The fish are biting on Saganaga and I am wishing I was out fishing. Instead I've been strengthening my reel in wrists painting and playing volleyball. My daughter Abby is on a volleyball team that will be competing in the Minnesota Star of the North Games in St. Paul next weekend and I'm the coach of the team.

     I love coaching volleyball but I'd much rather be doing it in the dead of winter than on a warm summer day. There's something about being cooped up in a dark gym when the sun is shining outside, it just doesn't feel right. Two more practices and the tournament this weekend will be the end of stuffy gyms for me this summer.

     Luckily I live vicariously through the fishing expeditions of my ever helpful crew member Mark who always has his camera along and lately a pretty model too.  They've been spending some time fishing in the Boundary Waters and catching fish too.  Thanks Mark and Julie!

     There are a couple of ways to catch and release moose as we've learned from the latest DNR moose collaring project. This story however is a bit more interesting.

Dr. Karen Sciascia of Red Hill, Pa., holds a baby moose she and Four Rivers Fishing Co. guide Seth McLean rescued from a river in southwestern Montana, in a photo taken just before they released the animal on the bank where its mother waited.

Four Rivers Fishing Co./AP

Dr. Karen Sciascia of Red Hill, Pa., has delivered thousands of babies in her career. But on a vacation to Montana this week, she helped deliver another life from danger, as she and her fishing guide saved a baby moose that was separated from its mother as they crossed a river.

The water in question is the Big Hole River, a scenic spot in southwestern Montana known for its trout fishing. That's where Sciascia and her guide, Seth McLean, were fishing when they spotted a cow moose and a calf that were having trouble navigating a spot on the river where two channels create a turbulent current.

Sciascia says that after struggling back and forth in the water, the cow moose bolted for the far river bank. When her calf tried to follow, it was swept downstream by the current. Realizing the danger the calf was in, Sciascia and McLean set off after it in their boat.

"We found it with its little nose just above the water," Sciascia tells . "We got up alongside it and I just grabbed the little bugger. I scooped it up from the river under its front legs."

Weighing about 25 pounds, the calf lay limp in Sciascia's arms, she says, other than its cries that resembled the sounds a puppy might make. McLean rowed them upriver a bit, to the bank where the cow moose had landed.

"Quickly after pulling to shore they released the baby and Momma was soon there checking her calf over," the company says, "once reunited and satisfied Momma led her calf into the woods."

Calling the rescue a new twist on the "catch and release" policy many anglers follow, McLean's employer, Four Rivers Fishing Co. in Twin Bridges, Mont., posted the story Wednesday. It soon garnered more than 1,000 "likes."

"Having delivered so many babies, it was like every other day to me, though it was a different modality," Sciascia tells The Missoulian. "It was cool to be in the right place at the right time."

     The forecast calls for a wonderful canoe camping experience with Voyageur Canoe Outfitters. While that may be true, that isn't really what I had in mind to blog about today. I did want to let people know the temperature in Grand Marais is not the same as it is at the end of the Gunflint Trail.

     Grand Marais is located on the edge of Lake Superior. This is a big lake that stays pretty darn cold all year long, even in the summer.  Due to wind that comes off of Lake Superior the town of Grand Marais can be quite chilly even on a summer day, even when it's 80 degrees at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  Earlier this week while Grand Marais was foggy with temperatures in the 40's it was sunny and 70 at the end of the Gunflint.  It is not uncommon to have a 20 degree difference in temperatures so keep this in mind if you are looking at a forecast.

     It's best to look at a forecast for the Superior National Forest or Ely, MN.  This will more accurately reflect our temperatures and weather at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  You could also look for the weather for Grand Marais at the airport which is up over the hill and away from Lake Superior. 

     Lake Superior acts like a big air conditioner in the summer and a heater in the winter so ignore the forecasts for Grand Marais, Minnesota and remember, there's an awesome canoe trip with Voyageur forecasted for you!

     Have you ever seen a group of yellow and black butterflies sitting on the ground and wondered what on earth they were doing? Member of the Voyageur Crew Mark recently did and found the answer to this question.

Yellow Swallowtail photo by Mark Ceminsky

In a few cases the swallowtails are hunting for protein but in most cases it's salts and minerals dissolved in water that they crave. Since the plant material butterflies feed on contains very little salt, they must source it elsewhere; thus the puddling. Females do not often partake in puddling and they get most of their salt from the male during the mating. 

     It's not every day you can enjoy a shore lunch fish fry so be sure to take advantage of the opportunity on Monday, June 17th.  It's a delicious lunch and a great excuse to visit Chik-Wauk. After lunch take time to hike one of the many beautiful trails and enjoy the blooming wildflowers.

 Annual fish fry dinner fundraiser, 12:00 noon, Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center. Enjoy fried fish, potatoes, beans, beverage and dessert, as well as good conversation at this favorite Gunflint Trail community event. Suggested donation for lunch. All welcome. More information from 218-388-9915. Reservations not needed.