Wayne Knudson was born
and raised in the lake country of Northern Minnesota. The family
lived on Middle Leaf Lake in Otter Tail county. Hunting and
fishing,
with his folks and grandpa, was much more than a hobby. It was
a necessary way of life in Northern Minnesota in the 40's and
50's.
The family moved to suburban
Minneapolis but maintained a summer home on Otter tail Lake.
Walleye's hunting and fishing territory expanded to include
Iowa,
South Dakota, and Ontario Province.
Walleye's heroes were the
guys
who wrote the great outdoor stories found in Sports Afield, Field
& Stream, and particularly Jack O'Connor, the shooting editor
of Outdoor Life magazine. O'Connor wrote his stories of the great
western outdoors from his home in Lewiston Idaho, and was a big
influence on Walleye's decision to move west.
In 1976 Walleye moved his wife
Jackie, son Steve, and daughter Sandy to Missoula Montana. This
area has a reputation for the finest hunting and fishing in the
lower 48. Walleye and Captin Catchin' started hunting and
fishing
together in 1987 and have done so across Montana and into Idaho,
Washington, South Dakota, Oregon and the Provinces of Alberta
and Saskatchewan.
Walleye and Jackie along with
Bull and Maggi, their Labrador retrievers, make their winter
home at Florence Montana, in the Bitterroot Valley. As
soon
as the ice goes off Seeley Lake, at the edge of the Bob Marshall
Wilderness, they can be found at their log cabin, summer home,
making things ready for the coming fishing and hunting seasons,
and looking forward to visits from their 5 grandchildren, Jamie,
Jeffrey, Emma, Nick and Katie.