Tag Archives: fly fishing

January 20, 2013 · 12:24 pm

A double date and ice fishing.

I’d been feeling sick for so long that I forgot how wonderful it is to be healthy. I’ve been a busy bee, catching up on work and catching up on fun, too. 🙂
B and I went out with Amy and her boyfriend, Chris. Sushi and The Mustache? We love funk music, and you all know I love to dance. Someone had some mustaches to share with the crowd…

Awesome evening, indeed. We got home late, but I peeled myself out of bed early on Saturday to go ice fishing with Wyatt and Matt.

It was a really interesting experience. When I went in that little tent thing that Matt brought, it was dark enough that I could see all the way to the bottom of the lake. I saw all sorts of cute perch under the water, and I saw northern and large mouth bass above the water. Friends, if you’ve never seen a northern’s teeth, they’re impressive. 🙂
Wyatt’s son is the cutest little fisherman. He was a good role model for me- by the end of the day, I’d touched wax worms (gross) and put a hook through two different minnows. Be impressed. This is a big step!
After I got off the ice, I headed over to a fly fishing show in Menasha. It was my first show, and I was rather outnumbered. One Heidi, many fisherman. I was meeting up with my friend Tim, from Tight Lines. He put together a couple helpful fly tying sets for me, and we worked out a plan for some promo photos for the shop. Come May, I’ll be up north shooting fish and guides! I think it will be a great time. 🙂
On my way back into town, I saw my favorite sign at Checks yet…

It was almost sundown, but I had enough time to squeeze in a short run to family video. It turns out that most fisherman (and women!) have seen this movie…

A River Runs Through It. The snow and wind picked up on my way home, making me feel even more crazy for running home with my debit card in one hand and a movie in the other,

I arrived home about the same time as B, and he thought it was very sweet that I suggested a movie night, but informed me that we actually own that movie. Ha! I guess now I am out of excuses as to why I haven’t seen it. It has a young Brad Pitt, how bad can it be? 😀
See you soon, friends. Stay warm out there!
.:heidi:.

P.S. onion update…

Miles this year: 9.25

Packer family night, Kim and Mark, and fishing in Viroqua!

I’ve had a great week, filled with lots of photos 🙂
Thursday had a photo shoot with Chef from Christian’s Bistro and Father Fat’s, two popular restaurants in town. He’s featured in one of the Hoopla articles next month.

I even had the tough job of eating the food he cooked during the shoot. 😉 Perks of my job, I think!
Speaking of food, Brian and I found a giant peanut. The giant is on the left, a normal peanut is on the right.

I won Randy’s 52 week CD giveaway last week, so I stopped by Radio Kaos to pick out a new album. Old Crow Medicine Show, ftw.

Brian’s car needed some work, so he spent most of his free time working on that, and Misty kept him company, laying in the plant-formerly-known-as-grass. We needed rain.

Figs are in season in some of the warmer states, and I was happy to get my hands on some this week.

Figs + yogurt + granola + coffee = a very happy Heidi.
We had the opportunity to go to the Packer scrimmage that they call “Family Night.” Appropriately, we went with Brian’s family.

I got to try on a Superbowl ring, NBD.

Lambeau is a magical place. We were handing out programs prior to the game, and I met a man on the board of directors (it’s his Super Bowl ring). He let me go up to all the different levels and check out the view- even the brand-new rooftop!

That last one is the view from our actual seats. Our nephews were playing a new game: Hide From Aunt Heidi’s Cameraphone. 🙂

Those two are brothers, and so are these three…

After the “game” was over, there were fireworks!

On the way out, we saw Brian’s cousin, Miles. Seriously- there are Oberstadts everywhere! We’re slowly taking over the world and spreading our influence…. 🙂

We headed out ASAP to try and beat the crowds…

…so we’d be home to get a good night of sleep before a busy Saturday at Kim and Mark’s wedding.
Men and women certainly start their wedding day differently!

Kim had TWO fabulous pairs of shoes. They were gorgeous.

I went to school and danced on the Pom squad with Kim’s daughter, Nicki, so please excuse the shameless photos of her adorable little family. Nicki’s daughters were the flower girls. 🙂

I love this biker couple!!!

Congratulations, Kim and Mark! Thanks for inviting us to share in your wedding day 🙂

I was so tired after all that fun on Saturday that I had a heck of a time getting up on Sunday to go fishing. My friend, Forrest, took me and his other friend, Dave, down to Viroqua to fish for some trout. I basically spent the whole day with two guides- I’m such a lucky girl! I caught four brown trout, including my biggest one- 12″! Here’s a few photos from my day on the stream.

Thanks for the incredible day, guys. I really appreciated your help! 🙂
Stay tuned for more stories of fishing, running, and a water tour!!

Three words: fly. fishing. school.

I had the most amazing weekend!
On Friday afternoon, Brian and I hopped on our bikes to take Abbie out for a run. It was pretty warm outside, but we knew we wouldn’t be around as much this weekend, and we wanted her to get some exercise. We took her for a few miles, but when she started panting pretty hard, I scooped her up and put her in my basket.

She’s way too cute. 🙂
After our bike ride, we loaded our boats and headed over to lake Emily for a quick paddle. The weather was beautiful!

We paddled in, loaded up, and tossed on a second layer just in time to start the main weekend event: Fly Fishing School!!
We started on Friday night with knot tying. I learned the surgeon’s knot and loop, blood knot, cinch and improved cinch knot, and the handshake.

After a bunch of time with knots and some great stories, we headed home.
I woke up early on Saturday to go for a run with two strangers. Well, technically, they weren’t total strangers… I met them through my friend, Sarah Cooke. She graduated on Saturday (congratulations, girl!), and her family came to witness and celebrate her accomplishment. Enter the Cooke brothers- Andrew and Morgan. I took them out on the Green Circle for a relaxed 4.5 miler before school. Thanks for the run, guys! It was great to meet up in real life! 🙂

I made it home with exactly enough time to shower and head out to day two of fly fishing school. ~~Brian may have shut my brand new rod in the door and broke both pieces. I may have cried on the way to school. I may have made him tell everyone what happened to the rod they gave me.~~
We learned about the gear…

Watched some fancy casting…

And learned to cast on our own!

I was having a lot of fun 🙂

The school is held at the Riverside Bible Camp, along the Tomorrow River in Amherst. It is a BEAUTIFUL location!

There was lots of wildlife, too!

They cooked us delicious meals (burgers, pasta, pizza, breakfast sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, lots of fruit…), and after dinner, we started fly tying. I forgot to take photos of my flies, but you bet your bottom dollar that mine have fancy pink tails, glittery bodies, and silvery segments. 🙂 I made up my own patterns with colors that I’m sure will grab the little fishes’ attention.

After a bonfire and the drive home, Brian and I crashed pretty hard. I peeled myself out of bed this morning, tired but very excited to actually go fishing today!
I ate breakfast at school, then did a half hour of yoga on the footbridge that crosses the river. It was a great practice the morning- I had fresh air blowing in my hair and the sound of running water in my ears. As soon as I rolled up my mat, we started a session that covers what TU does as far as stream restoration.

We followed the work project discussion with casting review and a few casting games.

I made a cameo in Brian’s sunglasses!

After lunch (with WATERMELON!!!), we got everyone together…

…then split up into fishing groups. Brian and I went with Wyatt to these secret little ponds, and I caught my first brook trout!

I didn’t want to touch him, he was so beautiful with these pink and orange polka dots and a pretty sorbet orange tummy. Don’t worry, I caught two more! They were practically little babies, but I didn’t care. They’re soooooo cute!

Wyatt stayed out with Brian and I for a few hours.

Special thanks to Wyatt for helping me with everything- from tying on my fly to untangling my line to helping me cast in the wind to correcting my casting form to taking the hook out of the cute fishes’ mouths.

We came home, searched for ticks, played with our pups, showered… And now I’m back to normal Heidi life, with a giant salad and Burn Notice.

We even stopped at Cellar 70 on the way home and picked up some Two Hearted to celebrate our accomplishments today!

Look at the little brookies on that case! 🙂
Brian is already snoring on the couch, so I better get us ready for bed.
Thanks, Frank Hornberg chapter guys- you’re a group of amazing men and I’m so blessed that you’re sharing your knowledge and experience with me!
Watch out, world… I’m a superb fly fisher-woman in the making! 🙂

Miles this year: 281.8

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Tag Archives: fly fishing

A double date and ice fishing.

Packer family night, Kim and Mark, and fishing in Viroqua!

Three words: fly. fishing. school.

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Tag Archives: fly fishing

A double date and ice fishing.

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Packer family night, Kim and Mark, and fishing in Viroqua!

Want to share?

Three words: fly. fishing. school.

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Social

Heidi’s most recent shenanigans

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