Reviews Green in Gridlock
Ruby Jupe Insulated Mini I was skeptical too. Insulated skirts sounded unnecessarily girly and downright useless in the outdoors. The Ruby Jupe insulated skirt proved me wrong--I now slip this water resistant, poly-fill beauty over tights when I set out for wintry runs, it has become a steadfast part of my cross-country ski gear, and it can’t be beat thrown over jeans for dog walks on chilly days. Ruby Jupe is based in Wisconsin (leave it to our neighbors to conquer the cold), and all three styles of their insulated skirts (mini, midi and maxi) are made in the USA. I tried the mini and found it to be a versatile and toasty piece. The skirt has a full-length front zipper for easy on and off, as well as a shorter back-vent zipper for better mobility. Smart design features include two zippered hand pockets for stashing a ski pass, and two extra inches of length in the back for full coverage. (One tip: the skirt crawled up my torso a bit on my first run, and I found that unzipping it a few inches from the top helped anchor the waistband lower on my hips.) I’m pleased to say, the skirt works: Warmth where you need it without overheating everything else. And
Texas A&M University Press, College Station
In the public’s eye, environmental politics is often defined more by raucous controversy than by quiet accomplishments. The author, who devoted his career to conservation, including stints as the executive director of the Izaak Walton League and director of The Nature Conservancy’s Greater Yellowstone program, believes some environmentalists’ unwillingness to work with diverse interests and to compromise prevents them from achieving successful outcomes. He gives numerous examples, such as using cap-and-trade on smokestack emissions to successfully combat acid rain, where industry and conservationists achieved common goals. He believes the next generation of environmental leaders must be more inclusive and less confrontational than their elders to address environmental issues.—Shawn Perich
Access: Daniels
is easiest accessed via the Gunflint Trail and entry point No. 61 on West Bearskin Lake. There is a 60-rod portage to Daniels directly north of the public boat ramp on West Bearskin Lake. The northeast corner of Daniels is but a few hundred yards from Canada. An 85-rod spur trail in the northeast corner of Daniels connects to the Border Route Trail.
Vitals: Daniels
is 508 acres. It has a maximum depth of 90 feet, and, according to the Minnesota
DNR, the water clarity is 15 feet. It’s a generally deep lake, with two deeper basins. One of those, on the western end of the lake, bottoms out at about 80 feet. From there, the lake shallows up to about 30 feet before dropping off to its deepest point, about halfway down the lake. The eastern side of the lake has a couple of 60 foot holes, as well as a 50-foot hole.
Game species present: smallmouth bass, yellow perch.
lake trout,
Forage species present: white sucker. Lake trout numbers, not lunkers:
While the Minnesota DNR has not sampled the fish communities of Daniels since 2006, the lake continues to be known as a numbers lake, according to Steve Persons, Minnesota DNR’s
Just don’t expect to catch a trophy laker here. That latest survey didn’t turn up any lakers larger than the 15- to 19-inch range.
Survey put off:
Speaking of surveys, Persons said the DNR had hoped to do another lake assessment in 2011 or 2012, but couldn’t get there. Now, it’s looking like it will be 2 016 or 2017 before DNR is able to sample the lake again.
Catch your limit and walk away: While Daniels’ lake trout
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Grand Marais area fisheries manager.
Portage to West Bearskin Lake
“There’s still a lot of people fishing there,” Persons said. “Daniels is one of our more heavily fished lakes. It doesn’t look like it’s being overfished at this point. If it were to get overfished, we would expect for fish size to go down, and we haven’t seen that.”
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going to die,” Persons said. “They are doing more harm. Every one of those fish that are put back, even if it looks right and isn’t bleeding, there’s a 10 percent chance it’s going to die. If it’s bleeding, it’s probably going to die.”
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ly accessible lake trout lakes inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
DANIELS LAKE
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Why go: It’s one of the most easi-
• Inside the BWCAW • Lake trout, smallmouth bass and yellow perch
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Fishing Hole
it looks darn cute worn casually. I’m a believer. MSRP $88. See www.rubyjupe.com —Kate Watson
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Common Goals, Common Ground and Compromise By Paul Walden Hansen
population has shown resilience under heavier pressure than other lake trout lakes receive, Persons said anglers can play a conservation role by catching their two fish limit and leaving, rather than trying to cull for larger trout. “If a person is releasing a lot of lake trout, you have to realize a lot of those fish are
For that matter, it’s illegal for an angler to keep one laker, and then release a second catch with the intent of continuing to fish, Persons said, since anglers are required to stop fishing once in possession of the limit.
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Using dead bait on tip-ups also tends to be harder on lake trout, since the fish typically has had more time to chew on the bait and is more likely to have a deep hook, Persons said. —Javier Serna
NORTHERN WILDS
FEBRUARY 2014
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