The Voelker Camp in Winter

One of the neatest things about writing The Fiberglass Manifesto has been the people that I have met in the process. Last week I received an email from Adam Tsaloff who mentioned that he enjoyed reading T.F.M., the exposure to several rod builders, and also explained that he was the oldest grandson of Michigan Supreme Court Judge and Writer John Voelker, pen name Robert Traver.

During our email exchange Adam talked about "The Camp" on Frenchman's Pond and he passed along a few photographs that his Uncle Woody had taken early this winter after everything that been buttoned up. Adam wrote of a few memories about spending time with his grandfather that I am honored to share.

“The camp lays still during the winter months, visited by an occasional rabbit hunter or a band of revelers on cross country skies or snow shoes. My Grandfather would ski into camp with friends and put a fire in the Franklin Stove to chase the winter chill out of the cabin. They would mix a few Old Fashioned or drink mulled wine out of their wine skins and pop popcorn over the fire."

"I went along on a few of those outings as a kid, and usually wound up skiing around outside while the laughter echoed out of the cabin. I would busy myself by looking at the pond and surrounding woods. Even in the dead of winter the pond would never freeze completely over. Open spots would reveal where a spring bubbled up from below. I would mark those spots in my mind and revisit them on the hot days of late summer. There I would throw hopper patterns with my 8’glass Fenwick six weight that my Grandfather bought me at the local sporting goods store. On occasion, I would be rewarded for my craftiness and provoke a swirl from a large Brookie that had claimed the spot to fin in the cool water.”

I've long enjoyed the writing of John Voelker and these photographs were certainly an insight into his most sacred haunt at a time of the year that most of us have never before seen.