Day one
I had checked out the lakes near Grand Marie, MN, the night before. I saw no hatches or spinners from the supposed hex hatch.  I decided to go to the lake that Rueben Swenson had taken me to. WI found my way there not knowing the road numbers, just by feel. Actually it didn't feel quite right until I got there. I am going to fish Squash Lake or is it Turnip. Anyway, you take Gunflint trail 15 miles and turn right on to Greenwood Lake Road, go 4 miles and turn left on 313, go 4.5 miles and turn left on 313I, go 0.7 miles and turn left on to a track on to the cut woods. Drive down through one dip and over the hill, through another dip and to the top of the next hill. Here is where you park. It looks more like a beer party area than a fishing parking area. Now if I tell you no more, you still won't find the lake. There are no signs. Get your gear and go further down the road. Just at a turn in the road you will find a trail to the right. It is a minor trail. As the trail goes the brush gets taller. After about 50 yards there is a sign on a tree. Another 50 yards down through a hollow and around a tree that someone thankfully cut up and you reach the lake. The fishing was not as good as it was last year. I got a few fish, but they were smaller. There were a lot of insects which I did not see last year. I'm not sure if the secrecy of getting here is to confuse the pouchers. If so, it does not work.

Day two
I decided that the trip into Squash was not worth the effort so I tried Kimbal. Kimbal has rainbows and some very big browns, to 7 lbs. I am told.  It was fairly windy so I quit early. I did get a number of 12" rainbows that for thirty seconds feel like they are twice as big. They are built like nerf footballs. I used an Asswan Dragon.

Day three
Again windy. More trout in the morning and evening. I fished with an osprey (not a fly but a bird), but I could not point the way to a dead fish I saw. The water is fairly warm on the surface. The wind did calm down just at sunset. The trout were taking little minnows that were eating little insects off the surface. During the day I constantly saw little bubbles coming to the surface. Trout farts????? Could this be the cause of global warming. I continued using the same fly although a dragon fly laid n the surface and watched forever would catch fish. I watched one taken after about half an hour.

Day four
No dew and rain clouds. I got rained on getting ready so I backed off and went to an art fair. I also ate at the Angry Trout, probably angry because of my fishing. Luckily the food was good. During the week I also watched some canoes and a duck boat being re-canvassed. Grand Marie has a school mentioned elsewhere that trains people on all sorts of crafts, even building a schooner.

The rest of my time off was spent with my wife in Bayfield, WI, looking in stores and being well fed.