FISHING With bow and arrow

The Johnson family lived by the South Branch of the Buffalo River by Sabin, MN. It was no more than two blocks from the house. Perhaps as mothers, we wouldn't want our children hunting, trapping, and fishing along a river but it seemed to be the norm for the sons of Les and Erna.

Tom is pictured above with a rough fish called a carp. Other rough fish in the Buffalo River included suckers and bull heads. There where also cat fish. It was not lawful to use a bow and arrow on game fish, which include walleye, pike, and muskies.

Yet, along the river, in the spring when the water was high, people did net game fish, which is illegal. Who did they belong to? As Tom says, "Nobody fessed up." Would you?

Although all catch and release now, everything that was caught was eaten. Erna happened to like bull heads. In 1998, she asked Tom to catch her some bull heads. Yes. Believe it or not!

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