What does everyone do when they have a stringer full of fish and come to a portage longer than 100yds or so? Fillet them or try carrying them the whole way? If you do carry them, do you strap them in the canoe or how do you secure them?

fillet and bag.

In Michael Furtman's book "Boundary Waters and Quetico Fishing Guide" he suggests putting them in a wet burlap bag. I never really needed to try it, but if nothing else it would make them a lot easier to handle. I was able to find a bunch of free burlap bags at Dunn Brothers Coffee.

-Nick

i have cleaned and ziplock-ed (though never a stringer-ful-just a fish or three)

just don't clean them at the portage-too much potential to hold up another group and fish scraps may attract vermin. i always try to clean fish away from campsites too-makes it easy to dispose of scraps and less chance of attracting a yogi to a campsite.

tg

Just keep in mind that transferring live fish from one lake to another is not legal in MN, so I don't know what a ranger would do in that situation. On the other hand, if they're on a stringer, one would assume that they're accompanying you to dinner...

good point dan!

filet and bag I tried to portage whole fish once and most of them got tore up when going through the brush. or when i flipped the canoe up or down.

I've done it. Sent one of my boys with only the stringer down the portage first. Instructed him to cafefully go as quickly as he could down the trail without risking a fall or injury, and tie them off at the end, and then come back for a load of gear. He did it safely, and every fish was alive until we cleaned and ate them for dinner that night. I wouldn't make a habbit of this though. I worried about him until we met him coming back on the trail.

fillet and bag

Personally I never fish for food when we are traveling, actually I am not sure if I have ever fished while traveling. I know others in our group have thrown in a line while waiting to access a portage or while we might be taking a break after a portage but I have no desire to be hauling anything "extra" across a portage. We have always had fish to eat when we wanted them. Todd

Fillet and bag them. So much easier to work with!

Where is the best place to put the fish guts after cleaning.

The Forest Service would like fish remains to be buried away from shore and away from camps, trails, and portages.

Put the fish guts in a bay away from any campsites in a foot or less of water.

Seagulls, Eagles, Turkey Vultures, Mink, Snapping Turtles, etc, will have them eaten within a few hours.

Some may call this polluting, but keep this in mind: a fish does not go to Heaven when it dies!

It seems the Forest Services changes it's mind about what to do about fish remains every few years. Who knows what they'll want us to do with them in the future.

Never had the problem in 10+ trips. I must be lousy at fishing.