Wading with Friends

It's amazing the feeling of camaraderie that develops when you stand waist-deep in the cold water of a river in February with others in an attempt to catch fish.

The cold waters of the DuPage River in Plainfield, IL under a bridge

The plan to meet hatched on DuPageAngler.com.  I wanted to get Wilkes and CSimon out in their new neoprene waders and see if we could catch some fish in the DuPage River.  

Shane clearing built up ice from his guides

The sun was giving off that gold and copper glow only the early hour of the morning could provide.  It lit our trunks as we sat in them to put on our waders, secured gear, walked across the bike-path and down into the river.

Wilks wading

We were drift fishing as I normally would in the cold.  Drifting night crawlers and crappie minnows in and around the bridge support columns and deeper side of the river here at the bridge.

CSimon watching his float

We took some time working our bait under the bridge but aside from me snagging a submerged tree and bending my hook it was Fish 1 - Waders 0.  A change of location is necessary.  A bit more upstream to a hole I know.  

We walked along the bike path a bit farther north.  I think we may have walked too far as I've only fished this stretch of river once and don't know it as well as I know other areas.


Undaunted we entered the river and adjusted our spring-floats to get our bait suspended off the bottom.  We drifted and chatted and told stories.  We knew it was cold but it didn't bother us.


The time came when CSimon had to leave us.  Packing up Wilks, Shane, and I quickly scouted a local spot then moved to the Fox River and the familiar discharge pipe.

Wilks and Shane in the Fox River

We fished a while longer but nothing was biting.  It was almost time to walk back to the car but first I wanted to explore.  I think I found out where the carp around here come from.

It was nice to get out of my waders and into the comfort of my car and the warm comfort of heated seats.  I looked back on the morning.  I was cold.  I was tired.  I was hungry but mostly I was grateful.  I got to go wading with friends.