yes i agree, if you spent a summer on a huge clear water northern minn lake you can never ever get that out of your blood. never. at the north west corner of leech lake their is a river that comes out of the tamerack tree swamp. the water is reddish and clear and clean, the red is from the roots of the tamerack trees. six mile back their. no one fishes it, would love to live long enough to go back their and catch bass that have never seen a fishing lure. minn. is like that. the pan fish are huge in minn. i know how to fish that country, i really know how to pan fish minn. good eating also. as to the winters, you learn how to dress for it and spring always comes on time. the flying squirrels, martins, mink, fishers, otter, bears, moose, wolves, mountain lions huge deer, ect. eagles fish with you. it is as it should be up their. huge fish hawks also fish with you. you can see i love nature.