wall i

After comparing the CI4, Ballistic and Patriarch I picked up the Plueger...lighter, smoother and a carbon drag system superior to almost any factory offering. http://www.fhcoutdoors.com/pflueger-patriarch-review/

Tell em you bought it used

Relying on the outfitters landing nets on fly-ins is less then ideal but Ive rationalized it to preserve space on the plane. Some of those things they call nets are rattier than a Polish grandma's undies (think Olga Netski)! What's out there as an option in foldable nets that doesnt compromise performance and can handle the odd larger fish. Should I get a smaller net "walleye size" and go with a gaff for the odd big northern or marry someone who's not Polish?

Been on a bit of a "reel" binge over the last month. Back in the mid 70's I acquired three reels that I've fished exlusively with for the past 35 years+_. Two ABU ambassadeurs and an original series Zebco Cardinal. Theyve been rebuilt over the years and I guess I was a little reluctant to retire them as they held so many good memories but more so I guess because they performed flawlessly. I like buying quality and get a bit of satisfaction from a piece of equipment that can last years with just a bit of maintenance. Anyways, went out this month and bought three new reels....two ABU Record series..a 40 & a 50 and a Quantum KVD Tour low profile. I expect these reels will outlive me (Im in my mid 50's). Kinda nice that given our manufacturers overall penance for cheap quality short lifespan goods...as a fisherperson, one can still acquire well built gear to build memories with.

If theres such a thing as a turducken.....what do you call this a muskass??? http://www.lindnermedia.com/angling-edge/video/fish-lifetime

Nothin like setttin the bar high huh......

Offensive stuff.........never had a tumour riddled fish in isolated lakes. Harper just cut back funding on freshwater research......."how would you like your cancer......fried or baked?".

To each their own...personaly, if I'm eating fish it should taste like fish. I like pike, trout, salmon. I love oysters, clams anything that imparts at least some "seafood" taste. Walleye...bland...needs to be spiced up to be interesting to my palatte. I found people who say they love walleye generally dont like really like eating a variety of seafoods. Walleye flesh on its own is about as interesting as a glass of water. As for carp.....I have some great recipes with my fav being a tomato based sauce....shredded carrots and slow baked......yummy. Most gefilte fish reciped call for a mix of pike, carp, whitefish...love the stuff with a little horseradish...Ok...gettin a bit off topic.

called Frank but he couldnt locate them ........ didnt seem to know what they were. Thanks in any event.

Cant post on classifieds...perhaps cause of newbie status. Lookin for Rapala Risto Raps in their larger sizes..#7 & 9. Gold, silver or blue only. PM if you have any you're willing to part with.

I stll have one I purchased back in the late 70's....should dust it off, oil it and give it a go.

Main lodge but might as well be outpost in mid August. For the last two years only one other person in camp. Wonderful lodge...A style chalet... three bedrooms..three full bathrooms, dishwasher. Doesnt get better on a fly in. They offer an August discount...not published that makes it comparable to a peak season drive in.

Irealize that....I thanked you for the advice.

thanks

Yes and no... performance wise the difference between the premier line ( 3 year warranty) and Avid lineup is not discernable day to day. For the lifetime warranty you are paying a premium in cost. Personally, I have never broken a rod in my 50 years of fishing .....I treat them well. However, I have had rods broken....son Alex guilty on multiple accounts. I made the mistake...especially before coffee in the morn of saying....yeah take the friggin thing out to the shore and cast....thinking I can gulp some caffeine and come to life in peace b4 he gets back...well aint been that way. Comes back in more pieces than it left in...snags....pike reeled in to the snap lock.....blah......blah. Point is, unless your son is named ALEX, and if you havent gotten onto care of your rod thing (case it up) then pay for the warranty coverage. As for me the Premier line is fine. The companies have built the cost of insurance into lifetime warranty.. they do the math ...do you? They know that after the 1st breakeage most are too embarrassed to submit again. In essense, you paid for the replacement of the rod upfront..My point..if you take care of your rods dont pay a premium for the lifetime insurance as performance differential is not there. The jump in performance is from $50 to say $120......beyond that...your paying insurance up front. Ok goodnight I hear Ruth whining.

Hell yeah...I put her into a full tub of water, grab her by the ankles, little back and forth action and shes good for another round. Altogether now...." Hit me with your Uglee stick........Fire Away".....

I'm sure she would agree with you...assuming you were referring to her lack of belly support and not mine ..... I'm sure the hook was not all too pleaseant neither. Released her and she swam away under her own sail givin me a good tail splash in protest. The trout was pretty much toast after the long battle from the depths.....turned out to be an old male.....rounded worn out teeth ... guess I shared somethin in common with him.Thanks 4 the tip..... makes sense.

Excuse me but her name is Ruth and shes a spry 83 who likes it as long as Im wearing leather.

Guess theres a rod for everyone. I love the Premier line from St Croix. and use one 6'6", med. fast tip casting for the bulk of my fishing but I also own an ugly stick and use that too when the conditions are suited for it.

Thanks all for the warm welcome...look forward to getting advice and perhaps sharing a bit of what I've picked up over the years.....tight lines.

Read somewhere here where a 1st post intro was suggested as appropriat, so it shall be..... - grew up in TO a stones throw from the Humber River and the Old Mill bridge. Those were the days (early 60's) before the park was manicured and asphalt tennis courts replaced the wild grasses which completely concealed my body height (or lack thereof). Also before the days of salmon, trout and when I believed every fish was as ugly as a carp or white sucker and the lampreys we netted as kids were left to dry out in the sun...a horrid death for a horrid parisite. - fished the Trent (Percy Reach) during my mid teens when we acquired a cottage there as well as a most wonderful river....Black River I believe its name which, flowed thru a quaint town..Queensboro where a friends family owned a few hundred acres along the shoreline. Incredible bass fishing and I'm sure I caught more then a few +5lbs....one smallie I remember which wouldnt fit length wise in the top freezer compartment of an upright fridge/freezer. I heard a few years after I stopped fishing it in the mid 70's that hydro maipulated the water levels and the particular stretch of river we fished froze solid killing off the fish. It was likely years till it rebounded as a series of rapids divided the river and limited fish mobility. - my college days found me in Wpg and I was fortunate to grab a guiding job during the summer in Sioux Lookout. Became well acquainted with Lake Minnitaki and the surrounding lakes/bays....wonderful fishing. - after grad school I became a banker and my 1st "posting" was on Maintoulin Island...splake at the doorstep and wonderful salmon/rainbows in cool/clean Georgian Bay..... - eventually made my way back to the Peg and close to what many consider some of the best fishing area in the world...NW Ont. - one of my favorite destinations is Trout Lake and Booi's Camp (north Red Lake) where my son and I do an annual mid August trip: I dont usually target NP's but my son was insistent this past year so I helped him set up his gear while I chose to remain with my preferred walleye trolling set up which includes 8lb Suffix Elite and a DD perch Husky Jerk. This time of year big eye's and NP's often like to hang out in 20- 35' around points and mouths of bays. When he hit my initial thought was snag but I quickly realized the water was beyong snag depth .... 15 min later and with much luck given the hardware setup, I was admiring a beautiful 46.5" fat NP. The fight was amazing as he tail danced twice and I expected to lose him any second as a hooked NP on leaderless mono is almost a loss guarantee....I got lucky, a great memory and a pic to share and yes after a couple minutes of coaxing, it swam away under its own power Last year my son landed this amazing PB LT again on a fairly light setup....it came in at 33 lbs. It was caught on a 5" Len Thompson firetiger spoon (this spoon has outfished any other lure when it comes to LT over the years) 65' over 125'. We haul in a portable rigger every year and average a LT every 15 min...outstanding lake. Two years.....two generations....two PB's. Doesnt get much better does it. Cheers all....glad to be part of the forum.