What a week! Rachelle and I delivered a healthy baby boy last Thursday and we could not be happier. So far he seems to enjoy his new home on the Gunflint Trail with his big sister Sophia. He looks like a Christianson and I think his eyes are blue, but it is hard to tell since he sleeps about 20 hours a day.
Expecting a baby while living up here is a stressful experience. Not only are we a long way from the hospital, but it would be very difficult for my wife to reach me during the day while I am working. The Volunteer Fire Department allowed us to borrow a radio, but this time it was not necessary.
Rachelle was overdue and the doctor suggested we make an appointment at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth to induce the labor. Last Wednesday evening we checked into the hospital at 7 p.m. and delivered a 7 pound 11ounce baby boy named Robert Allen Christianson (Bo) the next morning.
Bo was named after my deceased father, Robert, but we wanted to call him Bo. I am happy that we named him after my father, but it felt weird to call our son Robert. In Grand Marais you either nickname your children at birth or they will eventually be nicknamed for you. It is a roll of the dice.
Our daughter Sophia has adjusted to the presence of her new brother a lot better than I thought. Sophia likes to hold him while sitting on the couch and she plays with him like he is one of her dolls. Mommy still gives her plenty of attention and she tries to help out as much as a 17 month old girl can. It is pretty cute to watch.
I do not get to be home as much since the season is about to kick-off and someone has to feed this family. The guiding season is looking very good so far and my first day out was on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.
The fishing was good, but the stormy weather had a lot to do with our success. Twenty walleyes—26 inches was the biggest—and we caught them everywhere on Saganaga Lake that we tried. James Bay, Devil’s Walk, and Red Rock Bay were all productive places to fish and the walleyes preferred the leeches.
Typically I like to fish with minnows this time of the year but they were biting leeches better. Lindy rigs are a good way to present the leeches with a small No. 8 hook and a short 20-inch leader. I was experimenting with some different colored beads by the hook and they worked great. I have also had a fair amount of success with a “Beaver Flick” at the end of a Lindy rig. The added color and vibration seems to get more bites in bad weather. Chartreuse and orange are two good colors to try.
If you have never used a Beaver Flick, look for the giant walleye on top of the Beaver House in downtown Grand Marais and they can help you out.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218-388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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