kemper

Wrong Bill - Bronte is by FAR the worst of the ditches. This same crap happens everywhere though, at least out East the bows get released. Up North it seems like 3 or 4 killed for every 1 released.

Virtually all! You could turn a thread about new car tires into a roe battle. As for the brownies, they eat just about anything. That said, if you are watching them swim around it isn't going to be easy. I've had luck in the lake and estuaries using minnows under a float, small jigs under a float, or casting smaller Rapalas, Cleos, Mepps, etc.

Its awful down there, and unless a small tsunami comes by there is almost no water anyway. Not worth fishing, IMO. Unless of course you are hunting gold...which seems to be the theme down there.

Do yourself a favour - read the regs BEFORE you head out. If you can't figure it out, then don't fish. If I remember correctly the Huron tribs don't have an "all waters" clause like zone 17 does. Trout closes Sept. 30, and unless the creek you were fishing was listed in the exceptions you were out-of-season. That's bad, don't do that.

Took a flyer on a skagit head I didn't have much info on, 480 grain SA Skagit extreme. Fished it all day today, beautifully matched, fishes very nicely

The rod shop (my living room) has been busy lately. A couple months ago I built a 9wt Rainshadow spey rod, which is a pleasure to fish but an absolute beast in anything but the biggest flows in Ontario. This got me thinking, and I decided to add a 6wt to the stable. I'm still a long way from being on par with some of the builders on here, but I think the build quality on this one is much improved from where I have been. The dust is on the wraps, not in them... Stay tuned, a spey conversion as well as a float rod rebuild are in the works as well. Cheers, Kemper

Would have liked this one - set the hook into a good fish while I was standing on a rock in fairly deep water. I was using the pull of the fish to stay balanced on the rock, until the fish came right at me Went backwards like a falling tree

I went head first into the Biggie last December. Not a fun thing to do, and made me realize really quickly that my gear was sub-par. I was lucky, and righted myself quickly before I get into deep trouble but I could have just as easily cranked my head on a rock and taken the long swim. Now I wear a wading belt on my waders, a second belt on my jacket, carry a staff, and my cuffs are as tight as possible whenever I wade bigger water. This proved to be a good strategy during my Saugeen swim this year.

Awesome. I'll be doing the same this weekend, nothing like swinging for steel. I tie a pattern very similar to the one in the 2nd photo, just finished a batch last night...

Sail in Oshawa has extend-able hiking poles on for $20 right now, and they come in a 2 pack. For 10 bucks each my buddy and I both got a wading staff, and that makes the $100+ Simms model even more hilarious.

I've taken a swim in most of the bigger systems up North. Not enjoyable. Although my last swim in the Saugeen was a complete hoot for those across from me. I'll remember to set the hook with less aggression next time I'm standing on a rock in waist deep water...

I think Bill is right on this one - might be time for a new wrench. I've changed a whack of wheels on Subarus (1999 Impreza, 2001 WRX, 2011 Impreza, 2012 Impreza) and never run into that problem.

I guess everyone missed the point where I mentioned that I enjoy eating fish as much as the next guy... Just put the question out there - would you support a no kill on your fish/fishery? Didn't bash anyone for keeping/eating fish, no problems with sustainable harvest gentlemen. That's enough from me, I'll go back to petting rabbits and photographing butterflies now...

That looks fantastic. I'm almost 100% C&R, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy a Kawartha walleye fry from time to time

Depends what type of fishery the powers that be are looking to have. Pulling bass off the beds for any length of time is a bad thing, have you seen how fast a sunfish is?

I've chased the silver buggers with just about every method I can think of... fly, spey, float, hardware, bottom bouncing, spinning reel, float reel, baitcaster, etc. The pin tends to by my weapon of choice, but I'll happily grab any of the above mentioned weapons from the rack and enjoy myself.

Wasn't trolling on this one Wayne, I was genuinely interested in the responses. Also wasn't looking for steelhead specific answers, and never expected 7 pages of "dribble".

As a student, I can't imagine anything beats old Hondas. Change the oil and they will go forever. I drove a 1994 Integra that I bought with 285,000 and drove until 313,000 with nothing other than oil changes and a set of brakes. Currently driving a 2000 Civic, bought it with 185,000 and were running beautifully at 240,000 again just oil changes and preventative maintenance. Changed the water pump/timing belt this summer because I figured it was time, and I like to take things apart. When I used to commute to Brampton (from Oshawa) I had a Sunfire (2003) fall into my hands for free. Figured I would use it to commute because it had AC and my Integra didn't. The 2003 Sunfire with 130,000kms never made a full round trip to work and back. First trip the alternator gave up on the way home, I replaced it that weekend. Second trip the power steering pump exploded, and I basically drove the car directly to the scrap heap.

I've been checked for a license one time...ONCE! I spend probably 65-85 days on the water each year, during spring and fall up to 4 time/week and often in popular spots. The MNR truck drove by me slowly last weekend and I was practically begging them to ask for my licence.

Have you eaten a steak, chicken, pig, etc lately? Antibiotic use in Ontario aquaculture is low...VERY low compared to other types of farmed animal. Somewhere around 2%-3% of Ontario farmed trout receive any form of antibiotics, and they are only administered when needed - not included in regular feed like other agriculture. There is also a wait period after fish are fed antibiotics to ensure low residual value. Just putting it out there, after working in the agriculture industry I would much rather eat a farmed fish than anything else from a farm.

I suspect that is because the operator has no mercy for any unfortunate critter that steps onto the runway

I was leisurely retrieving this bass (1.5-2lbs), when from the depths a toothy critter decided that he wanted a snack. Neat picture, I think. Anyone else have similar shots?

Never a gar pike... Bass, Northern Pike, Carp, and hulk sized creek chub have all had a snack on my roe bags at one point or another though

Don't get anywhere near Mike's truck, it's a axe-wielding murderer. Last time I went fishing with him I think we annihilated an entire family of raccoons.

I've been fishing Upper Buckhorn since I was a kid with my old man - no doubt the numbers and size are down over the past ~15 or so years. Every once in a while there is a bumper crop of one species or the other, but it doesn't seem to be consistent.