JohnF

It's still pretty mild, but it's started here. I could see it abuilding as I drove in from the London "Swill". I don't have to do anything tomorrow so I can watch dispassionately to see what it turns into overnight. I'm warm. JF

Uhuh! Speed! JF

You're probably right about the crossover but combining resources might be tougher than solving all the problems we face. I suspect that the ministries are every bit as territorial as the various departments of large corporations, fiercely protective of every budget dollar. I think you'll find that the peripheral involvement of the first two is why OFAH doesn't address them directly as hot issues. JF

Gov't trust fund? Isn't that an oxymoron? JF

You mean bread & circuses? Yeah. That's part of it. We're suckers for instant gratification at the expense of long term gain and the pols know it full well. They do just enough pork barrelling to make us feel good temporarily while what they're really doing is protecting the party assets. Lotsa smoke and mirrors going on. Part of the problem is that too many of us are content to let politicians be politicians instead of responsible riding representatives. JF

I see myself as more of a conservative dressed up in liberal clothes. If you mean the capitalized variety of Liberal, I was pre-conditioned by my Dad that the PC's were the only guys worth voting for. Then I decided on my own that I was more in tune with Liberal party policy although I almost went over to the dark side (NDP) for a while. In practice I vote for the man (or woman) now who sounds like they best represent the voice of reason in hopes that more folks will do the same and ultimately we'll end up with a whole mess of sensible people in control. I dislike partisan politics which I know is counter to my earlier words about the importance of solidarity, but I don't see the major parties as being loyal to anything as much as to their own power and position, paying lip service only to the good or the will of the electorate. I disagree that we don't get qualified people elected. It's more that the good ones get ground up by the partisan machine and are forced to toe the party line or get pushed aside. The major parties are too much about power and influence and not enough about what's best for the country or the province. As for Wayne's situation the only thought that comes to mind, other than that it sucks, is that there should be enough voices like his to take a strong appeal to the OMB. I'm not actually sure that this even falls under the purview of the OMB but it's worth checking. Seems to me that it's a pretty arbitrary act and may be vulnerable to challenge if the OMB can hear it, and there's always the courts if that doesn't work. Is the gov't insulated against class actions in this type of situation? Was there any prior notice of this? I'm not really up to speed on all the ins & outs of Crown Patents so I'm not the one to really give advice but before I knuckled under I'd sure ask some questions of a lawyer, or even a planner, familiar with the process. JF

It's all in the grip. JF

Go to NYC and zoom in on Manhattan if you haven't already. Very cool. JF

Thanks Roy. How's the pay? And not leagues ahead by any stretch of the imagination. Not even ahead, perhaps just better informed for the moment, which is an easy fix. In between my silly posts (for want of any good fishing stories) I pay attention to what others post here. My take without actually meeting anyone yet face to face is that there are some pretty astute individuals in our midst, winners and/or leaders. No names though. They'll all get swelled heads. One of the advantages(???) of doing what I do in real life is that you get to talk much of the time about important stuff and need to have a smattering of knowledge on almost everything under the sun (well - the Canadian sun anyway). Through my involvement as president of our local board I was drug into the PAC side of things kicking & screaming all the way, but I found I actually liked it, in no small part because we have a great federal PAC program and a staff to steer it. No single citizen can accomplish much in the political forum without some substantial support, a worthwhile cause & a great plan. Groups like OFC are a wonderful resource that too often lies untapped. We possess a valuable commodity here - a loud voice, some 2,500+ strong. But we need to act like a choir, not an unruly crowd, to get the best sound. How's that for a sick-making analogy? JF

You're making the assumption there is some "roast beef" representation. There are them what would argue you've only got "weiners" to choose from regardless of the packaging. And before anyone jumps to the conclusion that I'm slagging politicians, perish the thought. It's just that even the best parties & pols get jammed thru so many grinders that there's only one product that can come out the other end - and it sure ain't prime rib. I think it's more a matter of how you prepare the weiners that determines just how satisfied you'll be with the meal. JF

Right idea. I just did some surfing and found the OFAH site (joined up too BTW). http://www.ofah.org/index.cfm If you go there click the "Burning Issues" tab top right and you'll see what they're lobbying for at the moment. I suspect these have been identified through discussions initiated in forums similar to this one and have been selected as the focus points that combine best saleability with optimal returns for the hunter/fisher types. It's a case of picking yer battles. Pick yer battle, gather yer facts, decide who is best to present the arguments, decide who is best to hear the arguments, and then take yer best shot. If there's solidarity, support & the right people saying the right things to the right pols, good stuff usually happens. If we collectively agree with these points then perhaps there's something we can do as a group to help support the cause. It occurs to me that as I'm new to this forum and to fishing generally I may be gilding the lily here (perhaps this has all been addressed and dealt with long ago) so my apologies if I'm being redundant. Perhaps I should just shut up till I know more of what's really going on, huh? JF

Gerritt, you're on the right train but the wrong track. I've had some limited experience with this business of gov't lobbying and the trick isn't just to get in their faces, but to get there with some facts and some clout. No self-respecting pol is going to pay much attention to one solitary voice and can easily excuse it, particularly if the tone is offensive and the demand blatantly self-serving. The pols want something showy that will appeal to the media as a positive step in serving their constituents. It's hard to sweep away a coordinated well thought out presentation from a significant body of informed constituents. First we need to get a read on just how much our own bailiwick really means to the Ministry as a part of the big picture, then determine which other sectors of responsibility are most sympathetic to our cause(s). Here's a very simplistic fer instance - It's important for us to preserve the gamefish species & habitats in Ontario but it isn't enough to demand protection just because a few individuals want to have better sportfishing. With a little research I'm pretty sure we could come up with bigger grander more universally saleable reasons i.e. how sportfishing affects the Province's economy, like the tourist industry, the revenues from the park systems, the employment of guides and outfitters, the commercial fisheries, the peripheral economy in general, environmental protection, species at risk benefits, etc. Then we build a body with a common interest perhaps joining with other existing groups (like our own OFC comprised of some 2,500 or so voices on it's own) and identify the 3 or 4 most critical points we feel need to be addressed with and by the Ministry. The idea is to speak as one voice on a few specifically identified high importance issues with obvious benefits to other sectors and hopefully some attractiveness in the media. That's hard to ignore as a politician. It's surprising how easy it is for my particular professional association to arrange annual concurrent meetings for several hundred of us from across the country at the gov't offices in Ottawa with something like 90 elected officials on one given morning of the year to present our arguments. But we go into these meetings with the same presentation to each mp, not a bunch of individual me me me type demands. We get heard and we get results. Sometimes we get a frank "We can't do that now." and that means we go to the other points. If there's any wiggle room we get action because we do it as an informed body with a common cause. I don't know if fishermen and/or hunters in Ontario have the collective will to build this kind of lobbying effort, or if it's already being done, but if not, one need only look at the NRA in the States to appreciate the power that's there to be harnessed and used. We can't muster the millions of voices the NRA has but we need more than a bunch of individual voices each crying out for a different cause. Right off the bat here's a question for any of you who are interested - What are the three most important issues facing sport fishing today in Ontario? And if you want to go a step further, are they issues that apply to other sectors of the economy as well? Sorry if I come across like a pontifcating boob but I've seen this lobbying game in action JF

Okay. I've got a technical question. Does the ice act as a float in this instance? Or is it more like a downrigger hookup, meant to tear away on the strike? JF

Ah, but will it be the same Gavin? JF

Peace on earth, goodwill to man, and a baitcaster setup. JF

I'm obviously not alone in saying I'll miss your reports. Those wonderful accounts made it easy to relive your fishing adventures vicariously. Thanks for sharing and be sure to keep us posted on your fishy frolics "over there". JF

If you want smallies use a decent light spinning rig with some grey original Rapala floaters and some plastic worms, and bug repellent. JF

Sorry. Should have finished reading all posts before adding mine. You already had the same advice from a few. If you want to take the time by all means go I-75 on the way down. It's the easiest. Cross at Detroit and turn left. Eat at a Cracker Barrel if you never have, especially breakfast. Lots of cholesterol. You can check out Cinci, Lexington, Chatanooga, Atlanta along the way. Use the bypasses. They're well-marked and don't be alarmed at how long they are. Avoid Atlanta at rush hour. Even the bypass is nasty. If you happen to hit it on Sunday early in the day skip the bypass and drive through the city if only to say you've seen it. Don't worry about the boring scenery in Mich and Ohio. It gets way better when you start to hit the mountains, especially Tenn. Watch for the Georgia red clay, and you'll get used to the smell. Come home via 95 to Charleston, then cut inland to Columbia and up 77 to 79 to Erie Pa, then over to Buffalo etc. It's a pretty drive till you hit Ohio, then you can go to sleep till you hit home. Have fun. It's a great trip, the first time you do it. After a bunch of reruns it makes airplanes look really nice. JF

I like to cross at Ft. Erie, head west towards Erie Pa., go south on 79 down to 77 then on to Columbia, then over to the coast and down through Georgia. As long as you don't get some oddball snow south of Ohio it's a nice scenic drive with less traffic than I-75 out of Detroit, and closer for you anyway. A few minor toll roads but some nice mountain scenery and even a tunnel or two. Watch for the safety runouts for runaway trucks. They're kinda scary. This route takes you close to Charleston and Savannah if you're into old (North American) cities, and Hilton Head is just a few miles out of your way if you want to take some time to drive out on the island to sightsee. If you have time go to St.Augustine. It's got some neat old buildings and streets. You can get directions for the route from Mapquest or Google but it's pretty straightforward. Just plug in Barrie Ont to Daytona Beach Fla. JF

Was Lew ever a mailman? JF

Let me know if yer gonna be in Stratford some time. I'll buy lunch. JF

If you can get it to Mississauga (as someone offered to do) I'm supposed to be there for a few days on Admiral Rd. early in Dec. If I can get it back to Stratford that makes it closer for you. And if you're in no hurry I'm in London quite often so could save you a trip. JF

Almost missed this. I'm still planning on it unless the weather does me in, or it's postponed. JF

Yer right. I was gonna take the car today cuz the SUV's almost empty and I don't feel like standing out in this crap while it takes forever to fill but mebbe the 4x4 makes more sense. The car's one of those small overpowered rear wheel drive things that's inclined to turn itself around voluntarily. Used to be fun to hit the snow with a rear wheel drive but now all the damned computers they build in make it about as responsive as a toboggan. Even the 4x4 feels like I'm flying by wire but at least it wants to stay straight - spooky but straight. JF

Who was it told us about fisting for catfish? JF