Winter weather...time to think about summer!
February 2nd, 2010
Welcome to our website here at La Tourell's Resort & Outfitters! Whether you are planning a trip to the Boundary Waters for the first time or if you are a regular visitor here, we hope that this site is helpful to you. We'll be updating the site frequently with fishing reports, forest conditions, and other helpful information. We've recently updated the look and content of the site and we hope you enjoy the added features and photos. Enjoy!
After a fairly dry beginning of 2010, last weekend saw a the snowfall make a very strong re-appearance here in Ely with a snowfall of around 12". It started out as a very wet, slippery snow and many of the outlying areas of Ely (inlcuding us here on Moose Lake) experienced some power outages. Even though we're still dealing with some slippery roads and tree branches sagging everywhere, the snow sticking to the trees makes everything look like a picture perfect winter scene. Temperatures have been mostly below zero since that snow, giving the upcoming Ely Winter Festival a very wintery look and feel again this year.
Our family has been getting out in the woods a bit ourselves to enjoy some of the winter sports our area offers. Bob and his kids (Grace 3 and Brock 6) spent an afternoon fishing near the resort last week....actually more time was spent playing in the snow and clearing a spot on the lake for their version of an ice skating rink (an area of about 10 by 10). Between all of these other activities, they even were able to bring a couple of fish home for dinner. The rest of us have been enjoying some skiing, hockey, and snowmobiling and trying to keep away from the dreaded cabin fever that winter can bring.
Of course, we've also been busy talking with so many of you about your upcoming trips with us in 2010. As those of you that are regulars here know, it is best to get your reservations in early in order to secure the necessary permits for your preferred dates as well as your preferred date for cabin reservations. For those of you that still plan on setting up a trip for this coming summer, we do have some openings for cabins and most dates still have permit availability for our canoe camping trips. In order to secure your preferred dates, we recommend getting your dates set at your earliest convenience as some dates will soon begin filling up. The cold winter months are a great time to think about open water and big fish.
Looking back at 2009, we again enjoyed sharing in your experiences and what makes our area so memorable for you. Some of the more interesting fishing reports included two 40 inch plus pike being caught in one day by one angler, two smallmouth caught on the same lure on one cast, trophy walleyes of up to 32 inches, and some outstanding days in terms of huge numbers of fish being caught. Added to the fishing were many reports of wildlife including a moose and his mate spending some time just outside of a guests' campsite last fall, numerous numbers of timberwolves being heard howling or spotted along the lakeshore, the dancing lights of the northern lights, and countless other sightings of beaver, eagles, and loons.
As we do every season, we now have some of our canoes available to purchase. I've listed the remaining canoes we have available for you and their prices below. Please contact us at 1-800-365-4531 and talk to Bob if you would like to discuss purchasing one of these great canoes or if you would like us to email you photos of any of these canoes.
Kevlar Canoes (all are kevlar ultralight layup with internal skidplates, and free yoke pads).
Wenonah:
MN III 20' (3 seat canoe): $1500
MN II 18': $1495
Champlain 18': 1425
Boundary Waters 17': $1450
Encounter (solo 17'): $1395 (solo yoke is available to purchase)
Souris River:
Quetico 17': $1525 and $1600
Wilderness 18': $1450 and $1495
Quetico 18.5' (3 seat canoe): $1695
Quetico 16' solo layup: $1500 (includes ash yoke and pads)
Aluminum Canoes:
17' and 18' Alumacraft and Grumman Canoes
From $250 to $495 dependant on condition
Also, those of you that are doing canoe trips into the CANADIAN SIDE of our wilderness area (Quetico Park not the BWCA) should be aware that there have been a few changes in the last few years. The most important items to note are that Quetico Park has now implemented a ban on live or dead bait and also requires the hooks on your line to have the barbs pinched down (the rest of your tackle box may have the normal barbs....just those being used must be modified). The RABC permits to enter Canada are still the same, but in 2009 the US Customs implimented some new requirements to re-enter the USA. A passport is now required to re-enter the USA from anywhere (including here in Ely). US Customs is located just as you enter Ely from the NE (directly across from the Wolf Center). Again, these Quetico Park regulations only apply to canoe trips into this area, not to our resort guests or to BWCA canoe trips in the United States.
Thanks again for visiting our site! As we look toward the 2010 season, we can't wait to see all of you that visit us each year as well as meeting those of you who will be our guests for the first time. We truly appreciate each of your visits with us and look forward to helping you with your vacation plans. We enjoy sharing in your experiences to these northwoods our family calls home!