Yellowwood State Forest And A Hammock, Oh Yeah, And Some Fishing, Too

 

     Yellowwood State Forest is located just across the Monroe/ Brown County line in scenic Brown Co., Indiana. At just over 23,000 acres, Yellowwood (named after the Yellowwood Poplar, Cladrastis kentukea, which grows on the property and is seldom found this far north) is also home to large groves of Red Pine and Black Gum trees for which its campgrounds are named. I settled in to a nice spot in the Red Pine campground, open and slightly shaded, with tall straight pines from which to hang my hammock.
     The purpose of my escape was to 'performance review' three products, a Thermocell mosquito repellant system, a camp chair by Eureka, and a Grand Trunk hammock...and to catch some fish. (Hey, somebody's got to do it!) 

     Yellowwood is an quiet place with relatively few guests compared to Brown County State Park (Indiana's largest state park located just up the state highway) and it offers hiking, camping, horseman's camp/ trails as well as boating & fishing. The forest is home to Yellowood Lake, a 133 acre, no motor lake that has bass, bluegill, catfish, and an increasingly rarer occurrence of trout, holdovers from a discontinued state stocking effort in the creek that feeds the lake. There are even nesting eagles to view if your into bird watching. If your idea of fishing is watching a bobber bounce with bluegill nipping away eagerly underneath, or flinging thread and feathers with a 5 wt. at bass who cruise the steep banks then this place is for you. 

   My site was as perfect as the weather. An incredible view of the lake only 40 feet away, and an even more impressive view of the stars through the pines made for a great stay. As I was camping alone, it was even kind of comforting to have a 'guest' for my entire stay, a duck who never left my side. No kidding, everywhere I went, so did he. Never once quacking, always watching. Watching for any scrap that hit the ground. I don't believe that duck even knew what water was - but he sure knew what that half of an oatmeal cream pie was that I dropped! Anyway, back to the task at hand... With my Grand Trunk Double hammock strung between the chosen trees and a tarp staked over a rope above me to keep the dew off, camp was made. With the unfolding of the Eureka chair, I could feel my blood pressure drop as I propped my feet up and took it all in.
     As the evening crept in and chicken and sausage gumbo filled the air, in came the bugs. Not nearly as bad this season as they usually are, they were making their presence known, none the less. Out came the Thermocell. With a quick installation of the cartridge and pad and a flip of the switch, I was almost instantly bug free. Let me tell you, these things really work. At approximately 4 hours per pad and three pads per pack, I was set for the night. I had heard good things about the Thermocell system but was cautiously skeptical. Boy was I made a believer. It will now accompany me on every outdoor adventure. After a filling bowl of gumbo and potato chips, and a spell in the chair watching the stars, I couldn't have felt more at ease. As was my buddy, Aflac, as I called him, seeing how he settled in right near the warmth of the fire.
    

This July has been an unseasonably cool month. While daytime temps are usually pushing into the mid nineties this time of year, we have had mostly upper 70's this month, and some mid 80's. This evening was starting to acquire a bit of Fall nip in the air as temps were expected to dip near 50. It was starting to look like a bad night to go hammock camping. I put my ultra light 1 1/2" air cell sleeping pad into the hammock for some bottom-side insulation, pulled a flannel/canvas all weather blanket over me and hoped for the best. I figured if I could just get through the night, I would warm my bones in the rising sun while I fished. I have to tell you, Grand Trunk makes one comfy hammock. I slept like a baby! When I first unpacked my double hammock, I thought there is no way it would hold me- let alone be comfortable. At 6' and 240 lbs I was a bit leery the first time I 'test drove' it. The hammock not only held, it supported me comfortably. I slept so well that I said forget it about sunrise fishing and had a Sunday morning sleep-in til 10:30. I was able to roll over onto my side, curl up, stretch out, whatever I wanted to do in my hammock without discomfort or dismount. Another new must-have on my overnight excursions. Grand Trunk hit the nail on the head with this product.
     To sum things up, it was a great overnight with great products. The goal was to go relatively light duty and keep it simple. A man with a hammock, chair, tarp and bug buster. I really don't usually sound this cheery and all sunshine and roses, but this was one of those kind of trips. A night in the woods to relax and get away for a bit. The last two trips I have taken were miserable and wet. One I suffered through and one I wound up frustrated and flooded and packed it in after a day. I needed this! And with Grand Trunk's, Thermocell's, and Eureka's help I got what I wanted. Oh yeah, and I fished. 'Gills and bass all day on a 5 wt., enjoy the fish porn below: