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We had Halibut for Christmas Eve dinner. Actually, the other half of the fish Doug had...we shared it from our trip to Rivers Inlet. I've almost always deep fried Halibut in the past...usually in a beer batter. To me, it's always been the fish I associate with the local "Fish & Chips" shop in my neighborhood growing up. Deep fried in beef tallow with thick cut chips, and doused in malt vinegar. However, for Christmas Eve I wanted to do something different. As per my Polish background, on Christmas Eve we eat a meatless meal...like the "Feast of the Seven Fishes" the Italians do. It's a tradition I've kept with my kids, and now my grandkids. So following the borscht with wild mushroom pierogies (that my 87 year Mom made) course, I went to the other side of the planet and did a Japanese preparation of the Halibut for the next course. My Polish father, who is no longer with us, was probably looking down and saying..."what the hell is that kid doing". It was basically the famous "Nobu Miso Black Cod" recipe. I marinated the Halibut overnight in a combination of miso, mirin, and sake. I then broiled it and served it garnished with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion. It was a hit with everybody...even the youngest at the table...my 6 year old grandson...thought it was "the best fish I ever ate".. I think the moral of Doug's and my take on Halibut is...it's not necessarily the preparation...it's the fish ! And yes Doug, I agree that Black Squirrel was probably not on many New Year's Day menus around the country. Nothing too exotic for us..we had a very tasty Prime Rib with all the fixin's..

Speaking of holiday meals, I am willing to bet a small amount of money that no other household in Canada ate what we had for supper on New Year's Day. I had some black squirrels that I was thinking about maybe pressure canning, and could not find my notes about pressure canning rabbits (which would be basically the same). I was intrigued by a number of recipes for squirrel that Mister Google found for me. And I decided that canning them would not be worth the effort for the number of squirrels I had. So I cooked them in broth all day in the slow cooker, then made spatzele in the broth. Squirrel and dumplings, yum yum! 😁 Tomorrow I am making a gravy with the leftover broth, and heating up the spatzele and deboned squirrel meat in it. I think it will be spectacular! And low sodium, low cal too. 😉NOT! Doug

Halibut.....that was Christmas supper here. A special request from one of our sons was to have a fish fry on the 25th. And I had 2.75 pounds of halibut left from our June trip to Duncanby Lodge on Rivers Inlet, BC. Up until then I had never fried halibut like I would do perch, walleye, bass, etc..............but I cut it into chunks, hit it with a bit of seasoned salt and shook it in Fish Crisp, then deep fried it. It was AWESOME! My new favourite way to eat halibut! And yes, home cut fries as well, all very toothsome. Doug

Happy New Year Folks.... So I was out for lunch the other day with a few friends and one them gifted me a bunch of Alaskan Halibut and Sockeye from his trip last August. So last evening I treated myself to a large portion of Halibut, steamed then dressed with a Lime/Butter/Caper sauce, twice cooked home cut Fries and home made Coleslaw. My first home cooked meal of the New Year. And ya, I ate it all ...... Absolutely Delish!

Sounds like a right good day you had.

Good to hear you got out and got into them Cliff. Have not been out on the ice yet. I think this is the first year I never got on the ice in December.😠 As always if you need a partner for a trip out with Tim Hales don't be shy about giving me a shout.

Bit of a price increase, it's now $80.00/adult for the day but still a good deal in my books. Got out yesterday, Jan. 2nd, first day is always a bit of hit and miss. It started off a little slow but the fish we were getting were all decent. We were on a solid 12" of ice in about 25' of water, when the sun peaked out, things slowed right down but about 3:30 it started to snow and the fish turned on. From that point until they picked us up it was pretty much non stop. Anyway, another awesome day thanks to Tim, Kim, and the rest of the crew.

Hi all, went out for a morning session for a change, got there at 8:30am( much later than I wanted but had issues with sled hitch etc...) and fished till around noon. Pretty consistent bite, lots of pike and even a couple whitefish, first ones so far. Happy New Year!

Sorry, to hear that. I like to pass through Lakefield on the way to Baptiste Lake.

Happy New Year from the Coast

Two minutes ain't so long for something a year in the making. lol. Happy New Year John. Thanks my good man. You should make an annual report. It's always great to look back and bundle up your year of experiences and times spent with friends. I think doing so during the doldrums of November and early December is helpful for pushing through and motivating for the year ahead. There is sooooo much planned change coming for 2026 being the year I turn 50 that next years end should paint an entirely new picture. One constant should remain, there will be some arctic photos, those as you say, take themselves. lol I think we probably disagree on some things politically although little to none of that ever enters the storylines... or maybe you've digested every word salad and just grown bored of those same servings Chris? You've been supportive forever, been there since Snare, and thanks for that. Good thing about pictures only, they tell whatever story you want to imagine. I'll have to dig up those old photos cause those do go back to the very first fly-in. WOW! Pics can be brightened, surely gone through enough cameras and lenses to find what I like tho. Twelve hours from your house, jeez Glen, I'd drive up on Friday nights and call in sick to drive home Mondays if only that close. lol. Happy New Year dude!

Good point Terry, thanks - in any case I will keep the feedback in mind. I want to make sure there are plenty left in the lake

Of course if you keep it to eat it, holding it that was will not hurt it

Thanks - it makes sense. I did not think of it that way. Going forward I will definitely handle the fish differently. Feedback like this is one of the reasons I joined this community.

A bit tough hanging the pike by then jaw vertically. In some cases this distends the pikes jaw preventing iit from effectively feeding..

Great fishing trips. I guess you like doing the more remote fishing. The pics seem to have perfect lighting. Nipigon is a 12hr drive from my house.

I knew the Bunkster when he was a yungen. His photography has greatly evolved to the point that I am enjoying the photography more then the stories! Sorry Bunk! The arctic, like any other cool place on earth only gives you more opportunity. He has the eye.

bunk not to take away from your obvious incredible knack for photography, but the arctic really seems like a place where its impossible to not take an incredible photo. Thanks for taking the time to post this, in the days of instagram and social media its difficult to make an effort to sit down and really write a report, and post. I should take the time an post an annual report, its been a few years and the process of thinking back and writing about it is great in its own whether anyone reads it or not.

Thanks John - I look forward to meeting angling enthusiasts and sharing stories

Welcome Marek. Some good guys and gals here.

Hey Bunk. Either the file is super duper mega, larger than my laptop has ever seen or there is a problem with it. Still waiting after 2 minutes. Seems we're good now.

Odd year 2025. Fishing took "a bit" of a back seat to health, getting older and work at times so, the number of days dwindled down a little from the norm. That said, when the fall season finally ended in early November, there was this rather incredible body of fishing and adventures that had taken place. A rundown for travel was Kimmirut NU, Cancun Mexico, Nipigon, Grise Fiord NU, Home, Nipigon, Great Bear Lake NWT, Taloyoak NU, Nipigon and finally into a cottage for nearly two months before back to work in Arctic Bay NU before Xmas. Everything from Arctic char, longnose gar, some of the biggest lakers I've ever caught, brookies, pike, walleye, a PB whitefish, largies, smallies and some enormous muskies, few casts were left untaken. Friends and family alongside for much of the time. Anyhow, long gone are the days fishing reports are cool anymore to most but, I don't give much of a faaawk 'bout that. It's the way it's been and may always be. This link shares all that 2025 fishing and travel, packed with pictures from atop glacial mountains in the highest arctic community of North America to a sunny beach in Mexico or Great Bear of a trophy fish lake in the NWT. There's a video of the largest shoreline fish I've ever caught, links to all the full detailed reports and some thoughts on what it means to honour your story. Link here below if you're into that. bunksoutdoorangle.com 2025. Honouring The Fishing Story Happy New Year! Best fishes in 26. Bunk

Went back there yesterday, 1 pike in 3 hours. A small pike too… lol.

Just a few, same camera and it screwed up. 5722 pics of an open stubble field and no animals or anyhing of movement that should have triggered the camera.. Judging by the tracks there should have been a lot more deer pics. I swapped it with another one today

Thank you - I like sharing my memorable catches