And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that a couple recent articles served to remind me how lucky I am to have been born in northeast Iowa and lived here most of my life.

One was in the most recent issue of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation’s magazine, and dealt with an area under its control in extreme northern Allamakee County, along the Upper Iowa River.

The other was by outdoor writer Orlan Love, in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, and concerned the karst topography we enjoy.

Love described the clear trout streams of the area, and how freshwater springs and groundwater seepage contribute immensely to the clean water. He notes that 22 of the 32 streams in Iowa declared outstanding waters are in this three-county northeast Iowa area of Allamakee, Winneshiek and Clayton. He notes that trout in those streams in many cases swim in water that just moments before had been underground, unsilted and unpolluted.

Trout fishermen are well aware that the trout take advantage of the sight distance through that clear water to notice any disturbance or motion on the banks, and dive for cover. I was introduced to that by an uncle when I was very young and was invited to go along with him on a trout fishing jaunt along Clear Creek near Lansing. As a river angler, I knew not to bang around the metal boat or throw junk overboard, but when I was told I would have to crawl on my belly to the edge of the high bank overlooking a deep spot in the creek, and gently drop the bait (salmon eggs) into the water, I was surprised. Newly stocked hatchery trout are more forgiving, I am told. They are trained to look to the bank for a handout.

The foundation story described an area very similar to one where we used to hunt squirrels.

We entered the woods at the edge of a farmed field, but a hundred yards or so into the woods the land began a somewhat precipitous drop toward the river. In those years when floods made it practical, there was a narrow corn field on the strip of bottomland, and in the fall, squirrel season, the squirrels were thick carrying ear corn out of those fields toward the woods.

It was wild country.

There were rumors of black bears having been sighted there, but we never saw one.

There were rumors of bobcats having been heard, but we never heard one.

There were cautions about dens of rattlesnakes on the rocky slopes, but we never encountered any.

But all of that seemed infinitely possible!