Berries

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Well, so far the berry crop has been pretty good.  The raspberries (of all varieties) are thick!  We even have festivals that are centered around the raspberry.  Lots of rain, heat, and humidity has made for a bumper crop of berries along with other green, thorny, prickly vegetation.

Wear long pants, long sleeves, and a sturdy boot.  Use bug spray only if you need to, and try not to get it on your hands that you pick berries with.  I usually don’t bother washing them – they are delicate and the intense flavors can be washed away easily. 

I put them in Ziplocs and lay them as flat as possible in the freezer.  That way they should break apart into individual frozen berries for all kinds of future uses.

The Old Barn Resort

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Smack dab in the heart of southeast Minnesota’s bluff country, The Old Barn Resort is one of the best summer vacation getaways that money can buy!

Not only does it have an extremely scenic 18 hole golf course, that golf course is located along some of the best trout fishing waters in the state, the Root River.  This hidden gem is located about halfway between the towns of Preston and Lanesboro.  The area is well known for its trout fishing, turkey and whitetail deer hunting, canoeing, mushroom picking, and many other activities.  The area is also a very popular destination for bikers.  The old railroad bed was turned into a paved bike trail that winds for many miles through very scenic bluff country along the Root River.  They also have a fine eating establishment located in the historic old barn itself.  They have Summit Extra Pale Ale in the bottle, and if Mary is the bartender, tip her well!  Have a beer with Doug and Shirley, the owners.  The area’s small towns also hold some fine entertainment throughout the year.  Lanesboro is also home to a very talented theater company.  Be sure to have breakfast at the Chat-n-Chew or the bakery.

Nearest Cities:

Rochester, MN - 30 miles north along U.S. Highway 52

Minneapolis/St. Paul - 120 miles north along U.S. Highway 52

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

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Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (the Soo) is located just north of the Michigan town with the same name.

This is where Lake Superior and Lake Huron come together and are joined by the St. Mary’s River.  There is excellent salmon and trout fishing in both the lakes and the river.  I have been fortunate enough to travel to this area for work recently.  If you go fishing on Lake Superior you will see many new wind turbines being constructed along the southeastern shore of Whitefish Bay.  This is the Prince Wind Farm project. 

I have not had the opportunity to fish in this area yet, but I have heard that Northern Fishing Adventures is a good place to start if you are looking for a chartered trip.  The visitor’s bureau is also a good source of information for the area.

Decks

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Soon or later your hunting or fishing shack will need a deck.  A nice level place up off the ground to help keep things a little dryer and much less muddy.

First, start with the footings.  If you are on sandy, well drained soil, then simple precast concrete spread footings from your local Menards will do the trick.  If you are on clay or silty soil, then you will need to pour concrete footings.  These need to be below the frost line (which can be over 4 feet in northern climates).  Check with your local building supply store or the city/county engineer’s office to find out the depth of the frost line for your area.  Powered augers are the way to go for deep footings.  This is a two person job and remember to hold on to the handles very tightly!  These can be rented at most tool/equipment rental stores or even your local hardware store.

The number and spacing of the footings will vary depending on the size of the deck and the materials used.  There are many, many books on deck building to choose from, and these can also be found at your local building supply store.  You could also check with your favorite contractor or engineer friend if you’re lucky enough to know one of these.

Once the design has been determined and the footings in place, the basic procedure is set the posts, main beams, joists, and then the decking.  This is where a nice Honda generator comes in handy along with a chop saw.  The concrete is easy enough to mix one bag at a time in a wheelbarrow.  A powered concrete mixer can also be rented.

Then crack open your favorite beverage and enjoy!     

BWCA

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The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW – the wilderness part was added recently, so many people just go by BWCA) lies along the very northeast corner of Minnesota’s border with Canada.  The towns of Ely, Minnesota and Grand Marais, Minnesota are the two main destinations for entry points into the BWCA.  A group of us have been doing an annual trip (always the weekend after the walleye opener) for the past 12 years.  You just never get tired of fresh walleye fried in a cast iron skillet over the fire. 

Check out this article for tips on how to go about getting a permit for the BWCA and what to do once you’re in there.  Walleyes grow on trees!

Catfish

By Chuck | 2 Comments »

The heat of summer is upon us and that means only one thing, the catfish are biting.

From big muddy waters to trout streams, catfish can be caught most anywhere, especially after dark.  So, at about sunset, get your buddies and your beer together and head down to the river.  Stop along the way at any tributary creek and catch a mess of chubs for bait.  Some people like to cut them in half and let the entrails hang out, I on the other hand, prefer live ones – they make more noise wiggling on the bottom which attracts the catfish from miles around.  Anyway, get to your favorite bend or eddy, get out the lawn chair and bug spray and chuck a chub.  Sit back, crack a coldy, and wait for that familiar tug on the end of your line.  Who brought the fireworks?

Wildlife Organizations

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The following organizations are among many who donate money and resources to habitats and local communities to help ensure that the quality of hunting and fishing that we enjoy today will be around for our children.  There are many ways to join, donate, or just read about what these organizations are up to.  The following are links to some of these organizations’ websites.  This is only a partial list as I’m sure there are many more quality organizations that I have not mentioned.  Check your city and state’s local chapters to see what events are being planned (such as banquets and other fund raisers). 

Duck’s Unlimited

National Wild Turkey Federation

Trout Unlimited 

Pheasants Forever 

Muskies Inc.            

Beginner Fly Tying

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Getting into fly tying requires commitment and patience.  Basically, any beginner kit will do for starters.

Cabela’s carries a good line of starter kits.  They come with instruction on how to get started, so once you get the kit, play around with it for a few days and get used to the tools and the terminology.  Also a good thing to do is to check your local sporting goods stores or community recreation programs for fly tying classes.  The Fly Tying Bible and the Western Trout Fly Tying Manual are a couple of good books to have on hand.  One of the key things to remember when tying your flies is to pay close attention to the proportions (ie… tail size relative to body, eyes, where the body lies in relation to the tip of the hook, etc…).  This information should be spelled out in the manuals.  Another good thing to think about is entomology.  Study the bugs in and around your favorite trout streams and practice tying those flies first.  Here is a simple #6 Wooly Bugger.

The set up.

Tie the eyes on the hook

.

Add the tail, body, and hackle.

Wrap the hackle and tie the finishing knot.  

Gear - Tents

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The Northface Roadrunner 22
3 season, 2 person tent

I was in the market for a new tent this year (the old Eureka Glacier Bay has lasted me for over 12 years, but I’m afraid it’s seen better days – it’s likely the next good rainstorm will soak its occupants).  So, with dividend in hand I went down to my favorite REI store to see what they had in stock.  They had a good selection of Sierra Designs, Mountain Hardware, and REI brand tents.  There were also a few MSR and The North Face tents.  They all had their plusses and minuses, and it took me way too long to decide, but in the end, I decided upon The North Face Roadrunner 22. 

The tent is 35 square feet.  This is a little cozy for two average adults, but the two doors and vestibules eliminate having to crawl over each other getting out one door.  Also, the total weight is less than 6 pounds, which makes it ideal for canoeing and backpacking.  For the first test, I set the tent up in my living room.  The tent was easy to set up for one person, and taking it down and getting it rolled back up was easy, too.  There are only two poles that cross in the middle.  The rainfly has one short pole which sits across the peak of the tent and then connects at the four corners.  The “head” of the tent is slightly wider than the “foot”.  It has two doors (on the sides as opposed to the ends) with the rainfly creating vestibules outside each door.  There are lots of tie down loops, and the rainfly also has some built in ropes for tying down. 

Retail price $259.  

Out of State

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Links to every states’ fishing and hunting license regulations:

With the differences in geography, habitat, climate, game management, etc… there will likely never be a single hunting or fishing license that will incorporate all of the places you like to hunt and fish.  You might travel across the country to your favorite fishing hole, or you may end up in another state just by crossing the road or river outside your front door.  As for now, we are bound to purchase licenses in the state where the license will be used.  Some neighboring states have reciprocity and others don’t, and some states really jack up the fees for out-of-staters.  The following is a partial list of where to get licenses, regulations, etc… for that particular state.  Generally, it is that state’s department of natural resources or fish and wildlife department.  These sites are also full of good information about that state’s fish, game, and natural resources.

Alaska

Minnesota

Washington

Oregon

California

Wyoming

Montana

Colorado

Nebraska

North Dakota

South Dakota  

Wisconsin

Michigan

Texas

For all other states and Canada, check here.