Old Ironmaker

Great to put a face to the handles, and real names of which I forgot already. A great crew all around. Yes Spiel now I remember that mug of yours, should since we worked together for a year. It was a pleasure to meet those that I hadn't yet. The baby has to be the youngest OFC er ever. Nice looking family you have there Bruce, or is it Brian or,,,,,Grumpy.

I'll be there unlike last year when my death was greatly exaggerated. If I'm not there, check Friscolanti's Funeral Home.

There's good news Cliff, you are bearing weight on that knee. If it indeed was a torn Patella tendon you would be in excruciating pain, even any other tear of soft tissue or ligament and your knee is the size of a football today and it would hurt, badly. I think you can go back into the game.

Some will be happy to hear there was a skim of ice about 200 yards out from shore this AM. -14C at 07:00 when I took the garbage out. I'm frozen, ya happy now

A friend makes these boxes and they work. She says I don't have enough something , band width I think, to stream the drivel. I stream drivel in person.

Listening to a AM talk sports talk show last month and the guy says that more than 30% of ALL of our cable and sat bills go to the sports networks that in turn must pay the big leagues to allow them to cover their sports NFL being #1 by a long shot and NCAA Football second then Major League Baseball and down the line. It doesn't matter if it's Granny that has not 1 sports channel, she pays too. If the cable companies got together and decided not to pay these ridiculous prices to the networks that in turn pay huge to the leagues the days of multi million dollar players contracts would end that day. What did ABC pay for Monday Night Football a few years back? Something like a billion $$$$. That's 16 games a year, no playoffs.The dollars are just insane that they pay the bigs. A quick search and I find the NFL in 2011 made a 10 year deal with CBS, Fox and NBC to broadcast the Super Bowl. The cost? It averages out to 3.5 Billion dollars per game. For 1 game once a freaking year. Can you hear me screaming? We may be ranting at the wrong people for crazy cable and satellite prices.

Get out there, pound the water, you might find them. I haven't heard about many Pike this time of year though. I know you are new here but no matter how long you have been here you won't get a GPS co ordinate. I know you haven't asked so take no offence. It's an inside joke.

Great day for you, good going. A few more of those make a beauty pan fry. That must be diet Coke in those cans. I wonder if it's a coincidence all the folks I see open water fishing this winter don't have any grey whiskers? I remember casting onto patches of ice flow from Niagara to Nipp to Quinte and back. You pull the lure off them straight down. a killer technique. No grey then though. I'm happy to have grey hair, that means I still have some.

That's the spirit Meegs. What do you do to make sure you don't freeze anything when you pull the boat out?

Not something you want to read about. Hang in brother OFC er, it's amazing what the medics can do today. There are many survivors of this crap disease,myself included. I only have to get an annual checkup, 4 years since surgery. You can join the club too. My sis-in-law got to ring the golden bell just last week. She was given 6 months to a year 2 years ago and she rang the all clear to live your life bell. So can you. Whomever donated the food, you are the bomb.

Almost every fresh water fish species in that section of the river. Caledonia to Dunnville. Not much size or numbers but they are there. Even HTHM caught a Walleye there once. I'm not sure but you better check the regs to make sure it's open now above the Dunnville Dam. I'm fairly sure it is but that's not good enough.

Sure don't look like store bought Spiel. I never bake other than a Pizza Pie. Maybe that's a good thing. If I want to buy a bag of bones and cartilage which is what you get with side ribs I'll go to the Pet store and buy a chew bone. Back ribs only unless making Pasta sauce, then a few bones is good. Seafood sauce with Polenta tonight. 15-20 shrimp on sale today, bought a bag at the Portuguese fish market today in Hamilton. After cleaning will add 10 to the sauce once it's heated. Then brown the Polenta in a bit of oil in a pan. MMMMM. Or maybe just eat with those crusty Portuguese buns out of the oven .

If you read every reel website they are all super smooth. All the more reason to put one in your hand and feel it. I have held some very expensive reels that just don't fit my paw.

L.T. Hopefully you will live long enough to forget someone's name before you finish shaking hands with them. I kid you not.

You guys are killing me with al that delish looking viddles. I wish our Dindon Pot Pie looked like yours Speil. Home made pastery? Now I have to hit the fridge, the 10 pound wt. loss starts tomorrow.

The only pedestrian crossing I have ever seen outside of T.O. is on the main drag in Port Dover. I get the turn left scenario now, a little slow after last nights party, which seems is still going on. Not bad for a bunch of 60 and 70 year olds.

If you turn left at a light and there is a pedestrian crossing either you are going through a red or the person walking is doing it with a Do Not Walk signal. No matter just be careful, that usually works best. Our typical Ont Gov. we are too stupid to think for ourselves, again.

Yea for someone that doesn't like talking on the phone I sure can kill batteries eh boys? What da ya mean Rusty? As far as choosing a "best", there are winner here but no losers. I just watched to my amazement some guy go by parachute surfing. There are 3 foot ice cycles forming on the breakwall railings. I remember doing crazy stuff the last century too. Our New Year tradition was to ski down the Hamilton Mountain then a visit to General or St. Joes hospital.

Who needs ice when you have open water? I know it's just not the same. Nothing like coming into the hut for a hot bowl of Chile and a cold pop. I had the hardwater bug for many years and I get it. Good effort boys.

Garcia, you aren't far from Bill's Bait. Take the 403 to Hamilton and take the airport exit. Turn left, North, on Upper James and Bill's is a few mins down the road.

You are a special guy Bunk. Thanks for sharing not just the fishing exploits but your most interesting life. Of all the pics I have to say my favorite is of the staff and yourself at the hospital. It says "this is Canada" in so many ways. Happy New Year to you and yours.

Bang on, you have the urban fishing down pat. I bet thousands of fishermen drive by your spots everyday and would never think about wetting a line there.

I stay away from buying meat from Farmer Al's. Note it doesn't have any grades associated with the meat. I did 20 years ago and got a deadly virus that had the Hamilton Health dept coming to my home daily to get stool samples for a week, never again. I have 30 bucks in 2 @ 1" NY strips sitting on the counter waiting to get to room temp for our New Years scarf. There is a pound of 10-12 Scallops in the fridge waiting for some garlic and butter too. I'll try my best to have the baked tater too. Then off to the neighbourhood bush party to burn some calories and rock to "Best of the 70's." Burn baby burn Disco Inferno. I dug out my Flares, not to be confused with Bell Bottoms. I can be such a GQ kinda guy. And Happy New Year to one and all.

As far as the rods they are both good choices and I wouldn't over think it much. I have a 5'6 Abu ultra lite as well as a 6'6" and I love them both. I don't buy anything I can't see and touch. Can you not look at one locally then buy it online if it's a deal. Both the local tackle shops I deal with will match most online prices and order the item in. Fishing World and Bill's Bait in Hamilton. I would like to welcome you aboard. Good fishing.

We will find out who shows at 1PM on the 9th. If I reserve a table only a few will be there. See you then. I am going to spend Friday night there so I have no excuses. Should we make our own name tags? Mine will say Manitoubass2.