Brute’s Bleat

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By Harold Brutlag

I noticed some daffodils and tulips are blooming in the residential areas of ML. They add a nice touch to the landscapes. Other than crocuses, which usually bloom before the snow is gone, they are the earliest of spring flowers. I guess this means I will have to get out and get my small flower beds ready. It’s mostly perennials, so its a matter of leaving them and pulling out the weeds.

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I noticed a flock of 50 or so Pelicans on Varner Lake recently and they seemed content to feed on the minnows in those ponds. Last year and year’s ago they seemed to favor Ramsey Lake close to where I used to use a fly rod for sunfish when they were spawning. I got to thinking what anglers used before there were electronics to find fish. One way, kind of promoted by the late Ben Marquette, ML resident, was to drive out in the county and see if the cattle were grazing. He was fairly sure that was a good indication of whether the fish were biting. The problem with that method is there are fewer herds of dairy cattle in Wright County now. Others used the calendar and some still do to determine what time of day the fish would be more active. The moon is also used to determine when is the best time to be on the lake, as is the direction of the wind. Whatever method you may use, remember that a poor day of fishing is better than a good day at work! Locally there weren’t very many anglers on the local lakes, probably because of the weather. Don Dittberner and his wife, Ada, fished Ottertail lake over the weekend for crappies. Don said he caught a limit in about two hours, nothing fast but steady. He said they pretty much had the lake to themselves and they found the crappies in shallow water close to the bull rushes.

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