akaShag

Great article! And it brought back a PILE of good memories. I think it was around 1984 or so that I met a guy who was whaling the steelhead at Thornbury when nobody else was catching a fish. I eventually asked him what he was using and he showed me these bitty little flies. Well, they were Michigan wigglers, tied by a guy called Jay Passmore if I recall correctly, and they were dynamite! Same river, or maybe the Bighead, I took a mid-morning break for breakfast and a coffee and met local steelhead master Rick Simms (I think that is how he spelled his name.) Rick had caught a bunch of fresh run steelies that morning, when I know most of us had not connected with many fish. I asked him what he was using. "BUGS" he said. Like Michigan wigglers, I asked? Nope, BUGS! And he showed me a bunch of insects he had gathered up from the river bottom. He was fishing them singly on a #16 hook IIRC. I never did catch my own bait critters, but that image came back when I read that portion of the article. So THANKS MIKE for some great memories! Doug

Any details for us? Using a flasher? Over weeds? Bait? etc. Or if it's all information you want to keep to yourself I'll mind my own business. I have caught many hundreds of crappies and never saw one that big I don't think. Beauty! Doug

Squirrel stew is actually quite good, much like rabbit stew or, if you are not much into wild game, then chicken stew but with smaller bits of meat. One does not use red squirrel of course, that critter being protected as a fur-bearing animal and therefore can only be taken by licenced trappers. But I am thinking the red squirrel starring in this story may have found himself staying in the covered pot somewhat longer if I were the victim................... Great story! ............and I am thinking that the polar bear encounters would be quite the story material also, are they here? (Please forgive my newbieness........) Doug

Good to see you over here, Yannick. I just got here myself (thanks to Moosebunk...........) Thought I might try to get tracks for my ATV for trips like this. Turns out they are about $6000 installed, taxes in, and make the ATV about a foot wider, so for me that would also mean a new trailer. Maybe next year............ Doug