Chicago River a true thing of beauty for boating

The term visionary is often applied to scientists, musicians and heavy duty thinkers who claim to know the true meaning of life. I'm not sure what category Pat Harrison lays claim to, but I believe he's on his way to establishing himself as one of the sharper crayons in the box. I'll tell you why I hold to that belief in a moment or two.

Hundreds of thousands of people make the trek downtown to work and bring home a paycheck. Many take public transportation be it a bus, el train or Amtrak from the suburbs and various sections of Chicago.

They get off their mode of public transportation and scurry to their jobs in various work places around the downtown area.

They rarely see the "backside" of the buildings they inhabit during their 9-5 jobs, except when they stop for lunch or a coffee break and subsequently find themselves on a riverfront that has transformed itself into a real spectacular gem of an architectural dream come true,

I personally found myself going downtown 5 days a week, to work, to learn about life as well as experience the energy.

If you haven't seen the river side of the tall shiny buildings and glittering office and condo structures, your personal education of Chicago itself and what it has to offer you is a pure delight you're missing. Add to all that beauty and this new look is a host of fishing opportunity. something city dwellers have touted for well over a decade or so. Enter Pat Harrison who just happens to be quite a real visionary. Born on the city's South Side at a time when neighborhoods were sectioned off by what churches families attended as well as bearing old country accents and customs.

For almost three years, Pat has been after me to ride with him in his boat while he shows me the ins and outs of the Chicago River and the gilded towers that rise above the streets below and wind up lining the riverbanks.

It's a combination of fishing and an outstanding scenic tour that reopened my eyes to the city I was born into as well as growing up amid the culture wars and neighborhood turnovers.

Pat runs a guide service simply called Pat Harrison Outdoors (patharrisonoutdoors.com).

We met Harrison at a South Side city launch ramp. We slowly made our way to the downtown area where the river itself became a crystal clear accomplishment.

The "old man", the senior Mayor Daley had his dream come true, always telling the public people will be fishing in the river one day.

We went through the Army Corps controlled locks leaving the downtown destination to others and headed for the rocky shoreline on the Lake Michigan side.

We caught a couple smallmouth bass. Shortly thereafter the big lake became a choppy and roiled scenario.

We returned to the river where my friend Phil and I proceeded to catch crappie and largemouth bass. Pat noted had we anchored at this one spot earlier in the morning, we would have encountered more largemouth and some catfish.

I told Harrison to save all that for our next trip. As far as I know there aren't any other professional river fishing guides.

I strongly urge you to take a day to fish and literally engulf yourself in the beauty of downtown Chicago from the river's perspective.

• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (live-streamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.