In Memoriam: Dean Lageson

It's only fitting that I'm writing a tribute to my Uncle Dean today. On this day, December 7th, I would call Dean-O and ask him what day it was. Without hesitation he would say, "today is the day that Pearl Makki got bombed in Two Harbors." If you're of Finnish descent, from Minnesota, or know my Uncle Dean, you will completely get this joke. Nobody told more cornball jokes than he did.

Dean-O sadly passed away on December 1st. I was fortunate to spend many days with him in the hospital and his apartment talking sports, fishing, and listening to his jokes. “I took a turn for the nurse” is what he would say when I asked how he was feeling. Classic Dean-O.

I blogged about my uncle several years ago and if you click here you can read about my relationship with him. Jane and I will miss him terribly.

Fisherman's Prayer

I pray that I may live to fish
Until my dying day
And when it comes to my last cast,
I then most humbly pray:
When in the Lord's great landing net,
And peacefully asleep
That in His mercy I be judged
Big enough to keep.

Dean-O, you're definitely big enough to keep...





Beaver Creek Cabins & Guide Service

Minnesota Sportsmen's Show Recap

It was good to be back in St. Paul, Minnesota.   The show went well, but there were a few challenges. Two professional hockey games were played next door (this makes finding a parking spot difficult), a day of terrible weather in which 654 traffic accidents were reported, and a broken escalator at the show.   That being said, the attendance held it's own and we were happy to talk all things Alaska.

At the sport shows we attend, I always like to highlight vendors that I think are interesting. This booth was close to ours and every day I would stop to look over the antique gear.  I'd get a little nostalgic because many of these lures I either used, or would see in the tackle boxes at my Uncle Dean's house.  I'm finding it hard to believe that the stuff I used as a kid is now considered "antique". Am I really that old?   Don't answer that, please.

Speaking of Uncle Dean, when I saw this man walking the aisles I had a flashback to the '70's.   I stopped him and told him I would like to take his picture.  He gladly obliged and I explained to him that when I was a kid my Uncle Dean had a coat just like his.   I told him I liked it so much that in a 7th grade home economics class I made a vest and sewed a bunch of fishing patches on it so I would look just like my Uncle.  It was a sweet vest, but my sewing skills were not that great.  If I remember correctly, my teacher gave me a B-.   This grade was strictly on my sewing skills, but I bet she would have given me an A for style....

Dude is definitely making a fashion statement in 2015.

I was also glad that my Kenai fishing mentor/friend, Jeff King, took a winter break from fishing on the beaches of Mazatlan to join Jane and I at the show

Now how could you pass up booking an expertly guided fishing trip by these two guys?

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the friends/guests that found their way to our booth.   I can't list them all (my brain is mush after 4 days of doing a show), but I have to single out Dave Anderson (who found our booth without us being there, go figure), Peter Medchill (wish we had more time to visit), Fred Glidden (like the the postman, he'll make the show whether rain or shine), Lorry (Dave's buddy), Bob Paule (best conversationalist in the world), and Lance Anderson (vying for the title of Dad of the Year).

Because of the success of this show we will be adding another one. Were debating between Madison, Wisconsin, or St. Cloud, Minnesota. When a decision is made I will be sure to post the details.

Until then...

Uncle Dean-O

This past July I was trolling through the Crossover and noticed this gentleman on the bank. He was with his friends fishing for red salmon during the peak of the run.

I watched them hook several fish during my troll. It was neat watching these guys hanging out and spending time in the outdoors with their friend with limited physical abilities. This got me thinking about my uncle, Dean Lageson, who also has limited physical abilities, and what he has meant to me.

Passion. Other than my dad, when it comes to fishing, no one has had a greater influence on me than my Uncle Dean (recent photo above). At a very young age, when spring would roll around, I remember begging my mom and dad to take me over to my grandparents house so I could go fishing from the banks of Twin Lake with Uncle Dean. Oh, we fished a lot of other lakes through the years, but Twin was in his backyard and not many people knew it as well as Uncle Dean. Even in the winter I couldn't wait to go visit because we would always do something fishing related. What sticks out the most is cleaning and putting new line on our Johnson Century reels while watching The World of Virgil Ward (yes, I still know every word to the theme song). There's no doubt that Uncle Dean taught me a lot about the fun of fishing and everything that goes into it.


Generosity. This is another characteristic of my Uncle Dean. There are certain relatives that everyone has that you always want to visit because they slip you a few coins or dollars and tell you to go buy candy or an ice cream cone. Well, I couldn't wait to see Uncle Dean because he would always give me a new fishing lure or two. The great thing about this is he still does this today. Ask me about my collection of Rapala lures.


As an adult, I wish I could spend more time fishing with Uncle Dean (I'm still holding out that he'll join me in Alaska for a trip), but the thing I have and cherish is the time we've spent together. Over 40 years of fishing with him I've never grown tired of the stories or his jokes. Everyone should be as fortunate as I've been to have an uncle like Dean.