Need an excuse for a road trip? Flip through a state guidebook, find something tacky, and go for it. That’s what mom and I did last weekend, and this was the result:
Hayward, Wisconsin, is a lovely old-fashioned town in the middle of the Hayward Lakes resort and cabin area of northwestern Wisconsin. Beautiful spot. But we weren’t there to stay overnight, we just wanted to pass through and grab a look at The Fish – the giant Muskie at the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame (by the way, that’s an impressive web site for that sort of organization – very slick). Am I an avid fisherman? Nope. When was the last time I fished? When I was 10. But I am a sucker for anyone who will go to the sort of effort these folks have done. And where else on this earth can you stand in the toothy mouth of a giant muskie and look out upon the landscape like this:
The place is sort of fascinating, archeologically. A thousand years from now, I wonder if anything will be left but the Really Big Fish, and our descendants will think we had some sort of primitive fish cult. Perhaps not far off, as this is a museum dedicated to freshwater fishing. There was something vaguely reminiscent of Celtic or Native American stories that involve people walking around inside of fish, riding in fish, etc. And if you need a tall tale…
The museum itself isn’t quite as done up as the fish, but perhaps if they raise more money they can expand and improve their regular exhibits, which aren’t very interesting to a more casual visitor. But it was smart to do this first, as it likely pulls in the majority of paying visitors.
There are numerous other gigantic fish such as the one in the foreground above. Great educational tool to teach kids or beginning fisherman what these guys look like. All are in excellent condition and are obviously well cared for.
If you’re not from the Twin Cities or Duluth it’s hard to justify coming out here just for the fish, but it’s also a nice area for lake resorts, which for many are an annual tradition and can be quite relaxing. Many will rent you a cabin and a boat and set you loose on a large lake with a borrowed fishing pole, which you might use to catch a fish slightly smaller than the above. The town of Hayward itself has a nice 19th century shopping street with a few interesting shops that can keep non-fishers and their wallets busy.. Summer is drawing to a close, and the bustle of the cabin towns will soon be replaced with a calmer winter scene – though probably not quieter, due to snowmobiling traffic.
