Poem: Minnow Bay by Tim Stouffer

Minnow Bay

Ahead, light pours out over water so clear

that every rock is bathed in sunlight;

afternoon’s gift of warmth 

to native Minnesota minnows:

Bluntnose, Creek Chub, Fathead, Golden Shiner

and Northern Redbelly Dace.

Minnows, not just smallish fish.

Like abandoned  jewels encrusting the bottom,

their scales capturing shadows bouncing

from agate, quartz and granite gravel.

Pushing off the canoe with my foot in the cold water,

I don’t drag, don’t bang, don’t make a sound,

yet they scatter in schools from the over-large shadow

of the craft, giant and banana-like above,

my second summer skin,

gliding out of the bay.

How can these waters still be so clear?

How can silence still be the musical score?

How have you waited so long?

Underneath, untouched by travelers,

another world reflected.

Another chance at

freedom.

©Timothy James Stouffer 04182018

All Rights Reserved Ely, Minnesota

If you are looking for a kevlar canoe for the Boundary Waters and Beyond,

click here for our fantastic selection of canoes (tandems only way 44 lbs)

The Boundary Waters Catalog

A Clients Perspective: First Boundary Waters Trip

Hi Drew and Adam!

I want to thank you and your entire team for helping make our trip to the Boundary Waters an awesome and relaxing adventure. I can't speak highly enough about how accommodating and helpful you guys were. We planned our trip from Nashville, and you made sure we had everything in order, including rentals, shuttles, switching my permit pick-up spot, and a handful of other things I just wouldn't have thought about. You guys even had sweet and salty snacks for us after we pulled out of Snowbank (seriously a great touch). I appreciate it very much!

This was my first trip into the BWCA, and honestly, I had no idea what to expect. To put it mildly, I was absolutely blown away by one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. We ended up camping on Disappointment, Ima, and Boot Lakes over a 7 day period. For future reference, the coolest campsite in the world is on an island of Ima Lake. There's a perfect hammock spot that overlooks a cliff that doubles as a jumping rock for swimming, and the site has the best of view of the sunset and stars at night! I've included a few pictures that don't begin to do it justice!

Thanks again for everything! If we return to Ely, you will certainly be our outfitter.

Sincerely,  Jessica Shutt

Canoe Trip Photojournal, July 2011

Steve and Nancy recently took time out to get a canoe trip in. The weather here has been beautiful and the water is perfect for swimming. I don't know why they call these the dog days, they feel like paradise!

All shot a site on the east end of Loon Bay were the Heritage Creek flows into Lac La Croix. Cool temps over night resulted in fog over the warm lake but the day soon warmed up to the mid 80's with few clouds.

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Quetico Fishing Pictures

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.”
 Henry David Thoreau

That may be true.  It is also true that many men and women go fishing all their lives and never catch the size of fish you'll find in the Boundary Waters and Quetico wilderness waters.  For some of our outfitting trip clients, fishing is (need we say more) a passion.

Fishing certainly is a fun part of the canoe trip experience.  Whether you practice catch and release or catch and eat, it has rewards that other sports do not.  Fishing on your own can be a great time for reflection, relaxation and rendezvous with nature.  Fishing with a friend combines all those and more.  I've fished for hours with my friends and we've barely said a word.  Those unsaid words spoke volumes.  I've gone fishing on Father's Day with my Dad and treasured every piece of conversation we shared.  I call those days the "no-limit" days.

Catching up with old friends in a canoe that I've not spent time with since high school is something I'll never forget.  The catching those days didn't depend on whether the fish were biting or if they weren't.

"There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind." ~Washington Irving

"I love fishing.  You put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end.  Your imagination is under there."  ~Robert Altman

"Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land.  It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn."  ~Chuck Clark

"Last year I went fishing with Salvador Dali.  He was using a dotted line.  He caught every other fish."  ~Steven Wright

As promised, here are a couple pics from Brent and my most recent Quetico Adventures!  I’ve got many, many pics – however, these are some good ones with really nice sized fish!  The almost 30” lake trout is my biggest to date!  Brent caught his biggest walleye and pike, and we both caught 20 inch smallmouth up and down Wicksteed’s bays.  Great fishing this spring!

Cheri Henderson

 

Morning Fog on Glacier Lake

Cheri with 29" Lake Trout on Argo Lake

Brent with 20" Smallmouth on Wicksteed Lake

Cheri with 19" Smallmouth on Crooked Lake

Brent with 26" Lake Trout on Argo Lake

Moose on Darky River

Brent with 39" Pike on Wicksteed Lake

Brent with 25 inch (plus) walleye on Crooked Lake

BWCAW FIRE UPDATE Lake Three Area Boundary Waters Horseshoe Island

Horseshoe Island (Lake Three) Fire
Update – June 20, 2011
          
DATE OF DETECTION:  June 13, 2011

CAUSE:  Lightning

CURRENT SIZE:  31 acres

LOCATION:   T62N, R9W, Sec. 2 NWNW; Horseshoe Island in Lake Three within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)

AGENCY:  Superior National Forest, Kawishiwi Ranger District

STATUS:  First sighted by visitors on June 12, 2011 and reported on June 13, 2011

SMOKE CONDITIONS:  Some smoke may be visible in the general area of Lake Three.

RESOURCES:  The fire is being monitored as needed based on weather and fire behavior.

RE-OPENED:  All campsites in the southern end of Lake Three have been re-opened.

FIRE INFORMATION:     (218) 365-2093 Becca Manlove
                                                (218) 365-7619 Tracy Richards

Today’s Messages:  Visitors approaching burned areas should use caution due to the danger of falling trees. In the narrow channel next to the burned island paddlers should stay as close to the green shore as possible. The fire activity is low due to damp weather. Visitors are continuing to travel throughout Lake Three.  All portages are open, including the portage into Horseshoe Lake.

Sunrise in Ely

What follows is a pictorial essay of a very beautiful morning.  The light was fantastic -- capturing the first colors of the day as dawn crept out of darkness.  A rainbow graced the sky with the promise of a new day with new challenges and new adventures.  A glorious golden hue descended on Tuesday.  At 5:22 a.m. Steve Piragis began taking these shots.  The only thing more spectacular would be viewing this light from the shore of a favorite campsite just as your slip bobber went under...

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Moose sighting in Ely. Yeah, right IN ELY.

The other night on the way back from Virginia, MN my headlights lit up some glowing eyes that were taller than the large number of whitetail deer I'd already spotted in the darkness.  It was getting a little hairy out there, and I was on full alert.

When I spotted this pair of eyes on the edge of the woods about 12 feet from the woods, I sat up straight, slowed down and gripped the wheel a little tighter.  Getting closer I saw the huge form of a dark colored adult male moose.  He seemed to be browsing in the ditch.

This is how we most often see them, on the edge of our roads up here or many times, jogging it down the middle of our gravel roads out in the surrounding landscapes of Ely.  I've seen them doing this near Ely over by White Iron Lake and up towards the old Chainsaw Sisters.

HOWEVER, there's a picture circulating around Ely that proves we are America's Coolest Smalltown.  The picture is of a moose right in town here.  Hanging out amidst the lilac trees and taking in the view as it looks down the hill towards Britton's Cafe as if it were going to saunter down and order today's lunch special.  Only in Ely, that's all we've got to say...

Photo by Ely's Amy Kireta.  Moose doesn't answer to "Bullwinkle".

Come up and hang out this summer!  Maybe you'll spy a moose of your own.

Minnesota DNR Reports numbers of Fishing Licenses purchased is down.

C'mon folks, get your license and get out there and wet a line.  We're coming up on some of the best early, cold water fishing of the year for walleye and big northern pike.  As our days get warmer and warmer and we get closer to the first part of June, our not so well kept secret, the smallmouth bass comes into its own.  These fish fight pound for pound like no other freshwater fish around.  They are fabulous fun to catch on ultra-light rigs and flyfishing rods.  They are more plentiful now than ever and great fun for kids to get on the line as well.

Basically what I'm sayin is the bite is on!  So go ahead, read the article, but let's all do our part to make the story obsolete.

DNR: Minnesota fishing license sales down 30 percent from last year's opener

http://www.startribune.com/local/122042449.html