Natalya's Birthday at the Waterpark

It's Natalya's birthday and, as we did last year, we headed up to the indoor waterpark in Duluth for the celebration. The reason we head here is because it's roughly equidistant travel for us, Jessica's parents, and Jessica's sister and, of course, it's warm. After opening her presents from us and her Australian grandparents at our house, we set out for Duluth just after mid-day. The weather and road conditions were fine and we made good time. We stopped at the McDonald's in North Branch because Natalya wanted to play in the indoor play area. She climbed all through it for quite some time and wasn't intimidated by the other kids as she sometimes is. In fact, I think she had a great time there.

Natalya opening her present from her Wilkes grandparents

When we got to Duluth we immediately noticed it was much busier than it had been the year before, probably because it was a Saturday night this time and because it was newly opened last year. Our room was quite a walk from the waterpark but it was all enclosed so that was OK. Jessica's folks were a little after us, followed by Mandi a few hours later.
Natalya playing with Grandpa

Natalya checking things out with grandma

Natalya and mum having a good time


We enjoyed Natalya's favorite meal of tuna casserole and then headed over to the waterpark for some fun. Being three this year Natalya could enjoy it a little more and Jessica could do a little more because she wasn't pregnant. Natalya was still a little scared of the bigger slides but found plenty to entertain herself. As you might imagine, she wasn't happy when it was time to leave, even when told there'd be cake and presents.

Natalya blowing out her candles - get ready for take-off

The familyPresent opening and the cake ceremony was suitably exciting and the days festivities wore both her and her brother out. Pierce didn't like the water much but loved grinning at all the people. After a quick breakfast it was back to the waterpark for another session, then pack up and the trip back to Plainview. No fishing for me but it was fun watching Natalya enjoy herself. The weather outside the hotel was very much below freezing and a couple of feet of snow on the ground.
The main kiddies play area


Mandi and Pierce hanging out

Natalya enjoying a slideThe basketball master

First Ice

I finally cracked and got out there. I haven't been fishing for ages so I headed out to Frontenac Pond to see how the panfish bite was going. I had a pretty bad throat infection, so rather than risk giving it to my co-workers around Christmas I elected to stay away from work to give them a break, but I was too bored to just sit around the house.

I got on the ice about lunch time and it was at least six inches thick. Snow-mobiles and four wheeler tracks were everywhere so I knew the snow was safe for me to walk on. Belle (my youngest dog) and I pulled my sled out to the first drop off and drilled a few holes. I slipped my waxworm covered jigs down the holes and began the search. After drilling several hole I finally struck a reasonable bluegill. I quickly rebaited, then waited.................and waited...................and waited. Turns out it wasn't the hot hole I'd been looking for. One of the other holes gave me some information though. There was plenty of green weed coming up.

Belle and my sled full of Goodies


I drilled plenty of holes through the afternoon but only struck five bluegill. Finally Belle and I gave it away just after 4pm. There had been nobody else on the ice all afternoon (a bad sign) and a couple of guys had just come out onto the ice to start. Still, it was a nice sunny afternoon and the dog had been in desperate need of some exercise. Not exactly a stellar afternoon of fishing but at least I'd gotten out.

A shot of the upper end of the Lake (looking North)

Fun in the snow

Well, there isn't too much going on in our lives lately as we prepare for the upcoming Christmas season and try to recover from a busy last couple of months. Lately we have gotten a reasonable amount of snow and temperatures haven't been above freezing for several weeks. Still we have gotten out and done a few things, but no fishing.

Last weekend we have a local Plainview festical called "ye olde fashioned Christmas". There were reindeer and gingerbread house competitions and many of the local businesses had small things for the kids. Santa and Mrs Claus were there of course as well as the grinch, and Natalya's favorite, Elmo. The biggest attraction was sleigh rides through some of the town streets with various exhibits. The Lutheran Church had a full sized nativity scene, complete with live animals and people. There were bell-ringers, and band, choir, snowmen, chimney sweeps and lots of people in top hats and costumes. The whole thing would have been quite delightful except we'd had heavy snow during the day but it turned to sleet during the evening hours of the festival. Still, Natalya had a great time. Pierce just stayed warm under Jessica's jacket.

Today, while I was shoveling the driveway after another snow fall, Jessica and the kids got out to play a little bit. Natalya can now use the snowshoes she got last year and has been "teaching" me. The two kids got to sled a little bit and then Natalya pulled Pierce around a bit. All in all the kids had a good time. Afterwards it was nice to relax around a warm fire though.

No Worries Dad! - Natalya Snowshoeing a snowbank

Come on Mum, this is how you do it


I think we should go this way

Poor little Pierce wasn't too sure about things but he didn't complain

Getting Started

Well, despite the best intentions it has taken me this long to start a blog. I have intended to use this forum to document the fishing and other activities I've been up to, while not filling up everyone's inboxes with often unwanted fish porn. While fishing and other outdoor stuff takes up a big part of my life, the family remains the number one priority and it would be impossible for me to exclude them.

I have enjoyed quite a few fishing trips this year, ranging from numerous local excursions, to some long distance forays. Unfortunately many of the trips weren't as successful for me this year as last year, but there was still some good fishing to be had. As I get around to it I'll begin trying to post some of my more memorable trips in chronological order, and hopefully by the end of winter, I'll be caught up and I can begin updating things as they happen.


This year saw my return home to Australia for a few weeks to visit family and try my hand at the barramundi fishing around Burketown. That was an awesome trip with highlights that transcended just the fishing. Without a doubt, that was my favorite trip of all time and I'm sure I'll enjoy jotting down the highlights here from the more detailed journal I kept. Just prior to the Australia trip saw a successful pink (humpy) salmon trip to Minnesota's north shore and a king (chinook) salmon trip to South Eastern Wisconsin in which we encountered tough conditions but still touched some fish. Crossing the Pacific back to the onset of winter took some getting used to but I managed a reasonably successful trip back to Southeastern Wisconsin for some Lake-run brown trout and coho (silver) salmon fishing.

Although it needn't be said, all of this piscatorial embellishment barely registered in light of the year's true highlight - the birth of my son, Pierce Mark Wilkes on August 15th. Now, in collaboration with his big sister Natalya and my wife Jessica, the pull of the rivers and lakes meets forceful resistance at home.

As I write this the land outside is changing. The fall runs of fish have all but ended and the fish that are entering the tributaries are doing it under a ceiling of ice. The lakes and many rivers are freezing solid and we should be walking on them in no time. Even the deer have finished rutting and are slipping away to feed up and recover from the rigors of breeding, and perhaps ponder the season of plenty that has just passed. The weekend saw our first decent snow storm of the year dumping around four or five inches of snow and sleet in our part of the state and around twenty inches of snow up north. Temperatures have been well below freezing for weeks now and this morning the temperature registered two degrees Farenheit as I drove into work at 7:30am. If this isn't winter it sure feels like it.

As for me, after shoveling the snow, I've been sitting by the fire and tying flies for one last tributary trip that we had to cancel last weekend. Now I'll just have to focus on the flies I'll need a bit later. In two weeks it's my daughter's birthday and we'll be heading up to an indoor water-park in Duluth. Although it is almost impossible I'm hoping for a miracle and somehow be able to slip away for a couple of hours and try to catch an elusive (for me at least) looper but it will be hard to pull myself away from Natalya's joyous screams and birthday revelry.