a day at the fishing park...

My freshman wanted to do some fishing so he invited a friend along and we headed over to the bigger city's "family fishing park". This is a neat deal where a local construction company donated one of its tapped out sand and gravel quarries to the city for a park. The city and the state work together to keep it stocked with game fish. The water is deep and clear enough to keep rainbow trout alive for part of the year as well as South Dakota standards walleyes, bluegills, crappies, and northerns.

When we got there, a crew of state agency guys were dumping northerns they had trapped in a couple much larger lakes about a 100 miles north into family park. They ranged from "hammer handles" up through a 12 pounder or so. My pixs weren't every good but we saw dozens go into the lake.

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/...psmj16tlp3.jpg

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/...psq3s4t1fu.jpg

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/...psutc5kfkp.jpg

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/...psruzbxiut.jpg

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/...psxspq8s9r.jpg

After the state guys left the boys went fishing down the line and dad settled down to cut tackle out of a "snaglefuess" (what my German uncles used to call a messed pile of fishing line). My boys had found it down at Falls Park a few weeks earlier with their aunt. I wanted to see how much stuff was in this pile of dozens and dozens pieces of line. Here's soon after I started cutting.

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/...psuclzhexq.jpg

In the end, I had about 3/4th a pound of lead, a couple of lures I can rehabilitate, and some big treble hooks.

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/...pstk8mjrff.jpg

There was still lots of hooks left in the sanglefuess but not much for weights and the overall size of it was much reduced. There ended up being a local news photographer there at the park. The fish stocking was a big bonus for him and after a while he ended up taking pixs of me and my line cutting so maybe I'll end up in the paper in a couple of days. Good thing I was wearing my "Peterson Furs" trapping hat!

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/...psgd9io6zo.jpg

I didn't see much for fish being caught, T ended up with one rainbow that he released. The boys saw a bunch of northerns in the various shallow inlets but they weren't interested in biting. There's always another day...

NZ is a bit of a hunting mecca. You used to be able to 'Shoot a deer, kill a pig and catch a fish in one day" sorta tourist deal.

But fly fishing on rivers is a big thing here, we have hydro power lakes with huge salmon from salmon farm escapees and the normal sea fishing, marlin etc.
Some wild 'Captain Cookers' pigs originally released by Cptn Cook. Thar, goats etc. Sika and red deer plus others, no moose, but we have small kangaroos (wallaby) even.

The idea of populating a fishing park lake for the general public is a real good idea. It has not been done here. I'm Impressed, thanks.

Thank you for the pictures. It sounds like the perfect family outing, one to be remembered for a long time.

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Originally Posted by eesakiwi

NZ is a bit of a hunting mecca. You used to be able to 'Shoot a deer, kill a pig and catch a fish in one day" sorta tourist deal.

But fly fishing on rivers is a big thing here, we have hydro power lakes with huge salmon from salmon farm escapees and the normal sea fishing, marlin etc.
Some wild 'Captain Cookers' pigs originally released by Cptn Cook. Thar, goats etc. Sika and red deer plus others, no moose, but we have small kangaroos (wallaby) even.

The idea of populating a fishing park lake for the general public is a real good idea. It has not been done here. I'm Impressed, thanks.

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I never heard of Thar before - I had to look it up. It's an awesome looking animal, sort of like the mountain goats we have in North America. It must be popular with trophy hunters.

Look's like a fun day.
we still have ice on most of the small lakes in the area, the big lakes to the south are open though.
Last time I saw the state stocking fish we were fishing a remote hike in pond early in the AM and the state showed up with a helicopter....wish I had gotten a pic, doesn't rain fish too often. :))
The boy was 5 at the time..his excitement level was pretty high lol

You could take the rest of the line with the hooks still attached and put into empty chewing tobacco tins or empty coffee cans with metal bottom place the cap back on and add it to the shred pile! Every time I fished I lost way more lures and line then I found...