MJL

It’s a showdown amongst trout species that’s not just happening in Alberta. Over the last number of years, I’ve been interested in Dr. Robert behnke’s work on saving & establishing native cutthroat trout throughout western North America.

Some issues from the article I see

1. Catch & kill all brook trout you can. I remember reading one article involving the culling of bull trout/dolly varden char from rivers where coho salmon populations were declining. Payment would be received by the angler for submitting the tail of the fish to the ministry. The result was large-scale mass mis-identification where large numbers of young coho salmon were culled by accident. This catch & kill method can only work if all anglers can correctly identify their catch – In a perfect world we would expect all anglers to know the species of fish they have at the end of the line...How many Brown trout VS Atlantic salmon threads have we seen on this forum?

2a. The article states that hybridization between brook trout and cutthroat trout is taking place...If at all possible, wouldn't this hybridization create sterile off-spring considering that brook trout and cutthroats are not all that closely related? The biggest issue with cutthroats is the hybridization between cutthroats & rainbows which are related closely enough to produce fertile offspring.

2b. Assuming that the article was incorrectly written, if hybridization of rainbow trout & cutthroat trout is currently taking place, wouldn't you also have to remove the rainbow trout to maintain the pure genetics?

2c. Assuming that the current population of cutthroats have hybridized with rainbows (a non-pure strain of cutthroats), wouldn't you also have to remove all the non-pure cutthroats as well from the river/lake before you stock genetically pure cutties?

Brian, there's a few reel builders in Ontario that may be able to do a one off reel foot for a price.

I own a couple reels with an off-set reel foot. Things I like about them:

1. I'm not a fan of reels with short feet (eg. Riverkeeper) - I find my hands start cramping up after a couple hours of use.

2. In winter, a good portion of my hand is off the back plate. I know some guys dress their backplate with sheet cork so their hands don't get as cold - TBH, I hate the look of sheet cork glued on the back of a $500+ reel.

3. Over the course of a day, I am able to switch up the way that I hold the rod + reel. There's a lot of guys out there that have developed the "centrepin claw" with their hands.LOL

Things I don't like

1. Off-set reel feet add additional weight to the reel.

2. If you're wallis casting and get a bird's nest, it may be harder to undo the nest with the off-set (debatable depending on the situation of course)

Some myths about off-set reel feet:

1. They balance on the rod better - No they don't, unless you custom build your rod to accommodate the off-set foot

2. Off-set feet are only for people with bigger hands - I have smallish hands and love the off-set.

When I'm up in your neck of the woods in the future, I'll let you have a go with my AngSpec.

I’ve always been an advocate of buying what you can afford...However when it comes to float reels (I guess with anything really), paying a bit extra (even if you have to wait and save up) is usually better.

Back in the day, you could find Leeds float reels for sale at around $115. Haven’t seen any in shops for about 10yrs. They were stamped aluminum reels and were finished pretty badly (in terms of rough edges around the spool.

The Okuma Avanta can be had for around $130. It spins great but I found that when I played around with my friend’s reel, the 8lb mono mainline would often find its way behind the spool and the back plate.

In the $200-$250 range, you can pick up a used Islander. I’ve had mine since the late 90’s with the same original Abec 3 bearings. I’ve dunked it, froze it, accidently had it fall off the rod and tumble down the path to the Whirlpool. I don’t know how many steelhead, browns, salmon and carp I landed with it but its lots. I have never cleaned or lubed the bearings and it still spins great.

Perhaps one other choice for a value conscious angler would be a reel made by Amundson. I haven’t fished one yet but it appears to be a knock-off of the Islander for $175. The anodized finish on the reels I played with at the tackle shop didn’t seem as nice as the Islanders, but the reels felt pretty solid and spun nicely. I’d be pretty interested in hearing if anyone actually fishes one.

Looks like a great weekend

On that note, when I think of weekend fishing trips with Cliff, I now can't help but worry about sleep deprivation

Jen's got a lot more fuel in the tank for the next round...I know it

Sending all the positive thoughts your way...Jen's my hero

I guess it's a good thing that OFC is blocked at work...My day would've been so unproductive.LOL

Truly amazing report Mike. It's definitely something I'd really love to save up for in the future. I'd love to try out a switch rod on that water for swinging flies and chugging mouse patterns across the surface...It just looks like what heaven should be like

You should see the slaughter, worse than I've ever seen.

You know it's bad when the male chinnies get slit and left to rot

Awesome catches Roy

Methyl hydrate. It's available at most hardware stores.

Angling Specialties also sells an epoxy solvent which cleans up epoxy well.

Incredible photos Dan

Nicely done Brady!

I haven’t bit the bullet yet on a spey rod of my own yet but hopefully this fall I can get a spey or switch rod done – Last fall I had a great time swinging flies on one G-bay river using my friend’s spey rods in 5-7wts. It’s hard to beat throwing and swinging half a chicken to large, aggressive steelhead – especially when they’re rising for dries . Eagerly waiting to get both the new 6 and 7wt Sage One spey and switch rods in my hands before I make the final decision.

Congratulations!

815 fish...That's amazing!

That's one place I'd really love to fish

That's awesome Laz. Really enjoyed this report

Which model pontoon are you running? Definitely interested in picking up one for this coming fall.

I don’t fish NY enough to really make an annual license worthwhile. I buy the day or sometimes the weekly licenses (for long weekends). The last few years I've only been able to get down a couple times for carp and steelhead. I actually don’t mind the cost of the licenses considering how much fun I have down there. The fishing is great and the people are friendly.

jealousy is an understatement Simon...Wish I was there!

Great report. I especially loved the vid

Awesome report Mike. I really enjoyed that

Can't wait to experience my first ever fly-in trip...Whenever that may be

Congrats Madison. Great photo

Given your track record of killing cameras (like me), it’s hard to go wrong with a Canon 7D if you have the funds saved up. It’s a camera that can take abuse surprisingly well.

The 7D is a brilliant performing camera that can do most things very well (aside from shooting in very low light without a flash). It may also feel better in the hands for you compared to the Rebel line of cameras – The XSI, T1i, T2i, T3i, T4i, etc are smaller cameras that may not feel all that great to use if you have larger hands. I have the T3i as a backup/social gatherings camera and I find the 40D to be more comfortable to use (and I have fairly small hands). I may upgrade from my current Canon 40D in a couple years to a used Canon 7D if the price is right. When you do underwater photography, you kind of have to expect the worst.LOL

Awesome report. I really enjoyed it

Congrats on the PB! Everytime I've hooked a musky on the worm harness, the ending has never been the same

Thanks again guys

The next few years, I'll be trying to get underwater pictures of as many species of fish found in Ontario waters.

What underwater housing do you use for your Canon?

I also have a Canon DSLR and am in the market for a good housing.

The housing is made by Ewa Marine - It's a soft-plastic bag type housing with a lens port. Hopefully by Christmas, I'll have enough funds for a more functional polycarbonate one made by Ikelite.

I’ve been screwed by UPS in the past with outrageous brokerage charges (They also lost a few of my packages and still sent me a letter asking me to pay for customs fees.LOL). Ironically, the service I received from USPS has been on average faster and more reliable (go figure ) – And it’s cheaper. If I do need something that is only shipped UPS, I have it shipped to a warehouse in Buffalo and my parents pick it up when they’re down there shopping.

 

After that it was nonstop 22" - 29" fish for 2 hours we stayed. We only stayed 2 hours because......boy this sounds bad....it was almost getting boring catching them....no challenge whatsoever...mindless slaughter of huge walleye.

You sicken me Simon...Nothing could be more wrong. This quote alone is worthy enough for a weeks ban from the forum!

Having that much walleye, laker and ling mojo is a danger to society (and yourself).

Just incredible fish! Awesome report Drew

Hopefully this season, I can land my first gar

I don’t really fish for bass. For the other species, my hook sets are very tame. Most of the time, people fishing next to me don’t even realize that I have a fish on . Just a light sweeping lift of the rod is adequate for what I do. The only exception is if I’m doing a hero drift way downstream and I see my float shoot under – I’ll add some more power then. When bolt rigging for carp or swinging flies for steelhead, setting the hook is the last thing you want to do. Just adding some tension to the line or slowly lifting the rod is all you really need to do.