Not even sure where to start? As quite a few fishermen may know we had a tragedy here on upper red lake this past weekend. A young couple Zeth and Melissa lost there lifes doing what it looked like they loved to do from pictures and comments I have seen and heard of the couple.
I’m a little different then most guys and I can become a little more emotional then others and I will flat out say I have shed a few tears and am choking up right now as it breaks my heart. I have read a couple of post out loud to the hammer My wife and can not get them out with out tearing up..
Facebooks Ice Fishing Minnesota has a post where you can post a fishing picture in there honor. what a beautiful tribute in my opinion.
It turns out that Zeth was from Stacy Minnesota. My wife’s sister shell chick lives in Stacy. I raised our family in Wyoming Minnesota just down the road from there. My helper from years ago Tony had played softball with Zeth as a team mate and against him. Mark works with his dad. Renea son was best friends with him, Bob’s daughter’s boyfriend was a friend . Paul had just talked to him. Its such a small world sometimes.
Melissa brother posted a story about spotting a couple dark objects on the lake that led him to the recovery site. The dark spot were two eagles, When we had my grandma Olga’s funeral here in waskish there were eagles flying over the church.
The hammer does not want me going on the lake at this time, I feel very confident to venture out but just like every year I stay back un tell I can drive blue thunder on the ice. Once I’m on the lake I could possible be out there close to 100 days in a row so I’m never in that big of a hurry ,plus my mentor, cousin Pete who has lived here all his life and was best friends with my dad has always said slow and patient, don’t be in a hurry, that how things get broken. By the way my father died in a car accident heading home from waskish in 1978. I never got to here all the stories he had of his stomping grounds up here as a teenager. I can only imagine as he was a daredevil as he raced figure 8s in Colorado when I was a kid. I know they use to water ski up and down the tamarac river and try and sling shot each other into the reeds. I have also heard a few car stories but will not share as I do not want to give any one any ideas.
I had a close call or two on this lake . When I was 6 I was on the lake with my cousin Stan and my sister when we ran out of gas and a storm blew in. We lost both oars and were at the mercy of the wind and the waves. We had no clue we were in danger un tell a rescue boat retrieved us.
Mother nature can be extra wicked up here as I have blogged over the years as well as summer,
I try and request a prayer every year in church that all the fishermen and workers on the lake have a safe season. Do to the circumstances of what happen I would rather not share any fishing reports for a few days. I’m not even sure how I’m going to feel when I do get on the lake. As Dave the old timer told me ITS A GRAND LAKE AND IT OWES ME NOTHING NOTHING
May you rest in peace Zeth and Mellisa, and I’m so so sorry