Today’s pic of Dad from 2002 exemplifies an outdoor staple in my family, something we’ve always pronounced as rhyming with stick instead of seek, while specifically spelled as “creek.”

I suppose it wasn’t many years into my existence that I was introduced to this word as I grew up within a few good casts of what we simply referred to as “The Creek.” Of course, that particular example of this type of water was not a hotbed for fishing. In fact, it evolved into a bit of a refuse collection area over the years. But good old Cedar Fork, which transects my hometown of Galesburg, Illinois provided a great place to goof off and a free spot to dig worms or collect some leeches of “African Queen” proportions. A few stories there but for another time. Suffice to say, that will always be “The Creek.”

The spot in the blog banner photo, a branch of Henderson Creek in Henderson County, Illinois also has an unofficial name. It’s what Dad and Uncle Dick called “Pat’s Creek” after the farmer who lived on the lane leading to the destination. It was a regular trapping stop for decades as well as a solid fishing hole for either rod and reel or bankpoles.

Creeks, in general, are just plain old fun, take a look…

1976 – Troy and Brent Jackson seining minnows and crawdads

1981 Camping trip, me, my siblings and friends partake in good old muddy creek fun

1983 – Brent Jackson on float trip on Henderson Creek

1980’s Dad with a float trip haul

1980’s Uncle Richard Jackson with a float trip carp, great battlers in the close quarters

1994 – Pat’s Creek bankpole trip, Troy and Brent Jackson

1995 – Terry and Brent Jackson on (actually in) Pat’s Creek

2002 – Troy and Brent Jackson running bankpoles in Pat’s Creek

2002 – A favorite pic with Brent Jackson up to his neck in a battle with a creek catch 

As the pics above attest, many adventures from a place that if you’ve never visited, you’re missing out. And it’s at its best when you can jump right in and get your feet (and beyond) wet. Gets kind of entertaining at that point where it starts to get deep enough to make you breathe a little funny, too. Just another of the joys of a day in the creek. Talk to you later. Troy