Last summer while I was out driving the backroads of Wisconsin looking for new trout streams to explore I noticed an enormous snapping turtle sunning himself right in the middle of the road. I didn't want him to die so I stopped to move him off the road. I picked him up and set him down in the ditch and started back for my car. "Thanks!", I heard someone say but when I looked around there was no one in site except for me and the turtle. I looked in the direction of the turtle and muttered, "Did you just talk?".
"Of course I did all turtles can talk. We usually don't because none of us want to end up in the circus. I could tell you are a kind man and that you wouldn't sell me to the circus so I figured it was safe to chat with you. My name is Turdy by the way. Turdy the Turtle!".
At this point I was in somewhat of a state of shock but there was no one around so I asked Turdy if he knew of any good Brook Trout streams in the area. He ended up giving me directions to a few choice spots as well as the location of a secret waterfall that not very many humans know about. Shortly afterwards I paid a visit to this waterfall and it has been one of my favorite places ever since.
One day last fall while fishing for Steelhead on the Brule with Taylor I told him about the secret waterfall but didn't tell him where it was. Needless to say he had been begging me to take him there ever since. On Saturday April 11th, 2015 Taylor and I traveled to Wisconsin to visit the secret waterfall.
On our way we paid a visit to Turdy. I wanted to make sure it was alright that I was going to bring Taylor to the secret waterfall. At first he seemed unsure but then he spoke, "If he climbs it then he knows he is a man". I figured this was blessing enough and we continued on our way.
We stopped at a nice stream and Bambi slayed her first trout.
Here is a photo of another stream we visited along the way. We didn't land any trout here this time but I will be visiting this stream again soon. Most likely I will try a different section.
When I first came to visit the secret waterfall I was surprised to find that there was actually two waterfalls on this stream. This is the first one that I came to.
Taylor marched defiantly to the second waterfall. He was determined to make the climb.
The rocks were slippery but Taylor clinged on and climbed with all his might.
On that day young Taylor became a man. I was so proud of my young friend.
Glory of the Snow, one of the first flowers of spring were blooming on the forest floor.
I wept when Taylor made the climb and became a man.
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