Tomcat

Thanks for sharing Simon. Great shots in the early morning sunrise. Every time I see Rollo trying to fetch one of those walleye, I worry about him catching a hook.

As always, a great video Simon. Thanks for sharing.

It's always great to read your posts. Great pics on a nice evening on the ice. Thanks for sharing.

Nice pics! Looked like it was a great afternoon to be out. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing Drew. Pictures of the owl in flight were indeed the prize.

The best to you and your family.

When I googled the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Special Purpose Account, I found a 10 page PDF file about the SPA. The following statement is part of the background: The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (FWCA) requires that revenues collected under that Act flow into the Fish and Wildlife Special Purpose Account (SPA). This includes all licence fees, royalties and fines paid under the FWCA and its regulations. I also telephoned the OMNR hotline and confirmed the above statement.

Sorry for your loss! It's always hard to lose a dog.

Thanks very much Drew for dusting off those reports. As always, a good read with some great pics of the wilderness.

Outstanding video Simon. Thanks for sharing. Hard to tell who was having the most fun.

Thanks for sharing Simon. Even though that fish got away, I'm positive that experience will be a long lasting memory.

Thanks very much for the replies.

On one of my fishing trips last year, one of the guys brought along some Apple Pie Moonshine. I enjoyed it immensely. Consequently, 3 weeks ago I took a stab at making some. My Apple Pie is not technically Apple Pie Moonshine because I used 94% abv alcohol (legally available in Quebec) as my source of alcohol rather than actual Moonshine. Many of the Apple Pie Moonshine recipes on the internet use equal amounts of freshly pressed apple cider and apple juice plus white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and vanilla. I also added the zest from one orange. All ingredients except the alcohol were heated to a rolling boil and then simmered for one hour. Once cooled to room temperature, I filtered the resultant solution through 4 inches of cheesecloth. I then stirred in the appropriate amount of 94% abv alcohol to arrive at an Apple Pie that was 15% abv. Unfortunately, my Apple Pie is not transparent (although I can make out the 6 inch long cinnamon stick in the mason jar full of Apple Pie). I'd like to do something to clear my Apple Pie if only for the esthetics. Could I use a wine filter (e.g. Buon Vino Super Jet) to clear it up or would the filters immediately clog. I understand that there are 3 different sizes of filters (essentially course, medium and fine). Filters are not expensive at $4 for a set of three. And don't worry - I'm not selling this stuff. Thanks in advance. Jay

Thanks so much. I very much enjoyed your video that demonstrates just how much fun one can have in a southern climate.

Thanks for the stories and fish candy Drew.

Thanks for the report and pics.

I've spent 17 weeks fishing Lake Kipawa over the last 14 years. While I primarily fish for walleye, two members of our group typically spend half their fishing time fishing for lake trout. And they have enjoyed success catching lake trout. Half of our trips were in mid to late Jun while the other half of our trips were in Sep. I can easily recommend 3 Seasons Camp - see http://www.3seasonscamp.com/ as an excellent place to stay. Our group has stayed at 3 Seasons Camp for all 17 trips. Even better, one of the best lake trout runs on the lake is right out in front of the camp. As well, another good lake trout run is about 4 miles from camp. 3 Seasons Camp is a boat to camp. For someone bringing their own boat, there is plenty of parking at the Taggart Bay Lodge docks.

I have a 2007 15 HP four stroke Honda that I use once a year on remote fishing trips. I maintain the outboard myself. Before each trip, I roll the outboard onto my driveway on its stand, put on the muffs and start and run the motor (15 mins). Two years ago, upon arriving at the outfitters dock, I installed the Honda on the back of one of the outfitters boats and then attempted to start it (fresh gas in the tank). It wouldn't start. I drained the fuel line and changed the fuel filter. Still no go. I didn't check the plugs because they were brand new and gaped properly. I loaded the Honda back into my Explorer and rented an outboard for the week ($300). After returning home, I dropped the Honda off at the local dealers location for diagnosis and repair. The next day the dealer called to say everything was fine. When I picked up my Honda I asked the obvious question. What was the problem? They suggested I had experienced some kind of vapour lock. The solution was simple. Remove both spark plugs as well as the kill switch and turn the engine over a few times. They then reinstalled the spark plugs and the Honda started first pull. Too bad that information wasn't in my manual or part of my skill set. FWIW

That's great to hear!

Thanks Mike for providing us some video to go along with your writeup in OOD .

Everyone has their own unique rationale for whether they fish, where they fish, how they fish and what equipment they buy to facilitate fishing. I’m no different. Forty years ago, almost all my disposable dollars were ear marked to support my family. That fact impacted how many dollars I could spend on fishing gear. However, I’m 72 now, have no debts and I’ve been retired since 1998. Fortunately, I’m able to spend as much money as I choose to enjoy my fishing. While I could no doubt still catch fish with less expensive gear, I choose to spoil myself with better quality fishing gear because I can, because I’ve earned that privilege and because I believe it helps me maximize my fishing enjoyment. Some examples of better gear that helped maximize my fishing enjoyment include colour sonar/GPS combination units, inflatable personal flotation devices, Cabela’s Guidewear and better quality rods and reels.

Selecting a rod or rods is very subjective and akin to "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Consequently, no comment. As for reel sizes for walleye fishing, I prefer a smaller reel size than a 2500. Currently, I have three Stradic 1000s.

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to everyone in the OFC family.

Here's the information I have on EGBs. Because I don't own a size 4 or size 7 EGB, I can't provide a length. Size Weight (oz) Length of spoon + treble (in) Length of spoon only (in) 0 1/10 1 1/2 7/8 1 1/8 1 3/4 1 1/16 2 1/4 2 1 5/16 3 3/8 2/3/4 1 3/4 4 1/2 ? ? 5 5/8 3 1/2 2 3/8 6 1/2 3 3/4 2 5/8 7 3/4 ? ?