I probably say this every spring, but I cannot believe how bad the black flies are this year.
They dive bomb your ears and get stuck under your glasses making you want to pull your hair out. I have tried a couple of different repellants and none of them even faze these nasty little flying mouths. If you have plans to work in the yard soon, I would highly recommend a nice head net. The risk of looking like an alien is better than being eaten alive.
It has been pretty warm lately and humid as well. This combination usually means potentially violent storms, and it also means that the bugs and fish are both biting.
The few storms we have had so far this season were pretty wicked, with a lot of wind. High winds are pretty common in these parts and it makes you a little creative while guiding on the bigger lakes. You want to catch fish without being caught in the middle of a storm. I have sat out my share of bad weather on campsites in the BWCA and it is not fun. Fish do like big wind days. Last weekend they started to bite a lot better because of it. The water in the bays is up to 64 degrees and some of the smaller walleyes are showing up. We kept five eaters on Saturday and released a healthy pig that was 31.5 inches.
I am still not getting a lot of numbers but the action has been just enough to still make it a fun day. The fishing should only get better and better as the weather starts to get into a more consistent pattern.
I remember when hiring a guide in June was a pretty tall order. The regulars who booked June never gave up their dates and would probably even try to gift them to family members in their will if they could. I still have a lot of regulars in June, but every year I am seeing more and more new faces. A few of the regular groups are tired of the massive paperwork involved with fishing in Canada. It is a lot to ask a person to get so many documents for a couple of days of fishing. The few remaining groups I guide that are “Canada ready” will continue to jump through any new hoops necessary to be able to fish in Canada. They have seen fishing that justifies the hassle.
Whenever I take out new customers, I love to see their faces as they witness Saganaga for the first time. The excitement is what fuels me to do what I do. Of course, producing fish is the thing that brings people back.
Guiding on Saganaga can be very humbling at times. I was recently asked which is harder, guiding on Saganaga or writing for the News-Herald? They are both challenging most of the time but they can also both be very natural and easy. If the fishing is good, there is plenty to write about and the guiding is easy and vice versa.
There is a certain level of comfort when taking out regulars that have seen the best and worst of Sag. You do not have to answer quite as many Ham Lake Fire questions and they know that any bite could be the next record. The anticipation of each day is energized by their previous years. It is cool to be a part of other people’s experience on the water, especially when they catch a trophy.
My wife and I have always joked about me being in other people’s photo albums. Years from now people will say, “Who is that guy standing behind Grandpa and his fish?”
One of my best customers in Key West was Miguel Olivo, catcher for the Florida Marlins. He caught a big barracuda with me off of Key West and had a life-size cutout photo of the two of us holding up his fish. He told me that when you walked into his house in Miami, the photo of us is standing at the front door waiting to greet every one that visits. He also told me that his wife hated it. Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218-388- 0315. You can also visit Cory’s website Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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