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The Duke Bros. Delt Fishing Trips

Virtual Fishing 1987 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Trutus Elusivus

Some of you miss the Trip every year, and WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

Now, through the digital wonders of the World Wide Web,
even the lazy, anti-social, or Delt-phobic can participate
in a virtual Duke Brothers Delt Fishing trip online.

Click Here for Virtual Fishing You can't catch fish if you don't bait your hook! 

 

The first Duke Brothers Delt Fishing Trip

Story & Photos by Mike "Full Duke" Freriks

The original trip was headlined as:
'The Duke Bros. Opening Day Fishing Trip"

Later versions were called:
"The Duke Bros. et al Opening Day Fishing Trip"

The original Duke Brothers were (are):

  •  Buck Duke - Clint aka "Bub" aka "Buck Duke" Roberts (our original namesake and the pattern for all following names)
  •  Raw Duke - Jim Graham (because he was the youngest)
  •  Upfora Duke - Ron Guss (for the obvious reason that he was always up for a duke)
  •  Spike Duke - Charlie Bowman (because it sounded good)
  •  Marma Duke - Bruce Armstrong (because we were running out of ideas)
  •  Full Duke - Mike Freriks (because he was the oldest)

Over the years my wife came to be referred to as "Fullna Duke" and of course we all eagerly awaited the lady who would become the official "Duchess of Buck". She was definitely worth the wait.

As the trip continued we became less enamored of fishing from snow banks into frozen water and the trip was rescheduled to a usually more temperate time of year. The title of "Duke Bros. et al Opening Day Fishing Trip" managed to survive the change of date for several years.

There were a handful of somewhat regulars that began to emerge in the early years and an attempt was made to name them the Off Brothers. Minds less degenerated with alcohol may be better able to fill in this bit of trivia.

 

The Inaugural Delt Fishing Trip

Here are some pictures of a couple of the original Duke Brothers 
on their eleven day camping & fishing trip 
to Taboose Pass, September 1970

(you may click on any photo for a larger version)

Buc Duke & Full Duke hiking along Taboose Creek in the High Sierra

 Buck Duke & Full Duke hiking along 
Taboose Creek in the High Sierra

Full Duke at their camp next to a small unnamed lake 
well above treeline in Taboose Pass 

 Full Duke at camp next to a small unnamed lake above treeline in Taboose Pass
Buc Duke cooks Chili-Mac, while his brother sits on a rock, and Full Duke's brother catches some Z's

It was a rugged camp, well off of the established trail
Buck Duke cooks Chili-Mac; his younger brother sits on a rock behind him
Full Duke's younger brother catches some Z's on the ground

View from camp down into the headwaters of the Kings River
 The John Muir trail is in the distance

 View from camp down into the headwaters of the Kings River and the John Muir trail