New Jay McEvers # 74 Totem Fish Decoy

The Only Totems I've numbered over the years are the 10 inch original shaped Totems. After 20 years I'm now up to number 74. It's been over a year since the last one came off the bench, so as you might imagine, I'm slowing down pretty serious Folks ! I've been in a Montana mood the last month or so with a couple one of a kind Totem Specials sold-" See Below". Billy the kid makes an appearance on this one. Looks like someones got the drop on him ! Good luck Billy!  Glass eyes, copper stone ground fins and stamped "J-74" on the lead.    Sold

Tough Day on the Prairie "One of a kind Tail Dragger." Six inches long with all designs burn outlined and hand brush painted. Gold Fleck over Red. Featured are Big Buff, and Chief Many Arrow. Glass eyes, copper fins and stamped "J" on the lead.    Sold !

Latest of the new series Totem Decoys  "Wild Montana" The new series will be one of a kind Totems, a few under the same theme name. They will no longer be offered on Ebay.  This 7-1/2 inch totem has glass eyes, copper fins and all designs are burn outlined and  mirrored from side to side. Also it's a first for a McEvers Totem with  a copper colored background and  a copper bar line tie. Totally hand brush painted. It also has a wood plug covering the lead and the title burned onto the plug. These Totems are in the finest collections from coast to coast and only a few are created each year.


                                                 

Offered 5-25-19  Sold

                                        New Series Totem     SOLD  5-19-2019

My daughter from NC sent me a picture of one of my decoys. 

 She said a dog fish got a hold of it.   

Fish House Removal

The spear fishing season is over,  and Minnesota fishing regulations require permanent fish houses to be off the lakes by March 4.  

It was a  good year for ice fishing! 
 2018-2019

Okay, what can go wrong 

moving the fish house off the lake?  

Every year is different on the ice,

 and this year,  the snow is  neck deep 
to a tall Norwegian!

This fish house is off of the lake,  

but  there's  still a few out there

 with 3 feet of snow to plow through.  

There wasn't  much snow on the ice
back in November 
when the season began.

Local Folk Art

LOYD RADI : Wood Carving
Loyd,  an elderly folk artist from central Minnesota, carved many kinds of critters, but what caught my eye, at the sports shows, was his long legged skunks.  About the time I decided to purchase one from him,  Loyd  didn't have any long  legged skunks on hand, so I ordered one from him.  I asked him to bring it to the next year's show. The next year's show rolled around, and I picked up my long legged skunk.     It wasn't until later that  I noticed  he  hadn't carved a new long legged skunk, but had added leg extensions to one of his short legged skunks.  I get a kick out of it every time I look at it.

Four Fish Decoy Carvings
Nothing makes my day more than coming across a true Minnesota folk art fish decoy.  These four were probably made around the l950's.  They were found within a stones throw of Vergas, Minnesota.  

DOC TROWBRIDGE Painting:
I have several of Doc's colorful paintings.   Wish I had a bunch more.  They all depict outdoor scenes from here in Minnesota.  
The back of the painting is signed,  "Blue Skies" by Don Trowbridge, age 83.  He lived in the same retirement building as my sister.  Every now and again, I stopped by to say hello and see what he was working on.  One day, I offered to sell some of his paintings for him on Ebay.  He just gave me a look, and said,  "No Jay,  I don't have time to be famous.  I just want to paint."

Rosewood Jig Sticks carved in 2019

2018 Minnesota Spearing Season

This orange and white McEvers decoy is still bringing them in after five years.

Most of my fish houses are small. 

           

    

Crappie Time!

Angling for sunfish and crappies is picking up in the Vergas Minnesota area.  Picked up this nice 13 incher the other day after test swimming a small cedar decoy.