Fishing Opener

Fishing opener was a success for trout fishermen! Boy, oh boy! Trout are at an average of about 15' right now. Many people have told us stories how they were able to sit in camp and just watch them swim around near shore. A majority of the customers claim to have been using a variety of Sutton Spoons and Swedish Pimples. Bass and Northern have been active as well. We have heard a variety of tackle and live bait being used to catch both of these. Walleye, as always, enjoy making a challenge for everyone. They are biting, just not as frequently as we would all like! Matt's son managed to catch a beautiful walleye out on Saganaga!

With the early ice out this year and the warm temperatures we've had throughout the past few months we weren't sure exactly what to expect. Fishing always presents a variety of challenges to overcome... that's the glory of it!

Katelyn





End of April at Seagull

Yesterday was a beautiful 55 degree day on Seagull.  It was one of those days that you wish you didn't have to work and could go paddling.  However, tis the time of the season to field your phone calls and get ready for opening.  So, we are here for you!  At least we have a great view eh?

The ice has been gone for over a month.  Since ice out, we have had a variety of snow, rain, sleet and wind.  Last week we lost 12 live trees on the property in the heavy winds.  We hate to lose those live trees.

We have 2 staffers arriving on April 27th to help Dave get the trees out of the way, docks in, canoes in their piles and boats/motors ready to go.  May 1 another return staffer Danielle drives in for the summer.  Danielle was a tow boat driver 2 summers ago as well as handling numerous other responsibilities.  We eagerly look forward to her return and can promise that you will all see more frequent updates to this blog and all the social media. Danielle and return staffer Katelyn  arriving May 10th will be sharing the tasks.  I will add my two cents now and then.  We have some friends coming May 1 to help get more outside work done and inside as well.  Teresa worked at Seagull about 10 years ago and has been a long time friend since then.  She and her husband Larry will be here May 1 to lend a hand. 

Despite an early spring, the water levels don't look too bad.  Quetico Park told me that they are expecting good moisture levels in May and June so that should help us out as well.  We like good water levels with lots of moisture.

A couple of weeks ago Seagull customer Todd submitted this photo he took in the Quetico Falls Chain to Orvis.  He was pleasantly surprised when he opened the Orvis blog and there was his photo!  Quite the laker on a fly rod!  Here is Todd's caption below his photo---He and his buddy Kyle are heading up the Falls Chain again in May. 

Attached is a picture that my friend Kyle took of me in Quetico Provencial Park in May 2010. If you are not familiar, QPP is a wilderness canoe camping area. The trip was especially meaningful for me, as I had been on the trip several times as a kid, even purchasing my first Clearwater Rod for my first trip. Now many years later, my friend and I were back in QPP for a six-night adventure. On our fourth night of the trip, I caught this 30-inch lake trout where we were camping, at the base of the falls behind me. The fish took a Black and Purple Beadhead Wooly Bugger I had tied myself. I was dead-drifting it through the wash at the bottom and the line when tight. There was that slight hesitation, and tension building, and then he took off. Next thing I knew, I was into my backing. It was a phenominal experience! It was truly the fish of a lifetime for me, and has us heading back to QPP again this year.



This photo was taken a week ago on Seagull...it is special country.  We look forward to your visit this summer.  Call or email with any questions!  And stay tuned to the webcam as we open our doors for season 26 at Seagull Outfitters and Cabins!
Deb

February News from Seagull

What an unusual winter in the Northwoods!  We have had temperatures in the 20's, 30's and even 40's this winter.  We keep thinking the big snowfall will come and hoping it will.  It is really kind of nice.  However, we need the snowfall and moisture as always.  Maraboeuf Cabin below looks a little lonely!  

The office, phones and emails have been busy as many of you are already planning for 2012.  Early reports show a good season ahead.

We are happy to have 3 returning Seagull female staffers this summer.  It will make my life much easier on the inside for sure.  Alyssa was with us last summer in the store, transporting paddlers and working outside in the cleanup area.  Danielle was with us in 2010 and was a towboat driver, transported paddlers and did some office/store work.  And then there is Katelyn who will be with us for summer number 4.  Many of you know her at the other end of the phone line at Seagull or helping out in the store.  We are looking forward to having all 3 of them back with us.  I decided I better do something special this summer as I probably won't have such talent inside again for awhile.  I will keep you posted on what that something special will be!

MN fishing opener is May 12. Ontario (Quetico) fishing opener is May 19th.  We expect an early ice out this spring due to the mild winter.  The fish could be very active at opener for a change with some warmer water temperatures. 

You may now reserve a Quetico Park Permit online at http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/reservations.html .  You can also check permit availability there.  It is a great resource for all of us. We have gotten word from the Quetico Park that the Cache Bay Ranger Station may not have Ontario fishing licenses this season.  So, we are recommending that you purchase them in advance online at www.ontario.ca/outdoorscard or by calling 1-800-288-1155.  Please allow 3 weeks to receive your license. 

I am off to Vermont for a long weekend this week to meet my sister and niece Maggie.  Maggie is finishing her senior year at Middlebury College and is on the ice hockey team.  We will have a family weekend full of hockey along with nephew Wylie coming from DC and niece Ella coming from Aspen. It should be a lot of fun.   

Deb

2012 is coming around the corner!

Greetings from Seagull,

We hope you all had a wonderful Holiday and wish you an even Happier New Year! 

It is time to start planning for 2012.  We can begin reserving Boundary Waters Permits on January 25, 2012 both online and on the phone.  If you know your trip plans and dates, please let us know and we will take care of things for you.  The Quetico Permits are available 5 months in advance of your trip departure date as always.  However, new this year you can also reserve your Quetico Permit online at http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/reservations.html .   You can still only reserve a permit 5 months in advance of your trip departure date, but what great news to be able to finally simplify the process.

It has been a warm November/December in the woods with less than normal snowfall.  However, the lakes are freezing over now and I keep reminding myself that winter is still young!  We do need the snow and moisture and it will come.

Johnse has been working on getting our Seagull website mobile friendly and changed the site navigation as well.  You should be able to find our site easily on any mobile device.  If you have any difficulties, please let us know so that we can fix the problem.

We will be updating 2012 rates shortly online.  Check back for those changes.

In addition, our 2012 cabin availability is current online.  Check the cabin navigation on our website for current openings for May-September.

As always, please email or call with any questions or trip ideas.  We are always here to help you and look forward to another great 2012!

Deb

The Changing Season at Seagull

Our last "self serve" paddlers of the 2011 season came off the water this morning.  Since we were away for the weekend, we made arrangements for them to grab the canoes off the pile and paddle away on Seagull.  It worked out quite well, although I will be anxious to talk to them as I am sure it was a chilly weekend without a fire.  There is still a fire ban in the Boundary Waters due to the Pagami Fire on the western side of the canoe country.  While we feel the pain of the forest fire for our outfitter friends on the Ely side, we are also happy that this fire was not knocking on our door.  In fact, NONE of the canoe routes we utilize experienced any fire damage.  That is a good thing!

It has been drizzling rain, sleet and a bit of snow on and off all afternoon.  It makes for a good day working inside near the fireplace.  One of my off season joys is relaxing in front of the fireplace and watching the birds.  We just put up the feeder yesterday and there are plenty of bluejays, nuthatches and chickadees around today enjoying a free lunch.

We are nearly closed  up at Seagull.  I am in the process this week of moving my summer office into our house.  It is a relaxing time of the season for us.  Dave is busy trying to finish the upstairs of the garage so that we can soon add a pool table. 

The Boundary Waters Permit Lottery System has been eliminated by the Forest Service.  We happily accept that change.  We can begin reserving Boundary Waters Permits on January 25, 2012 for the coming season.  That should allow all of you plenty of time to make your plans.  In addition, you can reserve your own permit at that time online at www.recreation.gov . 

We finished with a very strong 2011 season thanks to all of our loyal as well as new canoe trip and cabin customers this summer.  We are thinking about 2012 and will have our online cabin availability updated before Thanksgiving at http://www.seagulloutfitters.com/cabins.htm#availability .

I am soon taking a little break to meet my sister Lindy in DC along with my nephew Wylie.  Wylie works in DC and will be our tour guide.  It will be a huge change of both scenery and pace for me but one that I look forward to.  As much as I dearly love the Northwoods, I also love to see other parts of the US and world.

2011 Paddling Season Is Coming to a Close

Dave just gave our last summer employee Jake a tow out to American Point with his Dad and brother this morning.  It was foggy, clear and 25 degrees!  They look kind of chilly but a warming trend is coming again with highs predicted in the 60-70 range.  Jake is Dave's "right hand" man with a radio on his hip and always there to help.  Dave relies heavily on him to get things done without supervision and Jake doesn't let him down!  We are hoping he returns for his 3rd season in 2012.

We had a great staff of young folks this summer and we couldn't offer the service and Seagull experience without them.  Most of them are back in college now and some out of college and looking for their next opportunity.  We are hoping to get some of them back to Seagull for the 2012 season.

Jake gave us a cd of some of his favorite summer photos that we will share with you all.
It reminds us why the canoe country is so special to you and ourselves as well and why we feel privileged to be here. 

Living with Forest Fire

The Pagami Fire out of the west side of the Boundary Waters in Ely impacts us all.  It has grown in size and depending on the day and the wind, we feel like it is nearing.   However, it remains quite a distance from us.  There is a huge crew of nearly 500 firefighters and support personnel from around the US on site working to contain the fire. We are still open and accessing many Gunflint Trail and Quetico entry points.  We are praying for rain to get a handle on it.  Follow this link for daily updates on the fire.  www.inciweb.org . 

On the brighter side, here is an article from MPR talking about the benefit of the fire to the moose population that you might enjoy. 

Biologists say BWCA fire will help moose habitat

ELIZABETH DUNBAR, Minnesota Public Radio News

Published 03:00 p.m., Friday, September 16, 2011

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Count Minnesota's moose experts among those quietly celebrating the fire that has burned more than 160 square miles in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Wildlife biologist Mike Schrage has taken many flights over the area of the Boundary Waters where the fire is burning while researching Minnesota's moose population. And he's noticed fewer moose there compared to other areas of northeastern Minnesota.

The fire— and the new forest growth that follows in the next few years — could change that, he said.

"As soon as I heard there was a fire up there, I thought — woo-hoo! I can't say that very loudly because there's people in Isabella who are quite inconvenienced by it, but I think moose will benefit from this fire," said Schrage, who works for the Fond du Lac Band's Resource Management Division.

In the coming years, it could also benefit the thousands of people visiting the Boundary Waters who hope to catch a glimpse of one.

Estimates by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources of northeastern Minnesota's moose population show a decline from about 8,000 moose during the middle of the last decade to less than 5,000 this year. Biologists are trying to figure out why. Parasites and stress from warmer temperatures are possibilities, and Schrage said a large-scale fire could kill some of the winter ticks that feed on moose and weaken them.

There has also been some concern about whether moose have adequate habitat. A group of conservation organizations have even proposed to start using money from the state's Legacy Amendment to restore moose habitat in northeastern Minnesota.

Moose like to eat new growth, such as tree saplings, so a fire clears out some of the older, woody trees and shrubs and allows new plants and trees to grow. There are even certain types of trees, including black spruce and jack pine, that need fire for their cones to open and scatter seeds.

Schrage said research across North America has indicated that moose numbers increase in areas where fires have caused new growth. And he's seen anecdotal evidence of that in the area that burned during the Ham Lake fire of 2007 and the Cavity Lake fire of 2006.

"I think slowly we're seeing some moose respond to those fires," he said.

How well suited the forest will be for moose will depend on how hot or how long a fire burned in an area. Steve Merchant, DNR wildlife programs manager, expects the land affected by the fire will be a mix of areas that don't burn and areas that burn a lot. That means that in a few years, moose will have both the new growth for food and the older areas where tall trees still stand and offer thermal cover during the winter and summer, he said.

"That interspersion is what really creates that ideal moose habitat," Merchant said.

The Boundary Waters, of which roughly 10 percent has burned in the fire, is home to a significant portion of Minnesota's moose population, Merchant said. Prescribed burns have taken place in the area over the years, but the total size of the areas burned in a given years is much less than the area burned by the Pagami Creek fire.

One thing biologists aren't worried about is losing moose in the fire. The animals are able to walk long distances and are good swimmers.

"They're going to run from the fire," said Ron Moen, a researcher at the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota-Duluth who monitors dozens of moose that have been fitted with radio collars and GPS units.

Moen said the closest moose he's monitoring is several miles away from the fire, and so far the research team hasn't detected any unusual movements. He said he'll be watching for moose to soon move into areas that weren't burned as severely.

"When these new trees come in, and shrubs and saplings, moose that are on the edge of that area will start moving into it. And then they'll gradually move further out as it grows and there are more moose around," he said.

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Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mpr.org