Sandy Scanoe

Thanks for the tip. It's a load off our mind. We're ready to start packing. Finally whittled our tackle down to a managable size. Decided to leave all the heavy gear at home. Salmon can wait until next year. ( Leaving more for you. ) Take care. "Sandy"

We're packing up our gear for a trip to the Saugeen watershed next week. We've been looking forward to it for quite a while. However, the weather has begun to change. Supposedly, that river gets cloudy quite quickly after a rain. How long does it take for the water to clear-up? Do any of the other rivers & streams in the area clear up any quicker? Are there there any that stay reasonably clear & fishable despite a rain? Thanks for your time & attention.

One thing thing we always like in a fishing canoe is back support. Designs that take Coleman seat-backs, or have built-in systems, are a big plus. Most aluminum canoes can fit the Colemans. Some plastic/fiberglass models won't. But, since you're looking at three passengers, why not consider a Scanoe? If you can find an older model, 30 lbs. lighter than the current design, you'd be set. The older Scanoe was about 90 lbs. ... heavy for a canoe, but easily car-topped. Whatever thick plastic material they're made of, it's very, very, tough. Sure, it's a scow on a lake ... especially with one aboard ... but with three skegs, it tracks straight. Properly balanced, it's very stable in almost any weather. ( We've been on the Mississippi in a thunderstorm with ours, and pushed straight through the whitecaps. ) Even with the optional third seat in the middle, there's enough room left for tackle and camping supplies. The Scanoe has a square stern. You can use an electric trolling motor, for a quiet boost, or use a gas outboard up to 5 horsepower, which moves it along quite smartly. On rivers, the Scanoe's slowness can become an asset. When you're headed downstream and casting towards a spot slightly ahead, and you miss ... the slowness of the craft allows you the time to reel-in and take another shot. With most aluminum or plastic canoes, one cast is all you get ... whoops, and you're past it. One measure of these boats is the small number of them that are posted for sale. They last forever. Ours is over 25 yrs old, and still going strong.

Thanks to all for the prompt responses. We'll skip the Ultra-Light tackle this time. Is there any particular reason that 8 lb. mono is used on long rods pitching row-bags, spinners & spoons to Steelhead & Salmon? With so much bend in the rod, and so much stretch in the line, isn't it hard to keep "in touch" with the baits, much less set a hook? It would seem that a thin, low-stretch, length of 10 lb. Power-Pro type line would work. It's stronger when wet, resists abrasion, and casts farther than mono; all reasons why the Inshore saltwater guys use it a lot. Yes, you will need to change knots, or learn new ones, and it's so very limp that "air-knots" do happen. ( They're a hassle to work-out, especially in a breeze, or sitting in a canoe headed downstream. ) In an earlier post about Salmon, someone suggested a circle-hook, a yellow or white foam ear-plug, and a couple split-shot as a viable rig fishing from shore. If so, how much distance should we put between the weight and the hook? Should the rig hold bottom, or be just enough to sink it? With this approach, if they're running, we'll almost certainly take a shot at the migrating Hunonauts. Hard to beat a no-muss, no-fuss, approach. As it turns out, some of the lures mentioned elsewhere on this board are already in our tackle box. We have several J-13 Rapala's, in Blue, Black, & Firetiger and a bunch of Daredevle and Little Cleo spoons, plus a palatte of spinners. We'll probably pack a selection of hair & maribou jigs, with a side-order of plastic grubs. Maybe a few top-waters as well, just for grins. One thing we might attempt on our trip is a fish-off between a "vintage" rod & reel and a "modern" pair. We have a 45 year old St Croix 6 1/2 ft. rod and a matching Mitchell 300 reel that we've used since they were new. The plan is to compare them to a significantly lighter Okuma rod & reel that we recently purchased. ( same length and line capacities ) Will the old fiberglass hold up? Can that primitive 2-disk drag handle a long run? Stay tuned. Have a great weekend.

Having survived two months of "home renovation hell", in triple digit US Midwestern heat, we're ready to head North and chill-out. We're pulling our little trailer up to the vicinity of Hanover in a couple of weeks to visit with an old friend who has a place up there near the Saugeen River. ( Which Saugeen River? At this point, we don't have a clue. ) When we checked online, we were very pleasantly surprised at the number of fishing opportunities available in the area. This does, however, complicate our packing. My wife & I have done float trips in canoes on the Ozark streams for decades. ( thanks to our Coleman back-supports ) Our spinning tackle ranges from ultra-light up to light Salt Water. In the gin-clear upper river & spring branches, for Trout, we can go down to 3/4 lb. test sewing thread, 1/32 oz. jigs, and 4.5 - 5 ft. rods. Are any of the creeks and upper reaches of the Saugeen and associated streams so clear that we'd need it? Standard equipment for Ozark Smallmouth & panfish is a 5 1/2 ft. rod & 4 lb. line. Would that be enough for the upper Saugeen or would 6 1/2 ft. with 6 lb. line be prudent? In the larger portions of the Saugeen, should we bulk up to heavier rods and 8 lb. line for Smallmouth with a thin wire leader for spoons or spinners that might attract Pike? Near the river mouth, or on docks or jettys, 7 ft. medium rods with 10 lb. Power-Pro are in the arsenal. Is that about right? Or should we bring the two-handed 8 footers and reels to match? ( Are Steelhead & Salmon possible that early? ) The one thing we don't plan to use is bait. It's just a hassle to find it, buy or catch it, and then either keep it alive or put up with the stench until you can actually go fishing with it. ( Any Trout that eats a piece of "floating garlic cheese-bait" deserves to die. ) Any suggestions on lures, tactics, or strategies for fishing that area will certainly be appreciated. Thanks for your time and attention.