Distinctly Montana Magazine

52 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 3 "We're beachcombers. We like finding driftwood and odd lit- tle things. We walked about a mile of beach, and we found a lure. Then we walked to a different beach and found another one. That first time, I think we found five of them." They start- ed looking for lures the way coastal beachcombers search for interesting seashells, returning with six or seven pieces after every outing. They were, um, hooked. "It was hilarious," says Kevin. "We got really addicted to it. We just said, 'why don't we start saving these things?' and that's how the whole thing got started." Nearly thirty years later, Kevin and Wen- dy, a retired legal secretary, have amassed a collection of about 220 lures. They range in size from a tiny, teardrop-shaped, frog-patterned wobbler the size of a pinkie toe to an eight-inch long, vaguely reptilian troll- ing plug shaped like a bratwurst with one end sliced off at an angle. Glittering yellow eyes and three sharp treble hooks com- plete the fierce image of this huge lure that seems more preda- tor than prey. Hanging from the twisting, intertwined lengths of roots are poppers and plugs, spinners and spoons, divers and wobblers, and a few oblong plates of chromed metal used for trolling. Along with the lures, they have found dozens of bob- bers, a flock of yellow rubber duckies, a carved and painted wooden lighthouse, a few duck decoys, and a mermaid. "Finally, I got a bonus," Kevin laughs as he remembers the day he found the two-foot tall, white plastic mermaid. He shows me Wendy's snapshot of him leaning up against their boat, cradling his aquatic prize with an obvious look of delight. "I'm just cuddling it like it's the best thing I ever found in my life," he laughs. "It's a cute one, too. I like it." The bone-white siren of the lake dangles among the dazzling thicket of lures, seemingly gaz- ing off at some distant shoreline. While Wild Horse Island is their main haunt, Kevin and Wendy have found lures and other curious flotsam and jetsam at different areas of Flathead Lake on the beaches of Yellow Bay, Somers, and other accessible spots. A few years ago they took VOTE FOR US WIN $ 500! FOR YOUR CHANCE TO B E S T O F M O N TA N A B M D I S TI N C T L Y M O N T A N A ' S 2023 From "Cabins to Estates" the craftsmen at Montana Log Homes have been handcraft- ing custom log homes nation- wide since 1983. Creative inspiration comes naturally in this mountain country. By preserving the spirit of the Old West, using handcraft- ing techniques handed down from our pioneer forefathers, we create homes as unique and beautiful as the wilder- ness from which they came. SPECIALIZING IN EXCELLENCE SINCE 1983 THE Handcrafted ALTERNATIVE 406-752-2992 Email: info@montanaloghomes.com 3250 US Highway 93 South Kalispell, Montana 59901 We invite you to visit our office/showhome or visit us on our website at: www.montanaloghomes.com O N E O F T H E I R E A R LY F I N DS I S A T R U E A N T I Q U E . IT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE A WILSON WOBBLER, FROM THE EARLY 1900S.

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