kickingfrog

Globe and mail article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...al_gam_mostview Cut and pasted: 'Holy grail' of lost ships discovered PATRICK WHITE Globe and Mail Update June 13, 2008 at 5:31 PM EDT TORONTO — The last time anyone laid eyes on her, the Ontario was the most-feared ship on the Great Lakes. It was 1780. Yankee militias were threatening to storm across Lake Ontario and seize Montreal from the British. And if it weren't for the intimidating profile of the 226-ton Ontario – 22 cannons, two 80-foot masts, a beamy hull with cargo space for 1000 barrels – they just may have. But six months after she launched, the pride of the Great Lakes fleet sailed into a Halloween squall with around 120 passengers on board and was never seen again. It remains the worst-ever disaster recorded on Lake Ontario, according to Kingston historian Arthur Britton Smith. For 228 years, the Ontario eluded countless shipwreck-hunters, thwarting any explanation of her disappearance and fanning rumours of a priceless booty on board. Enlarge Image This handout image of a drawing by Arthur Britton Smith and released Friday, June 13, 2008 by Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville, shows a starboard profile of the sunken 228-year-old British warship HMS Ontario, a British warship built in1780 that has been discovered in deep water off the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Kennard and Scoville used side scanning sonar and an unmanned submersible to locate the HMS Ontario, which was lost with barely a trace and as many as 130 people on board during a gale in 1780. (Courtesy of Arthur Britton Smith/AP) On a flat-calm morning on the last day of May, the Ontario reappeared. Friday, two Rochester engineers revealed their discovery. “I can't tell you how excited we are,” said Jim Kennard, 64, who has spent more than half his life pursuing the Ontario. “This is the holy grail of lost ships on the Great Lakes.” The find provides a denouement to one of the region's most intriguing historical mysteries and validation for Mr. Kennard and Dan Scoville, 35, who have braved years of early mornings, rough waters and snooping shipwreck thieves in their quest for the Ontario. At first, the twosome wasn't sure what they'd found. The Ontario appeared as a mere blip on the side-scanning sonar system that Mr. Kennard, a retired Kodak engineer, designed and built himself. After a few more soundings, “We could see this blip had two masts, each with a crow's nest,” said Mr. Kennard, who's discovered seven of Lake Ontario's estimated 500 shipwrecks in the last six years alone. “There was only one vessel we knew of that was built like that.” Their next step was to video the ship up close using a microwave-sized remote submersible of Mr. Scoville's design. “Right away we saw the quarter gallery, the windows in the stern, the cannons,” said Mr. Kennard. “There was no mistaking. That's when we started getting excited.” As final confirmation they summoned Mr. Smith, author of the definitive book on the Ontario. He showed up early Tuesday. The men were soon popping champagne. “What I saw was far beyond my wildest dreams,” said Mr. Smith. “I thought she'd be covered in silt, but she looks like she might have sunk last week.” In the pitch-black water of around 4 degrees Celsius, the Ontario has aged remarkably well. Leaning on a 45-degree angle, her masts still jut straight up from her decks where several guns lie upside-down. Zebra mussels cover much of the woodwork, but a brass bell, brass cleats and the stern lantern are perfectly visible. Seven big windows across the stern still have glass. “This is the only revolutionary-era vessel in such perfect shape,” said Mr. Smith, who speculated from the positioning of the wreck that Captain James Andrews may have been racing the ship west towards calmer waters at Niagara River when hurricane-force winds knocked her over. There was no evidence of the roughly 113 Canadian men, women, children and American prisoners who went down with the ship. Six bodies washed ashore the year after the Ontario sunk, but the rest of the passengers – mostly Canadian soldiers from the 34th regiment – were never found. Nobody knows for sure how many passengers perished; the British kept their prisoner counts secret. Out of worries over looting, Mr. Kennard and Mr. Scoville are keeping the ship's location hush-hush. “You get a bit paranoid,” said Mr. Kennard. “There are all sorts of games that go on out there and this is a British Admiralty war grave.” As for the rumours of gold treasure, Mr. Smith said it was all a myth. “Other than a bit of loose change on the captain, there would be no money on board,” he said. “Nobody has seen anything like this. That's her true value.”

I noticed an add in a fishing magazine celebrating the 25th anniversary of Leathermans multi-tool (Wow, time flies!). I have the original (with the bit adapter), the wave and the micro. The wave is the one that I use the most when camping because it has locking blades. I haven't used many of the other brands out there, so: What are your likes and dislikes for multi-tools? Do you prefer the real original Swiss army? Can you tell that it's 5 in the morning and I've been up for a couple hours because I can't sleep?

What clothing???

There are no biting insects up here G-Dog. That's just a myth perpetuated so we can keep all the good fishing spots from our southern neighbours.

That little guy will never forget that trip.

Interesting sequences with the sign going from right hand, mouth, left hand.

I went with Cabela's because I had dealt with them before. I did look at mudhole's site. They had some videos that helped me because I've never done this before, and I will look again before I make another order.

Who is this guy??? 27 posts and he "claims" to have a new lure. Geesh, maybe when he has a few hundred posts I'll give him some cred. Kidding! Hey Dave can I borrow a couple of lures???

How many different Wilson references can we get? I can think of three: 1.Tom Hanks' buddy in castway... I still say Spalding was made for that role. 2. The nosy neighbour in the that Tim the Tool Man show. 3. The neighbour from the Denise the Menace comic strip.

Great report. From the picture the fish looks like it is spawned out. It's not uncommon for some eggs (less than 100 or so) to be left after spawning, they will fall out or be re-absorbed.

North Bay Nugget article. http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1069729 CHAPMAN’S LANDING — There’s a reason why they call it “fishing” and not “catching.” Nipissing First Nation fisheries department workers and Ministry of Natural Resources staff were at the Chapman’s chutes on the South River Wednesday attempting to net sturgeon for a media event. The First Nation community is leading a five-year comprehensive study to determine the status of sturgeon in Lake Nipissing. Just more than $60,000 from the Aboriginal Funds for Species at Risk program has been allocated for the first year. The team caught seven sturgeon Monday and four the week before, allowing them to surgically implant transmitters so they can follow the large bottom feeders after the South River spawn. But despite three sets of large mesh gill net over four hours with reporters eager to photograph the ancient species, they were skunked and must return Friday to put the remaining three transmitters to use. “We’re trying to get as many sizes and year classes as we can,” said Nipissing First Nation biologist Richard Rowe, adding the sturgeon netted at the chute this spring weighed between 30 and 80 pounds. Rowe, formerly the Lake Nipissing biologist at the North Bay MNR office, said the data collected by the province in past years will be combined with Nipissing’s data to determine how the population is doing. “A lot of what has gone on in the past was the MNR lead. What Nipissing First Nation wants to do over the next five years is put it into one definitive project and find out how we can protect and enhance this fishery.” He said females they tagged in 2003 and 2005 are starting to show up at the falls again, which backs up the sturgeon profile that females only spawn every five years or so. As part of the new study a receiver station will be installed at the mouth of the South River to record radio transmissions of when the tagged sturgeon enter or leave the lake. Without the radio tags, Rowe said there’s no way to tell where they go between spawns unless they are accidentally caught by native commercial netters or anglers. Lake Nipissing’s sturgeon fishery was shut down in 1991 after decades of large-scale commercial activity, dams and industrial pollution at Sturgeon Falls left them without prime spawning habitat and near extinction. Traditional non-transmitting tags have been attached to dozens of Lake Nipissing sturgeon during the past five years by the MNR and Nipissing First Nation. Newer tags will have a computer code so they can be scanned with a wand to make the record-keeping easier and more accurate. As they get caught again, Rowe said they can start to document growth rates. Rowe said they can also estimate the size of the population by tagging as many fish as possible over three or four years, take a year off and then calculate the ratio of non-tagged sturgeon they find. Based just on what they found in past years, he said any guess at the size of the fish population would be “sketchy,” but probably “high hundreds . . . definitely not talking about tens of thousands.”

Too many one liners, I can't pick.

Ya, I caught so many 4 inch salmon I had to make that key

I'll say Chinook based on this key that I made up when I was in school. The key for adult salmons, trouts and chars is different than this one for juveniles 2-5 inches long.

Panucci's jersey was touched by his own goalie and he went down like a sniper had taken him out. Italy has 2 more games still.

I have an Anglophone friend in New Brunswick that can't get enough of these guys.

I smell a conspiracy here. Some of us are away at Lakair on the launch day. Hope there are some left by the time I get back.

I'm not a huge footbol fan, but even from the time I was young the World Cup captured my attention. In the last 10-15 years the Euro Cup and the Champions league also get me watching as well. I do have a very low tolerance for the theatrics any time a player comes with-in a step of another player . Always reminds me of a minnow in the bottom of the boat... or a pro rassler.

IDing juvenile salmonids is not easy... its not rocket science either. You usually have to use a key. The book "Fresh Water Fishes Of Canada" is very good. I'll try to dig mine out.

K-frog makes 40. Do we make name tags?

Sure Glen. Since this is my first, that might not be until November.

So that order that I placed on Friday for the rod building kit from Cabela's? http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20437 Came today... Monday. Because of the size/length of the shipment it had to be sent via air but I am still surprised how quickly it got here. I split the order up and sent all the other items via regular means. I saved about $25, but now I'm thinking I should have just bit the bullet. I guess I'll see how much longer it takes for the rest of the order (usually 7 days) It's Christmas in June!

How 'bout fishin'. Topic options: Tiler v console live bait v lures troll v cast vertical hold v horizontal .... never mind... see you at Lakair, we can share a drink and not say a word, that way you won't think I have an accent.

I used Cabela's, I've ordered other tackle from them and have been happy with the experience. Always interested in giving a local/ Canadian business a chance, so if anybody has some other rod building options pass them on.

I know someone was asking a while ago about this. I just heard it on the radio this morning. http://www.teachakidtofish.com/