April 2008 Newsletter

Hello All,

I started our last newsletter in March with a similar beginning. A month has passed since our last newsletter and yet winter still does not want to let go completely. Spring is trying to break the winter cycle as some days get nice, but it still could be nicer. Last few days is providing more spring like conditions though. The forecasts are looking better, highs in the 50's with rain showers on a few days, even 60 is shown as a high for a day. We'll see what happens day to day as we all know how often the weatherman is correct, right?

Not a whole lot going on to speak of in terms of business. We are getting anxious for another spring season to get started to see our clients once again this year. Our planes have gone through majority of the winter maintenance schedules. They will be completed and ready to fly as soon as the ice is off the lakes.

Please note our new email address. We ask you to please update your files for L & M with our new email address. We would like to cut our service off to the old email address soon and use only the new email address. LM@LMflyin.com

Special savings can be obtained for direct referrals now with L & M. Times change, things change with time. We are finding that the traditional sport shows that we use to market and to gain bookings are slipping backwards each year. Internet has taken up some of that slack. But we will be cutting back on our sport shows each and every year. The costs of the actual booth at the show along with the expense of doing the shows (motels, eating out each day, fuel) are not justifying that we continue to do the shows much longer. The bookings just are not coming through us sitting at these shows. Before long, the shows will be a thing of the past. Next year we will be attending only a couple of shows, at most. In changing times we are going to try yet another new marketing idea. L & M is prepared to pass on the marketing to our fishing clients with "incentives" for direct referrals that result in bookings. This new special is intended for a totally new group, separate of your own group you bring with you now. NOT new additions to your EXISTING group as we already give discounts with a "larger" group towards your per person rates on your trips. For this to work, a few things must happen after you have given the good word about our services to another person or persons. The group who you refer to us must have NEVER been with L & M in the past. They could have been on other fly in trips in the past with other outfitters, but not with L & M. When the "NEW" group books a trip, they must provide L & M with some info. So you will have to make sure they do this in order you get your discount. In order for L & M to track this new system we are placing in, we will need your name, mailing address, phone number, email address, and lake (s) you have fished with L & M to verify our records when the "new" group books the fishing trip. If the new group can provide us with this info at the time when they book, we will credit you with $300.00 towards your next fishing trip you book with L & M in the future. The credit will be good AFTER the new group has completed their trip. The reason being, we want to make sure the new group does indeed take the trip and does not cancel before we give you the "credit" towards your next trip. With your contact information provided, we will also send you a written letter/receipt in the mail to serve as your redeemable certificate that can be used to redeem your credit towards the next fly in with L & M. We see this as a win/win situation. L & M gains a booking, while you save some money on your next fishing trip.

Please keep tabs on our web site for specials that L & M is offering, as we do amend this page time to time: www.lmflyin.com/rates

Notice: Looking for a "couples" trip yet this year? L & M is offering a
couples special, 1/2 price to the wives of a "couples" trip to Otatakan Lake
during July or August. If interested please inquire for further details, as
certain dates and restrictions will apply. Limited Time offer.

We would like to hear some input from any of you. Just as I mentioned in the above paragraph, times change, things change with time. As an outfitter/business owner we must be able to change with the times. In our 22 years of being in the outfitting business, we have seen outpost cabins go from being very rustic to fairly modern these days. Cabins basically had 1 room with plywood walls, roofs that leaked, leaky boats, undependable motors, and running water....what was that?? That's right, the fisherman running down to the lake with a bucket to get the water (i.e.. running water). Solar power was taking your shirt off to catch a tan via sun power, now solar power is to charge the batteries using the solar panels for your modern day running water/solar lights. 20 years ago 1 refrigerator was provided and if you were lucky it actually worked, and a 2 burner coleman cook stove. Now we provide 2 refrigerators and 2-4 burner cook ranges with ovens at our larger cabins at the lakes, bbq grills, fish cookers, etc. Cleaning your fish 20 years ago meant cleaning them on a board nailed up between 2 trees, now we have screened-in fish cleaning buildings with running water plumbed in for easy clean up. 20 years later things have improved dramatically. We are now even considering flush toilets in the next few years. We won't get all the lakes done at one time, but we see this coming in the near future. Each lake will be looked at differently, due to some cabins being built on bedrock and others on sand beaches, etc, etc... Each one will pose a unique challenge.

One question for you (we want to take a little poll.) This is just a poll to see some insight if there would be an interest for this down the road. Would
you or anybody be interested in a modified American Plan/housekeeping type trip at an Outpost?? Open to ideas, etc. We have had a thought about making it as an option to having a "camp hand" being supplied (at an extra fee). He or she or both would stay at the lake with you during your trip if you wanted. They would help with the daily duties, such as fueling boatswith gas each day, maybe helping with your shore lunch and cooking meals, and assisting with your group with guiding services. We couldn't offer a FULL service American Plan type trip due to the set ups we have at the lakes, but could provide a care taker to assist with the trip.... Please let us know if any of you would be interested in this type of service provided to you by L & M or if you have any other thoughts..... We are just kicking around some idea's for the future that we may want to consider??

For groups who have booked a fly in with L & M this May and June, the group leader should have received your "flight time" letter along with other information. Those letters were sent out a couple weeks ago. Please take a few minutes to read over ALL of the information provided in those letters, if you haven't already done so. If your group has not received your letter, please let L & M know ASAP and we will re-send you the letter. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, or if you need to let us know about any of the things we have requested in the letters from you. It's that time of the year to start getting those "finer details" of the trips finalized. For groups who are booked in July, we will be setting the flight times sometime in May and will mail those to you at that time. LM@LMflyin.com
888/867-3335

If any of you like to dink around on the computers finding out info and talking about fishing in general or fishing in Canada, here are a couple of web-sites/forums I would like to invite you to check into. You can find out allot of information regarding lots of things, from ice fishing in MN or Canada, all fishing in Canada, gear for fishing, etc. It is easy to sign up and start to communicate with other fishermen all around the US. These two forums are mainly for the mid-west but people all over the US do use them.
Each forum does have a "Canada" section, too. For your Canadian trips pay special attention to the Canada sections.

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/

http://www.lakestatefishing.com/

In family news, No more baby's born since Jaycie February 24, no more surgery's. Baby Jaycie is doing well, growing fast. Travis and Chris are very proud of the new addition to the family. (Oh, did I say she is so beautiful?) Lucas is doing well after his hernia surgery, and Shane, too, after his back surgery. Everyone should be ready to go for the spring season. Now it is just a waiting game for snow to finish melting off and the ice to clear off the lakes. We are praying for more nice, warm weather.

For who those who are hunters, especially bear hunters.... The anti-hunters are back at it again here in Ontario. A few years ago they got our spring bear hunting season closed. Now they are working on stopping the baiting of
the bear during the fall hunting season. Here is a petition to help stop this movement. If you are a hunter and want to rally against the anti-hunters, please click on this link and sign the petition, as each and every name helps.
http://www.petitiononline.com/bear2008/petition.html

If your are still thinking about booking a fly in fishing trip this year, keep L & M in mind. We still have openings scattered out at our various lakes.

We are anxious for the spring season to begin so we can see all of you soon.

From all of us at
L & M Fly In Outposts
www.LMflyin.com
LM@LMflyin.com
888/867-3335