Steve's Fishing Triplog
Lake Kabinakagami
August 2000

Rob Senior and Steve
win the PEP van lottery.
No stopping us now.

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Drive I - sev'n-ty five
Alger jerky, Soo Wal-mart
Shop the Duty-Free.

Gino's at the Soo
Christine, blonde serving goddess
recommends the steak.

Massive granite walls
Superior Provincial Park
Sunset bows to Lake.

Rob Junior's talent
Parking lot margaritas
Day One passes out.

- - - - - -

Lake Wawa stillness
Then noise and luggage fill space.
Otter swims, then flies.

Mists guard still waters.
Trees survive on granite soil.
No horizons here.

Sun wins war with clouds
Water black, then gray, then blue
Spirits sing today.

Fresh breeze in my face
Cruising fifteen m-p-h.
Head straight to Dick's Point.

Predator lurking
Sees a flash, lunges for prey.
Charley's line tightens.

Rob G's fish stringer
has his walleye on one end.
Other end lives free.

Fishline strains, then breaks.
Trophy laughing, swimming free.
Fish don't hear my screams.

Ted and Rob trade jokes
Charley records the fish count
Mellow evening time.

- - - - -

Rose-colored morning
Eagles patrol still waters
Loons laugh miles away.

"Breakfast is the same
As ev'ry morning," Jen says.
"Cer'eal is oatmeal."

Camp Bananas lunch
Ted fries fish, Rob potatoes.
Gulls screech for entrails.

Here fishy fishy.
First go shallow, then deeper.
Change the blade color.

The best way to fish,
Trolling a crawler harness
out from the shoreline.

Walleyes are subtle.
Soft tugs only on the line.
Keep worms on bottom.

Pike are not subtle.
They snap hard at moving lures,
Make slimy reward.

- - - - -

Ducklings peck at grain.
Minnows under Pine Port dock.
Red squirrels scurry.

Whitecaps strike at boats
Spray painting on eyeglasses
Ira steers with care.

Tranquil Oba River
Walleyes favor our minnows
Pike lurk in the weeds.

What color of blade?
I don't know what chartreuse is
How do walleye know?

Crackling rad'io talk
Gather at the shorelunch spot
Elmer's Island noon.

Digital camcord.
Cecil B. deMuccino
and Ninja Dennis.

Waves pounding port beam.
Funneled fury Second Gap.
We are soaked to skin.

Clouds billowing white
Swiftly moving sky turns black
Angry gray rains down.

- - - - - -

"Wake up Rob Junior"
Rad'io Mar-Ellen and Jen
"Happy Birthday" sing.

Cold front in morning.
"Try North Arm," Dick Jr. says
"Protected from wind."

Fish where the fish are?
Stay out of northwind instead.
I wear all my shirts.

Fish, 'tatoes, corn, beans.
Shorelunch menu never varies.
Tastes better each day.

How to pee in boat?
Dennis gives expert advice.
Use can with no leaks.

Twenty-six inch pike
Ted's fish performs Houdini
Escapes from stringer.

Fish strike anytime
Rob Senior hooks his walleye
On last pass of day.

Filleting walleye.
Our group has many experts
But Don does it best.

Wind dies, evening still
Hummingbird staring at us.
Motors hum, crows caw.

- - - - -

Agamick Gap lunch.
Another scenery noon.
Last fried walleye fire.

A slow day fishing
Leaves time for some reflection.
Steve writes fish haiku.

End of fishing day
Wheeled chariots roll uphill.
Don and Ira steer.

Charley's last-hour perch.
Inch walleye plus pike plus perch
Wins contest in clutch.

Sev'n-ty pike, six perch
Two-forty-seven walleye.
Fishing trip totals.

- - - - -

Jenny our waitress
Also does the housekeeping.
Short-sheets four jokers.

Take off at Kaby.
First Gap, Second, Third Gap, Four
Then clouds embrace us.

Hillsides logged long past.
Long brown scars upon the Shield.
Forest creeps back in.

More stops on way home
Country Store and the Carver
Shorelunch at Abner's.

Not enough fish yet.
Rich stops Mackinaw City
Smoked whitefish and fresh.

Farewell at Alger
The Group of Ten bids adieu
and divides the fish.
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