wallacio

The eggs can be separated from the membrane (with or without curing them first) by scraping them. I use a spoon for this...don't be a afraid to use a bit of force, a few will break but most will separate intact. As for cure there are many, many variations using salt, borax, sugar, commercial cures etc and they all work. Personally, I like just a bit of coarse pickling salt. I sprinkle on enough to lightly cover the skeins, put them in a sealed container for 24hrs, drain off the excess liquid and then either scrape (then freeze) or just freeze them intact (to be scraped later).

Here's one of my fav's.

I also run Raven 12lb on my pins. I've tried tons of other lines and keep going back to Raven. Their 10 and 12 pound lines have a pretty thin diameter for that breaking strength. It's a moderately limp line with low memory so it doesn't get coily on you, especially good for those that side cast. In addition, it floats readily which allows one to easily mend the line once you are drifting.

No kidding! It's no wonder that lots of stories about mysterious murders surround so many of Ontario's lighthouses. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy..."

That's the Western Islands Light.

In order to fish the 4 "fishing parks" in Essa, you require the pass and it is enforced via by-law officers. http://www.essatownship.on.ca/EconomicDevelopment/FishingAccessPasses/index.htm Apart allowing one to fish in the Salmon derby, this pass is nothing more than a cash grab from a township that has little regard for the conservation of the Nottwasaga River. Development near the river in Angus is going full steam ahead and this township's own mayor recently attmpted to remove the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority's "teeth" by filing a motion to dissolve it because the NVCA stood in the way of the development of properties on the Notty floodplain, properties that he and/or his family owns. Thankfully, the motion was withdrawn. http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2096905&archive=true http://www.madhunt.com/guergis-forwa-nvca-20090928.htm Needless to say, I'll never purchase this pass.

I second the suggestion of TFO. The Lefty Kreh signature series is very inexpensive however they are great rods...I still fish with my 4wt even after test-driving much more expensive rigs.

The difference in the flesh colour with fish from Georgian Bay vs Lake Ontario is due to their diet. Specifically, prey items which contain carotenoids (usually invertebrates). The Salmon in Lake Ontario feed primarily on oily baitfish such as Alewife (as well as Smelt) which do not contain Carotenoids so their flesh is white and (IMO) not very palatable. Baitfish populations in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay crashed around 2004 and fish have had to switch to other food sources including invertebrates which contributes to their flesh being orange. Since they are not eating oily baitfish, they are quite tasty! Great video BTW. Talk about bumper boats out there!

There has already been some good advice posted here already - definitely put more line on your reels than 500' and turn the boat if possible. Another tactic I sometimes employ is to encourage the fish to slow down or stop by thumbing the spool rather than clamping the drag right down. This allows you to adjust tension without breaking off and often when fish feel strong resistance they'll slow or stop. With this said (and as another poster already stated)sometimes there's nothing you can do and there are a lot of potential derby wining fish that are still swimming after a battle or two under their belts!!!

Nice fish! It's definitely a Coho - the white gums are a dead giveaway (Chinooks have black gums). Interestingly, I find Coho often have a greenish colour over their eyes - your fish has this.

A dishonest charter boat captain??? No way!!!!

Lake Trout are long-lived, slow growing fish that really concentrate environmental contaminants such as PCBs and Methyl Mercury. You might serious want to think twice about eating any of those fish pictured with the exception of the smallest ones. Here is Indiana's guide to eating fish - see page 40 for Lake Michigan...they do not recommend eating ANY Lake Trout over 27" and only a limited amount of fish under that length. http://www.in.gov/isdh/files/2010_FCA.pdf

Easy guys...C&R regs do not apply between Tower St and Scotland St in Fergus (ie where Tightline is referring to).

Seems to be a common problem with newer vehicles that come with plastic bumpers and fairings etc underneath the car. I saw a newer VW Golf drive by me the other day with a canoe strapped to it and they had the front tie downs going under the hood and the read tie downs going under the rear hatch...perhaps you could try that.

Great fish buddy. Sorry I had to bail on you that night. BTW nice fly! It looks familiar!!!

Those are the same ones I use and never had a problem with them - they shouldn't slip back over the barb of the hook. If you want to beef them up, cut off the line/loop that comes with the treble and tie your own short lead with wire or even heavy dacron/braid etc (and tie directly to the hook of the fly/lure).

Amazing fish Aaron! Not having to travel 1000's of kms for a trophy like that makes it even sweeter!

Hey Aaron, Yeah, they are an absolute riot to target with the fly gear! I can't wait for the sweltering hot days of summer when the gar are happy and hanging out in the shallow flats! I've posted these before but here are a few more shots from last summer.

As already mentioned, use a stinger hook (the ones that are sold to add to Walleye jigs). The small treble doesn't need to actually penetrate into their mouths...it simply buttons their mouth closed and keeps them on as long as you keep constant pressure on them.

Damn FB

Very nice Fidel! Keep the updates rolling!

I've been to Costa Rica twice and still kick myself for not going out for Pacific Sails. Really good days can be had, with multiple fish caught in one trip. I can't recommend any charters but I'm sure you won't have trouble finding some by doing a search or just look into it when you are there.

Good to bump into you Fidel...let's get out again soon bro!

Well said. The politics go beyond just charter boats etc. This lobby fears (to the point of paranoia) any push to lower limits as just another step by the "special interest groups" to take away Canadians' right to harvest fish, game etc even in the face of clear scientific data which shows it's a good thing for the long-term sustainability of the resource. Incidentally they were vocal opponents of lowering the Lake Huron Steelhead limits back in the 90's. As a result, the current 2 fish limit there was a compromise as more stringent limits were seriously being considered ie a 1 fish limit, which would have gone much further in protecting the delicate Lake Huron/GB wild Steelhead populations.

While it would seem that increasing stocking numbers would be a relatively easy fix to declining Lake O Salmonid populations, it's not that simple. The present biology of the lake must be considered. Today's lake is a much different plance than "The Good Old Days" on Lake Ontario of the late 70's through the 80's. Back then, baitfish numbers were at an all-time high (maily Alewife) due to the fact there were virtually no top predators prior to Salmonid stocking and the lake was unnaturally productive due to vast amounts of nutrients (Phosphorus etc) entering from sewage etc. This supported large amounts of zooplankton, which in turn fed baitfish. Since that time due to pollution controls on wastewater treatment plants, nutrient levels and zooplankton levels have declined. Zooplankton has been further reduced when Zebra Mussels were introduced in the early 90's. All of this has resulted in fewer baitfish to support top predators like Rainbows and Salmon. In response to delining baitfish levels, stocking numbers were reduced in the 90's for fear of predator demand exceeding the baitfish biomass. In short, even if we had the ways and means of stocking unlimited numbers of Rainbow and Salmon into the lake, it simply could not support it. Despite what some TV personalities say, the "good old days" are not likely to return no matter what we do. See here for more details: http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/loc/ecoswatch.pdf