Vacation: Part 4 - Fishing the Rainbow in Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin!

The boys. Standing: Bruce Hranicka, Fran Ircink (uncle), Jim Ircink (dad), Dave Hranicka. Me and Jason kneeling.

This annual trip is as much about family and friends and the Great "Up North" Outdoors as it is about fishing. Bruce and Dave are brothers. Uncle Fran and Dad are brothers. And then...Jas and I. Gary Schmidt, who grew up with Dave and Uncle Fran, was sick and couldn't make it up this year and we were out his wife's lasagna. And Gary too, of course. This outing is the 2nd ranked highlight of my year - we've been doing this for...hmmm - 20 years? Close to that anyways. Not coincidently, we've all bowhunted together as well.

Dusk on the Rainbow Flowage. I took this shot on my night landscape setting. Sort of has a bluish tinge to it, doesn't it? Reminds me of some guys staring out over a frozen, snow-dusted lake in Norway in the middle of winter. Maybe it's just me. It's fuzzy in the backround but that sort of adds to the mystique that is - the RAINBOW FLOWAGE!

The Rainbow - 2,000+ acres known to make some grown men cry. Well - at least grown men in our group. Ok - just my brother. He's a hardcore outdoorman; I expect nothing less from him. We lucked out and had beautiful weather all week long.

(Wait! There's more!)

Strategy, bullshit or load talk?

The main tool of the trade - rod and reel. And my hand.

Another tool of the trade - minnows. A veritable feast for hungry walleye.

One more tool of the trade - beer. That's me lounging.

Base camp. And Dave's two trailers.

Me playing with the self-timing mechanism on my camera.

Dad and Jas fixing a reel.

Dave with our catch for the evening. I believe I may have two walleyes on that stringer.

Strategy, bullshit or load talk? Definitely bullshit.

Dad, Uncle Fran and Bruce. Thursday afternoon. Dave had already left. No question here - load talking while listening to some classics on the jukebox. The brandy old-fashioned sweets were flowing on that day I can tell you. I think it was about 3 p.m. Jas passed out after dinner.

Jas with the group.

Canadian geese by the dikes. Nice shot, Jeff.

Beaver sign. Wonder how long it takes a beaver to fell a tree this size?

This guy definitely lost his way from Jimmy's Bar in Lake Tomahawk.

Dave's neighbor, Mike. Here's Mike with his homemade cranberry wine. Illegal as hell but he's an elderly retired man - what are ya gonna do? I think that's what the guy in the jalopy picture above was drinking when he made that ill-advised right turn.

Dusk on the Rainbow. Another walleye fishing trip comes to a close. Thanks, Dave for the invitation once again. Until next year...