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Heritage Mfg. commemorates the 150th Anniversary

Confederate States of America Commemorative Presentation Set

The Civil War was the deadliest war in American History. As many as 620,000 individuals lost their lives during this war. More Americans died in the Civil War than any other war ever fought.

Heritage Manufacturing commemorates the 150th Anniversary of this tragic 5 year period. We honor those who died for their cause by either fighting to maintain their mostly agricultural economic system as in the South, as well as those in the Northern states, who had the resolve to fight in order to maintain the young union of United States of America.

As a limited offering, we have introduced our Confederate States of America Commemorative Presentation Set.

Each of our 11 Confederate States has our bestselling 6.5� 

Rough Rider Blue Combo Revolver. The grips are scrimshaw ivory. The left panel will have the state battle flag that flew during the confederacy. The right panel will have the initials CSA (Confederate States of America). This Confederate Commemorative also comes in a presentation cedar box depicting a Civil War battle scene, commemorative verbiage on the top of the box and the corresponding battle flag that matches the grip. 

The presentation set is available for 11 Confederate States of AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, and VA.  This includes our bestselling 6.5� Rough Rider Blue Combo Revolver, scrimshaw ivory grips, left grip panel has the state battle flag that flew during the Confederacy, and right grip panel has the initials CSA (Confederate States of America).  Our Confederate Commemorative also comes in a presentation cedar box depicting a Civil War battle scene, commemorative verbiage on the top of the box and the corresponding battle flag that matches the grips.

About $269.99

www.HeritageMfg.com

NMMA Joins Court Appeal of E15 Ruling

The National Marine Manufacturers Association, and its partners in the Engine Products Group, filed suit this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's rule outlining a gas pump warning label as well as other misfueling controls for gasoline containing up to 15 percent ethanol.

This rule, which was released in June, also included a denial of the Engine Products Group�s request that the EPA ensure the continued sale and availability of gasoline blends no greater than 10 percent ethanol because retailers that are not prepared to offer both E10 and E15 may opt to offer E15 only.

The NMMA filed a separate suit last December in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenging the EPA�s partial waiver approving E15 for certain model motor vehicles.

E15 was approved for cars that are model-year 2001 or newer. It has not been approved for marine engines, but the NMMA is concerned that the EPA has not taken steps to reduce the chance of misfueling.  For example, the gasoline warning label the EPA approved is written only in English, no consumer education campaign is being conducted and the EPA is not requiring any physical misfueling controls.

The Engine Products Group also filed a motion of abeyance, which asks the court to put a hold on this most recent misfueling petition until the original legal challenge on the partial waiver is resolved, the NMMA said.  In addition to the NMMA, the Engine Products Group includes the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, the Association of Global Automakers and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

Congress votes to extend the Sport Fish and Boating Safety Trust Fund through March 31, 2012

The fund, previously known as Wallop-Breaux, had been set to expire at the end of this month.  The trust fund is

generated directly by boaters through taxes on motorboat

fuel and fishing tackle, along with other fees. The Coast Guard and the Department of the Interior administer the funds, which pay for boating safety, access, pump-outs, marina construction and sportfish restoration.

Great Lakes Water Levels for Sept 23, 2011 

WEATHER CONDITIONS

A low pressure system out of the northwest moved through the Great Lakes basin this week bringing a drop in temperatures and some scattered rain showers.  Most areas are currently experiencing below average temperatures which will last into the weekend.  Cloudy skies and persistent chances of showers are forecasted to remain in the region until the middle of next week.  So far this month, Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron have received below average precipitation while Lakes Erie and Ontario have received above average precipitation.

LAKE LEVEL CONDITIONS

Currently, Lake Superior is near its level of a year ago and Lake Michigan-Huron is 2 inches below last year's level.  Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are 6, 11, and 2 inches, respectively, higher than they were at this time last year. Over the next thirty days, Lake Superior is projected to drop 1 inch from its current level, and Lake Michigan-Huron is expected to fall 2 inches.  The water levels of Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are forecasted to decline 7, 6, and 5 inches, respectively, over the next month.

FORECASTED MONTHLY OUTFLOWS/CHANNEL CONDITIONS

Lake Superior's outflow through the St. Mary's River is projected to be below average for the month of August.  The outflows from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River, and from Lake St. Clair into the Detroit River, are expected to be below average throughout the month of August.  Lake Erie's outflow through the Niagara River is predicted to be

above average and the outflow of Lake Ontario into the St. Lawrence River is predicted to be above average.

ALERTS

The water level of Lake Superior is currently below chart datum and is forecasted to remain below datum over the next six months.  Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels.  Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

Prostate Cancer joins growing list of cancers dogs could sniff out

Trained dogs can detect prostate cancer by sniffing patients� urine, scientists have found

Scientists are increasingly interested in the ability of man�s best friend to catch the scent of chemicals that give away the presence of cancers in early stages, when they are more easily curable. Past studies have reported on canines� ability to sniff out lung and breast cancers.

The new study, by Jean-Nicolas Cornu of Tenon Hospital in Paris and colleagues, followed up on pro�posals that ingredients of urine known as volatile organic compounds may serve as signs of prostate cancer�the third most common cause of cancer deaths in men, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The disease begins in the prostate gland, a walnut-sized organ next to the urethra, the tube that passes urine out of the body.

Cornu and colleagues trained a Belgian Malinois shepherd dog over 24 months to smell and recognize urine of people with prostate cancer. To standardize urine samples for the study, all samples were frozen for preservation and heated 

to the same temperature. The dog�s ability to discriminate urine from people with and without prostate cancer was assessed in a double-blind test, researchers said, in which the experimenters themselves weren�t told which samples were which.

The urine came from 66 patients referred to an urologist for showing warning signs of prostate cancer. Only half of the patients turned out to actually have the illness based on a biopsy, while the other half did not.

The dog nosed out the samples and correctly recognized the can�cer sam�ples in 30 of 33 cases, the investigators said, reporting their findings in the February issue of the journal European Urology. One of the patients that the pooch �incorrectly� pegged as a cancer case, they noted, did in fact turn out to have cancer based on a second biopsy.

The specific compounds giving off the telltale scent haven�t yet been definitively identified, the researchers noted, but the ca�nine re�search could help to clarify this question and help de�vel�op yet additional screening tools.

Vitamin C May Provide Relief for Kids with Asthma

In a clinical trial, researchers at Tanta University in Egypt and the University of Helsinki in Finland determined when and under what conditions children may benefit the most from a daily dose of vitamin C.

The scientists tested their theories on a group of 70 kids who were 7 to 10 years old. The volunteers took 0.2-gram supplements of vitamin C daily, and study investigators measured the children�s forced expiratory volume per one second (FEV1) to determine what effect the antioxidant

had on their asthma symptoms. Results of this study suggest that asthmatic children may benefit from a natural nutritional supplement that contains vitamin C.

In participants who were 7 to 8.2 years old and had no exposure to mold or damp rooms, FEV1 was increased by 37 percent. In the older subset, 8.3 to 10 years old, those who were exposed to fungi and dampness experienced a 21 percent improvement in FEV1.  When looking only at the age of the volunteers, the researchers still observed a more significant effect of vitamin C in the younger group.

Government accuses Bass Pro of discrimination

Bass Pro Outdoor World rejected thousands of qualified black and Hispanic job applicants and retaliated against employees who believed its practices were discriminatory, the federal government alleges in a suit filed Wednesday in Houston.

The suit stems from a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by a white manager at the Bass Pro Outdoor World store in Katy, Texas, who alleged that she was fired when she complained to her boss about mistreatment of black job applicants and employees, the Houston Chronicle newspaper reported.

The subsequent investigation led federal officials to believe that the alleged practice of failing to hire members of minority groups for hourly or salaried positions was a nationwide pattern in Bass Pro's 55 stores.

The agency launched an inquiry in 2007 against the Springfield, Mo.-based sporting goods company that led to the class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Houston.

Larry L. Whiteley, communications manager for Bass Pro, said the company never comments on ongoing litigation.  In addition to the allegations of discrimination and retaliation, the agency alleges that Bass Pro destroyed employment applications and internal discrimination complaints.

Jim Sacher, regional attorney for the EEOC in Houston, said Bass Pro managers routinely used racial slurs, instructed managers not to hire blacks and Hispanics and ordered employees to trail black and Hispanic shoppers because of an assumption they'd steal merchandise.

The EEOC built much of its case on evidence provided by former store managers and human resources managers, Sacher said. Among them were two former human resources managers in Katy who contended that they suffered retaliation for protesting discriminatory hiring practices and mistreatment of the store's few minority employees.

In 2005, the lawsuit alleges, the general manager of one of

the Houston-area stores told the human resources manager that "it was getting a little dark in here; you need to hire some white people."

In an Indiana store, witnesses saw a department leader discarding applications, inferring from their names that the applicants were black and explaining that they don't make good employees, according to the lawsuit.

In Louisiana, a human resources manager had just finished interviewing a black applicant but was told by an assistant general manager that the candidate "really doesn't fit our profile" because the store didn't hire African-Americans, the EEOC alleges.

Bass Pro aggressively seeks public funds to finance its construction by marketing itself to communities as a major tourist magnet that will spawn other economic development, according to a report from the Public Accountability Initiative, a Buffalo, N.Y.-based nonprofit research group that says it focuses on corporate and government accountability.

According to its report, Fishing for Taxpayer Cash: Bass Pro's Record of Big-League Subsidies, Failed Promises, and the Consequences for Cities Across America, Bass Pro received more than $500 million in taxpayer subsidies over the past decade to launch a building boom in the U.S.

The report identified one such recent project as a store in Harlingen that will be funded by nearly $32 million in sales tax revenue bonds. The Harlingen Economic Development Corp. said in a news release that it will own the store and lease it to Bass Pro. Scheduled to open in November, the store is expected to draw 3 million customers a year from a 150-mile radius.

Communities take on substantial debt to finance such revenue bonds, yet the stores often don't draw as much traffic as predicted or spur much development, according to the Public Accountability Initiative. Bass Pro spokesman Whiteley declined to comment on the tax subsidies.

Tools to help chinook anglers fish Lake Michigan tributaries

EAGLE, Wis. -- Interactive maps showing shore fishing sites in southeastern Wisconsin and real-time data tracking river water levels statewide are two information tools chinook anglers will want to consult while waiting for rain to trigger the kings on their spawning runs up Lake Michigan tributaries.

Chinook like this 34.8 lb, 41.5" king Mike

Cefalu caught July 19 on Lake Michigan

out of Sturgeon Bay will soon be running

 up tributary streams
 

Right now, the fish are gathering "or staging," in southern Lake Michigan harbors, as they ready for their spawning runs up tributaries like the Root and the Pike. "They're out in the harbors now," Pfaff says. "Now it's all about rain.

When it rains, it's going to get crazy."

In northern Lake Michigan, Chinook are up in the tributaries.

Both information tools can be found on the Fall Shore Fishing page of the Department of Natural Resources website. Anglers also will find other resources to help them enjoy fall tributary fishing. The interactive maps give driving directions, fish species, and a picture of the fishing location, all of which are within 60 miles of the state's largest city and home to the most anglers.

A downloadable companion brochure is available on the page as well, and contact information for how anglers can get a printed copy of the brochure.  U.S. Geological Survey real time water data for Wisconsin waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis/rt can also be helpful to anglers. With the low water levels in tributaries right now due to lack of rain, almost any substantial rain event should trigger spawning migration runs of salmon and trout, says Ben Pfaff, a DNR fisheries technician in Eagle.

And as always, the Lake Michigan hotline, (414) 382-7920, provides up-to-date fishing reports and conditions.

Illinois Fall Trout Fishing Season begins Oct. 15

Trout being stocked at 37 locations

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. � The 2011 Illinois fall trout fishing season opens on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 37 ponds and lakes throughout the state, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Marc Miller announced today.

"Fishing is a great family activity and the fall trout season is a great opportunity to take the kids fishing,� Miller said.  �Fall is a great time to

spend time outdoors, and we want to encourage youth, families and experienced anglers to participate in the fall catchable trout season.�

More than 70,000 trout are stocked by IDNR at the locations listed below just prior to the opening of the fall trout season.  Anglers are reminded that no trout may be taken from any of the stocked sites from Oct. 1 until the fall trout season opens on Oct. 15 at 5 a.m.

To take trout legally beginning Oct. 15, anglers must have a fishing license and an inland trout stamp, unless they are under the age of 16, blind or disabled, or are an Illinois resident on leave from active duty in the Armed Forces.  The daily catch limit for each angler is five trout.

Anglers are reminded to check the opening time of their favorite trout fishing location if they plan to go fishing on

opening day.  While regulations allow trout season to open at 5 a.m. on Oct. 15, not all locations are open that early.

For more information on fall trout season and other Illinois fishing opportunities, check the web site at www.ifishillinois.org.

Illinois fishing licenses and inland trout stamps are available at DNR Direct license and permit locations, including many bait shops, sporting goods stores and other retail outlets.  Fishing licenses and trout stamps can also be purchased by using a credit card through DNR Direct online via the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov or by calling DNR Direct toll-free at 1-888-6PERMIT (1-888-673-7648).

Anglers in northwest Illinois are advised that the catchable trout program operated previously at the Coleta Trout Ponds has been relocated due to significant weed problems and public safety concerns due to infrastructure problems at the Coleta ponds. Thanks to the cooperation of the Coloma Township Park District in Rock Falls, trout fishing conducted previously at the Coleta ponds has been moved to Centennial Park Lake in Rock Falls.

For more info on all site regulations, fall trout season and other Illinois fishing opportunities, check the web site at www.ifishillinois.org.

Castalia State Fish Hatchery renovation reduces Fall Trout stocking

COLUMBUS, OH � The annual fall stockings of rainbow trout in waterways across Ohio will be significantly reduced this year due to renovation of the Castalia State Fish Hatchery. According to the Ohio DNR, the hatchery�s renovation required temporary changes in the fish production schedule.

�Taking the Castalia State Fish Hatchery offline for fish production was a necessary part of completing this much-needed upgrade,� said Ray Petering, Division of Wildlife executive administrator of Fish Management and Research. �For this year only, the total number of fish available for fall stockings is 4,000 instead of the usual 25,000.�

The 4,000 fish will be stocked at Stonelick Lake in Clermont County on October 21, the Ohio-Erie Canal in Cuyahoga County on October 8, and Sycamore State Park 

Pond located in Montgomery County on October

6.Renovation of the Castalia State Fish Hatchery will ensure the future of Ohio�s steelhead trout fishing as well the popular rainbow trout fishing.

Facility improvements include a new building where eggs are hatched and young fish are raised, covered raceways where fish can grow to larger sizes, high-volume water pumps, and state-of-the art water quality monitors. The hatchery renovation is expected to be completed yet this fall, allowing for the continuation of the spring steelhead and rainbow trout stocking program.

The division stocks 400,000 steelhead in the tributaries of Lake Erie and 110,000 rainbow trout in waters throughout the state each spring. All steelhead are produced at the Castalia State Fish Hatchery as well as many of the rainbow trout. Anglers can expect the numbers of rainbow trout stocked during spring 2012 to be similar to previous years.

Steelhead Fishing, Trout Stockings highlight Fall Fishing

Harrisburg, PA - Cooler weather may have arrived, but great fall fishing opportunities remain across the state for anglers and their families.

Battle wits with wild brook trout on a small mountain run or land a trophy rainbow trout from one of Pennsylvania�s well-stocked streams and lakes. Check the Fish and Boat Commission�s (PFBC) online stocking schedules for a complete list of fall stockings in your favorite county waters: www.fishandboat.com/stocking/fall.htm.

Looking for a challenge? Head to Erie and its legendary steelhead fishing. The PFBC stocks more than a million juvenile steelhead each year and continually works on improving access to Lake Erie tributaries through property acquisitions and easements using angler funds acquired through the Erie permit and Erie/trout/salmon combo permit. For more information on steelhead fishing in Erie, including interactive maps showing popular locations, visit: www.fishandboat.com/steelhead.htm.

Want a great way to connect with your family? Discover just how much fun fishing can be when you do it together at a PFBC Family Fishing Program. Learn basic fishing skills like knot tying, casting, baiting the hook, and taking a fish off the hook. You and your family will have the opportunity to fish � no fishing license required. All equipment provided. Search the PFBC calendar for a list of Family Fishing Programs in your area: www.fishandboat.com/calendar.htm.

�Fishing doesn�t end when the weather turns colder,� said Tim Schaeffer, director of the PFBC�s Bureau of Policy,

Planning and Communications. �In fact, many anglers are just getting started with steelhead fishing in Erie and then

ice fishing in the winter. Fishing is a year-round activity and contributes significantly to the state�s economy.�

Schaeffer noted that organizations across the country will recognize these economic contributions as part of National Hunting and Fishing Day, which is on Saturday, September 24, this year. In order to accommodate legislative schedules, PFBC representatives will take part in a National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the East Wing Rotunda of the State Capitol in Harrisburg.

�The event, which will feature a series of informational booths, will run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., and will include remarks by Executive Director John Arway,� added Schaeffer. �The event will highlight the importance of fishing and boating and the impact the agency has had on the state�s cultural heritage, recreational attributes and economy.�

�Mr. Arway will also describe the challenges of balancing the needs of anglers and boaters while responding to the increasing workload created by Marcellus shale development, and he will explain the benefits of being able to offer multi-year fishing licenses, which the PFBC would be permitted to offer under the pending Senate Bill 1049,� Schaeffer said.

Anglres and boaters can sign up to receive email updates on the activities of the Fish and Boat Commission at www.fishandboat.com/newsreleases/edelivery.htm. The PFBC is also using today�s popular social media. Individuals can stay in touch by following the Commission on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fishandboat.

Boaters Cautioned that Flooding May Have Moved Buoys

Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is warning boaters throughout the Commonwealth to be cautious when venturing out on the water after the recent flooding from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Many aids to navigation, especially buoys, that boaters rely on to warn them of dangerous areas such as low-head dams, rocks or narrow channels, may have washed away or were removed prior to the flooding.

�Buoys that remain may have moved off station and may no longer mark the proper areas,� said Ryan Walt, PFBC boating and watercraft safety manager. �In addition, flooding creates new hazards such as debris and downed trees that were not there before. In many cases dangers that were hidden by high water will only emerge after water levels drop.�

Boaters are reminded that boating has inherent hazards and those who choose to go out do so at their own risk. �And remember to have all required safety equipment on board and wear your personal flotation device,� added Walt.

Significant losses of PFBC-owned buoys have been reported on much of the Susquehanna River, including the

Harrisburg Pool, Lake Aldred and Lake Clarke. PFBC-

owned buoys were removed from Lake Frederic and Lake Augusta near Sunbury prior to the flooding. Also, buoys were lost or removed from the Delaware River, Schuylkill River near Norristown and the Neshaminy Creek in Bucks County.

Buoys owned by the PFBC are normally removed for the winter by late September or early October so missing buoys will not be replaced until traditional boating season begins in the spring.  Boaters who observe PFBC-owned buoys entangled in flood debris are encouraged to contact the appropriate regional office to report them. A list of the regional offices and phone numbers is available on the PFBC website at: http://fishandboat.com/dir_regions.htm.

In addition, boaters who observe what they believe to be hazardous materials such as chemical drums in flood debris should contact the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (www.dep.state.pa.us) or their county emergency management agency.

The mission of the Fish and Boat Commission is to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth�s aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. For more information about fishing and boating in Pennsylvania, please visit our website at fishandboat.com.

Salmon Spectacular coming up in Racine

The Wisconsin DNR will host the third annual Salmon Spectacular on Oct. 8 at the Root River Steelhead Facility, 2200 Domanik Dr., Racine.

The event will feature an open house, including demonstrations of fish handling and fish spawning by DNR technicians, as well as hands-on casting, knot tying and fly tying stations for attendees. Club members of Salmon

Unlimited of Wisconsin, Inc. and Trout Unlimited will be on hand to offer instruction.

The facility is one of three egg collection stations operated by the DNR on Lake Michigan tributaries. The event is free and will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The facility is located in Lincoln Park.  For more information, contact [email protected] or 414-750-8382.

Night electrofishing surveys to begin on lakes

New video shows process to collect and assess fishery

OSHKOSH -- The mysterious lights cutting the night darkness on Wisconsin lakes in coming weeks will help shed light on future walleye fishing prospects. State fisheries crews will be using electrofishing boats along the shoreline of Wisconsin's lakes to assess how well walleye that hatched this spring survived their first few months.

The process used to collect and assess the fish is shown in a new video, Winnebago Walleye Shocking. At the time the video footage was captured, Department of Natural Resources crews were looking for spawning walleye on the Winnebago system instead of the small walleyes they'll be looking for this fall.

The video is part of a foursome about Lake Winnebago's walleye fishery, one of Wisconsin's premier walleye fisheries, and how state fish crews and fishing clubs work to keep it healthy and an economic engine in the area. A 2006 study showed that walleye are anglers' favorite target on Lake Winnebago, and that fishing generates a total economic impact of $234 million and supports 4,200 jobs 

in the surrounding area.

Other new video segments show why the Winnebago walleye fishery is so important, how DNR and partners protect and restore habitat critical for walleye spawning, and catch up with fish biologists as they put radio transmitters in walleye to track where the fish move and when so they can better manage the species.

The night boom-shocking for young of the year walleye occurs when water temperatures drop below 65 degrees and is above 45 degrees, according to Kendall Kamke, fish biologist based in Oshkosh. That's when the young fish start to head into the shore in search of warmer water and the bait fish plentiful in the shallow water.

Signs so far are that walleye hatched in the spring in Lake Winnebago have survived in good numbers; trawling surveys earlier late this summer to assess the overall health of the lake's fish species netted plenty of young walleye.  "We had abundant small walleye in the August round of trawling, so it looks like we'll have an above-average year-class," Kamke says. "How much above average we'll have to find out."