Outdoors

Fishing

 This week’s fishing tip from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is for fly fishing. June is the month in Michigan for fly fishing after dark with big bugs for

big Trout. The month’s hatches start with the brown drake mayfly, followed by the isonychia mayfly, and rounded out by Michigan’s biggest mayfly – the hexagenia.  Bugs will begin to emerge in the evening after sunset and can continue well after dark.  Roughly 48 hours later those same bugs will return to the water they hatched from and die. Both events cause a feeding frenzy in the fish community and provide a lot of fun for the anglers that take advantage of the feeding fish.  Contacting a local fly or bait shop is a good place to look for information on hatch activity on a specific water body.  For information on fly fishing, visit

www.michigan.gov/howtofish.  Pyle’s Porthole in South Haven reported a lot of Brown Trout were being taken on Lake Michigan, along with some Lake Trout and King Salmon in 80 to 120 feet of water. Anglers on the pier are taking quite a few Steelheads on meat rigs and lures. Black River anglers are catching Steelhead, Suckers, and a ton of Catfish.  Perch fishing was slow, but some nice 9 inch to 12 inch Perch were taken in 30 feet of water.   Pyle’s will be holding a Cat Fishing Tournament beginning on Saturday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m. and ending Sunday, June 26 at 7:00 a.m. For more information or to sign up, contact Pyle’s at 269-637-6720.   Ellinee Bait & Tackle by Coloma reported fishing on inland lakes in the area was a little spotty as the weather kept changing last week. Plenty of anglers were heading out and were successful with panfish by being patient. Night Catfish anglers have been doing well using dip or stink bait and cut bait.   Pier fishing in St. Joseph was a little slow for Steelhead, but some were caught when floating shrimp or alewife.  Catfish and Freshwater Drum were caught on crawlers along the bottom.   Boat anglers reported slower catch rates as the fish were scattered between 40 and 100 feet.  Perch fishing was very slow.   Conservation officers from the DNR encourage boaters to take a pledge to never boat under the influence of alcohol. Operation Dry Water heightened enforcement weekend June 24-26 is part of a national effort by law enforcement officers across the nation participating and asking boaters to take the pledge at operationdrywater.org.  Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion, all common to the boating environment, intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs and some medications. Alcohol consumption by passengers while boating is also dangerous.  Intoxication can cause slips, falls over board and other dangerous accidents.

Hunting

 The DNR Outdoor Skills Academy in Cadillac will offer bear hunting clinics on Saturday, July 30, Sunday August 7, and Saturday August 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Students will learn the ins and outs of bear hunting with experienced hunters and DNR educators.  The class will cover habitat, gear, stand placement, baiting, rules and regulations, carcass care and hide care. The fee for the class is $25.00, which includes the clinic, door prizes, Michigan DNR bear patch and lunch.  Registration for the clinics is available on the Michigan e-store at www.michigan.gov/estore. For more information, or to register by phone or email, contact Ed Shaw at 231-779-1321 or shawe@michigan.gov.   The DNR’s Becoming and Outdoors-Woman (BOW) will offer a mother-daughter workshop in Marquette on Saturday, July 30.  Daughters must be between the ages of 10-17. The workshop is for those that would like to learn some kayaking, backpacking and hiking skills.  The cost for this workshop is $20 for each mother/daughter group and it is limited to 10 groups.  Deadline for registration is July 22.  Class information and registration materials are available online at www.michigan.gov/bow.  For more information, contact Sharon Pitz at 906-228-6561.  The first 5-mile loop of the DTE Energy Foundation Trail at Waterloo State Recreation Area in Chelsea opened to the public. The cutting-edge, sustainable trail is open to mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers and cross-country skiers and has been made possible by a partnership between the DNR, the Pottawatomie Mountain Biking Association and a $255,000 grant from the DTE Energy Foundation.   For more information, contact Sallie Justice (DTE Energy) at 313-235-5555 or Gary Jones (DNR) at 734-475-8307.  The DNR announced the $2.9 million purchase of 717 acres of land in Norvell Township, Jackson County. Combined with 405 acres of contiguous land owned by the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission in Manchester Township, the property will become the 1,122-acre Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve.  The DNR property will become Michigan’s 103rd state park and will be the first state park in Michigan to be jointly managed with a county recreation agency. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/stateparks.

Tradescantia ohiensis is a plant with a number of imaginative names. Two of them, snotweed or cow slobber, may deter a plant hunter. They are an apt description of the mucus-like sap that oozes from a broken leaf or stem. At the end of their one-day bloom, the blue-purple flowers don’t drop off but “melt” into a sticky jelly further enhancing the “snotty” name. The more commonly used name, spiderwort, probably originated from the mistaken belief that the plant could be used to treat spider bites. When Tradescantia was introduced to Europe, choreomania (“dancing madness”) was rampant. The ailment was believed to be caused by spider venom. The new plant with its spider-like leggy leaves and web-like sap was believed to be the cure. Although spiderwort could not help, the name stuck. Just like its sticky sap.

Learn about turtles June 23

 Learn about the turtles of on June 23 at 3:00 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults.

Kayak June 25

 Kayak the St. Joseph River on June 25 at 5:00 p.m. The $20 fee includes all equipment and transportation. Pre-registration is required.

Explore the shores of  Grand Mere State Park June 26

 Explore the shores of the Grand Mere State Park beach with Sarett on June 26 at 2:00 p.m. to look for interesting rocks and try to identify them. Travel with Sarett, the fee is $7. Meet at Grand Mere, the fee is $5.  Please call (269) 927-4832 to register for programs.