Comments on: Returning To My Home River http://daverichey.com/2010/02/returning-to-my-home-river/ Dave Richey is about Hunting and Fishing Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:03:30 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: David Richey http://daverichey.com/2010/02/returning-to-my-home-river/comment-page-1/#comment-113 David Richey Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:09:50 +0000 http://daverichey.com/2010/02/returning-to-my-home-river/#comment-113 Mike: Me and the neighbor kid back in 1950 had hay fever and asthma when we were young, and I was two years older than him. We moved from the Clio area (near Flint) up to the Sturgeon River the day after school closed for the summer. I was 12 and he was 10, and we camped all summer without adult supervision. Imagine that in this day and age. On occasion my parents would pay a surprise visit, but we were alone with our thoughts, the river and the trout we caught. We could breathe and life was good. I bought a piece of property across from the house that was build on our old campsite, and I still fish the river but not as often as before. It just takes some of the happiness out of the old memory of our campsite. It's called progress but that part of the state was bypassed by I-75 when it was built, and the river gets very little fishing pressure except on opening day. The makings of outdoor memories become even more profound as we get older. I'm 70, and it's been 58 years since I first camped there, and I remember it as if it occurred last year. Memories of our fishing and hunting endeavors tend to stick with us, and you're right, some of the old spots are still good. The spot where I caught my first steelhead on the Platte River is vividly remembered, and there are many other fishing and hunting hotspots that still cheer me up even though the memories may be 50-60 years ago. I fish Herendine (spelling) Lake north of Lake Ann two or three times a year, and still like to fish Sanford Lake on Reynolds Road south of Lake Ann. My brother and I used to fish Sanford in the spring when the bluegills and sunfish came up onto spawning beds, and even though I've fished that area for 40 years, it is still quite productive during the spring spawn. Part of why I write some of this stuff is to alert people to build their own collection of fishing and hunting memories. It's sad to say, but such memories become even more memorable as we get older. Memories for some of us is what keeps us going. If you have a mind to, give your friends, family and relatives the address to my website. I always like to chat with new readers, and read their comments, whether good or bad. I love fishing, hunting and writing about it, and I'm always happy to hear from readers like you. -- Dave Mike:

Me and the neighbor kid back in 1950 had hay fever and asthma when we were young, and I was two years older than him. We moved from the Clio area (near Flint) up to the Sturgeon River the day after school closed for the summer. I was 12 and he was 10, and we camped all summer without adult supervision. Imagine that in this day and age.

On occasion my parents would pay a surprise visit, but we were alone with our thoughts, the river and the trout we caught. We could breathe and life was good.

I bought a piece of property across from the house that was build on our old campsite, and I still fish the river but not as often as before. It just takes some of the happiness out of the old memory of our campsite.

It’s called progress but that part of the state was bypassed by I-75 when it was built, and the river gets very little fishing pressure except on opening day.

The makings of outdoor memories become even more profound as we get older. I’m 70, and it’s been 58 years since I first camped there, and I remember it as if it occurred last year. Memories of our fishing and hunting endeavors tend to stick with us, and you’re right, some of the old spots are still good.

The spot where I caught my first steelhead on the Platte River is vividly remembered, and there are many other fishing and hunting hotspots that still cheer me up even though the memories may be 50-60 years ago.

I fish Herendine (spelling) Lake north of Lake Ann two or three times a year, and still like to fish Sanford Lake on Reynolds Road south of Lake Ann. My brother and I used to fish Sanford in the spring when the bluegills and sunfish came up onto spawning beds, and even though I’ve fished that area for 40 years, it is still quite productive during the spring spawn.

Part of why I write some of this stuff is to alert people to build their own collection of fishing and hunting memories. It’s sad to say, but such memories become even more memorable as we get older. Memories for some of us is what keeps us going.

If you have a mind to, give your friends, family and relatives the address to my website. I always like to chat with new readers, and read their comments, whether good or bad. I love fishing, hunting and writing about it, and I’m always happy to hear from readers like you. — Dave

]]> By: Mike, Flat Rock, Mi http://daverichey.com/2010/02/returning-to-my-home-river/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Mike, Flat Rock, Mi Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:38:23 +0000 http://daverichey.com/2010/02/returning-to-my-home-river/#comment-112 Dave, your experience with the loss of your special campsite is all too common. Probably all of us who grew up in the outdoors have lost access to most of the places we once treasured. There are, however, a few of those old spots left, some even more accessible than in the past, thanks to conservancies. In the late '60s & early '70s when I was a kid, I used to icefish a lot of the small lakes in the Interlochen area with my uncle, a local. One of our favorite spots was Ransom Lake, near Lake Ann. We often watched otters slide off the snow into the open water at the creekmouth on the east side of the lake. Sometimes they would come up with a fish and eat it on the ice as we fished 50 yards away. We often saw deer on the hillsides surrounding the lake. The fishing was pretty good, too. We knew that the lake and the land surrounding it was privately owned, which meant we were trespassing (I know that is a subject you have strong feelings on, as you should. I haven't trespassed in years). We expected the land to be parceled off and dotted with homes someday. A few years ago when I was camping in the area, I noticed a sign on Lake Ann Road for Ransom Lake Natural Area and had to check it out. I was thrilled to see this beautiful area still pristine, the only development being a nice trail and a couple small parking spots. On top of that, the area is now open to hunting and fishing. I haven't fished it yet, but have walked it a few times. Just as beautiful as I remember it, and loaded with memories of my uncle, now deceased. Before he passed, he was happy to hear that "Ransom" was now accessible, though by then he was unable to walk it with me. The news gave us another opportunity to relive our many experiences in the outdoors. Thanks for your great columns. Dave, your experience with the loss of your special campsite is all too common. Probably all of us who grew up in the outdoors have lost access to most of the places we once treasured. There are, however, a few of those old spots left, some even more accessible than in the past, thanks to conservancies.
In the late ’60s & early ’70s when I was a kid, I used to icefish a lot of the small lakes in the Interlochen area with my uncle, a local. One of our favorite spots was Ransom Lake, near Lake Ann. We often watched otters slide off the snow into the open water at the creekmouth on the east side of the lake. Sometimes they would come up with a fish and eat it on the ice as we fished 50 yards away. We often saw deer on the hillsides surrounding the lake. The fishing was pretty good, too.
We knew that the lake and the land surrounding it was privately owned, which meant we were trespassing (I know that is a subject you have strong feelings on, as you should. I haven’t trespassed in years). We expected the land to be parceled off and dotted with homes someday.
A few years ago when I was camping in the area, I noticed a sign on Lake Ann Road for Ransom Lake Natural Area and had to check it out. I was thrilled to see this beautiful area still pristine, the only development being a nice trail and a couple small parking spots. On top of that, the area is now open to hunting and fishing. I haven’t fished it yet, but have walked it a few times. Just as beautiful as I remember it, and loaded with memories of my uncle, now deceased. Before he passed, he was happy to hear that “Ransom” was now accessible, though by then he was unable to walk it with me. The news gave us another opportunity to relive our many experiences in the outdoors.

Thanks for your great columns.

]]>