adempsey

I used to rent boats/cottages from Muskie Bay all the time. The owner, Rennie, is a great guy. They have a launch, but I don't know what it would cost.

The times I've gone in spring/fall I fish the timber with slip bobber + worm. I imagine trolling a Go-Getter + worm would work great too.

If you're just riding around for exercise why spend $$$? Bikes are one of those things that people go crazy over and spend a ton of money. Kinda like fishing reels and rods! Tell me what rod and reel you use and I'll tell you what bike to buy, lol. Just like reels, you pay top dollar for lower weight. I happen to be shopping around for a decent mountain bike myself, something akin to the Pflueger President of bikes. I am only starting to really look, but the Diamondback Overdrive V looks promising at an MSRP of $500. However, I'd probably start looking used for a reputable brand like Trek, Giant, Kona, Rocky Mountain, Brodie, Specialized, Santa Cruz, Scott, Cannondale, Yeti, Jamis....there are a lot! Then again, some guys do just fine buying a new big box store bike every couple of years. Buy it on sale for $200, sell it for $50 in a year or two. Works for some.

I find it odd that they are asking for input. Aren't these decisions supposed to be based on some actual science? What the heck do I know about the herring population on Simcoe? It looks good to me, but so what? Maybe it isn't.

Prepare like it's a licensing exam. Tell your friend to search through the internet for interview questions. It's the HR questions that are the worst (IMO). Simple questions, yet sometimes difficult to answer. So, you need to prepare a good response and deliver it like it's not rehearsed or canned. Questions like "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" , "Strengths and weaknesses". That type of garbage. With no experience, your friend is going to be asked a lot of those. Not to mention some hypothetical situations regarding co-workers and customers. Such as "What do you do if a customer is being belligerent toward you?", "What do you do if you see a co-worker steal something?", "I am a customer shopping for a pair of shoes, as the sales clerk act out that scenario for me". Also, have some questions prepared for the interview panel. They usually ask if you have any. Personally, I think most of the time interviews are ridiculous. Especially the HR part of it. Sure, you can argue they help weed out the truly unqualified to some degree, but with enough practice, a horrible future employee can easily ace those questions.

Not to mention the natural gas hike =( Just got my bill, 30% increase and that's not even the highest. Some people are likely to get hit with a 40% increase. The middle class is getting hit hard and saving for retirement is becoming incredibly difficult every year. I guess the only thing to do is bike to work, bike home, eat a PB&J sandwich for dinner, read a book by candle light and go to bed. Rinse and repeat until age of 75. How fun.

Nice photos! Winter just won't go away will it? I need a new camera, what did you use for those photos?

Besides the ones already mentioned, I've ordered online from: www.eBay.com www.reelflies.ca www.yourbobbersdown.com www.jamminjigs.com www.captainhookswarehouse.com www.luremaking.com www.lurepartsonline.com

I have nothing to compare the Canadian Health Care system to, but I do know lives are being saved. However, anyone who's spent any time at the hospital knows that it could be A LOT better. The constant budget cuts and mismanagement of funds are some of the biggest issues. Let's start with all those overpaid ineffective administrators at most hospitals. The CEO of the hospital here made over $500,000 a year. Why? Why is it in Ontario each hospital still has a board of directors when they are not needed? (Although, I am not sure the LHINs would do any better). No money to hire more nurses? Well, let's just fill those shifts with current staff and pay them time and a half. That's the logic we're dealing with. Just like in the government, many hospital administrators are completely ineffective at the best of times. Can you imagine what it's like in the current cash strapped environment. That's just one part of a large problem. There are issues with the doctors and the unions too. Ultimately, our government, and everything it has it's fingers in, is a complete disaster. As absurd as it sounds, if things with the government and economy continue on the current path, having some type of revolution within the next 100 years wouldn't surprise me.

The Night Skies Network is pretty cool. People broadcast video from their scopes. Some decent views at times.

Camp Fisherman and Camp Ashtabula are both decent as well. I've stayed at a bunch of those camps and they are all quite similar. As mentioned, Pigeon Lake Resort is good too.

Fished French River out of Wolesley Lodge and Bryer Lodge, which is just down the bay from Wolesley. These were weekender trips in the fall. The fishing was not too good for us, but that doesn't really mean anything since it was only about six days of fishing total. I preferred the Bryer Lodge cottages though. That being said, we haven't been back and probably won't consider it for our next fall weekender. We were thinking of maybe trying a different part of the French River though. The French River is very beautiful. Once you enter the park it's almost like being on a lake in Northern Ontario.

Here's the story behind it, taken from a Field & Stream article:

With one year left, I'd guess it probably wouldn't benefit you much, if at all. However, without doing the math nobody can really help you. The bank will not be doing you any favours though. That I can guarantee. Probably better off shopping around after your mortgage is up for renewal. Also, as mentioned, a broker isn't a bad route either. It doesn't cost you anything. I'd recommend using at least three brokers, since I believe they basically have one main bank connection where they can get a good rate. The other bank rates they show you are just typical rates for comparison and are there to make their "connection rate" look even better. However, it is always best to deal directly with the bank if you have the ability to negotiate or have a good relationship with someone there.

luremaking.com is your best bet. Maybe find some people to split an order with? However, I've purchased components from Angling Specialties in Vaughan as well. Their selection was minimal though. I was just looking over a Hagens catalogue today. They have some really nice stuff. Not sure what the shipping/duty/brokerage would be [or if they even ship to Canada]. eBay is another alternative. Often you won't have to pay any duty/taxes, just some shipping.

Some nice pics! That "snow traveler" thingy is cool. I watched a video from Russia (?) and they all used something like that. I think the sled was attached to the wheels though.

What's your budget? There are some really nice private cottages that can accommodate that sized group, but some of them are pricey! http://www.kawartha-luxury-properties.com/properties/bigbear/ The largest I've seen at all the places I've been to sleeps 10. Personally, I'd just rent a couple side by side and simply eat together in one of them. Elmhirst Resort on Rice Lake has some nice cottages. They also have two pools (1 outdoor and 1 indoor) and two restaurants. Also a nice wine cellar. The biggest cottages sleep only 10 though.

I was surfing the web and realized I haven't had a Black and Tan in a long time. Definitely overdue. I've been drinking too much wine....

I leased a 2009 RAV4 for 4 years. Great car, NEVER an issue. It has the most room of all compact SUVs as far as I know. After my lease was up, I purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-5 (last June). Great car as well. Almost picked up a 2014 Subaru Forester instead, but opted for the CX-5 because it was more stylish. I test drove every single compact SUV on the Canadian market (at least I think I did!). I left Toyota for reasons not related to car quality. I also really disliked the look and feel of the new RAV4, but loved my 2009 RAV4. If I were shopping used, I'd be looking at the RAV4, CR-V and Forester for sure. Probably look out for some of the higher end brands as well, like Acura MDX and Volvo.XC60.

Trak Maps sells one. I have a couple, but I need to clean them up. They are a mess. PM me your email address or I can post a link to a pdf version if you want. You can also view it online for free with the Navionics WebApp.

Looked like a great place! Thanks for digging it up. Now dig up some more!

Someone from the Star must read these forums http://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2014/03/06/try_these_guinness_alternatives_for_st_patricks_day.html

Sail, Le Baron, Princess Auto, Total Battery. Probably at a bunch of electronic stores too. My last one i picked up from Radioworld. Online too - Batterybuyer.com. I'd also recommend getting a 9Ah instead of the typical 7Ah if you want more use time. Alternatively you can use 8 AA's or D's, but they are only useful if your sonar doesn't require a lot of juice.

Although they don't make any stouts, the beers I've had from Lake of Bays Brewing Co. and the Great Lakes Brewery are pretty good. The Winter Ale and Orange Peel Ale from GLB are a nice treat.

I'd probably pass on them all. Although, you might consider the ever popular Pflueger President for $55 or the Supreme MGX for $100. Not really that great a deal though. Have you checked other stores, like Le Baron? I thought they usually had a decent sale on at around this time as well.