By Kevin Woster

 If you were over on Mount Blogmore, you saw the picture of Keith Wintersteen and his hefty brown trout.

 You also saw that Harlan, a non angler, identified the brown with the Latin term for rainbow trout.

OK, so he missed a hook set. Give him a break.

 But as long as we’re on the subject of rainbows, have a look at this other one - again, hooked by Wintersteen.

Now thaaaaaat’s a rainbow.

 Wintersteen caught both trout here in the Black Hills, in a patch of water he prefers not to discuss.

If you missed the brown, just climb up to Blogmore heights and have a look.

By Kevin Woster

Three old fish guys.

That’s how I know Doug Hansen, Dennis Unkenholz and Jim Riis.

I don’t think they’ll mind the term, since it comes from one old reporter.

Hansen, Unkenholz and Riis will all be retiring from the state Game, Fish & Parks Department this year, yet another sign of the ongoing personnel shuffle of the agency that manages our wildlife and sets the limits of our hunting and fishing desires.

I’ve been covering these guys for a long time. Unkenholz first, way back in the early 1970s when I was working for the SDSU Collegian in Brookings and Unk was a young biologist handling paddlefish research.

He let me hold a babby paddler in my hands, which was a real thrill for a Missouri River kid.

I got to know Hansen a few years later when I was an Argus Leader outdoors reporter and he was a GF&P fisheries guy in Webster. And I met up with Riis a few years after that when he returned from

Riis is now GF&P’s program fisheries coordinator for the

Hansen said recently that he figures to retire in September, and eventually move with his wife back to their small farm near Webster. Unkenholz is going in July. Riis won’t be far behind. So these days are filled with memories, and a bit of melancholy.

“It’s a little bit sentimental around here,” Hansen said. “We’ve been good friends for a long time.”

They’ve been good news sources, too - although sometimes getting a quote out of the news-shy Riis was about as easy as catching carp on crankbaits.

They’ll be a tough trio to replace.

By Kevin Woster

I’m going to follow the advice of this blog today and Take It Outside myself.

I’m heading for central South Dakota, the Missouri River, and a prairie stock dam, armed only with a bag full of jigs and a couple of graphite fishing rods - and supervised, at least a bit, by my wife.

Be back Saturday or Sunday.

Don’t hesitate to catch some fish while I’m gone….

By Kevin Woster

Here’s the thing: I forgot my tape measure, again.

And while the first walleye, and the second, looked to be about 18 1/2 inches long - based on the highly accurate 8 3/4-inch spread of my left hand, from pinky tip to thumb tip - I wasn’t sure enough to keep them.

So they went back in the Belle Fourche Reservoir, along with the third walleye, which clearly fell into the 15- to 18-inch no-keep slot established by the state Game, Fish & Parks Department.

Now, I like releasing fish as well as anyone. Most fish. And even most walleyes. But an 18-1/2 inch walleye? Ouch.That’s a tough one to let go, especially when you ponder the flavor of those two white fillets, dressed up with lemon slices and summer savory and a pile of pepper and just coming off the grill in their steamy foil pouch.

The only thing between me an those two fine fillets was a tape measurer, or lack of one.

Even with a tape, I could have only kept one of the 18-inchers. That’s the rule: no keepers between 15-18, only one over 18. And right now, with the lake seems to be packed with 16- to 17 1/2-inch walleyes, so you end up releasing a lot of nice fish.

GF&P biologist say the plan will produce more 18-inch-plus fish - growing toward trophy size - while protecting the core of the breeding walleyes and allowing the taking of smaller walleyes under 15 inches.

Much as it hurts to turn back those sweet fillets, the slot restriction seems to make sense.

If a guy is smart enough to remember his tape.

By Kevin Woster

If this is your first visit to “Take It Outside,” the Journal’s new outdoor blog, don’t feel like the lone angler.

This is my first cast, too.

Oh, I’m not a complete novice in the blog business. I’ve been hunting for trouble up on the rocky heights of Mount Blogmore, the Journal’s political blog, for about three years. Bill Harlan’s the main man up there, and I’ve played back-up when needed, supplying such important items as blaze-orange hunting attire and political perspective from the heart of Lyman County.

I’ll still be showing up on Blogmore from time to time. And when Harlan’s particularly busy, the folks on the mountain may see more of me than they’d really like.

But most days, I’ll be hanging out here in the backwaters of the Journal’s Web site, telling fish stories and angling for comments from outdoor buffs like you.

Got a tall tale you’d like to share? A question about pheasant hunting or a frustration with GF&P regulations? We’re interested.

Maybe it’s a recollection about your first shotgun, or your last hunting dog, your favorite flyrod or the deadliest lure in your tacklebox.

Or maybe you just wonder why the heck I’ve been writing so many stories about this Prieksat thing? We can talk about that, too.

If it’s about hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation - or the politics they often involve - it’s always in season here.

Come on, Take it Outside.

I’m ready to go along.

By Kevin Woster

 I’m desperate for some conversation. Anybody out there?