Homemade Bean Soup!

Homemade Bean Soup

16 Bean Soup Mix (or 2-3 cans Great Northern beans)


can of chopped tomatoes


2 Grated carrots


chopped ham / bacon


1 chopped onion minced garlic (browned in olive oil)


chopped potato






Rinse and soak beans in large pan overnight, if using dry beans. Drain and rinse the beans.






Add 6 cups of water and simmer 1 ½  hours. Add spice packet or flavorings of choice.






Add any optional ingredients. Can puree ½ of bean mixture and use milk if want it creamier.


Simmer for another hour or so.

This is for those cold days 'Up North'.

Salmon Update!

I have had two nice days this week on the Manistee River. I decided to fish the North side and tried to find a place to park.

People are here from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, and surrounding states.  Parking lot was full!

Ray Schmidt says "The salmon are peaking'".  Check out Ray's website.  It is the best for information about the Manistee River.

http://www.schmidtoutfitters.com/

Ray runs a great Fly Shop in Wellston and has an excellent Guide Service. When ever you are in the area, stop by Ray Schmidt's Fly Shop.  He shares information and will tell you what is happening.  I was going to buy some T-14 and some braided end loops.  Ray said he would sell it by the foot and showed me how to make my own loops.  He passed up a $25 sale to get me going for $8!  I returned later and bought the whole packet as it worked so well.

Fish on!  The drift boats can be positioned perfectly to target the fish.

I was fishing from shore and found it difficult to find an open space.  I ended below the Rock Pile hole on the North side.  I could barely get in and had to roll cast to get my fly out.

In Alaska, they call this 'combat fishing'.

I was drifting an egg pattern that I tied up this morning.

I tie it with an orange chenille egg body and a pink Glo Yarn casing on a heavy size 4 hook. 

These guys were above me in their 'lake fishing' boat.  The river has a lot of gravel bar below Tippy Dam so it takes careful motoring to protect the prop.

I was losing a lot of flies as I had snags in the water just below me.  I had to lift the fly just before the end of the drift.  On my second or third cast, I had one good hit.  The salmon actually hit the fly and I had a fight on.  That is, a fight until he headed downstream.  Ping  ....another fly off.  Within minutes, after a few more snag break-offs, I was into another fish.   Same story.  I now had a problem as I only had 6 # tippet on me and it wasn't holding the fish.  Don't do this!  I started collecting some heavy line from the shore.  I know, it could be rotten, but I needed 10 # line.  I managed to go through 6-8 more flies and all of my leader.  But I was having fun.

I had to be careful.  I only had a small space to stand and it dropped off fast.  You can see the water is a nice green and moving quickly.  Lots of boats.

This is looking downstream towards Sawdust Hole.  People lined the banks.  Sawdust Hole parking lot was filled and cars were parked on both sides of the road.  When the salmon run, people go crazy!

As I was leaving, I walked up to the boat launch area.  People were fishing right where the boats have to launch. I don't put my drift boat in during salmon season because of the crowds.  It is hard enough to avoid the gravel bars and when the wading fishermen are so packed, I just fish from shore for a few hours at a time.

Today, I fished the Tippy Dam Power Station side.  You know, those 200 steps down to the river!

Here was the view this afternoon.

This is Thursday afternoon and it was packed again.  Don't these people work?   Actually, a lot of these people plan to take off weeks in the Fall, every year just to hit the salmon run.

I walked down the path to get into the water across from the Handicap Pier.  It has some nice gravel bars.

Ok, this picture was taken from the opposite side yesterday.  Just pretend that that guy across the stream is me!  That is where I was fishing, only a little more downstream.

Right in front of me was a drift boat.

I waded out towards the boat and drifted my egg pattern along the gravel bar.  Wham!  I had a fish on within 5 minutes and a nice fight.  Releasing the fish, I continued to drift right up to the boat.  Bam! Another fish on, but I could turn this fish.  I knew he wasn't a big salmon.  I tried to take a photo while fighting the fish.

Do you see him?  Ok, here is another shot.

Come on, use your imagination.  This was a coho salmon.  It had a humped back (first I have seen) and a black mouth.  It was only 18-19" and was scarfing up eggs below the salmon.  I try to get the fish below the hens, as they are pretty aggressive.  I released him and kept fishing.  One more salmon that took me into my backing before beaking off.

Ok, I decide to stop.  I had had two great days of fishing.  I had three fish each day actually hit on flies.  It is so nice to live just 1 1/2 miles from Tippy Dam.  I can just go down anytime for a couple of hours.  Today was 145th day of fishing this year. I keep my journal up to date so I can remember when and where I was successful.  It stores happy memories for me.

I started walking the path back up towards the dam.

The other side, above the boat launch towards the dam, was packed with fishermen, also.

As I got up to the dam, I saw that the guys fishing right by the coffer dam had been successful.

I am amazed that people keep these salmon during the spawning run.  They are pretty black and the flesh is light pink or even white.  I know how they taste.  Gary and I cooked one over the fire one year and couldn't eat it.  I have a few fresh salmon that I caught off the pier.  Those fish had bright orange flesh and were delicious. For me, it is catch and release time now. 

After all, would you want to be snagged with a hook when it was your last chance for sex before you die?

As I walked along, I found a trash bag and started picking up trash.  Salmon fishermen are not very neat.  When they aren't from here, they trash it up.  So, I do my job and carry out a few bags every week. 

Here is my small effort to keep the mighty Manistee River a place that you will want to fish.  When you visit, please bring along an extra trash bag and help me - "Keep it Clean".

It's a Scamp - but I love it!

After  4 years of teaching in Grand Rapids and 32 years at Slippery Rock University, I decided it was time to retire!  It had been a good life and I enjoyed it.  Suddenly, the paperwork and budget cuts were getting to me.  It was time for new blood to fill my shoes.  I decided that my retirement present to myself would be something I could use in reitrement and enjoy for a long, long time!

What would it be?  A vacation trip around the world?  A new car?  A new location?  Actually, what I wanted was something to take the place of my tents!

A new Scamp!

http://www.scamptrailers.com/

The Scamp is a 13' fiberglass egg trailer!  It weights in around 1000 #s and has a tongue weight of only   60-70 #s.   That means it can be towed by almost anything!

I have to tell you a story about buying this Scamp.  I had been looking on-line and E-Bay for a Scamp for about 4-5 months.  Suddenly, one comes up for sale in New York.  I was living in Slippery Rock, PA at the time so it was close (Buffalo, NY).  I put a low bid ($2,000) for the 1986 trailer in great shape.  I didn't expect to get it because they were going for $3-5,000 for used ones.  Then I saw a new Scamp for sale on E-Bay in Minnesota.  It was a new 2002 and E-Bay bid was only at $3,500 with 8 days remaining on the sale.  Should I?  I really like the new one but being a Stauffer, I thought about the money.  No, but I will put a low-ball bid in.  I researched and found that new Scamps were going for around $9,500, so I put in a bid of $6,800 for the remaining 7 days of the auction.  I knew I would never get the new one but what the hey!

You have already guessed the end to this story, haven't you?  Two days later, my $2,000 bid on the older trailer was accepted and I had a trailer!  Wait, there are still 5 days of bidding left on the new trailer and my low bid won't last.  

Bright and early on the last day of the auction, I received the wonderful news that I had just won the new trailer.  I had already paid for the old trailer and arranged to drive up to Buffalo and get it.  Now, I have two trailers.  I went up to get the NY trailer and it was a nice one.  I waited in line in Buffalo to get temporary tags to bring it down to PA but was given a tough time about insurance and forms. After a couple of hours of this, I just left.  I moved the car tags to the back of the trailer and took off for PA.  I could be across the border in a couple of hours.  I made it.  The following weekend I drove to Minnesota and got the new Scamp. Wanting to avoid towing my trailer through Chicago, I took a road straight down to I-80.  I camped in the Scamp along I-80 in Eastern Illinois at a rest stop on the trip home..  Getting home , I realized that one had to go.  I loved both but I thought I deserved a new Scamp for my retirement present.  I sold the old Scamp for exactly what I paid for it so that was fine.

The Scamp has a dinning table that goes down to a double bed at the back and a bunk bed that folds down to a couch in the front.  There is a furnace, sink, 2 burner gas stove, and a 3-way refrigerator.  On the roof is a vent and a Fantastic Fan.  Cozy little rig. It tows like a dream and is easy to set up in camp.

Now, I could go Scamping!  One of my trips was to Holland State Park.

I found three large suction cups and a couple of tent poles to use on a small tarp for an awning.  Works great!

Then Gary and I went to Platt River Campground to spend a few days.

I've taken it on a 3 week trip from Pennsacola, FL to Texas along the Gulf Coast.  I stopped and camped where ever and fished every pier I could find.  Then I took it to Yellowstone for a 3 week fishing trip.

I haven't used it much since my move up north but it was used in the back yard for when three young kids from Indy visit every July.  It becomes their bedroom and playhouse!

I am planning one camping trip before November and maybe I'll have something to blog about!!

Pending World Record Brown Trout - Manistee River

On Sept. 9, 2009 Thomas Healy was fishing with a Shad Rap SR-8 crank bait on the Manistee River and caught a pending World Record Brown Trout and a new Michigan State Record fish.

This brown trout weighed 41.45 #s and measured 43.75 ".  Tom was fishing with guide, Tim Roller when the fish hit.  It felt  like a steelhead or salmon and only took 10-15 minutes for him to land it.

The guide is holding the fish , which couldn't be weighed on the Boga grip. The fish was caught on a 6' medium-heavy rod with 30 # test line.

This was the Rapala Shad Rap SR-8 that will  be sold out in all your local stores!

This is a picture of the previous Michigan State Record brown trout.  It was caught on Mother's Day, 2007 within the pier heads of the Betsie River in Frankfort.  The previous state record was 36# 13 oz.  Healy's brown trout is already comfirmed as the new Michigan State Record Brown Trout.

Here is the World Record Brown Trout from Little Red River, Arkansas.  It was caught by Howard Collins in 1992 and it weighed 40 #s 4 oz.

Healy's brown trout is a pending world record.  The paperwork is in the mail!

Canadian Trip - Part 3

Fishing in Canada is fun.  Every day is an adventure.  This trip is about my 10th or 12th trip up here.  I was fortunate to go up with my father and brother for about 4 or 5 trip before it got too rugged for Dad.  He and Max (the Bradford White Gang) loved going up and catching pike.  Gary and I enjoyed the time with Dad fishing.  Growing up in the small town of Middleville, we didn't get to go fishing that much with Dad.  He started us fishing and we did take family vacations at Chippeau Lake.  Then we went to Drummond Island for the Perch runs. 

The Canadian fly-in trips were great times.  One memory that just came to me was when Dad caught a nice 39" pike and was so proud of it.  He took a pencil and marked on the wood frame of the bunk bed:  'Don Stauffer (we both are named Don) the date and 39" pike'.  Gary &  I found it a day later and changed the size to 29".  We were outside when we heard his remark about the change....!!

Here is the morning shot of the dock.  Nice, we had 3 boats and a spare!

Chris is ready!   Hey Chris, what is that empty coffee can on the seat for?

Jim up at the bow while Chris speeds towards the fishing spot.  A little bit of spray along the side of the boat. The weather is a little damp but we are going fishing.

They are almost there.  With the whole lake to fish, the three boats end up fishing the same general area.  It is more fun to fish together so we can poke fun and see what the others are doing.  This was the only sandy beach area we found.  One day, it was our swimming/bathing hole.

This time we have four loons fishing around us.  Must be a great fishing spot!

  Bill and I are close by to move in if necessary.  Actually, we probably were here first and the others just drifted over.  We were using spinning rods and jig with curly tails for the walleyes.  Gary liked to use a  silver Johnson's weedless spoon with a white long pork rind that was a killer for the pike.

Not too big, but eaters.  Some day you are just happy to have something to eat for supper. Towards the end of the trip, the supplies are running low and we get hungry and want fish!

Hold it!  What is that?  Doesn't look like a walleye to me.  A whitefish I believe. No way!  Don't make a sucker out of me!

Bill and I are old hands at cleaning fish.  The small room behind us is the generator room.  Maybe a generator will be in it next time. Back to cleaning the fish.

I love my Rapala filet knife.  It does the job and is flexible enough to work around the rib cage.

                                                                                                  

 



There are two or three fish mangled...must have been Bill's!

Bill, Gary, Mike, and Jim are ready to eat.  Where are the fish?

Beer battered fish that were swimming around a couple of hours ago.  Can't get much fresher than that!

Gary and Mike are on K-P duty.  What a great job.  Little did Gary know that these skills would prove so useful in 4-5 years!

Speaking of Gary.  After Gary finished up in the kitchen, he walked down to the dock. He thought it would be fun to get his fishing pole and cast off from the dock. 

I can hear Gary's thinking.  "I'll just get my pole and get one right off the dock".  First I have to reach over and get my pole.  Oh, it is over there on the other side of the boat.  As Gary steps off the dock with one foot on the dock and one foot on the boat seat, the boat starts to gently drift away from the dock.  Gary is now doing a graceful split.  As the distance from the dock and boat increases, so does the angle between Gary's legs.  It is like a ballet of sorts.  He stretches out, but can he stretch back?  As the angle becomes more, Gary is forced to make a decision, "Can I stretch back to the dock w/o losing my balance?"  NOPE!

Lucky Gary.  He doesn't have to take a bath tonight.  He already did!

Mike shows off Gary's catch.  Sorry, Mike, but everytime I saw you fishing you were catching pike. Just because this picture shows you holding up walleyes, we all know the story.  After a week of fishing with Mike, we decided on a new nickname for Mike.  Now and forever more in the future, he is known as Mikey-Pikey!

We tried to just keep the eating size walleyes and release the bony pike.   Now that I watched how to bone pike on You-Tube, I will keep a few pike next trip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uSGvrzjQjs&feature=related

Every once in a while we would catch a perch.  We weren't fishing for them but they would just hit our jigs as we tried for walleyes.  Gary is holding one of his 'yellow bellies', in fact it is the only thing on his stringer.

With all the left over fish, I decided to make Fish Chowder.  I have an old recipe from Aunt Sherrie in the Sylvan Lake days.  We had corn, potatoes, onions and milk.  Not quite everything I needed but we improvised.

We ate good up north.  Nothing fancy but plenty of food.

We did come across a wild woman of the north.  No, it wasn't 'six-pack Mary'!  This female was a rough and tough wild thing.  She was not too shy about coming around six men, who had been out in the wild for a week. We weren't too sure how friendly she was so we kept a close eye on her.

A she-wolf!  She must have come to the island in the winter and now was trying to make a living on a pretty barren island. It was exciting to see a wolf so close.  She was in terrible condition and scrounging around for anything to eat.

The trip was coming to an end.  We had a great time and even caught a few fish.  It was fun to fish with someone new every other day.  It was a time away from home, away from pressures, and a time to relax.

We have now cleaned the cabin, drank all the beer, bagged all the trash, and packed our gear. Nothing else to do but wait.  As we waited and thought about our trip, we were already thinking about another trip.

We never know when the plane will come for pick-up.  You are told to be ready early.

Off in the distance, we could hear a Beaver.  Yes, it was our Beaver.

The plane just skims down over the tree tops and gently sits down and motors over towards our dock.  The pilot does a great job of getting all the camps in and out efficiently.

We have to un-pack the plane with the next crew coming in first and then load up our stuff.  We just have time to tell the next crew about the fishing.  We point out the hotspots and give all the information that we were given upon our arrival.  And then.........

We start motoring out to take off.  Take-off is much more exciting than landing.  When you are taking off the lake, you are heading, as fast as you can, towards the end of the lake.  As the end of the lake approaches, the pilot is trying to get lift-off.  The water friction is holding you down and you see the trees and shoreline approaching fast.  Are you going to make it? 

Suddenly, the plane jumps in the air and you can almost feel the pontoons brush the tree tops as you continue to climb.

What a great trip.  What memories.  I tend to think of these trips often and remember that I'm building memories for the future!