THREE RODS AND A CANE
For these backcountry anglers, navigating challenges on and off the water was the biggest reward of all
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Wes cradles a typical French Lake walleyeFIRST CASTS
On our first afternoon, we took a quick tour of the lake, stopping here and there to cast at the most tantalizing spots. Wes and I steadily picked up walleye and pike. Pete didn’t. In the years since he’d fished, he’d gotten so rusty that he needed a quick refresher on the basics of casting with a spinning reel.
The first few days brought other challenges we hadn’t anticipated. A brutal heat wave descended on the region, pushing temperatures to nearly 30ºC, and sending the fish into harder-to-reach places. Wes and I adapted our tactics, fishing deeper and with more finesse. The action was slow, but steady as we boated eater-sized walleye and two-foot pike. Pete, however, continued to struggle.
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“He’s not catching anything,” I whispered to Wes as we cleaned up after dinner on our second night. “I’m worried he’s getting discouraged.” Pete hadn’t complained—that wasn’t his style—but I could sense his frustration building. For experienced anglers, a slow day is part of fishing’s natural rhythm. For Pete, each empty retrieve carried more weight.
“Nah, he’s almost there,” said Wes, always the unofficial morale officer on our trips. “We’ve worked out all the kinks, and tomorrow’s going to be the day.”