Kids Fishing Day wouldn’t be complete without something new, and he is professional bass fisherman Tony DeFlippio.
DeFlippio is a past Michigan Bass Angler of the Year and a consistent top finisher with the Fishing League Worldwide, the world’s largest fishing tournament organization. Now he guides anglers throughout northwest Michigan.
More importantly, DeFlippio is an all-around good guy and father who wants to pass his passion for fishing onto the next generation. He’ll be attending with his well-equipped bass boat to answer questions.
Kids Fishing Day will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Veronica Valley County Park. The event will include its usual attractions — a snake, frog and turtle display; fly fishing lessons and demonstrations; signpainting station for youngsters; scouting sign-up desk; grilled hot dogs, pop and chips; MDNR information station; and bluegill filleting demonstrations. The Lake Leelanau Lake Association will also be demonstrating its boat-washing station, a major deterrent against the spread of invasive species.
Of course the main attraction will be 3,500 bluegills planted for the day. The pond will be closed to fishing at the end of this week in preparation for the big day. Plenty of gills remain after the event to sustain a summer-long fishery for youngsters.
••• You know the biting flies are bad when the National Park Service is forced to close an inside attraction.
Stable flies, those nasty little bugs that don’t look more menacing than a simple house fly, have been overwhelming at times along the beaches of Sleeping Bear Dune National Lakeshore.
So much so that twice in recent weeks the NPS has been forced to shut down the Glen Haven Cannery and Boat Museum in Glen Arbor. A rainy spring and warmer weather may be causes.
Merrith Baughman, chief of interpretation and visitor services at the Lakeshore, said the flies are tolerable most days but downright overpowering on others. The wind seems to be one factor .
“Glen Haven has been really affected this year when we have a south wind because it pushes them out of the woods,” Baughman said.
The Park Service suggests covering legs, the preferred target of stable flies, and even calling or stopping by the Lakeshore visitor center where rangers can provide a fly report. The good news is that stable fly populations have peaked and should steadily decline as summer kicks in.
••• Baughman also reported on a growing problem in the Lakeshore that beach goers can help control.
Ashes left by beloved beach fires, considered by many to be an essential piece to their Sleeping Bear visit, are starting to overwhelm some areas. While embers are too hot to disperse, the Lakeshore is recommending picking up or scattering the remnants of past beach fires before leaving.
“We have lots of beaches, and with that are more areas for beach fires. We are getting a lot of ashes left behind,” she said.
National Park Service protocol for beach fires are to build fires below the high water market, douse them with water when done, and never ever bury them in sand. That might give the next visitor through a hot foot.
So far there has been no call to ban beach fires in the Lakeshore.
“One thing is that would be pretty much unenforceable. Rangers have other things to attend to including emergencies. And beach fires are part of the summer experiences, to have them with family friends. But when you get 1.5 million visitors, that’s a lot of ashes,” Baughman said.
••• Speaking of which, recreation visits in the Lakeshore were down considerably last month at 83,736. The figure was 100,248 for May 2023. Compared to last year, visitations was down a touch in January but up in February, March and April.
••• No doubt Sleeping Bear campgrounds are popular places, but camping isn’t for everyone. Folks who prefer a more comfortable approach to their Lakeshore visit will soon be flocking to the Sleeping Bear Inn.
Jeff Kato, one-half of the driving force behind a nonprofit that has successfully raised funds to open the historic inn at the end of July, credits support from community near and far.
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of help,” he said. “We like to say the entire community, which is close with Glen Arbor and Empire, but goes farther to Grand Rapids and beyond, has stepped up to help with funds, their time and energy.”
The meticulous rehabilitation of the historic inn, which once played host to lumber barons and lumberjacks from throughout the Great Lakes, was made possible by the nonprofit Balancing Environment and Rehabilitation (BEAR). Jeff (secretary/treasurer) and Maggie (president) are presiding officers.
Response has been strong. Inn bookings are completely full through the month of August, and September is 75% booked, Jeff reports. More openings are available over winter for cross country skiers and snowshoers. The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail crosses Glen Haven Road within a stone’s throw of the property.
••• If you haven’t downloaded the Merlin Bird ID app, do it. I don’t profess to being a birding expert, but it’s surprising how many species are out there that you would never know about because they don’t come to feeders.
I texted my wife Monday about recording a Yellowrumped warbler, and within minutes she sent me back a photo.
No, I’m not making a rump joke, and the photo was not of me. But we have found the app entertaining during outdoor happy hours. It’s fun.
