WPSU

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Illinois River Photoessay

On Lakes Huron and Michigan, you cruise sparkling blue water, sometimes more than 100 feet deep.  Here on the Illinois, the color palette runs to muddy gray-green and the water under our hull is less than 20 feet deep.  Here's a brief photo essay to convey the sense of  our life on this  river, where you so often find the pastoral and the industrial in the same frame.


Most people fish from shore or from boats.  But below Starved Rock State Park we saw a number
of anglers, wearing waders, using these rigs to manage two poles at once.

 No telephoto used to get this shot!    Boat traffic was very heavy on Labor Day, and many pleasure boats passed us
quite close and quite fast, leaving Dragonfly rocking in their wake.

Our silent electric engine doesn't startle silver carp . . . but passing barges do!


Don't boat where the birds are wading!  White pelicans are common on the Illinois, and they like Asian carp just fine.  We've also seen many turkey vultures and bald eagles dining on the fish.
The river level varies; the last flood left behind many uprooted trees
I could easily do a whole photoessay on "the architectural diversity of duck blinds on the Illinois River."
Here's just one of many.
(My favorite  duck blind feature--some  blinds have little ramps for launching your hunting dog)
This towboat no longer pushes barges around; it's been converted to a four-story bar n' grille. 

2 comments:

  1. Just wait until you get to Beardstown!

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  2. The vessels utilized for these excursions must be littler than the standard luxury ship with the goal that they fit on the different trenches and rivers. River Boating

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