Greene County Daily World file photo A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT: Greene-Sullivan State Forest has many lakes to fish, including Wampler Lake. Greene County Daily World outdoor writer Brandon Butler spent some time recently at the state forest.

The Greene-Sullivan Region of Indiana is a wooded wonderland dotted by hundreds of man-made lakes. With a down home persona where camouflage cut-offs out number suits 10 to 1, the area exudes relaxation. Public land abounds, offering pursuit of fish and game, along with opportunities to search for mushrooms, watch birds, hike, camp, and countless other natural pursuits.

The region is referred to as Greene-Sullivan, because a majority of the area's attractions are found in those two adjoining counties. The towns of Linton, Dugger, Jasonville, and Sullivan are the major points of civilization in and around the region, but the true essence of the area is found in the wilds of the reclaimed lands.

Once stripped bare by coal companies, the forests of the area have grown back dense and wild. The hundreds of lakes in the region are reclaimed strip pits that have long since been filled with water and turned into a fishermen's paradise. With very little development on any of the public pits, fishermen are left to enjoy the solitude and scenery of the wilds, while pursuing the abundance of bluegills, bass, crappie, and catfish.

There is even one pit renowned for its hold-over rainbow trout. I won't name the lake, because that's part of the fun of the area. Most locals and travelers alike keep their strip pit knowledge behind tight lips. Hunting for fishing information is just one more enjoyable pursuit of the region.

People will tell you to try a pit and if you don't catch anything, move on to the next one. But if you're desperate for information, stop by and see Bill Fish at Minner's Bait Shop just south of Linton. He'll point you in the right direction.

Probably the most appealing aspect of the Greene-Sullivan is the amount of public land available to those seeking outdoor recreation. The Greene-Sullivan State Forest, Goose Pond FWA, Minnehaha FWA, Shakamak State Park, Redbird State Riding Area, and John Hillenbrand FWA all offer public access for outdoor recreation in the area. What really makes the public land of the region valuable though is the incredible amount of fish and game.

Even with all the great public land opportunities, sometimes people just want to get away from it all. My family and I recently spent a weekend at Deer Run Properties, located in the heart of the Greene-Sullivan region, just north of Dugger. Consisting of 500 private acres, Deer Run is truly a special place. With six private lakes and endless woodlands, Deer Run offers the sportsman an opportunity to hunt, fish, search for mushrooms, or simply just get away from it all on private ground in a true paradise.

My original intention for visiting Deer Run was to turkey hunt, but once I started catching monster bluegill and nice bass on just about every cast of my fly rod, I couldn't leave the water. The turkeys were gobbling all around us, but when one-pound bluegills are taking dry flies, turkeys are going to remain safe. On our last evening, we had a wonderful fish fry over an open flame in front of the beautiful, Amish built, lakeside log cabin we were staying in.

If you have never experienced the Greene-Sullivan region of Indiana, I hope you'll make a point of it real soon. Whether you fish or hunt, camp or hike, bird watch or ride, I would make a safe bet that you will be pleased. If you hurry, you just might hit the tail end of the big yellow morels.

See you down the trail ...

Brandon is an outdoor writer for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by e-mail at driftwoodoutdoors@yahoo.com ... to read more of Brandon's stories, visit his Web site at www.driftwoodoutdoors.com