Outdoors notes

It is with great sadness that I report to you we have lost another angling friend.

Jim Chapralis, one of the more vocal angling activists and a fly fishing guru, died last weekend.

Chapralis and some silent partners put together Pan Angling back in the mid-1970s, which in turn provided an outlet for fishermen to explore the spectacular angling in places like Iceland, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize and a variety of exotic places that rarely saw American sportsmen.

And when it came to the written word, Jim's stories and narratives were some of the best. He never lost his enthusiasm for writing and publishing well over 400 articles on fishing and fishing travel in a wide array of magazines, from major publications like "Field and Stream" and "Salt Water Sportsman" to more recent essays on wide ranging topics in "Fly Fishing Retailer." He is the author of Pan Angling's "World Guide to Fly Fishing," "Fishing Escapes," "Fishing Passions," "Master Your Fly Casting" and most recently "Le Shack," a finely drawn portrait of a central Wisconsin fishing cabin Chapralis shared with an array of colorful anglers.

Fishing report: With this mild November weather, we have been given untold gifts in the way of big fish coming to the net:

Fox Chain: Guide Darrell baker refuses to let any moss grow on the bottom of his boat. He reports excellent walleye action on Lake Marie and Petite Lake.

Fox River: Improving smallmouth action in the deeper holes right below the various dams and spillways.

Lake Michigan: If you need a dose of perching, your best bet could be south side Chicago hot spots like 95th Street.

Bangs Lake: Excellent crappie and bluegill action available in 6 feet of water.