With the additional daylight hours, the forest starts to come to life. Even at this stage of winter, some migrating birds begin to return to the area while others stop by on their long trip to the far north. Ravens and crows have begun mating rituals-behavior often exhibited through stunning aerobatic displays or play upon the surface of frozen lakes.

The lengthening days didn't come without some consequence, though. Much like the warm up we experienced in January, the thaw and subsequent rain that followed in February took a major toll on our snowpack. With nearly an inch of rain falling throughout several days of temperatures in the mid 50's, the snow accumulation on the lakes melted, leaving us with several inches of standing water. Thankfully this wet and sloppy condition only was temporary, as the water eventually drained through cracks in the buoyant ice.

Just as Elyites were donning flip flops and zinc oxide lotion, winter returned with a subtle nudge to remind us we're not out of the woods yet. Temperatures dropped to the single digits or lower, some new snow fell, and the lakes hardened to a point where traveling about in a vehicle of any size brought about no question of safety. Fishing holes that offered access only by snowmobile because of deep snow could now be reached by car or large truck.

Minnesota is known as the walleye, bass, northern pike, etc. capital, but one fish that doesn't receive much fan fare is the eel pout. Somewhat akin to an eel but also sharing a slight resemblance to a fish, the eel pout is not often directly sought by anglers, except during one particular weekend every February on Leech Lake. The International Eel Pout Festival is festival, spectacle, and competition all rolled into one. Thousands of anglers descend upon Leech Lake every year seeking a fish that often bites after dark-quite convenient for socialization...

With the warm weather and longer days, we took the opportunity to enjoy the friendly skies over Minnesota. Enjoying the vastness of our lakes and forests from the air is stunning, but much more so with a good companion and attentive co-pilot.