Smelt, yard buck, Fishin' Blues, old laker: Notes, Chicago outdoors

Smelt, yard buck, Fishin’ Blues, old laker: Notes, Chicago outdoors

By Dale Bowman

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

WILD OF THE WEEK

Bruce Czajkowski photographed this buck outside his back door in Westchester.

Wild of the Week, the celebration of wild scenes around Chicago outdoors, runs when warranted on Sundays on the Sun-Times outdoors page. Send nominations by Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).

BIG NUMBER

Estimated years of age of a lake trout surveyed in Lake Superior in early November by the Wisconsin DNR. The 35.5-inch laker first was surveyed in 1981 (then 27.3 inches and estimated at 10 to 12 years old).

DALE’S MAILBAG

Tweet: ‘‘Taj is great, but the original ‘Fishin’ Blues’ by Henry Thomas — https://twitter.com/Lotdesert/status/926561886061121543 — is, too. Love the pipes!’’ — Larry Rand

A: Henry ‘‘Ragtime Texas’’ Thomas originally recorded ‘‘Fishin’ Blues’’ in 1928. On YouTube, there are many versions done by Taj Mahal. I was glad to hear the original by ‘‘Ragtime Texas.’’

LAST WORD

‘‘I liken smelt fishing to 16-inch softball: It is a Chicago tradition. I would hate to see it go away.’’

— Chester Kropidlowski, during a discussion of lakefront issues at the Mayor’s Fishing Advisory Committee meeting Thursday

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

(Click here for full package of northeast Illinois hunter safety classes)

Tuesday-Wednesday: Chicago, carryinillinois.com/hunter-safety-course.html

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday: Tackle rep night, Arlington Anglers, 6 p.m., Cabela’s, Hoffman Estates, arlingtonanglers.com.

Tuesday: Capt. Ralph Steiger, Fishing Friends Club, special meeting moved to Bass Pro, 6:30 p.m., Portage, Indiana.

ILLINOIS SEASONS/PERMITS

Through Dec. 1: First lottery, spring wild-turkey permits, dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/pages/turkeyhunting.aspx.