Old Ironmaker

A true Canadian icon now gone, but his music will live on for eternity. Stompin Tom born 77 years ago in St. Johns Newfoundland. He is credited with authoring over 300 original songs and original is the word. Although Sudbury is the nickel town, we borrowed " Sudbury Saturday Night " as a theme song for Steelworkers in Hamilton. Replace Sudbury with Hamilton and boom, it sure described a lot of goings on in any hotel back then. Met Stompin Tom when he played the Jockey Club downwind of Stelco and Dofasco in the early 70's. After his set he was selling albums and 8 tracks from a card table set up in the corner. On the way back from a FLA. Road trip in 1976 stopped in Atlanta to visit some transplanted cousins from North Tonawanda NY. They asked one evening if I had any Canuck music in my Ford Econoline van. Pulled out the 8 track case and popped in a Stompin Tom tape on my Muntz Quadraphonic 8 track 4 speaker system. Needless to say when I was back on the road the tape was missing and my cousin Ralph left me a note thanking me for the great country western music.

I can't seem to find the thread from last week or so when a member was asking about Silver Bass locations soon to be open at a location near you. Can you imagine how many search hits one gets when the words silver and Bass are mentioned in the same sentence? I'll tell ya, 15 pages. Well I have some good news. I reported that the Nanticoke coal fired station has be slow in he last year and soon will close. The west stack has been emitting very heavily in the last week. Ran into a plant worker in Selkirk and he told me that the plant will be mothballed soon however they are up to 60% production and that should be enough to create a good differential temperature and hopefully bring the Silvers in next month. Might even launch in the next few weeks, just to get out there. Will let you know what I find as far as water temps go and hopefully report on finding a few fish on the floor of the PT 109. I know stack emissions is not good news, normally, but when it comes to a boat load of fat Silvers well I have to make lemonade if all I have is lemons.

After reading the thread I was ready to say with todays vehicles it could be almost anything, Then I read Daveybouys response, I concur, it could be one of many fuel delivery issues or one of many on board computer issues. I have run out of fuel hundreds of times in the last 42 years, and I embellish not. The trucks we ran in the plant were constantly running out of gas especially on night shift before they came up with digital gas cards. Once you put some gas in it the things they ran as normal. And believe me those in plant unplated trucks that never (almost never) saw more than 75 km per hour as speed limit was 25kph. These things were done after 6 months. And to say they were serviced, well is pushing it. Just before I retired my 600k beater the fuel line became pinched with a hunk of dirt/mud and occasionally would stall out and act exactly as if you ran out of gas, which technically I did. So as I and daveybouy said it could be almost anything. Take a look under the vehicle and check your fuel line. It could be as simple as a pinched line.

Getting low on supply, that's how I know spring is coming, soon I hope. Fresh water at least once a week, as well seafood once a week. Just had a perch dinner tonight. I estimate the cost of those yellows were about $125.00 a pound by the time we rented the hut at St. Williams for $50.00 each etc. And only bagged 2 keepers. Still worth every penny, Oh forgot no penny's any longer, worth every nickel. While on the topic, does anyone really go by the Ministry guidelines for suggested consumption? 2 meals a week are going above these suggested guidelines, for some species twice a week is double for what we should consume from Lake Erie according to the scientists, bless them all. For someone pregnant I would certainly want them to adhere to the guidelines.

Oops, see you have a Ford. I meant Chrysler owners.

It's a tongue in cheek joke IA, of course maintenance is key, I only tell that to Ford owners, i.e. GM's don't need maintenance.

Mike, you sure do know how to catch them. And only a short time fishing. I have never had a Lake day like that and I bet I have spent a years salary more than you have over the years on tackle. As far as you health, been there done that. What has worked for me is attitude. As well as everyone that I know that has beat it, the common denominator is attitude. I have a kid brother that was given a clean bill of health 5 years ago and is obsessed with the disease. Just ask him, if you have an extra hour in your life to waste. I have been cancer free for a year and will be tested every 6 months for the next few years. I run into old friends and co workers and they ask what's new? I tell them about the bass and perch we hammer and my golf game getting worse, they ask, " oh, I was told you have cancer ". I reply " oh, that?" Attitude son, attitude, same as hauling in that 12 pounder on 2 lb. Test. Attitude, along with everyone's best wishes and prayers.

Grew up driving big rear wheel boats with 70's and 80's era all seasons when they came out, and it really snowed in Hamilton area then, never had a problem. Dear wife insisted on getting winter radials when she purchased her newer Altima in 08, I said they are just trying to sell you tires. Was I wrong, again. What a difference, newer all season radials are much harder than the first generation tires and are useless in the snow. I have all season radials on my 011 Sierra, didn't have a chance to test them last year, no snow, I can certainly go through deeper snow than her Altima, however hers handles much better when roads are slick. Yes, the real key is to slow down. We are rural now and these roads are in the same shape 5 minutes after the plows go by on Lake Erie lakeshore. There have been times this year I would only go out in a backhoe.

I put my 90 GMC 1500 Sierra to rest at 600,000 K. Traded it in on a new 2011 Silverado 1500, 4.8L. I believe the only thing different between your truck and mine are the Caddy wheels, name tags and 4 wheel drive pushbutton shifter. You will be happy you bought it. My F150 buddies ask to see under the hood, I tell them I don't know how to open it, never had to!

Good for you snackpac. Many complain but few do something about it. I learned something last week when talking to an outfitter out at St. Williams ice fishing. It is illegal to possess alcohol while on the ice unless you are on private property. Never thought about it before but it makes sense. I have consumed a few pops or a bit of jigging fluid in the hut, and when there were CO's in ancient times I know they saw a few containers in our hut but never mentioned it, and we didn't have 24's piled 2 high outside the hut. It would be the same as fishing from shore and having a few in the cooler, can't possess or consume in a public place. So a simple thing to do would be report it to the authorities when these hoopleheads can't quietly have one or two. Seems some people act like they have never seen alcohol before and abuse it leaving a mess for others to live with or put the publics safety well below their need to get hammered.