mille Lacs has slowed slightly, but there's still plenty of action on the big pond. Key locations have been the main lake flats in 24-32 feet of water. Leech w/rigging remains good, but spin rigs are starting to out-produce them. The bass and pike fishing in the Brainerd Area continues to improve with each passing day the water warms. Key locations for these fish has been on the second break in 10-15 feet of water. Jig/worm, or jig/minnow combos have been the best baits. Just remember to fish them slowly.

BATTLE LAKE: Ben's Bait reports walleye action in Ottertail Lake in 4 to 40 feet and up on the flats using redtails, shiners and leeches. Walleyes are hitting in Battle Lake in 30 to 40 feet on leeches.

MANKATO: The Bobber Shop reports Lake Washington is producing crappies in 10 to 15 feet in Baker's Bay using small jigs and crappie minnows. Walleyes are hitting at Second Point Grassy Island; anglers are trolling spinners and nightcrawlers. Walleyes are biting in Elysian Lake in 6 feet on jigs and leeches or minnows.

Until next time let's go fishin' and make a few more outdoor memories - and above all keep it simple.

Remember to keep the troops that are serving our country in your thoughts and prayers.

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