Piragis Northwoods Company
105 North Central Avenue
Ely, Minnesota 55731
1-800-223-6565
www.piragis.com

Greetings from Ely and the Great Northwoods!

Bert Heep and Drew Brockett, Piragis Northwoods Canoe Outfitters

Warm days mix with Rain to make June a great month in the Great Northwoods..

Weather great...
Last Friday marked a full week of sun without rain. In Ely we reached the 90's mark one day and it felt good to bask in the sun. (Don't get us wrong, the rain we got earlier in the month and again this past weekend was much needed and much appreciated.) Last week was nearly perfect for camping in the Spring...
Fishing great...
The water warmed up each day and swimming began to be less and less a form of shock therapy and more and more relaxing. As the water warmed up significantly, the walleyes naturally retreated to the colder shaded deeper water and the pike began to cruise the shallows in search of the same sunnies, bluegills and crappies that the frying pan is so fond of.

The smallmouth bass began to move in on their beds and while they are not yet hitting on topwater baits, they are hungry in about 4 - 5 feet of water around any structure you can see at the bottoms. Their favorite hideouts are fallen trees, boulders and the edge of weedbeds (although that's where the big predator pike are hiding right now).

I'll have an update from my Spring trip with my wife Diane shortly, but for now I wanted to let you know that it is a great time to visit Ely and the Boundary Waters.

Call me today at 1-800-223-6565 to discuss your trip plans.

Bert

I'd like you to read a letter sent by a happy camper, one of our repeat trip clients. Mark tells in his own words how a guided trip can make all the difference in the Boundary Waters.
 
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A great Trip for a First Trip, A great Guide always a PLUS!

Bert,

I have a big smile on my face!

It seems we have sparked a certain love of the BWCAW & Ely in a couple of
guys from McPherson, Kansas, who have just returned from their first trip and are
already talking about a return! Even with rain, wind, and [my first ever]
fire ban. Imagine that?

As an airline pilot, now approaching thirty years, I have had the good
fortune to experience world wide travel. I have learned, by experience
and misadventure, the importance of hiring a professional guide to maximize
local travel experiences.

When it comes to the wild and wonderful Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness, Piragis has never failed to provide me, my family, and my guests, with
professional guides that rate 10 out of 10. On this latest trip, Steve
Johnson went off the scale.

Mr. Johnson is as pure a Naturalist as I have ever met. It was not just his
knowledge of plants, animals, and geography of the land we traveled that
made such an impression; it was his obvious enjoyment in sharing that knowledge,
and love of the country, that truly made the trip for me and my guests.

Some walk portages looking forward to the end. When you walk a portage with
professional guide Steve Johnson you learn the identity of plants; you learn
to taste the spices of the forest; you learn from tracks what animals have
been there (recently) before you; and, most importantly I believe, you begin
to understand you are not on a walk between lakes, you are on a wonderful,
wonderful, journey!

Imagine this: One of my guests from Kansas was landing a 9# Northern (with
very light tackle and some help from Steve Johnson, I might add); and at the
same time, Steve Johnson was exclaiming to the rest of us to keep our eyes
on the Bald Eagle that had just landed in a tree above, to watch our escapade.
When all that excitement died down, Steve began teaching us, using lakeside
trees and fauna, the importance of fire to the BWCAW.

Want another example of how wonderful a trip Steve Johnson made for
us....imagine my guest's surprise when during one night in camp, I was
reading from SPELL OF THE YUKON, by Robert Service, when Steve Johnson began
reciting [from memory] equally spell binding poems from not only Robert
Service, but others! Poems that he and his brother taught each other years
and years ago when the two of them were on camping trips together back in their
home State of Wisconsin. Steve and I are both in our fifties so the images
of earlier times was spell binding.

Last year I could not say enough good things about one of Piragis' other
guides, Steve Eisenmenger. This year, same experience, different guide.
How does Piragis find the best of the best, year after year?

For over twelve years I have said it time and again, "anyone can rent me a
canoe and sell me a map...what I get from Steve & Nancy Piragis, and all of
the fine folks at Piragis Northwoods Outfitters, is Memories!"

A fellow pilot asked me not long ago how I justified the added expense of a
guide, versus going it alone....same easy answer: "Memories!"

I hope you and Dianne had a great journey during your ten days of paddling.
I'm looking for any excuse to come up before my scheduled August trip, but
if not able to break free, I will see you then.

Thanks, as always, for what you do in making my BWCAW trips so wonderful.
As my wife Sue will attest, I look forward to each of my trips with eager
anticipation; thanks in no small part to the hard work that you and the
folks at Piragis expend on my behalf.

Mark O'Leary

To reserve canoes or trip and route planning for the upcoming season please email us, Bert Heep or Drew Brockett or call us at 1-800-223-6565. We can set you up with canoes, permits, gear, whatever you need, including full outfitting for 1 person or for a large group and any size in between.  

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SEND US YOUR STORIES, Pictures, Feedback, Requests.

Bert Heep.........................Drew Brockett

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Check out our 4-Day Guided Wilderness Weekends.

PNC has offered Guided Group Trips for several years now.  We decided to tweak it a bit this year for those who cannot take a whole week off during the summer, but would like to take a canoe trip. All of our weekend trips start on a Friday and end on a Monday. So, just take a long weekend and you can experience a wilderness trip without giving up a week’s vacation.  All of our trips are Fully Outfitted and are lead by a professional guide.  We also include your lodging in Ely on both ends of the trip if you need it.   Here is our offering for the summer: 
 
Fourth of July Weekend July 5-8

High Summer Weekend August 2-5

Labor Day Weekend August 31 – September 3    
 
The cost of these trips is a real bargain. You would pay $200 a day just for the guide if you were to book a trip of your own.  We are offering these long weekend trips for just $695 per person (plus tax).  You show up with your clothing and fishing rod…we do the rest.  How can you beat that?  Give Bert or Drew a call and sign up for the weekend that suits your schedule.

Call us at 1-800-223-6565 to reserve your spaces on these Weekend Getaways today.
 
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