MJL

Wolf, you missed a perfect opportunity to mess with her mind.

You can have the time of your life playing with wrong number callers or telemarketers. I know I do...I'm a b@st@rd when it comes to telemarketers...If they have the nerve to call me while I'm cooking/eating or during my favourite TV show, they should at least be prepared for the wrath coming to them To this day, Master Card and the Toronto Sun still don't call my house .

You should have asked her "what are you wearing?" or asked for her phone number so you could "hook up" later. You often get some interesting responses.

Why can't yer Uncle let you and Dad have the key to the cottage anyway??

It's a little more complicated than just getting the key. He lives in Whitecourt AB and we would need his 20+ft boat + truck to get to Ocean Falls. We were planning on visiting Whitecourt AB and then driving over with him to BC to do some salmon fishing. We would've driven from Whitecourt, AB to Bella Coola, BC and boated the rest of the way to Ocean falls (no direct road in). There is a ferry service to Ocean Falls but without your own boat, you're pretty much stuck on land for a week. There are a couple guides in the town but at $750+/day, it gets a little expensive fast. There's also the fact that neither my dad or I have any experience with towing a boat (and a very large one at that) - Couple that with the fact we would be driving through mountainous terrain - Not the easiest thing to do for a beginner.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Seen it done on the Niagara River for Lakers and browns on TV. Can't remember what show it was but they were using those Storm plastic minnows.

This week I learned that my trip to Ocean Falls BC was canceled for July/August – No saltwater fly fishing for salmon for me. My uncle just couldn't get time off during the summer so my dad and I aren't able to use his cottage there. Gutted as ever - almost akin to winning a million dollars and having someone tell you it was all a joke. Not sure when I'll ever have the chance to get free time in the foreseeable future so this August will be "the summer of Mike".

I’m looking for suggestions for inexpensive 5-7 day vacations in August. As much as I love the fishing in Ontario, I would like to do some traveling before I become a total workaholic/slave to the corporate giants. I’m asking now in the hopes of applying for a pass-port and having it in time for August if I need it.

I’m open to suggestions: Sockeye and pink salmon on the Fraser in BC, Barracuda in Cuba, Striped bass in Boston, Whatever (It will also be my vacation from carp and steelhead). I’m hoping to keep it under $1000 including transportation and accommodation + whatever crazy taxes I may need to pay. I won’t have access to a car so driving down to Florida won’t be an option.

Any help is much appreciated

Thanks

Mike

Excalibur Silverthread (Copolymer) and P-line Floroclear (Hybrid) on the spinning reels.

Other than those I have Raven mono loaded on my centrepins.

For the last 5-6 years I've been using Siglon and Raven Fluorocarbons in 4-10lb for fly/float fishing. Great stuff. Used to use Seaguar a while back but the shops near my house stopped carrying it. Still using Titanium for pike fishing...Maybe one day I'll get out of the stone age and try FC in 80+lb for pike leaders.

I'm not sure about Mr. Chronzy, but my guess is that the product was not a sponsor of his show, while Bob Izumi would love it if we all used those YUM products

Looks like Bob Izumi traded in those Yum Dingers for some of those Berkley Gulp minnows.

I really didn't understand why Chronzy was going off about the Big-brothers watching - I thought I was the only one who saw the difference between Going Fishing and Real Fishing.

On that note, I watched Italo talk about his mini lucky strike cradle for trout and char for a good ten minutes...RELEASE THE FISH ALREADY AND GET BACK TO FISHING!!!

I never caught one...My dad got one on Rice lake...We were using Skitter pops and one decided to hover over the area. We didn't think he was going to take a motionless lure floating around garbage...We were wrong. To this day my dad says it's one of the greatest fights he's ever had on his rod.

I've heard stories of people drowning - Mostly people who waded too deep with their hip-waders which ultimately filled up and dragged them below.

For those who wear loose fitting PVC or breathable chest waders, wear a wading belt (or any belt you can wear outside your waders) and cinch it tight. I've read about a few cases where the air trapped in the waders (legs) allowed the person to float their way down the river to a spot where they could grab onto a branch or find a shallow spot to crawl out from. Not sure to the truth of this but I always wear a belt and cinch it after I've expelled the air from the lower section as seen in this article:

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/articles/tac...hing_column.htm

I still have 20lb powerpro on my 2000 Stradic from 2001...Still going strong with little sign of wear. I may reverse the line around sometime this year to extend the life.

I grew up fishing with the English carpers so my views on the subject would probably be biased. I release all the carp I catch. They are sport-fish in my opinion.

A fish of this size may take 20-30+ years to grow to this size considering Canada's relatively short growing season.

A fish too valuable to catch only once

Angling Specialties has epoxy, thread and hook keepers at their Scarborough and Concord locations - Not sure about their Mississauga location but worth a phone call to see. Not exactly West but it's a start.

Did you put it on backwards? The running line is thin compared to the head of the line.

Are you talking about the backing? It's a thin braid-like line you have between the fly-line and the spool...It's used to extend the capacity

Maybe you have a level line instead of a weighted forward fly line.

Maybe you have a shooting line designed to be used with matching heads.

When in doubt take it to a local fly tackle shop. They should know.

As far as leader to line methods of attaching

There's

- Standard nail not

- Loop to loop using those braided loop connectors

- Needle knot method where you pierce the line with the needle and draw the leader through the end of the fly line for a smooth connection

- I use a nail knotted loop to loop method. Take 5 inches of thick mono and nail knot it to the fly line. At the other end of the 5 inch piece tie in a small loop. Then tie in a small loop in your leader and join both loops together.

- there's also another simple knot but I can't remember how to do it...You can find it somewhere on the link Muskiestudd provided. I think you can find it in James Castwell's list of articles.

There are plenty more ways to do it but these ones are fairly common.

Hope this helps

In no particular order:

- Skeena river BC: Steelhead (at least land one on the centrepin and fly)

- Alaska: salmon, steelhead, char

- Florida off-shore: Mako sharks on the fly

- Fraser river BC: Sturgeon

- Mauritius: Blue Marlin on the fly

- Christmas Islands: Giant Trevally and bones on the fly

- St. Lawrence river, Ontario: Carp

- Queen Charlottes or coastal BC: saltwater fishing for Chinook and coho

- Amazon river: For almost anything

* those are the ones I can think of at the top of my head

I've never fished for brookies up there but the locals recommended EGB spoons - the ones with the little red plastic tails. They sell them for a premium in the Algonquin Outfitters tackle shop (I think that's the place).

I've never used them but "Carpins.ca" has good customer reviews. A little pricey on a few items though IMO.

www.carpins.ca

Banksticks are my favourite to use...But if you're fishing concrete walls, you're pretty much stuck to using a pod.

Get to know a few people from the UK...They can smuggle a few items with them when they come over on vacation - No shipping fees required .

I happen to fish one of the busiest rivers in Ontario on the opener. More of a tradition really but even with the crowds I always enjoy myself spending time with my dad.

If crowds aren't your think, whip out the fly rod and sling a cone-head bugger or clouser minnow out wildly. Crowds disipate quite quickly

thanks KFTO.

 

Yeah it seems to be cold today, having to melt the ice on the line/guides wasn't a good experience ... and a piece of advice ... never try to melt the hook with your own mouth lol ...

Vic, don't you like the taste of salmon eggs early in the morning? You forgot to mention, never lick a frozen reel with your tongue in winter.

Used Islander Steelheader

Best mass-produced reel IMO. No need to upgrade later on unless you're a tackle junkie like I am.

You can always fish for the resident browns and brookies in the headwaters - They're there year round. When I'm not carping, I spend my time at the Humber or Rouge fishing for late-run suckers, shiners and chub. I also get a few bass too. Keeps the centrepin spinning and float rod lightly bent till the salmon arrive.

If you're a man who's standing in the middle of the Amazon river and needs to take a whizzz, I'd fear the Candiru more than any piranha or stingray in the river.

Google it and find out why

Not math but:

Vic you can always go to the Mandarin buffet in Markham and have a go at their koi. The water remains ice free and the fish are a decent size. Test out your new gear while you dine on crab legs.

My mom tells me the same thing

My justification equation for buying a new rod (to my mother):

"This rod only catches pike, not carp"

+ ("I got it at a bargain" x perception factor of what I think is a bargain)

+ "I might need a back up in the future"

+ "I need a longer rod, I don't have one this long"

+ "I'm replacing a rod that became obsolete 5yrs ago, it doesn't catch fish anymore"

+ "I just got an A+ on my accounting exam"

+ "This will be the last time I buy a new this type of rod" / (guilt and forgetfulness factor)

= New rod

A usable justification equation for a girlfriend developed by my fishing buddies is

Jewelry + chick flick + painting her nails (or massage) = buy what you want, in any quantity you want

Or use the equation

= Just pay in cash and hide it

You can never have too much tackle

The only thing I'm missing now is that 22' Lund with GPS/fish finder capability

Gore-tex rocks to the MAX!

Dad I know you will probably read this but I learned from you.

Thanks for the new AngSpec...You can use it to on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Drop in to Angling Specialties on Kennedy and get George to teach you. He taught me for free after class when I was in high-school. He sells components (blanks, guides, cork, reel seats, etc) and also sells inexpensive rod stands, motors, brushes, epoxy, etc. Tom at the Concord location might also be willing to do it as well.

Or if you're near the downtown core, have a talk with Billy at Wilsons. He gives great advice and he might be able to show you if you ask. IMO you learn so much more from a person than you do from an internet web-site.

Maybe other board members like Spiel may be able to help.