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Stories
The Day of
the Giants … a truly unique day
July 12th…I call this the day of the giants. It was on the second day of a
3 day Musky film shoot with my good friend Aaron Shirley (Getting Hooked
with Aaron & Barry) and awesome Muskie guide and friend Marc Thorpe. The
Ottawa River is awesome fishery but can also be tough at times. The day
proceeded not much unlike the other. It was hot, humid, little breeze and
steady barometer at the time (bad weather was supposed to roll in later in
the day).
The case
of the submerged minnow bucket
On Wednesday January 17 my buddy Irv
and I went up to Lake Simcoe to set up the huts and get ready for the ice
fishing season.
The Wet
Dreams Fly Shop.
I ducked into the shelter of a store-front to escape the torrential
downpour. "This storm came from nowhere", I thought. As I turned around to
look, I was stunned to see a fly shop there. Why had I never noticed this
shop before? I stepped back and squinted up into the driving rain, "The
Wet Dreams Fly Shop". I chuckled to myself and shook my head. "It works on
so many levels", I mused.
A case
of exaggeration
I know a lot of fishermen out there and
it’s been a great time keeping up with both their catches and their bullshooting. Especially when you’re a GIRL!
A Dim View
The
best lake trout I ever caught was the one I couldn't see. I've had to wear
glasses since I was ten, and no, I am not going to say how long ago that
was.
Tomiko
Lake
Throughout the years my partner, Herb and I seem to fish smaller
lakes. These small lakes draw us to them like a magnet to a piece of iron.
One thing we found and like about small lakes are you can fish the whole
lake in one day and find the honey holes on a weeks vacation.
Reasons
your wife should let you go ice-fishing
It's 6:00 am. Looking up
at the sky you can just see a sliver of the sun popping up in the east.
You take a deep breath, filling up your lungs with cool, crisp air. Ah
yes, a perfect day for ice fishing.
The
Most Important Piece of Fishing Gear is the Hat
your hat does a lot more than protect your head
from the elements. It makes a personal statement. It lets all your fishing
buddies know you're a force to be reckoned with on the water. Even when
you're all wet.
Love and Lake
Trout
Long ago, on a cold, wet, November evening, I found myself at the wrong
end of a large lake with a broken engine and darkness closing in. I
grabbed the paddle, cursing its inadequacy, and started the long journey
back to the launch. The calm, frigid lake hissed with the sound of sleet,
and as I followed the shoreline I was soon engulfed in fog. This was
trouble; I was miles from the launch.
The Old
Boy
The old boy was finding it a lot harder to get out
of bed to go fishing at 5 A.M. He winced in pain as he dressed. It wasn't
"minor arthritic pain" anymore. Not when you've seen the better side of
seventy. Downstairs in the kitchen, he poured a generous dollop of Jack
Daniel's into his coffee. He glanced upwards, thinking of what the Old
Girl would say, knowing that after 45 years of marriage she would chastise
him with a look. If she were still here.
A
Fitzwilliam Afternoon
Things look very different from a thousand feet, and as my fathers float
plane, GNNR, banked lazily to the side, I found myself looking straight
down at the lake we were about to fish. We both instinctively scanned the
surface for dead-heads and, getting the all-clear, dad made a lower pass
before committing us to a landing.
Black
bears and white lies
I remember a hot day in the summer of 85. I was guiding some anglers -lets
call them Bill and Bob- on a lake in northern Saskatchewan. We had been
pike fishing in the bay below the last rapids of a good grayling river. A
big silver spoon, coaxed along near the bottom can draw some big time
action here, and although we didn't land any trophy fish that morning,
we'd landed a few fish in the double digits.
A Good
Canoe
Many things pass through our lives as we are busy living them. I once
heard that there are three kinds of people that visit us on our life
journey- those that visit us for a season, a reason or a lifetime. Perhaps
the same can be said for some objects we own during our lives. Some are
just there for a season, like the expensive lures I lost on my last canoe
trip. They were pretty nice, but alas, had iron constitutions and the
strength of legion, breaking my line and finding freedom on the lakes
rocky bottom. They were in my possession far less than a season, but at
current prices it will likely be a full season before they are replaced,
if ever.
Fishing
Resolutions
As the New Year is finally upon us, it is time, once
again, to make some resolutions for the seasons ahead. Anglers may not be
so inclined to lose weight or quit smoking, however, there are some
fishing resolutions that will make each of us a more proficient and
well-rounded fisherman.
The Boys
of Winter
Since ice fishing season is just around the corner, its time
to trot out the boys of winter. Those of you who follow this column will
already be familiar with a lot of them. Those of you new to this corner
need some introduction.
Reflecting on
the Season
As the days get shorter and the cold starts to set
in, a realization dawns on me that the open water season is just about to
bid farewell. In a matter of weeks, it will be time to unpack the boat,
winterize the motor and seek shelter for its tired body. The hard ice of
winter will soon be beckoning anglers from far and wide to puncture its
outer shell and savour the joys of ice fishing.
Catfish
Next to the ling I think God had it in for catfish. I can't
find any redeeming qualities when it comes to catching them. They are
exceptionally slimy. Everybody worries about their whiskers when it's the
sharp spines on their fins that get you.
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