Charlotte's First Brookie

On a recent May trip to the ADKs for brookies and turkeys, my youngest, Charlotte, nailed her first brookie, casting a Mepps Aglia from a canoe on Black Pond near Paul Smiths. She was thrilled; daddy couldn't have been more proud.

The annual May 'Daks trip usually yields pretty good catches of trout, but with the heavy winter and crazy spring flooding, the creel was lighter this year. We did catch some very nice fish in the North Branch of the Mooser River Drainage, and of course, I caught a few on Black Pond, as is to be expected there.

The turkeys wouldn't cooperate, though I did voice-call a nice Tom away from two hens with Mo and the girls with me, to 10 yards...but it was after noon. He was SOOOO dead, at least in all of our imaginations. It was cute to hear Charlotte and Victoria whisper "bang" every time he stuck out his neck and gobbled thunderously. Next time.