2022 Fall Trout Camp
They say be careful what you wish for and we got our wish… A cold spell with rain that would bring large brown trout upstream to spawn. Not exactly good camping weather. We fished the Sturgeon and the Pigeon and had our best luck on the Pigeon. (Not counting the 25 inch hook-jawed brown trout Natch fought on the Sturgeon before watching the lure fly loose.) We kept some browns for a Cajun trout dinner and Jake and Feral took a few home. We camped at Pickerel Lake, site #5, which was just large enough for the Scamp and two tent campers. The fire pit was back at the rear, out of the wind, so that worked out great. About that wish for bad weather.. we still had campfires every night, even in a cold drizzle.
Natch and I made a trip to no-man’s land on the lower Pigeon, downstream from Tin Bridge, a stretch I keep vowing to never fish again because the walk in is so brutal… no good trail and a lot of brush busting to get past a half mile of open flat stream to reach the good holes and bends. Ironically we had no good luck (except for a small brook trout) until we were almost back to the bridge where Natch caught an 18 inch brown. We made a deal with Feral and Jake – they had to bring back two small ones or one 18 incher for dinner and we would do the same. Natch saved the day for our tough trip. When we got back to camp they had a cooler full of trout. They downplayed it like it was no big thing.
Feral and Jake went bird hunting a couple times. They both had double barrel percussion cap shotguns and hiked for miles. One trip lasted four hours so I give them some credit for stamina. They saw some Woodcock and took shots but no bird for the grill. I learned something about primitive weapons: cleaning them is a lot of work involving hot water down the barrels and lubricant on everything. They had it down to a science but it still took a half hour or better.
I cooked up the trout and made breakfast in the Scamp trailer every day, so I earned my keep as a cook, if not a fisherman. That’s two eighteen inch trout frying in the pan. I filleted them boneless and halved them so we each had two pieces to go with the baked beans. Next time I’ll remember to bring some homemade tarter sauce using Polish dill pickles. The photo I really wish I had was the final game board after beating Natch at chess. I expect he will be wanting a rematch.
Denny and his wife Lorraine camped over at the Pigeon River campground on Sturgeon Valley Road. They came over the first night with a loaner guitar for Feral, custom built by Denny. A Martin kit with antique tuners and 12th fret neck joint. I played a couple songs on it and it had that great Martin tone. Wish we could have jammed a little longer, it was cold. Sorry I didn’t get a photo!
Fichigan 
Hey there! Love reading your blogs and the pictures are great. I know everyone is a critic on the internet so I’m sure this won’t be received warmly. Have you ever considered not keeping all those huge brown trout? One, they are extremely old. I’ve spoken to biologists that put an 18-20” stream brown at, or over, 15 years of age. That’s a very limited resource if you keep 2-4 fish per year. Especially since you seem to fish the same stretches of the same rivers every year. Two, big browns aren’t good table fair imo. I’ve eaten big browns that buddies have kept and they are terrible compared to a Brook trout. Anyway, I’m sure I won’t change your opinion or practices. Just something to consider. Big browns are very rare and there are much better trout to eat that are more widely abundant. Have a good one.
I appreciate your comment and for the most part if we keep fish it is the smaller ones, 12 to 14 inches. The small bones “cook out” if you know what I mean. And they taste better. At trout camp, spring and fall, we cook up a trout dinner and sometimes that means take what we can get but no one in the group likes keeping the really big ones. It’s usually snap a quick photo and turn them back. You might be surprised just how many really large trout, 18 inches plus we see, especially when it’s raining and the river is rising. I won’t go as far as saying they are abundant but there are times you’d swear a stream is full of big ones – like someone turned on a magic switch. We live for those days! – Luther
I just went back to the post – and I see your concern! Feral and Jake took quite a few nice fish. Jake is just getting back into trout fishing and there may have been some real novelty seeing big ones so abundant on the lower Pigeon. I will relay your comment about the age of an 18 inch brown trout to them because it does help to pause and consider. Thanks, Luther On further study it appears a 18 inch brown trout is more likely 5 years of age and may live to eight years.