It's Time for a Summertime Dream

This might be a bit long since I'm playing catch-up.

I've been getting out quite a bit this season in spite of being considerably hobbled. A few months ago my left heel started throbbing with pain. Worst in the middle of the night during trips to the head and in the morning just after wake up but pretty bad most of the time. At first I thought it was my diabetes getting the better of me but my doctor told me diabetes almost always starts in your toes - not your heel.

Then I realized it was an old injury coming back to haunt. I was a lifeguard for the Chicago Park District in the late 60s & early 70s. In the summer of '68 while I was running down the beach to help another guard pull somebody out of the water I stepped on a broken pop bottle. It put glass at least 2" into my left heel. I went down like a ton of bricks & spent the rest of that summer on crutches & playing poker in the guard house. At least they kept paying me.

So all these years later it's come back. This getting old shit really sucks. But it remains better than the alternative.

As for fishing, here's a rundown:

Busse: I've hit it close to 10 times. Mostly canoeing but also from shore. Highlights -

Canoeing:
2 skunks.
7 bass (1 dink) All the rest were in the 2 - 3 lb range.
11 bass (no dinks) Most were 1.5 - 2.5 lbs. Lost 2 that were easily close to 4 lbs.
5 bass (1 semi- dink) Most in the 1.5 lb range
All on buzzbaits & most in CWB. One of the biggest was caught in Rambler's Governor's Cove very late in the day.

Shore:
3 bass - none more than 1.5 lbs
2 bass - both dinks
All on buzzbaits

Blackwell:

3 bass - all semi-dinks. All on green pumpkin chatterbait
2 bass - 1+ lbs
0 bass, 1 hammerhandle
Skunk

McDowell:

2.5 - 3 lb smallie. Caught on a soft plastic craw immitation in the white water in the middle of the old dam site. Great fight.

Wednesday this week I hit my 2 favorite spots on the So branch of the Kish for some wading & smallie fishing.

At the 1st spot I walked downstream casting into the shade on the opposite bank. Had 1 hit & several follows. Crossed over & continued throwing a variety of swim baits into the deeper pools. At one point my feet got stuck in the mud & while trying to dislodge them I lost my balance & fell on my ass in the mud. Well shit, soggy ass for the next hour or so.

Sat down on the bank to relax & have some nature appreciation. I was serenaded by Rufus-Sided Towees, House Wrens, an Indigo Bunting, Orioles and some Warbling Verios. Put me in mind of a song by the late, great Gordon Lightfoot (I'm still in mourning):

"Birds in all creation will be twittering in the trees
And down below there's a pond I know
You can swim in it if you please!"

The tune was in my head for the rest of the day.

Headed back to the car for lunch & then headed to my 2nd spot - what's quckly becoming my favorite wading destination in No IL.

Hiked considerably downstream before climbing down to the river. Waded upstream casting a Bobby Garland on a 1/4 oz jig with a safety-pin spinner. Zero. So I switched to a yellowish double-tailed grub on a 1/4 oz jig & caught 2 in rapid order. One was a dink, the 2nd was probably in the 1 lb range. I thought maybe I'd found the pattern.

Made my way up to my favorite spot. Here the river spills over a shelf of what might be pink granite. Since granite isn't very common around there it might also be dolomite. In either case it's really hard. In fact, the whole bottom of the river along there feels like you're wading on lumpy cement.

Anyway, above the shelf there's a deep pool in the shade of the trees - the fishiest-looking pool you can imagine. I spent the rest of the afternoon throwing several different types of lures (plastics, spinners, spoons, etc.) but got skunked. They were there - they just weren't interested. Next time I'm taking my fly gear.

It was getting late & I was getting tired & hungry so I made my way back to the car through a woodland full of Joe Pye Weed, Common Flox, Starry Solomon's Seal and (OMG!) Shooting Stars.

One more great day to be alive.