Identification Plates

Question for you all...

I've been playing with color identification plates for the site and was wondering if there's any interest in having this type of thing available?

I have plates for all of our migratory species and they look more or less like this (Click for full size image) - Please excuse the "unofficial" MS Logo:



All change/update suggestions welcome!
Regards-
NMF

Minnesota Wolf management update

Minnesota’s Wolf Management Plan to take effect Jan. 27

(Released January 19, 2012)

Minnesota’s population of wolves will transition from federal protection to state management by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on Jan. 27, bringing with that transition a number of law changes.
Minnesota’s Wolf Management Plan will protect wolves and monitor their population, but also give owners of livestock and domestic pets more protection from wolf depredation. The plans splits the state into two management zones, with more protective regulations in the northern third, considered the wolf’s core range.
“The DNR is well-prepared to manage gray wolves and ensure the long-term survival of the species,” said Ed Boggess, DNR Fish and Wildlife Division director. “The state’s Wolf Management Plan will allow Minnesotans more flexibility to address the real conflicts that occur between wolves and humans.”
The major change with state management is the ability of individual people to directly protect their animals from wolf depredation, subject to certain restrictions. In addition, the state-certified gray wolf predator control program will be available to individuals as another option to deal with livestock depredation.

Click here for the full story and more depth on the plan.

On the run!

Steelhead fishing can often be a lot of standing around in a river with cold feet, runny nose, and the dreaded wader back.  But, every now and then you get that fish.  You know the one, the one that made the whole trip worth while.

For some, there are great memories captured in a photograph.  For a lot of us there is no camera shot and the fish is never landed.  It might have been from all the logs and branches found in portions of the split rock, or maybe the often crazy fast, rock infested water of the Knife, or one of the hundreds of leader eating rocky bends that line our rugged North Shore Rivers.  For this angler it was just a fresh fish not having any part of being landed in the rough water of the this North Shore River.

So what is the solution to potentially landing more steelhead in these types of situations, when moving downstream is no longer a sensible option?  If you are sure the fish is heading for troubled water, but not quite there, slack line 'em!  That's right, feed him line and do it as fast as you can. The key is to trick him into thinking he is no longer hooked. I know this might not make sense, but if you have a solid hook set you might be surprised at the outcome. 

Once again, the key here is giving the fish enough line so he does not feel hooked any longer.  No longer feeling threatened a steelhead will often turn and move back to its previous holding location or further upstream to continue it's migration.  Now having said this, there are a few factors that may work against you.  Too much weight on your line, to much distance between you and the fish, and fast current seams between you and your catch. 

I have found that slack lining works best when the water is all pretty much moving at the same speed as in riffle water and long pools.  It also works best with rod tip-to-fish distances under 75', more than that and the weight of the line alone can cause irreversible tension.  I have been able to land several fish using this technique, fish that would surely otherwise been lost.

When you get into a pickle this spring and all your steelhead fighting tricks have been used up, try slack lining, you just might find your steelie will turn in your favor.

Hat sale prices extended another week

Our fishing hats and skull caps have been a big hit so far, thanks to all who have show such enthusiastic support. As you will see on our estore page, and in previous posts, we have a few nice options for you to choose from.  If you have yet to get yours, you may want to get them soon... the 2011 sale prices have been extended for only one more week. After that, full price goes into effect.

100% of the profits from the sale of our hats go right back into the support of our mission statement and our North Shore Steelhead Fishery.  Show your support and order your hats today!

Tight lines to all in 2012.

Photo challenge VI

Do you know this river?  Check us out on facebook to play.

our facebook link

Photo challenge VI - Name the River only (no trails, roads or landmarks). You have until Friday afternoon to take a swing at this river.

One reply per angler.  Previous winners are not eligible. Winning replies will receive a free window decal. You must "like us" on facebook to play.

Check back Friday evening for the answer... good luck!

Minnesota Steelheader Hats - NOW AVAILABLE!

Fishing hats and warm double lined fleece skull cap beanies are now available!  Show your support for Minnesota Steelheader and the Steelhead fishery of our North Shore.  All the profits go directly back to help our Steelhead fishery.

All hats are on sale at great prices! 
Sales ends 12/31/11

You can find these and all our other merchandise available on our website - click here

Photo Challenge V

Photo Challenge V - on facebook

Photo challenge V - Name the River only (no trails, roads or landmarks).

You must be a "Friend" of our facebook page to play - click on the "like" button if you are not yet a facebook friend.

You will have 24hrs to come up with the correct answer.  One reply per angler.   Winning replies will receive a free window decal.  Check our facebook page on Sunday for the answer... good luck!

Click here to go directly to our facebook page.

DNR will allow Lutsen Mountain to continue drawing water from Poplar River for snowmaking this season



(Released November 10, 2011)

Lutsen Mountains Corp. (LMC) will be allowed to continue drawing water from the Poplar River for snowmaking under a permit to be issued by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Lutsen applied for a permit to continue to pump water despite the low water flow conditions in the river that would normally require pumping operations to be discontinued.

The DNR is authorized by statute to allow exceptions to permits under unique circumstances. The 2011 Minnesota Legislature authorized LMC to take up to 150 million gallons of water from the Poplar River for snowmaking this fall, but included a provision that suspends the appropriation if flows fall below 15 cubic feet per second (cfs) for more than five consecutive days. The flow has been at or near that threshold for weeks. A separate statute provision authorizes the DNR to issue a permit beyond what is normally allowed for “just cause.”

The DNR believes there is just cause to issue LMC a permit based on potential serious economic impacts to the local community if Lutsen was forced to shut down, the likelihood that the severe drought conditions will cause some trout mortality whether or not LMC temporarily appropriates water, the fact that the number of trout impacted would be relatively small, and that the trout populations would likely naturally recover quickly.

The DNR received more than 600 public comments on the permit application. Many were in favor of allowing the permit. Others expressed concerns for impacts to the river and its trout population. All comments were considered in making the decision to issue a permit according to DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. He stressed that allowing the permit is a short-term solution because of its limited duration and because it requires Lutsen to commit to cease all pumping from Poplar River by the fall of 2016.

“The Poplar River is not a long-term sustainable source of water for LMC,” Landwehr said. “We will work with LMC and key legislators to find an alternate source of water for snowmaking even sooner – probably Lake Superior – within three years.”

According to the DNR, the average flow for the Poplar River in November is 86 cfs. It has been hovering around 15 cfs for some time, and will likely drop significantly during winter, when limited water drains into the river. North Shore streams rely primarily on surface water drainage rather than groundwater, and precipitation has been significantly below average in the area.

Click here to go to the DNR website where you can find more background info on this topic.

DNR seeking comments through Nov. 4 on permit to draw water from Poplar River

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comment on a proposal for a temporary permit that would allow Lutsen Mountain Corporation (LMC) to continue to draw water from the Poplar River for its snowmaking operation. Normally, pumping operations would be discontinued due to the river's low flow, but the DNR is authorized by statute to allow exceptions under unique circumstances.  Read More - click here.

Sneak peek at the 2012 fleece hats. Available Nov. | 2011

The Summer Minnesota DNR Cleanup Review just recently was published on line.  The review highlights information pertaining to the Adopt-a-River cleanup efforts within the State on Minnesota. 
In this issue you will find Minnesota Steelheader featured within the "on the water" section.  The write up highlights our efforts this past spring cleaning up our recently adoption of the Sucker River on the North Shore.

For those of you interested in becoming more active within Minnesota Steelheader please contact us through our website or simply keep following our blog and facebook for more info.  We are working on an exciting agenda for 2012, starting with another overhaul to our website.  There are a few group events also on the horizon. Oh, and some cool embroidered fishing caps and fleece hats will be available soon.

Double-Up Buttercup

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and the same is true for the folks at Minnesota Steelheader. O.k. we know they're not steelhead, but ya' gotta blow off a little steam while waiting for the steelies to come.

Here are MS Director DB and Field Staffer TU with a salmon double from a recent mental health trip...















And let's not forget Field Staffer Pete with a super bright hen!



















Blog & Facebook Contributor Jesse contemplating making a critical fly selection. And yes, he does bring his La-Z-Boy with him wherever he fishes. You should see him perched in the middle of the Knife at 500cfs! Note however the almost perfect utilization of Feng Shui; a sublimely Zen moment for sure...










'Till the Steelies Come Again-
The Minnesota Steelheader Field Staff

Saturday's Salmon Clinic - Fish On!

Our first fall salmon clinic was successfully held this past Saturday and what a great day it was. With a total of 10 guys on the water, everyone caught fish, well everyone except our camera man and field staffer, Murph, though he caught some great photos!

The group and MS staff met up on the the water around 10am to a cool overcast morning. MS staff  DB and NMF discussed the pink salmon fishery in great detail and how these buggers are able to sustain themselves naturally where other salmon have not. They also discussed how scouting a river in the fall can greatly improve your spring steelhead success rate as well as a review of fly fishing techniques, rigging and of course fly assortments.

The water was low during this outing, but it did not seem to hamper the run much as there were thousands of fish to be had and in just about all types of water on this particular river. From pools to riffle water, the group caught fish throughout. The two hot flies for the day seemed to be the PM stone and a black woolly bugger, with most of the females preferring the smaller variety of nymph patterns used. The males seem to slightly favor the larger buggers.

If you were one of our guests please feel free to post a comment as to the quality of your experience during this clinic. We hope to continue to offer the salmon clinic as well as other events on an annual basis. Your feedback will help us tweak things as needed.

Also, please visit our facebook page to view more pictures of the event. We will post all on our website soon, but facebook will be the best way to see them for now.  MS Facebook Link here 
Thanks again to all who participated, we hope you walked away a bit more knowledgeable about our North Shore fishery.

Photo Challenge IV

Here is a challenge for all who fish and explore the North Shore Rivers of Minnesota.

To play you must visit our facebook page. To be eligible you must first "like" our page. Good Luck!

Fall Salmon Clinic

Our fall pink salmon / reading water 101 clinic is on the calendar for Saturday, September 24th 10:00am.

So here is the scoop.

Our clinic, for fly fishing and drift fishing, will be conducted streamside rain or shine on a specified North Shore River this month, oh and it's FREE. All participants will need to provide their own transportation to the river and all the necessary gear and flies. We will provide a basic needs list to those who are interested as well. if you think this would be a cool deal, “sign up” via our CONTACT page on our website. Note, we are limiting this event to a small number so sign up early to reserve your spot.

The clinic will focus on the North shore pink salmon, including a brief history, life cycle, fly presentation and a few techniques to effectively hook into these fish. Most of the time will be spent trying to locate and catch these buggers. We will also include some basic water reading concepts to help beginners understand what to look for when searching for steelhead next spring.

All participants must be in good health and able to hike the trails and rocks of the North Shore. Don’t fret, we will NOT be hiking trails like the one pictured here. Our staffer, TU was a bit ambitious this afternoon. We will provide directions and more details to each who sign up.

To sign up please EMAIL US your Full name and contact phone number. Click the link provided or visit our website. Since this is our first go at this kind of streamside clinic we have no real idea on the amount of interest in this event. We just think this would be a good opportunity for beginners and veterans to learn a bit streamside while hanging out with like minded anglers.

RSVP no later than 9-10-11.

Videos....finally online.

We finally have some video footage from our appearance on Cook what you catch and KHO.  You can find these and a few others on our website... check out the video link.  We will be posting more in time and encourage any of you to send us your videos!

Information on sending video footage can also be found on our website... we hope you enjoy.

Wake Up Sleepy!

Psst.... PSSSSST! Hey, wake up you! Shake off the sleep, brush the dust off the equipment and grab the bug dope because the band is back on stage and the annual dance continues.

These fellers on the left have been quietly making their way back upstream over on the other side of the Nemadji if you care to go look for them. Things haven't been quite so predictable with the rain coming in fits and starts the last part of July, but the rain on the 2nd....

Either way it's just the first wave of the conductor's baton; the next movement will be coho's along with the odd chinook, pinks, coasters and then steelhead. Whatever your game, it's an exciting time of year, even if you're trying not to melt in the heat and not thinking about fishing. But hey, that's why we're here- To give you a little poke now and then!

As for other news- The Fall Sucker River clean-up date has not been set, but we kicked around the idea of a combined Pink Salmon/Clean-up weekend. If you might be up for that just drop us a line. You don't have to commit now just a quick, "Yeah, that might be cool" or "Sorry Charlie" E-Mail would help us to gauge interest.

One item to consider: The pinks start just about the time that bird hunting and bow-hunting get going. You may already have plans, but there is a fair amount of public land up in the sawtooth and last year saw high grouse numbers taken. We'll be on the downswing of the cycle likely, but it still should be good. Pinks in the a.m. and grilled grouse for supper sounds good to me. Might even run into a sprucie or two. (Hey with this nutty "Hair Hackle" craze, I'll take all the feathers I can get!)


Regards-
NMF

08.07.11 Note: I just went back and reviewed the ruffed grouse numbers. Drumming counts were actually UP this spring and DNR states that the peak "Will likely continue". So I was incorrect but hey, just means even more available grouse and possibly a strong odd-year pink run to boot. I wish I was wrong like that more often!

2011 Photo Contest has begun - Enter Now!

2011 Photo Contest - Starts today!

Did you take any great photos from this Spring steelhead season?  If so, enter them in our 2011 Photo Contest!

All winning Photograph Photographers will receive a "goody bag" from Minnesota steelheader and the winning photos will be featured across our website, and social media pages.




Here are the rules:

1. Photo must be taken from Minnesota waters in 2011
2. jpg files only
3. Supply photographer's name, address and phone number
4. Enter as many photos as you wish
5. One winner will be selected from each category
6. Winner will be featured on our website and news blog
7. Deadline - July 10th, 2011
8. Submit by emailing to the email shown below or visit our website's contact page




Categories:
1. Fish Photograph (with angler)
2. Misc. steelheading/tackle photograph
2. Scenic photograph
3. Funny photograph
4. Youth photograph

Note:  By submitting your photos, you are giving Minnesota Steelheader(MS) the rights to publish your photograph on www. minneostasteelheader.com, all related (MS) internet based social media, and in any related printed form for the use of promoting Minnesota Steelheader and our North Shore fishery.

All personal information supplied to (MS) will be keep exclusively on file with Minnesota Steelheader and will not be shared with anyone.

Final 2011 Run Statistics

Lower Shore Creel vs. Trap Numbers:


Lower Shore Creel Survey Numbers:


Mid Shore Creel Survey Numbers:


Upper Shore Creel Survey Numbers:


Shorewide Combined Creel Numbers vs. the Shorewide Creel Average:


Only two notes: 1. I'm using the term "Shorewide Creel Average" pretty loosely. This is only the 2nd year the DNR has reported the numbers in the format they are now using. As such the "average" only represents 2010/2011. Still Better than nothin'! 2. There are still fish on the Upper Shore...

Any questions please post them in the comments section and I'll try and answer them asap. Regards - NMF

More Lutsen - Poplar River Issue

We recently contacted State representative, C. McFarlane, looking for some clarity on the passed bill regarding the Lutsen Resort water consumption bill.

McFarlane informed us that the bill they passed will,  for the the first time, limit the resort's use of water from the stream.  Once that annual allocated limit is met, water will not be allowed to be pumped for the remainder of that that year.  She also stated that the permit issued to Lutsen has a 5 year time limit to look for a long term solution. 

Below is the language from the conference committee report:

  Sec. 101. CONSUMPTIVE USE OF WATER.
53.11Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 103G.265, subdivision 3, the legislature
53.12approves of the consumptive use of water under a permit of more than 2,000,000 gallons
53.13per day average in a 30-day period in Cook County, in connection with snowmaking
53.14and potable water. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the permit for the
53.15consumptive use of water approved under this section shall be issued, subject to the
53.16fees specified under Minnesota Statutes, section 103G.271, without any additional
53.17administrative process to withdraw up to 150,000,000 gallons of water annually for
53.18snowmaking and potable water purposes. The permit authorized under this section shall
53.19be suspended if the flow of the Poplar River falls below 15 cubic feet per second for more
53.20than five consecutive days. The permit authorized under this section shall be reinstated
53.21when the flow of the Poplar River resumes to 15 cubic feet per second or greater. The
53.22permit shall be for a term of five years.

In our email correspondence to Rep. McFarlane we also asked what studies or reports were cited that show that the amount of approved water usage will have no impact to the watershed or fishery.  We were referred to Rep. Dill to answer that question.  We will post any reports or studies that surface from Rep Dill.

To all our readers, we welcome constructive comments to our posts, but as stated in the previous posts we are not going political on this. we plan to be rational and get all the facts. If the facts state harm to the fishery is possible, then let's fight with all we have.  Republican, Independent, Democrat does not matter here.  In a fight you are either with us and the fishery or against us. It will be that simple from Minnesota Steelheader. 

To those that have commented and stated you are not political, then proceed to negatively name one political party 3 times in a single paragraph... well, as you can see your comments are not published.... sorry.  Keep it real and we will happily share your thoughts with our readers.  Keep it political and your letters and paragraphs will evaporate into the cyber abyss.  Not fair?  Come on guys! 

In the mean time we will continue to track this frustrating issue and do our best to bring unbiased clarity to our reports.