Piragis Northwoods Company in Ely, Minnesota
Piragis Northwoods Company Enews
July 14, 2011
Greetings!

Did you know that when you wear a hat from Piragis you tend to catch bigger fish up in the Quetico?  Perhaps not entirely true, but it always seems to be the case when our friend Mike sends us a picture.  Here's an interesting fact - smallmouth bass seem to be getting bigger and bigger and more fun to catch.  Who figured?  :)



It is summer and as we've said before, Ely is the place to be!  Swimming, fishing, stand-up-paddle-boarding, canoeing, kayaking.  So much fun you can't fit it all into the day.  That's why you need a few of them just to relax and experience the Great Northwoods.

Come up and visit Ely and take a Boundary Waters Vacation!

From the end of the road,

Sincerely,
Tim Stouffer
Piragis Northwoods Company


Warmth creeps in
to July as the days fill up
with more than you have a right
to put in your cup.
Hammocks forgotten, sleeping bags empty.
We're on the water, or in it.
Until long after the sun goes down.
We dance to the music of
wilderness stars.

TJS 2011
An Interview with Cliff Jacobson


This month, Cliff Jacobson shares his best tips on how to enjoy canoeing.
 

Q. What major mistake do most people make when buying a canoe?


Cliff. They search discount stores, which are more concerned with durability than the "joy of paddling" which, after all, is what canoes are all about. You'll see the best canoes at canoe races, canoe symposiums and dedicated paddle shops.

Q. How important are paddling skills?


Cliff. Skills are much more important than things. Accomplished paddlers don't hit many rocks. Unskilled "canoers", who bang everything in the river, don't need a more durable canoe; they need to learn HOW TO PADDLE. Join a canoe club and take some canoeing classes. You can learn enough in one day to paddle surprisingly well.

Q. How did you get involved in canoeing?


Cliff. I discovered the canoe in 1951, at age 11, as a Boy Scout in a rustic Scout camp set deep in the Michigan woods. We paddled wood-canvas canoes then--Old Town's, Thompson's and Shell Lakes. These canoes were beautiful and paddled like a dream, though they needed frequent repairs. Don't misinterpret: these canoes were plenty tough if you attended to their needs and paddled them well. In those days, paddle competency was heavily emphasized. Instruction came first, the canoe second. Now, it's usually the other way around. People want to buy something to fix their problem rather than develop the skill to outfox it. My friends and I have paddled relatively fragile wood-strip fiberglass solo canoes all over Minnesota's Boundary Waters and northern Ontario. We've run many intermediate (Class II) rapids in these canoes, loaded for a two week trip. Sure, there were scrapes, but they were easily fixed with duct tape. The bottom line: skills are more important than things!

 

 

For the rest of the interview with Cliff, Click Here

 

Call or email  Drew or  Adam to plan a trip into the Boundary Waters or Quetico wilderness in 2011!!!

 
Send me your trip stories and pictures: piragis webmaster
 
A good-bye note from Bert.
Drew and Adam are busy booking more trips everyday the summer progresses and getting folks into their canoes when they arrive here in Ely.  It seems like more and more people are realizing the affordability and excitement that goes along with a Boundary Waters vacation!

Bert wanted to say good-bye to all in his own words and you can share that by reading our blog.

New:  STUFF THAT WORKS!  Check out our PIRAGIS PACK LINER.  Big, Bad and Bold in Yellow -- it'll keep your stuff DRY!

Waterproof your pack with The Piragis Pack Liner!

Oversized to give you that extra wiggle room when, The Piragis Pack Liner is 100% waterproof to protect your gear! The liner is bright yellow in color to help you see what you are packing. To ensure it's watertight, it has a 3-roll enclosure on top. Made with the toughest PVC urethane coated nylon, so it stays soft and supple, even in cold weather. The seams aren't just taped, they are RF welded sealed, for maximum waterproof integrity. Oh and one more added bonus, it's Made In the U.S.A!     


Click Here for Piragis Pack Liner


What's out in the Woods?



Birding around Ely
 
Steve and Nancy Piragis went with their friend Steve Wilson to get some pictures of these nesting bay breasted warblers in the middle of a large spruce bog last week.

If you like birding, you'll never know what you'll happen to see in Northern Minnesota!






 
Champion of the BWCAW dies, 89

"Herbert C. Johnson, a Minnesota business leader who dedicated himself to removing motorized activity from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, died June 25 at 89.
 

Friends described Johnson, an engineer and businessman, as "a doer, a get-'er-done kind of guy" who was "always thinking, always observing and making connections."
 

Of hundreds of people who aided the campaign to ban motorized vehicles from the wilderness area, "Herb was in the small handful of people who really made a big difference," said Kevin Proescholdt, of the Izaak Walton League."

 

From the Star Tribune, read the complete story here. 



 
Save on the Piragis Lure Lock'r.  Gotta have em' cause THEY WORK!
Keep hooks snag-free and lure still tied on the line. Heavy duty hook and loop closures keep lures from getting tangled with one another or worse yet, snagging someone on a portage.

List Price:  $8.50

Your Price: $6.80     Click the picture below to purchase. 





 
Do you have friends that are interested in the Boundary Waters but don't know how to start planning their first trip?
 

Let them know about us.  We love to introduce people to the beauty of the Great Northwoods!  Forward this newsletter to them or just have them give Drew or Adam a call!

 



We'd like to introduce them to Ely, Minnesota and the beauty of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Boundary Waters is the perfect place to spend quality time with friends and family.



Have you recently connected with old friends on Facebook and are looking for a way to reconnect in person? A Boundary Waters trip holds the answer and the opportunity for an economical vacation. At Piragis our focus has always been on the best relationship we can have with our canoe trip clients.



We know this country because we paddle it ourselves. We'll start with getting your permit and canoes for your trip. We specialize in lightweight kevlar canoes and gear so you can have fun in the wilderness without breaking your back as you carry your canoe and gear between lakes. At Piragis, we can pack and route your whole trip including food if you want. We're flexible, so if you want to bring your own gear, we'll get you some of our 44 lb canoes or grab your permit for you. We're happy to be Your Friends in the Great Northwoods - a one-stop-shop and source for everything you need to know about the BWCA wilderness.

Having fun in the woods on the canoe trail doesn't require refined camping skills or extensive paddling experience! We spend time making sure canoe campers are comfortable with the gear and canoes before every trip. We offer shuttle service and tows to your wilderness entry points.


Our Rental system is the easiest to understand of any Canoe Trip Outfitter in Ely. If you want to rent everything you need for your trip from us the fee is simple $100 per person, per day. You bring your clothes and personal gear including fishing gear. If you want to rent a kevlar canoe or one piece of gear we price those things very reasonably per day. (A tandem kevlar canoe with a comfortable deluxe portage pad rents for 40 dollars a day and includes two lifevests and two kevlar paddles.)


 

We also offer guide service from some of the most experienced, knowledgeable and personable canoe country guides available. They've been travelling the Boundary Waters and taking clients on fishing and camping adventures for over three decades now.


"Equipment provide by Piragis was excellent, as usual... everything was new, and worked flawlessly - the staff that assisted us were equally superior. We were in and out in no time at all.

 

Can't thank you enough for a quality trip. I have done a fair amount of traveling, and thus have some experience in grading performance. Piragis Outfitting is the best. Please advise your entire staff that all of their hard work does not go unnoticed - or unappreciated. Piragis put together a top shelf experience."

 

See you next year! Mark D. O'Leary


Your Friends in the Great Northwoods,

Piragis Canoe Trip Outfitters,  Drew Brockett and Adam Macht

1-800-223-6565

Join us on FACEBOOK.  Help us grow our Facebook followers.  Share Piragis with your friends and click the old "LIKE" button.
If you were a facebook fan of ours, you'd know that a moose was spotted
right in town Ely and what the latest specials were ahead of time.





We use Facebook to post quick news about Ely, special sales, fire-ban status in the wilderness, current events and fun stuff.


Thanks for your social media help and thanks for sharing us with your friends as we continue to promote Piragis Northwoods Company and the Boundary Waters Catalog and utilize all means necessary to keep you, our valued customers and trip clients, in the loop.

 

LIKE us on Facebook
Your Friends in the
Great Northwoods
105 North Central Avenue
Ely, MN  55731
1-800-223-6565
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In This Issue
Cliff Jacobson
Bert Retires
Piragis Pack Liner
Birding in Ely
BWCAW Current Events
Lure Lock'r Sale
Friends in the Boundary Waters
We need your Facebook "LIKES"

Award Winning Outfitter
Quick Links
40% Off DAYPACKS

Day Pack SALE

"These backpacks have the best support system of any day pack I've ever used, making them the perfect choice for canoe trips, the daily commute or school."

Steve Piragis

 

 

 

Ivar Revel Pack

Dimensions:

19 x 12.5 x 8.5 in.
Capacity: 2000 cu. in.

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List Price:     $95.00 

Your Price:     $57.00

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Ivar Urban Pack

Dimensions:

18 x 12 x 8 in.
Capacity: 1720 cu in.

40% OFF

List Price:     $90.00 

Your Price:     $54.00

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Ivar Zug Pack

Dimensions:

16 x 12 x 6.5 in.
Capacity: 1460 cu. in.

40% OFF

List Price:     $85.00 

Your Price:     $51.00

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We Are Solar Powered 

Click the link above and you'll find a graph of our energy production and consumption here at Piragis in Ely.

Piragis is Solar Powered 

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Wenonah Canoes sponsors Piragis Northwoods Company ENEWS

Ely Echo Sponsors the Piragis ENEWS