Sneak a peek at our new EFL merchandise

Hello everyone!

We are super excited about our new t-shirt and hoodie design for the 2013 season.  Travis encouraged me to let it be a surprise, but I can't!  We are impressed (again!) with the talent and service at Bigfish Screenprinting - a huge shout out to everyone there for exceeding our expectations!  You can visit their website here.  Thank you, thank you!  I hope you like them as much as I do:)

Well, what do you think?  If you weren't counting down the days until you get up to Canada to see us (ahem, I mean fish) then I know the prospect of taking home one of these sweet shirts will make you start for sure!

19 days until walleye season opens! 

How Will Late Ice-Out Affect Fishing?

We're almost certainly looking at a late ice-out date this year for Red Lake.  It's hard to believe we're already past the date of ice-out a year ago (April 15th).  That was a record for earliest ice-out eclipsing the average ice-out date of May 8 by over three weeks.

Hopefully we won't be doing this the first week of the season

Red Lake still has 3 feet of ice with insulating snow on top so we'd be pretty surprised if the ice goes out before May 8th.  The record late ice-out date is May 23rd - that fact courtesy of Dan at Bow Narrows.  We are optimistic the ice will be out by then, but we may have a tight window to get the camp up and running.  So the important question is how will a late ice-out affect fishing? 

I've never fished Red Lake on the heels of a mid to late May ice-out, but my expectation is for fishing to be extremely good.  Northern Pike usually spawn first or when water temps start near 40 degrees.  Walleye begin spawning shortly after when water temperatures reach 40 degrees and continue until temps hit the mid 40s.  The smaller males will move shallow first followed by larger females. 

The length of light in the day also can affect spawning times, but the spawn could be pushed back to later in May due to the colder spring weather.  This means we may find Walleye and Northern Pike in very shallow water with healthy appetites especially compared to the early ice outs we've experienced lately.  My other cold water experience would suggest trying smaller baits and slower retrieves.  We'll try pitching jigs near the warmest shorelines in shallow bays and provide a report as soon as we can next month.



Whatcha reading?

Hello to all!

We just had a truly beautiful spring weekend here in Illinois, and boy were we due for one!  Days like yesterday make me so happy to have a porch swing to read on and enjoy the sunshine.

For those of you who know me, I hope my book nerdy-ness hasn't been too blatantly obvious.  I LOVE all things reading and books, and despite how crazy busy we can be in the summer up at Eagle Falls Lodge I still manage to read a fair number of books throughout the summer.  For other bibliophiles headed up to see us, you should know that we have some very interesting books at the lodge for guests to enjoy.  Travis loves books as well, especially history and locally relavant books.  He has been able to build a small collection of books regarding the Red Lake area and northwest Ontario.  Many of them have to do with the float plane industry and the very first expeditions of the area decades ago spurred by gold prospectors, trappers, and traders.

The titles shown above are (from top to bottom):

• Red Lake: Golden Treasure Chest - by Michael Barnes
• Alter and Throne - by Ed Zaruk
• Gold Mining Spurs Air Transportation in Canada, 1926-1936 - by Donald F. Parrott
• Vintage Aircraft in Canada - by Walter Henry
• North for Gold: the Red Lake Gold Rush of 1926 - by Ruth Weber Russell
• Harold Farrington Pioneer Bush Pilot - by D. F. Parrott
• Ghost Towns of Ontario: Volume 2 - by Ron Brown
• Northwestern Ontario Backroad Mapbook: Outdoor Recreational Guide - by Russell Mussio, Trent Ernst, and Wesley Mussio
• The End of the Road: A History of the Red Lake District - by John Richthammer 

One of our dear friends (who is a super amazing librarian!) was able to track down a fairly rare book for Travis that was written by a Red Lake high school student several years ago cataloging a detailed history of the town, titled The End of the Road (listed above).  The book is no longer in print and the local library doesn't even have a copy!  Travis was blown away.  Such a cool piece of history that we hope you all take a look at during your next trip up to Eagle Falls.

Check out the bearded guy on the left.  Look familiar?  That's Bob Aiken, former owner and operator of Eagle Falls Lodge.  His family was included in The End of the Road book.

It might be worth it to look at some of these books either before or during your visit.  They can help paint a much better picture as to what life was and is like in the area.

Until I am able to get back up to the deck overlooking Parker lake our Illinois porch swing will have to do.  Cosmo has been wanting to get outside more as well.  We let him out the front door where he quickly plops down in the grass to sunbathe.  He then looks at us like, "Please, can't I just stay out here?".  Soon, pup, soon.  We are all getting very ready to head up north.  The fresh air and freedom has become a vital part of what spring and summer means to all three of us.

Have a great week!

Carrie

Game Changer?

We just finished our last sports show of the season in Minneapolis.  Thanks to everyone that stopped by to visit!  The Northwest Sports Show is huge and it's always fun seeing guests and getting the chance to chat with other lodge owners and fishing vendors.  After talking to some folks in the Rapala booth, one of the lures we're most excited about trying is the new Rapala series of lures called Scatter Raps. 

According the Rapala rep these lures are going to be game changers.  We obviously haven't had the chance to try them out yet since they just went on sale in March, but the demonstrations we saw were pretty intriguing.  The lures feature the same bodies as many favorites in the Rapala line like the countdown, minnow, and shad.  They are available is several existing colors and some new colors as well.  The difference is a cupped "Scatter Lip" that is wider than the original lure versions. 

The wider curved lip causes the lure to imitate an erratic baitfish and it looked great seeing it run through a tank.  You can still control the lure to some extent by varying the speed of your retrieve.  A slow retrieve will cause the Scatter Rap to run straight, but a speed increase will cause it to dart to the left or right and trigger bites.

We picked up a couple different kinds to try and will report on them after we get a chance to try them this spring.  They retail for $8.99 and should be available wherever Rapala lures are sold.