When there is fourteen inches of ice on the local pond, the fly rod normally stays in the closet and the we resign ourselves to dreaming of the Bahamas while working at the vice. But there are a few flyfishers out there who won’t take no for an answer. This week we follow anglers Lucky Porter and Hansi Johnson into the woods of Northern Minnesota in search of pike. “This is primal. You’re going to stick this thing in a fish. Nothing about this says catch and release, that thing just says kill. Fear the spear.”
Many thanks to Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and Scott Fly Rods for their continued support of The DrakeCast.
In this episode we follow Lucky Porter, a well known bass and musky guide out of Duluth, Minnesota, and Hansi Johnson as they entertain and feed themselves after the water freezes over. With the help of pitchforks, oversized saws, propane tanks, 7 inch flies, some antique lures, busted rods, and a little bit of hope, they have figured out how to flyfish year round.
As a special treat for our Colorado listeners, later on in the episode we hear about a special “Throwback Thursday” screening of some fly fishing films that haven’t been seen in many years. All proceeds from the event will benefit Trout Unlimited as they wok to ensure healthy river flows in the South Platte River. For more information, check out this post.
Many thanks to Dan Wilfond of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Rick Guertin of the Minnesota Darkhouse & Angling Association for sharing the history of the sport with us.
All photos courtesy of Hansi Johnson. Follow him @hansski43
