Mid-creek Musings: Up Shunga Creek without a paddle

Shunga Creek, pre-sewage leak. (Photo by Josh Rouse)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON CJONLINE

Mid-creek musings while wondering how many people read my article and went fishing in Shunga this week:

• Massive apologies if you’re one of those people. Nobody told me it’d be filled with sewage in a week.
  
• Hoping once the water tests clear up you’ll still be able to fish there.
• Just don’t eat the fish.
• Received an email from Rich Reed after my article saying he was pictured in the paper back in the 60s with some of his friends with the headline “Kids of the Shunga.”
• Rich says he remembers fishing near Crestview by the walkover bridge.
• Back then it was just a foot bridge.
• Back then there wasn’t any sewage in it, either, I’m hoping.
• If you go back and look through old archives, you might be able to find a picture of Rich’s buddy, Grady.
• Grady was wearing a cowboy hat.
• He apparently also had his underwear showing.
• Grady’s mom wasn’t too happy about that, either.
• Hope Earl doesn’t get mad at me for borrowing this writing format. It’s a lot of fun!
• I always talk about Jim Ramberg, but Pete Goering was just as big an influence on me as a journalist as ol’ Jim was.
• This is a tribute column, really…
• A tributary, if you will.
• If you’re looking for something fun to do this summer, the Jackson County Ducks Unlimited chapter will host its summer shooting league at Cokeley Farms Sporting Clays beginning May 5.
• It’s open to all and will run eight weeks, with a $25 weekly fee per shooter.
• All proceeds from the event will go back to Ducks Unlimited and shooters can receive bonus bucks to use at the chapter’s Sept. 30 banquet at Perry American Legion.
• If you’re interested, give them a call at (785) 771-3817.
• Getting back to Shunga, Dave Ewert sent me an email last week, too.
• Dave says Chief Abraham Burnett is actually buried in a little fenced-in area at the north end of the secondary dam.
• His grave is the only one there.
• If you don’t know who Chief Burnett is, you should head up to Burnett’s Mound and look around for a while.
• It’ll come to you.
• Ewert also warned me not to eat the fish I caught in Shunga.
• That was before the sewage spill.
• Another reader, Keri Strahler, said she’s been sharing my articles with her 14-year-old son to get him interested in the outdoors.
• Listen to your mama, kid. She knows what’s up.
• Still trying to get some video of the cougar that was seen out at my grandma’s house north of Topeka.
• I keep having dreams where I find one while I’m hunting.
• Speaking of trail cameras, I wonder if our good buddy Dale Hossfeld has taken any more good wildlife photos recently.
• I’ve got some good stories planned out for the rest of the Outdoors sections this month. Be sure to keep an eye out for them on Sundays.
• Be sure you send your best angling stories to our good friends at Fish Stories, as well.
• Good night, and good fishing.