What's Your Story?

[Lee Borgersen]

Share stories about who inspired your love of fishing and outdoors.

  ....
My grandfather was a complete finatic about fishing. He would make my dad go fishing so much as a child that he got sick of it. My grandfather died when I was just a tot. Unfortunatly for me my dad had lost all interest in fishing. Living in the city there was no place for me to fish while growing up. Now enter Walley the man that lived next door.  He loved hunting & fishing and had a son my age but he had no interest in his dads hobby. Along came me and with fishing fever. We soon became great buds and he & I started taking fishing trips together. You might say we each filled a great void for each other in those days.

How's about you guys? Who was the great mentor for you in your outdoor interests.

[Gunner55]

My dad & my mom's parents, brother as they bought the lake property back in 1963.

[mike89]

Great aunt and uncle, they even owned a small resort on Big lake north of Cass lake.  good times then!!

[glenn57]

my parents. they bought the cabin up in gunners neck of the woods back in 1965. my dad and mom went that way deer hunting and fishing prior to that. one day it was raining so they went on a road trip and found this cabin  'ing in a tavern with locals. the rest is history. i think i know that area better then i do when it comes to hunting areas and lakes to fish then i do where i live!!!!!!!

started out pretty basic and rough. thru the years dad slowly upgraded a few things. from propane lites, cooking stove and frig with a double burner fuel oil stove for heat to now electricity and a propane furnace.  still no drinking water, we transport that, use lake water for other things and still the outdoor biffy!!!!!!

and of course the longer you have the place the more stuff you keep there that requires storage so there are now 3 out buildings!!!!!!! before the upgrade that propane was 100# cylinders and of course they ALWAYS ran out late at nite after the store closed!!!!!!

well thats my story!!!!!

[merc]

Wow Glenn, almost same story exactly. Same area, same year bought, started with propane and fuel oil.  Now have electricity but no well. Scary!! But my actual start to fishing was on the chain of lakes by you also. My grandparents had a cabin on Cedar Island and I spent many days there fishing for bullheads off the dock and norts in a boat with my grandpa. Funny how Stearns county syndrome works.     

[Gunner55]

Before we had the property it was usually URL & in a small cedar strip boat with a < 20 hp outboard. Those 2-3'' rollers goin out the mouth of the river in those days looked like they were 4-5' ers to me back then

[glenn57]

Wow Glenn, almost same story exactly. Same area, same year bought, started with propane and fuel oil.  Now have electricity but no well. Scary!! But my actual start to fishing was on the chain of lakes by you also. My grandparents had a cabin on Cedar Island and I spent many days there fishing for bullheads off the dock and norts in a boat with my grandpa. Funny how Stearns county syndrome works.     

yea no kidding!!!!!!!!!! we did the bullhead and carp fishing too!!!! my grandparents lived by the sauk river so we went there and in that channel by channel marine!!!!!!! there was also a good spot out by the old riverside colusiem!!!!!

[markn]

My mentor always had some way to keep me in a boat, duck blind or deer stand for another hour when I was freezing cold or just bored. Seems like he had the world's warm's gloves that I was always able to barrow when my hands got cold. Our conversations were centered around whatever we happened to be hunting or fishing that day. The only guy I know that could make a 23' motorhome into deercamp and it was fun for six guys. Good times.

  Thanks Dad.

[Lee Borgersen]

Well, at first I thought this thread would flop after sitting dormant for a day. pouty-1023.gif

Anyhow....  some decided to share their stories and it came to life after all. So far I find it an interesting read. It's seemed to remind many of us all how things got started back in da day. It's also reminded us how lucky we are to have had those mentors. Now WE are the mentors and for many of us we have picked up da torch to carry on the tradition.

Jump in and Keep those stories coming folks. It makes for some interesting reads.

[glenn57]

Well, at first I thought this thread would flop after sitting dormant for a day. pouty-1023.gif

Anyhow....  some decided to share their stories and it came to life after all. So far I find it an interesting read. It's seemed remind many of us all how things got started back in da day. It's also reminded us how lucky we are to have had those mentors. Now WE are the mentors and for many of us we have picked up da torch to carry on the tradition.

Jump in and Keep those stories coming folks. It makes for some interesting reads.

nice thread Lee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was gonna post yesterday.........but you know how busy union thugs can be!!!!!!!!!

THE wifey and i did a seasonal camper bout 40 minutes west of where we live, it was fun while it lasted but............its not like having a place out in da bush where its quiet and no close neighbors. the campground scene was always people around, then the trust issue, new neighbors got tired of it!!!!!

[LPS]

I had lots of mentors.  I always admired people and was a curious kid so liked to learn from everyone.  My Dad is one of the nicest people in the world.  He grew up with his Mom and a house full of sisters.  His Dad died when he was young.  He was a great athlete when he was young and at 84 he stills golfs almost daily.  He would take us road hunting for pheasants as we were young kids.  We loved it.  Had the Twins or Vikes on the radio.  Once when I was about 12 or 13 I was walking home from school and my Dad drove up and said he took off work early so we could go pheasant hunting.  I was so excited.  He said there is something on your bed for you.  I had always wanted a .22.  Well I ran home and on the bed was a brand new single shot .410 a case and a box of shells.  I almost fainted.  That was far more than I had even thought of getting.  I will never forget it.  We went road hunting and scared pheasants out of our favorite ditches and I never hit one of them.  But I kept on smiling and trying.  I love my Dad!!!

[Gunner55]

Kinda thought the same,Lee, when I 1st checked it out this morning & was about to blow by it. Then I thought what the hey, let's see if anyone else chimes in. Glad I did, keep 'em comin guys. Good read & pretty  to hear how / who got everybody started. Thanks Lee.

[HD]

I'm not going to depress you with the details of my childhood....but, I will tell you that I had no mentor. I learned how to fish and hunt on my own because I had to feed myself. Early it was crude methods, because I didn't know better, but it got the job done.

And for that, I got the reputation of being  crazy-2239.gif

Let the stones fly..................

[Lee Borgersen]

I'm not going to depress you with the details of my childhood....but, I will tell you that I had no mentor. I learned how to fish and hunt on my own because I had to feed myself. Early it was crude methods, because I didn't know better, but it got the job done.

And for that, I got the reputation of being  crazy-2239.gif

Let the stones fly..................

Well, from looking at many family hunting and fishing photos you've posted on da site, you turned out to be a great mentor

[Coffee118]

Mine would have to be my father and mother but mostly dad. I still bring mom (75 yrs old)up to vermilion every year but dad and I went fishing every where. Weather it was down the river here at home or to Minnesota, Wisconsin, upper Michigan or Canada, we would take atleast two trips a year for as long as I can remember, (probably one of the reasons I got divorced)  I carry these two photos in my brief case with me all the time, it's my first trip with dad to Wisconsin in 1976 (I was 5) and the other picture was our last trip together to Minnesota in 2011 before he died in 2013. 35 years of great times with my mentor/hero

[Retired on Osakis]

My dad got me started back when I was 6 or 7, around 1953 or 54. There were a few small cabins located at Federal Dam on Leech Lake that he started taking me and my three older brothers to every opening weekend.

[glenn57]

My dad got me started back when I was 6 or 7, around 1953 or 54. There were a few small cabins located at Federal Dam on Leech Lake that he started taking me and my three older brothers to every opening weekend.

did he drop his camera in the lake too!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Retired on Osakis]

My dad got me started back when I was 6 or 7, around 1953 or 54. There were a few small cabins located at Federal Dam on Leech Lake that he started taking me and my three older brothers to every opening weekend.

did he drop his camera in the lake too!!!!!!!!!!!!

tut_tut-3315.gif  tut_tut-3315.gif It still doesn't work. Might tear into it one of these days.  pouty-1023.gif

[glenn57]

well I was gonna mention your inability to catch fish but...................................

[merc]

Did a lot of openers with my Dad on Upper Red. Great memories.

[Retired on Osakis]

well I was gonna mention your inability to catch fish but...................................

Keep it up and I may have to sign up for the challenge just to beat your   

[glenn57]

Go for it big guy!!

[Dotch]

A large part of my outdoor interest and involvement in the outdors came from my parents. We grew up not far from rivers and streams in SE MN. Even though we lived on the farm, they took us for late Sunday afternoon walks in the woods when we were young to ID trees, shrubs, see the wildlife, etc. They encouraged our fishing or hunting as long as our work was done. We also gained an appreciation for providing habitat at home. My folks planted a lot of trees and we got to help. I've planted lots of trees and shrubs with wildlife in mind.  My uncle got me hooked on fishing in northern MN when he took several of us cousins to a cabin west of Itasca State Park. Fishing out of a boat was something new. My love of waterfowl came from a college friend when I lived in north central ND. He lived by Devil's Lake and I was by Rock Lake. We packed a lot of duck and goose hunting into those 3 years. Was part of the inspiration for restoring a wetland where I live now. My Mom loved to watch and feed the birds. I also carry that gene. At the care center we attached a feeder to the window so she could watch the birds from her bed. The house finches visited her daily and gave her something to smile about. To this day when I see them at our feeders they make me smile as well.