On Memorial Day we honor the fallen members of our military and reflect on the freedom we enjoy because of their sacrifice. As plans are being made for this weekend, I can't help but remember a day when I was nine years old. I'd been listening in on a heated discussion about the decision to go to war with Iraq. We were eating lunch. A World War II veteran named Roger Kloote stood up. Making no reference to his political affiliation or position on the subject Roger simply stated, "You don't know what war is like. You couldn't possibly know unless you've seen it! Some of those boys we were shooting at... in different times... we could have gone fishing together." And he sat back down, hands shaking. 

We hope that you take some time to reflect and relax this weekend. Catch up with friends and family and make up for lost time! Cooler temperatures have arrived and we've received some much needed precipitation here in southern Michigan. Water levels have ticked up a bit and insect activity remains fairly consistent. We expect the dry fly action to slow down a little with evening temperatures in the low 50's and colder. Fish are being caught on sulfurs, mahoganies, and we expect drakes to be right around the corner. 

 

CREATURE FEATURE
Little Brown Bat

The little brown bat is our first endangered species featured. As frightening as they may seem at first, these little guys are miraculous mosquito eaters! They are also one of the only true hibernators found in Michigan. This means that they enter into a near-dormant phase called torpor during the winter. In torpor, the little brown bat's heart can slow down to beat only eight times per minute! Almost all bats are insect eaters that use echolocation to catch their prey. Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the exception and do not have this sonar-like power. Contrary to common belief, the little brown bat rarely ever transmits disease to humans. It is smart however to make sure that your pets are vaccinated for rabies if there's a chance they will encounter one of these special animals. 

Memorial Day Sale!

Shops will both be closed on Memorial day. We will be running a Memorial Day Weekend sale Saturday-Monday on the website. Receive a $20 digital gift card for every $100 spent. Use code "MEM20BACK" at checkout. Excludes used gear. 

Have a great weekend!