Press Release: Paradise, MI: Wolves, Moose, Incredible Vacations

"Daniel-San" wrote in message
et...

...Speaking of troutin' in Wisconsin (which we weren't, but when has that
ever stopped me?), the early C&R season is open now, no?

Yep.

I just got my license with the special "Oh, yer from Illernoise, eh?"
added bonus on the price tag. $70 this year.

Ouch! Well, your money does some good work, anyway.

Wolfgang

"Wolfgang" wrote...

"Daniel-San" wrote ...

...Speaking of troutin' in Wisconsin (which we weren't, but when has that
ever stopped me?), the early C&R season is open now, no?

Yep.

I'm prolly gonna head up to the BEC some time next week to freeze my large
ass off and to see if my casting skills have miraculously advanced from
"horrifically ****ty" to "mediocre" over the winter. Somehow, I doubt that
they have.


I just got my license with the special "Oh, yer from Illernoise, eh?"
added bonus on the price tag. $70 this year.

Ouch! Well, your money does some good work, anyway.

This is gonna be an expensive license year: Illinois, Tennessee (brother
moved to Nashville), Michigan, Curdistan, and prolly Minnie-ho-ho as well.

I heard somewhere that Wisconsin was going to be a "display your license"
state soon. Heard anything on that? When I bought my license the other day,
the guy at Gander Mountain was (surprise!) clueless.


Wolfgang

Dan

"Daniel-San" wrote in message
news

"Wolfgang" wrote...

I'm prolly gonna head up to the BEC some time next week to freeze my large
ass off and to see if my casting skills have miraculously advanced from
"horrifically ****ty" to "mediocre" over the winter. Somehow, I doubt that
they have.

It sometimes happens all of a sudden like that. You might be surprised.

I just got my license with the special "Oh, yer from Illernoise, eh?"
added bonus on the price tag. $70 this year.

Ouch! Well, your money does some good work, anyway.

This is gonna be an expensive license year: Illinois, Tennessee (brother
moved to Nashville), Michigan, Curdistan, and prolly Minnie-ho-ho as well.

I heard somewhere that Wisconsin was going to be a "display your license"
state soon. Heard anything on that? When I bought my license the other
day, the guy at Gander Mountain was (surprise!) clueless.

I haven't heard anything about it either. I think it's a good idea myself.
Not that I think it makes any real difference in enforcement, but once
accustomed to pinning it the back of the vest, one never needs to worry
about where the damned thing is anymore.

On second thought, it might make just a wee bit of difference in
enforcement. I was once fishing in the Wisconsin river with a friend. We
were wading about fifty yards off shore when a warden came up on the bank
and asked us whether or not we had licenses. Yep, we replied. He asked us
to hold them up. So, we fished them out and held them up. At that range any
bit of pale blue (I think it was blue that year) paper would have done. All
one will have to do now is keep a stock of variously colored bits of paper
in that pin-on license holder.......and stay well aware from
shore......um.....and open water deep enough for an outboard motor, I guess.


Wolfgang
and thus begins yet another journey on the road to deportation to canada.

"Wolfgang" wrote ...

"Daniel-San" wrote ...

"Wolfgang" wrote...

I'm prolly gonna head up to the BEC some time next week to freeze my
large ass off and to see if my casting skills have miraculously advanced
from "horrifically ****ty" to "mediocre" over the winter. Somehow, I
doubt that they have.

It sometimes happens all of a sudden like that. You might be surprised.

I just got my license with the special "Oh, yer from Illernoise, eh?"
added bonus on the price tag. $70 this year.

Ouch! Well, your money does some good work, anyway.

This is gonna be an expensive license year: Illinois, Tennessee (brother
moved to Nashville), Michigan, Curdistan, and prolly Minnie-ho-ho as
well.

I heard somewhere that Wisconsin was going to be a "display your license"
state soon. Heard anything on that? When I bought my license the other
day, the guy at Gander Mountain was (surprise!) clueless.

I haven't heard anything about it either. I think it's a good idea
myself.

FWIW, I agree. First time I even saw such a thing was in NJ a coupla years
ago, fishing with my brother. It certainly is easier than digging into
lord-knows-which pocket when Officer Friendly comes around.


Not that I think it makes any real difference in enforcement, but once
accustomed to pinning it the back of the vest, one never needs to worry
about where the damned thing is anymore.

On second thought, it might make just a wee bit of difference in
enforcement. I was once fishing in the Wisconsin river with a friend. We
were wading about fifty yards off shore when a warden came up on the bank
and asked us whether or not we had licenses. Yep, we replied. He asked
us to hold them up. So, we fished them out and held them up. At that
range any bit of pale blue (I think it was blue that year) paper would
have done. All one will have to do now is keep a stock of variously
colored bits of paper in that pin-on license holder.......and stay well
aware from shore......um.....and open water deep enough for an outboard
motor, I guess.


While it's not exactly my favorite type of fishing, I do the troll for
salmon thing on the "big pond" with pops. He loves it, I enjoy the time with
pops.

Anyway.... we usually launch from North Point marina, which is a few hundred
yards from the border with Wisconsin. Early in the season (when the fish are
frequent, but small) the Wis. DNR is out in force. They hover just north of
the border and then drive up next to you. Remove license from pocket and
hold up -- usually. Last spring, we were checked and had to speak with Mr.
Warden over the VHF. Had to tell him some string of numbers from the license
(customer number, IIRC). He presumably ran these numbers thru some kinda
'puter to make sure we had paid the proper vig for the license and salmon
stamp.

I guess the moral of the story is that the colored paper trick musta been
thought of......


Wolfgang
and thus begins yet another journey on the road to deportation to canada.


"Curdistan", "Canuckistan" what's the difference? :-)

Dan

"Daniel-San" wrote in message
et...

.... we usually launch from North Point marina, which is a few hundred
yards from the border with Wisconsin. Early in the season (when the fish
are frequent, but small) the Wis. DNR is out in force. They hover just
north of the border and then drive up next to you. Remove license from
pocket and hold up -- usually. Last spring, we were checked and had to
speak with Mr. Warden over the VHF. Had to tell him some string of numbers
from the license (customer number, IIRC). He presumably ran these numbers
thru some kinda 'puter to make sure we had paid the proper vig for the
license and salmon stamp.

I guess the moral of the story is that the colored paper trick musta been
thought of......

Figures. The *******s are always one step ahead of me.

I know the marina......grew up in Kenosha. Haven't been down quite that far
in a while, but I've been paddling along much of the lakeshore from near the
state line to Manitowoc the last two years. You should let me know when
you've got a free day some weekend. We can go out in kayaks and troll along
the shore. There ARE fish to be caught that way. I was much surprised, at
first, to see quite a few trout and salmon while out paddling. It's not my
favorite way to fish either, but what the hell.....if I'm out there anyway.

Wolfgang
and thus begins yet another journey on the road to deportation to canada.


"Curdistan", "Canuckistan" what's the difference? :-)

Gets cold up nort, eh? They got electricity yet?

Wolfgang

"Cyli" wrote om...
On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 05:07:35 GMT, "Daniel-San"
wrote:

(snipped)

I do in fact pollute a few other NGs with my commentary. R.BC is one of
them, and it's where I was fortunate enough to have made the electronic
acquaintance of Mr. McDougall. Fortunate in that after having made said
acquaintance, I now know exactly who should accompany Mr. Vandeman on the
first rocket to the sun. The question was bugging me a bit. The things
that
keep one up at night.....

To survive in mid-June....an alcohol stove is clearly a prerequisite. ;-)


Alcohol may be. The stove isn't necessary.

Inside 'joke' referring rather poorly to a discussion Wolfgang and I had
alcohol stoves a bit ago.

There are restaurants
scattered around that wilderness of the UP at close enough intervals.
Naturally there isn't much else. Dunno why they're there. It's a
wilderness full of wild animals and wild trees and Len and nothing
else, right? No human customers except the brave up there in da
Youper. It's a _wilderness_. We have Len's word for it.

And I tell ya what -- Len's word is as good as it gets, eh? I mean, a man
could die out there. It's at least a few miles to the nearest pasty stand,
no? All of those wilderness survival skills he has amassed must come in
handy up there.


All those
things that look like farms and cottages and small businesses and
grocery store and stuff are just Ptomkin fakes.

The part I found scary was the sloppy kiss from a wolf. Duh. A wild
animal (supposedly) with really big teeth that close to my face. No
thanks. Maybe that's what happened to good old Tommy Beno from r.bc..
Took a class from Len, met a wolf and never returned.

Beno, Lenny, and Mikey. What a fun trio.

Did the question of the legality of Lenny's wolf-pack-in-a-cage ever get
resolved? I forget.

--

r.bc: vixen
Speaker to squirrels, willow watcher, etc..
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.
Really.

Dan

"Wolfgang" wrote...

"Daniel-San" wrote ...

.... we usually launch from North Point marina, which is a few hundred
yards from the border with Wisconsin. Early in the season (when the fish
are frequent, but small) the Wis. DNR is out in force. They hover just
north of the border and then drive up next to you. Remove license from
pocket and hold up -- usually. Last spring, we were checked and had to
speak with Mr. Warden over the VHF. Had to tell him some string of
numbers from the license (customer number, IIRC). He presumably ran these
numbers thru some kinda 'puter to make sure we had paid the proper vig
for the license and salmon stamp.

I guess the moral of the story is that the colored paper trick musta been
thought of......

Figures. The *******s are always one step ahead of me.

I know the marina......grew up in Kenosha. Haven't been down quite that
far in a while, but I've been paddling along much of the lakeshore from
near the state line to Manitowoc the last two years.

You are clearly a far more advanced paddler than I. Michelle and I toodle
around slow rivers and small lakes in our little kayaks, but I've never
attempted to get out in actual water. I have a feeling that would be an
entertaining experience -- after the defibrillator burns healed.


You should let me know when
you've got a free day some weekend. We can go out in kayaks and troll
along the shore.

Hmmmm.... would my little Dagger Zydeco suffice? (nine and a half footer)


There ARE fish to be caught that way. I was much surprised, at
first, to see quite a few trout and salmon while out paddling. It's not
my favorite way to fish either, but what the hell.....if I'm out there
anyway.

Makes sense.



Wolfgang
and thus begins yet another journey on the road to deportation to
canada.

"Curdistan", "Canuckistan" what's the difference? :-)

Gets cold up nort, eh? They got electricity yet?


I heard that new-fangled electricity reaches as far north as Houghton. Len
told me.

....indoor plumbing, on the other hand.... ;-)

Dan

"Daniel-San" wrote in message
. net...

"Cyli" wrote om...
On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 05:07:35 GMT, "Daniel-San"

...It's a wilderness....

...a man could die out there. It's at least a few miles to the nearest
pasty stand, no?...

Note to Mr. Miller: You would die out there.

Wolfgang

harumph, indeed! ...best remember the donner dinner party. if there are
that many fools gathered about a pasty stand, i reckon one of em would
be an easy victim. plus, that rank mess has gotta draw some edible
animals. and, as i recall, there's usually an ice cream cooler, a
grocery store, beer, pick-up trucks, and ranitadine near every pasty
purveyor i've been around.

jeff

Wolfgang wrote:
"Daniel-San" wrote in message
. net...

"Cyli" wrote om...

On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 05:07:35 GMT, "Daniel-San"


...It's a wilderness....


...a man could die out there. It's at least a few miles to the nearest
pasty stand, no?...


Note to Mr. Miller: You would die out there.

Wolfgang

"Daniel-San" wrote in message
news

"Wolfgang" wrote...

I know the marina......grew up in Kenosha. Haven't been down quite that
far in a while, but I've been paddling along much of the lakeshore from
near the state line to Manitowoc the last two years.

You are clearly a far more advanced paddler than I.

I doubt it. I've doing this for a bit less than two years.

Michelle and I toodle around slow rivers and small lakes in our little
kayaks, but I've never attempted to get out in actual water. I have a
feeling that would be an entertaining experience -- after the
defibrillator burns healed.

Lake Michigan can be a little spooky the first time you get out in a decent
swell.......um.....well, more than just a "little" spooky, I guess.

You should let me know when
you've got a free day some weekend. We can go out in kayaks and troll
along the shore.

Hmmmm.... would my little Dagger Zydeco suffice? (nine and a half footer)

Perfect! I've got a 9.5' Perfection Sundance.....essentially the same boat.
Sea kayaks are the vehicle of choice for most people, and they're great for
cruising, but they're cramped, much harder to enter, launch and beach, and
not as versatile. They DO offer one great advantage.....which I'll get back
to in a moment.

I was pretty nervous the first time I went out and found out very quickly
that you MUST have a spray skirt out there. Unless there is a stiff breeze
the, surf zone, where the waves break close to shore, is your worst problem.
Both in launching and beaching you WILL ship water without the skirt. The
problem is that when a wave breaks the result is a mix of air and
water.....essentially a large mass of bubbles.....that won't float the boat.
As you sit on the beach, even a six inch high breaker will ride right over
the bow and into the cockpit. Same thing happens on the way back in....with
the added problem of the hydraulic surge pushing the stern to one side or
another if you don't stay perpendicular to its front (parallel to its path)
and rolling you over if it pushes you far enough around. No big deal as you
are necessarily in very shallow water, but you will get soaked and have to
drag your sorry ass out of the boat.....almost certainly in front of a large
and highly amused audience. Most of this is easily avoided with the spray
skirt and a little easy steering.

Of course, eveything gets much more potentially dangerous out on the open
water. The great DISadvantage of recreational boats is that if you dump,
you STAY dumped.....you can't roll yourself back up like you can in a
whitewater boat or a sea kayak.....its time to wade or swim. A mile from
shore this can be a real problem. Fortunately, the risk of dumping is much
lower than one might suppose. I've played in four to five foot waves in a
stiff breeze on a number of occasions (always within a couple hundred yards
of shore) and, after another initial bit of nervousness, never felt the
least bit of worry. I should add that I am emphatically NOT a close to the
edge thrill seeker! I highly recommend playing under such
conditions....it's a hoot and a half.....especially surfing back in on the
wave fronts! I've also been as much as two miles off shore....on VERY calm
and virtually windless days. Wasn't worried then either. However, and once
again, emphatically, I do NOT recommend this for a solo paddler. The
probability may be very low, but something CAN happen, and a two mile swim
in Lake Michigan without support immediately available is no joke under any
circumstances. Even with a PFD (Wisconsin law requires that you have one in
the boat......but not that you must wear it) its a bad situation to be in.

The thing that worries me most is wind. I was out on the south side of
Milwaukee once when a strong wind (maybe 20-25 mph) came up pretty quickly
out of the west. For those not familiar with the area, a look at a map
should reveal why this is a bad thing. I wasn't very far off shore and
wasn't particularly concerned about being able to get back in, although I
knew it would be a bit of work. But I made a mistake. I was on my way
toward the breakwater that surrounds much of the Milwaukee waterfront and
planned to skirt the inside of one of the jetties to circle around the back
side of the marina I started from, and decided to continue, thinking that
things would be better inside. Unfortunately, as I got closer to the jetty
I found that the break I was making for funneled the wind and changed its
direction so that I was heading directly in to it while traveling north. To
make matters considerably worse, there was a good sized swell coming in off
the lake, and now there was a conflicting set of waves coming off shore
because of the wind shift, and BOTH of them were also reflecting off the
jetty. I now had waves coming at me from every direction....and meeting
waves are additive. If two waves traveling in opposite directions meet they
will crest at a height equal to the sum of their individual heights. I
suddenly found myself among six to eight foot waves. By this time I was
starting to get pretty worried. Getting very tired, I nevertheless made it
around the end of the jetty only to discover that the full force of the wind
was now hitting me directly in the face. Enough. I paddled to the jetty
and bailed out....walked back to shore pulling the boat with the bow rope.

I've been much more closely attuned to wind since then.

There ARE fish to be caught that way. I was much surprised, at
first, to see quite a few trout and salmon while out paddling. It's not
my favorite way to fish either, but what the hell.....if I'm out there
anyway.

Makes sense.

Give it some thought. I promise that we won't get into a situation like the
one described above.

Wolfgang
and thus begins yet another journey on the road to deportation to
canada.

"Curdistan", "Canuckistan" what's the difference? :-)

Gets cold up nort, eh? They got electricity yet?


I heard that new-fangled electricity reaches as far north as Houghton. Len
told me.

...indoor plumbing, on the other hand.... ;-)

Still got gas lights and an outhouse at my friends' cabin near Painesville.

Wolfgang