Minnesota Steelheader

A couple of us were up on the upper shore the past couple days for a somewhat impromptu pursuit of fish and birds. In short success all around.  The Grouse we plentiful and so were the fish. The Pink Salmon we saw were all well into the fall run.  we saw several fish spawning and nearly all fish observed showed the signs that their end was soon to arrive.  Even with the fish in the condition they were in they still were spunky little buggers.  Speaking of buggers...used 'em almost exclusively and just today witnessed several pinks swim out of their comfort zone to whack my tasty looking treat. Coho were far and few but check out the picture.  This was caught yesterday evening at a terminal hole on an upper shore river.  This fish hit with a BAM and was dime bright to boot!  This coho measured 20" on the rodrule.  Average on the North Shore is in the 17-18" wit...

Reminder to those of you who are also inland trout fishermen or fisherwomen.  The season officially closes on Thursday, September 30th. Inland waters on the North Shore are those waters above each of the posted boundaries.  You can check out our website for a printable list of these locations.  Note that not all rivers use HWY 61 as the upstream boundary so be sure to read the regulations.  A link to the regulations is posted on our home page. Having said that, the water below the posted boundaries is open year round, Though not all species can be harvested year round.  Please observe the signs posted and read up on the regulations. A couple of us will be heading out in the morning for a two day trip in search for some great fall fishing. Our buddies with the DNR just informed us that fish are in the rivers and plenty of them: Brookies, Browns, Pinks & Coho.  We will try to get a post up before the weekend to bring you ...

North Shore Pink Salmon Report The pink salmon run on the lower North Shore Rivers has peaked and the number of fish entering is on the decline. On Monday, 15 pink salmon were caught at the Knife River trap and by Wednesday, only 5 were in the trap. Anglers report they can still see them in the river; however, it appears the peak of the run on the Lower Shore has passed. Lake surface water temperatures were in the mid 50s. The upper shore rivers are still showing some decent numbers of Pink salmon in several of the rivers.  Good numbers of Pink salmon were visible in the Temperance, Cascade and Brule rivers. Some info provided by the MN DNR

No, this is not a "News of the Weird" or some sort of spoof article.  Some people actually think it is better for us if we also have a salmon that has been genetically altered.  Not sure about you, but I think God did just fine on the mighty salmon the first time around. September 20, 2010 By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer Washington (AP) - Federal food regulators pondered Monday whether to say, for the first time, that it's OK to market a genetically engineered animal as safe for people to eat. The Food and Drug Administration is holding two days of hearings on a request to market genetically modified salmon. Ron Stotish, CEO of AquaBounty, the Massachusetts company that made the marketing request, said at the meeting Monday that his company's fish product is safe and environmentally sustainable. Critics, however, call the modified salmon "frankenfish" that could cause allergies in humans and the eventual decimation of the wild...

Hers is a shot of D. Allen with a nice fall run North Shore Pink Salmon. This was caught mid-September and he went 22"! This is a biggie by Minnesota Standards. Thanks for sharing your photo!

Wednesday brought with it gray skies and drizzle rain all day.  It was enough rain to keep you in rain gear all day but not quite enough to bring up water levels. I fished the middle shore area with great success - coasters and Pinks.  Key is to find a river with a decent flow.  This ruled out all the lower shore rivers for me.  The First river remotely worthy to stop at was the Split Rock.  Problem here is the wayside is closed - getting a new face lift.  All fish caught were aggressive and had no problem snapping up my dysfunctional woolly bugger.  The best success was actually casting into the lake right at the river mouth.  The low water kept most of the visible river fish a bit uneasy and skittish, though with some stealth in fly delivery, and good water depth, fish are very catchable. DB

Our buddy John sent us some picks and info from a Saturday outing.  He had no problem catching plenty of fresh run Pinks.  Pictured here is a nice bright Pink fresh in from the big Lake.   All the fish John reported were fresh, bright and aggressive.  He used a #10 streamer and stripped near the bottom with fish aggressively chasing his fly.  As of Saturday all fish spotted were fresh,  no big humpies yet.  Fish like you see here are great for the table, but you better get out soon as it does not take long for the Pink salmon of the North Shore to start their eventual spawning deterioration. Tight lines.

If you are not aware of what Viral Hemorrahagic Septicemia (VHSV) is please watch the videos and help spread awareness of this nasty disease. Two separate discoveries announced in 2010 documented the arrival of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) in Lake Superior.   Read more VHSV .

The Pink salmon have begun their annual fall spawning migration.  Reports came in on Friday with fish spotted in a few of the Northern Rivers. Remember that the fall is a great time of year to do some exploring for your next spring steelhead trip.  The water is usually substantially lower than in the spring, offering great opportunities to explore some usually unseen river structure.  With the Salmon starting their run the timing is right - get on the water. Stay tuned as we bring you some staff and visitor pictures.

The Situation On August 23, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was petitioned by the Center for Biological Diversity and four other organizations to ban all lead in fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act. This includes sinkers, jigs, weighted fly line, and components that contain lead such as brass and ballast in a wide variety of lures, including spinners, stick baits and more. The petition was presented with the aim of reducing bird deaths caused by the ingestion of lead sinkers and jig heads; however, a study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that less than one percent of all waterfowl and other birds such as eagles are killed by lead sinker ingestion.  Remember too that the petition wants to also ban your sink tip fly line and weighted flies. Minnesota Steelheader will watch this closely and do our best to keep you up to date.  In the mean time you can find out more information on what you can do at: KeepAmericaFishing....

Dear Minnesota Steelheaders, I'd like to thank you for your time today! I called to book a guide, and ended up talking with Davin, and got a whole lot more. One of the things about fly fishing is the elitist attitude some fishermen and guides have. I've never had a conversation where the guide helped me to understand that I might not even need him, and if I did, a different season would be a better bang for my buck. I also appreciate you sharing some tips with me on where and how to get started.