Early Fall Fishing and Relaxation

I get a fishing license every year, but it seems I never get out and actually fish as much as I think I will when I get it in the spring. This year has been no exception; but I have gotten out several times recently, and really enjoy the slightly cooler temperatures.

Most of the fishing I do is in smaller rivers and streams. Occasionally I can be found at a lake or pond, but I really like moving along a stream or just finding a nice spot and spending some time there.  There is something peaceful about a small meandering river.

What follows is somewhat a summary of a couple of recent outings.

We are beginning to get a bit of nice fall color here. A view as I was walking to a spot on the river I had in mind to fish and then wade back in direction of where I was parked.

The stream I most often spend time along, is the Middlefork Vermilion River. About a 20 mile section of it is designated as a National Scenic River; to my knowledge the only river in Illinois with that distinction.
It is at a low level now and quite easy to wade along and cast along weed beds or deeper holes of water.

This is a spot that I had passed through earlier in the summer, on a kayak trip with a couple of friends...Rusty and Sal. Of course the water level was higher then, but it just looked like a spot I wanted to get back to and try. The stream makes a slight bend here and the faster flowing water empties into a deeper pool. I caught a couple of nice Smallmouth Bass here and had several more strikes.

This fish is one that I caught in the above mentioned spot. These are fun to catch. They fight hard and will do a few aerial acrobatics before you get them in.....and sometimes those aerial shows shake the hook loose.

I also caught several Rock Bass. These will take your lure or bait, and just starting swimming away, trying to go deep in my experience with them. They do not fight as hard or furious as the Smallmouth does; but they are an attractive little fish with those red eyes. I usually catch these along weed beds in a few feet of water, normally with a rocky bottom.

A few other catches that are not uncommon. I have always called this first fish a Pumpkin Seed and that seems to be the popular name locally. I was corrected on that when I posted a picture on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Facebook page; telling me this is actually a Longear Sunfish. I have done a lot of internet research.....and must admit that seems to be the correct name...BUT I will probably continue to call these Pumpkin Seeds when I catch one. After doing the research, I can see the slight difference in the two species...with the main difference being that on a true Pumpkin Seed the "ear" is much shorter.

These Chubs or Shiners...as I usually call them, are not uncommon to catch with a small lure.

A few more pics of some Smallmouth Bass I caught.

A small mussel I found feeding in the sandy bottom. I do not know the identity of this. Feel free to jump in and identify that if you know.

My faithful tag along companion Emma. She loves going along with me...

....and a few pictures of the River and the area...these being taken yesterday.

That spot visible in the middle of the river, will forever be linked in my memory as "Rusty's Leaking Kayak Sandbar"! At that spot, we had to stop because Rusty's Kayak was slowly taking in water. He and Sal repaired it there, with quite an ingenious way. They took a plastic water bottle, heated a piece with a lighter and let the liquid plastic drip into the hole sealing it.

I certainly plan to get out and do this a few more times, before the weather is too cold. Quite a relaxing experience. ......................and thanks for stopping by!

Lost Walking Stick Search

When I take off for an outing; an essential piece of equipment for me is my walking stick. I prefer a nice sturdy stick, about waist high and comfortable in the hand. I know some people prefer a longer staff or some of those high tech new walking sticks....but not for me. In my area, the landscape would be thought of as flat farmland, but when you get out along the rivers and their tributaries; there can be some quite rugged terrain with very steep hills. My style walking stick is a great aid when climing a steep hill, providing a means to pull yourself up; or also helps when descending the hills, by providing a means to dig in and control your descent. That length is also very useful for knocking brush and weeds out of the way....and is also sturdy enough that it could be a defensive weapon, if for some extreme circumstance that need arose.

My walking sticks all become more and more comfortable in the hand the more I carry them and they become fitted to my hand...and I have certainly had my favorites over the years; which brings me to my sad story. Earlier this year I lost one of my very favorite sticks. I had made it from a walnut sapling that I cut out from along the driveway. When taking pictures and changing the camera lens; I laid it down and did not miss it till about 100 yards away. I searched quite a long time without finding it. Yesterday morning I went to the same area...a very interesting site with Native American ceremonial mounds about 1,000 years old....oriented for the summer and winter solstices....but to continue; once again I searched and have finally given up. (I believe I have pictures of some of the mounds mentioned above in an earlier post.)

The walking stick I carry now, is made from the same sapling which comes back big enough about every 2 years about the right size to cut and trim.

To continue.....It is a great time to get outdoors. Fall colors are showing up here. The experts say that the colors will be more subdued this year because of the drought, perhaps so, but still showing some nice color in my opinion.

The date is wrong on this as well as a couple of others..but I am not going to change them now.

My dog Emma was in the river, just outside the picture to the left and provided those nice ripples.

Emma was in a hunting mood. Something of great interest to her had been on these logs. She investigated quite some time.

I had about a 3/4 mile hike back to the car yesterday. Along the way, I saw three groups of people riding horses on the other side of the river. I was glad they were over there, as Emma might not have given them the best welcome. About halfway back, I came upon two young guys sitting on a log fishing and stopped for a brief visit.

I came upon this nice clump of mushrooms. With a bit of research, I could probably identify these. My guess is that they are edible, but not certain.

I got back home a bit later than planned, but it was a good outing...as they all are....

Thanks for stopping by...