Tempted by Templetons

Back in January when we were just dreaming of fishing without frozen guides, we had the pleasure of hearing Bob Bickford speak at Mend Provisions. Bob is a long standing guide of local waters and a guru and advocate for one of our local bass havens, the St. Croix. This is where Bob introduced us to his signature bass bug, The Templeton.

Fast forward to May and Phil and I are making our maiden voyage of the year down the Mighty Mississippi. The season just opened but the water was already low and clear. In need of some supplies, I swung by the fly shop and grabbed a handful of Templetons that were tied by Bob himself. For those that don’t know, the Templeton is essentially a simplified Dahlberg with a foam head and collar that makes a superb top-water pop and gurgle with a little bit of feather and flash in the rear. Needless to say, it worked and worked well. All day long we were lining up bass on the banks, sometimes in just inches of water. My favorite take was a rocket that shot from the bank, leaving a wake on top of the water as it charged my fly which just disappeared in a delicate slurp. 

The fishing was good but getting back out on the water was even nicer. One month prior, I was laying in a hospital bed recovering from a small heart attack while Phil was simultaneously bringing home an infant. The last month has been an ordeal for us both and nothing will heal the nerves and soul like a day floating down a river.

We’re blessed to have such amazing water so close to our homes in Minneapolis. Trout streams, bass and musky rivers and countless lakes are all within an hour or less from us. If you haven’t floated for bass yet, we highly recommend you add it to your list of to-dos.

To float with the man who enlightened us, reach out to Bob Bickford at St Croix Valley Adventures.