Gunflint Trail fishing continues to be good. The resorts I talked with said their guests were doing well. Bob McClough at Bearskin Lodge reported that fishing is good for walleyes with leeches, slip bobbers and jigs on Crocodile, Moon and East Bearskin. He has even seen a lake trout and a largemouth bass come in from East Bearskin.

Dan Baumann at Golden Eagle Lodge had two more large walleyes caught off the resort's docks. The hot fishing, however, is for smallmouth bass. In addition to rapalas, the bass are biting on Zara Puppies which are a surface lure. As you reel in after casting, you use the tip of your rod to put a little action into the lure. It zigs ans zags across the surface. Dan says that every time he demonstrates this lure, he gets a fish.

Guests with Forrest Parsons at Hungry Jack Lodge have been exploring a variety of lakes. One guest got a nice 8 lb. lake trout on Clearwater Lake. A party of three went up to Seagull Lake. In addition to catching a 32" walleye (which was released), they filled out three limits of smaller walleyes for eating. Leo Lake continues to regularly produce rainbows on worms.

Luana Brandt at Nor'Wester Lodge also has guests bringing in eating size fish. Tom Caldwell at Loon Lake Lodge said his regulars who know where to fish on the lake are steadily bringing in fish. At Heston's Lodge Barb Gecas had some guests catching small fish on Loon Lake which they just threw back. The guests were thrilled with their catch. It may be due to the fact that the fishermen were three and five years old and out with Grandpa and Dad.

Animals have been quiet lately. Bob McClough had a young mallard they named Rocky. Some guests found him washed into the weeds with a large rapala snagged above one eye. After removing the lure, they let the mallard go. For several days Rocky ran around trying to join another mallard family with no luck. Eventually, he found a family willing to accept him or perhaps it was his real family.

Over at Poplar Creek Guesthouse, Barbara Young has lots of birds coming in. One day while she was gone a new bird came in. Between looking at the bird and at the bird book, this one was mistakenly identified as a Mongolian Thrush. The guests joked that it had a Mongolian firepot in its beak since Barb and Ted cook Mongolian firepot dinners in the winter. Barb came home and correctly identified the bird as a Magnolia Thrush.

Nancy Seaton claims that she has never seen such a bumper crop of all kind of babies. Not just birds but also loons, bunnies and fox. Maybe the warm spring gave all these babies a better start. Or it could be due to the fact that almost no one is reporting seeing wolves.

Rockwood Lodge has had a cow and 2 moose calves island hopping says Lin Sherfy. Guests have been stumbling over them at odd times of the day -- 10:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. Of course, if they send someone out to see the moose, the animals remain very elusive.

Mike and Sue Prom from Voyageur Canoe Outfitters took their kids on a canoe trip. They saw lots of loon families with two babies. They were also amazed at the variety of sizes in these young loons. Some seemed almost ready for feathers while other were tiny and riding on their parents' backs.

Shari Baker from Gunflint Pines noted that we have had a relatively bug free summe. It has been wonderful.

The most constant story with everyone has been the berries. Both blueberries and raspberries are very early and there ae lots of them. Sue Ahrendt from Tuscarora Lodge walked up the Centennial Trail to the first overlook. She stopped to pick some raspberries. A flicker of motion caught her eye and for a few brief seconds she and a young bear stared eye to eye. Then her dog Denali was off chasing the bear.

With this blog finished, I am off to join my neighbors picking berries.