We came across an article in our local newspaper that talked about a Prairie du Chien man that could star in his own TV reality show. He is a woodcarver and a longtime commercial fisherman on the Mississippi River. He has his own store called Valley's Fish and Cheese store. Prairie du Chien has a New Year's Eve celebration called Carp Fest and Dropping of the Carp. Mr. Mike Valley makes a real carp that has a clear coat finish applied to it and a smear of red lipstick, weighs about 20lbs. 9oz.. The carp's name is Lucky and is lowered by a crane into a wooden cradle on St. Feriole Island, which is a small island by Prairie du Chien, and hundreds line up to kiss her frozen lips for good luck.
The TV show is a reality show that is to air this spring on the Discovery Channel and titled "American River Rendezvous." It's based on Mr. Valley and his partner cruising on the Mississippi River netting carp, sheep-head, catfish, bullhead and even dog fish. These fish are prized for their caviar which can fetch as much as $75.00 a pound mainly in the St. Louis and Chicago areas. For us this was an eye opener piece of information because other than the catfish we considered all these fish to be rough fish that were worthless and should be discarded when caught.
The show might not be the next Duck Dynasty but who knows with enough support starting with all of us in a few years we might see some Mike Valley bobble-head dolls on the market. The Upper Mississippi River Valley has an endless supply of stories like this and the only way to find them and experience them yourself is to continue to visit our blog and plan your next vacation to come and cruise the Upper Mississippi River Valley.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we cruise and explore more destinations and provide more information in the Upper Mississippi River Valley.
