Moosebunk

Can't see the pics at work but it reads like... you're onto something there.

Haven't met him, but always a gentleman here and online elsewhere. Quality dood!

FLOAT STEELIN' DOWN THE SAUGEEN. Had never fished an actual "trout" opener weekend I don't think. Probably because of past place and time? And certainly can't recall being excited to do so either... but, this year was a little different. After an invite and last minute decision to join Len and our friend Luke, not one of us got much sleep upon leaving the Ottawa area shortly after midnight for our overnight drive to the Saugeen River. Ten years had passed since I did any float fishing in Ontario, (never for rainbows) and the thought of trying my luck for steelies did make me feel rather young and restless. The boys having drifted this Georgian Bay crick a few years now, over time I had heard a number of stories about their rainbow trout fishing through one long and quiet stretch of the river. It intrigued me for sure. To see some place new, breaking away from any rumored steelheading crowds and to do it from a raft seemed perfect. Over twenty years I've quite enjoyed days on the water floating other rivers and lakes from a belly boat, this Saugeen with it's quick current but easy rapids appeared it would provide a great stage to kick the flips and try the fishing luck. Once on the "Geen" I quickly realized what a treat this would be. Passing by anglers while leaving town it was made evident by some looks and comments that we were quite envied. Within a quick half hour or so we would be on our own, and other than one drift boat and one canoe passing us by, it would remain that way for the rest of our trip downstream. The river itself was absolutely beautiful. Water levels were about a foot below seasonal although there was not one stretch I considered hazardous in the least. In fact, it was mentioned to Len and Luke several times over that the WarCanoe could have handled much, if not all of this length, and especially not a problem had the season's levels provided their usual depth. It certainly got the wheels turning. The float itself was really cool. Sun out most of the time but the northwind off Georgian Bay, it was a little chilly now and again. We stopped in plenty of areas and even did a little hiking around here and there in search of bows. Once, my float dropped while "walking the dog" down the river. The float drifting in front of me, it was fun to steer while flowing above it from tube controlled only by my flippers. I lost that fish though, in fact, I lost most during the trip. Fishing from the tube you miss a little scenery while watching the float or casting hardware into fishy looking pockets along the way so, stopping ashore to cast good looking water seemed to bring better odds. Len's two crafts were amazing for this style of fishing. Each having capacity for 1200+ pounds, they easily handled our payload. The thought of these things on a river like the Sutton for a week... oooohhh yeah me wanna!! So maneuverable by paddle and fins, riding high and dry and super made, they're like floating in personal Lazy Boys. This said, my craft with it's 400 pound capacity was real gnarly and comfortable too. Two or three precise kicks with one fin and it'll spin 360 in seconds. Below the knees, feet are submerged, the butt takes a little splash, but otherwise I was high and dry as well. Not having to worry about paddles and being able to quickly go one side of the river to the other kicking the feet, the arms were always free to fish. It's a choice float tube for a day or overnight trip. This year the fellas and I didn't see all that many trout, especially in lower sections. They were used to a couple dozen in past trips but this time around with the waters low and real cold things just didn't quite go the same way I guess. Anyways, end of it all our float on the river was awesome and nobody took a skunk, there were rainbows for all. Hopefully, any trips to come the fish will make it up to us in better numbers. For me, this first round best goes to the new experience of it all. Drifting the Saugeen with a couple friends and taking in a whole other kinda fun on the water, it was quality from top to bottom. Thanks to Lenny for making it happen. Bunk.

Those cats are awesome. Wicked day out.

An honest and humorous intro. Welcome to OFC

Boy sure looks like a younger version of his Dad.

Done diddly done dood!

Used to love me some Louisianna catfish at the Lonestar. Good eats... nice big one ya got.

Great day out Chris. Bones, bows and even babes.

A real proud Papa with one heckuva picture loaded opener report. Well done. Little lad's pumpkin lid is the shiznit too. lol.

Some great finds Brian.

Tubing time is always great. Some wicked fish and fishing Fidel.

Offshores 95% of the time. Have two Church boards though and don't mind them at all. If running them they end up 5 & 6 in a spread on the inside, or if fishing trout I like them for ease of use... so they can end up 1 & 2 now and again. Go Offshores though Chris... and replace that back clip with a huge snap swivel if thinking it's gonna be way out there, or pulled fast or hard through some chop.

Little far for me Imran but wish ya good luck lad. A friendly offer to anyone looking for a day out with company.

Tried doing the same a couple years back Rob but instead managed to bugger up the entire peddle. Thanks to you it's just great knowing it was all human error. lol. Good show!

Nothing like reel peel... and that tug which becomes the drug, which then leaves us chasing our addictions for the rest of our days. That rig oughtta really help you with your fishing problem. Enjoy dood!

Big Bruce napping on the Moosonee dock. Me too man! Could be something as cool as an escape from a Polar Bear or, maybe just some dummy rammed with a boat and poked him with a stick. Thanks all.

Fish less days but fish better. Looking forward to a number of new experiences and fish too, starting this weekend and ending sometime come November.

Not some of the sharper tools in the toolbox.

The Seal Anglers of Bushy. An old friend and fishing buddy, this is Big Bruce. A fellow angler from my days in Moose Factory, Bruce was first photographed in 2002 off the Mighty Moose River of James Bay, a few miles up the North French below First Rapids. That premier appearance was pre-digital for me although, two years later come 2004, a late September returning home from upriver on the Moose, this picture above was captured on a 3MP Kodak camera. For me it was quite a momentous wildlife opportunity, snapping this quick shot before Bruce hurried off the beach into the river. Bruce would often be that way. Each and every year Bruce would come around at some point during the summer and stay into fall. He and I became buds. More often than not he could be found sunbathing at the tip of Bushy Island or off the east side of Pakitahogan, but some days he'd maybe hang around near the public docks, or over on Fossil Island. Bruce was easy to recognize by his size, a scar on his side and a little black mustache. A brute of a seal yet pretty laid back most of the time, Bruce was a rather curious but cautious sort, though there were moments when he could bust one wicked temper. Wake Big Bruce from an afternoon nap or steal a meal while he's fishing alongside, and he would hiss and hiss at ya while circling your boat. One early evening while fishing the mouth of South Bluff Creek I hooked into a good eater sized walleye. While reeling it in, out of nowhere popped Bruce heading straight for that fish and me. I got the prize just in time, before Bruce splashed some fifteen feet from the side of the WarCanoe making waves, and finally turning away and waiting for me to try fishing again. After only a few casts it was evident Bruce was simply swimming around hoping to let me do the work while he sought out the chance at another steal... Not having planned to stay much longer, I quickly fired up the motor to head down river home for supper anyways... and if you'd believe it, Bruce followed me the 12 kilometers at 28km/hr all the way back to the town docks. I was thinking he still wanted that walleye some bad. I watched Bruce grow older. All blubber all the time, as the years passed he went from firm fat all over to rolly-wrinkled around the neck. His shiny bright silver fur darkened a little more blue grey, and his energy seemed not what it used to be. By 2009 he wasn't around as often, he might have got grumpy and anti-social with his age or, maybe he didn't like having new company... Charlie showed up in 2007. Bruce, Red & Charlie. Charlie was always swimming and fishing. If planning a late summer's day to fish the tidemark at the tip of Bushy, if Charlie was to be found in the fish pools there, ya might as well have just turned around and driven the half hour back home. There wasn't a better fisherman on the Moose River than Charlie. Not as big as Bruce by any means, the younger Charlie was agile and always active. Getting anywhere near Charlie while he was resting on the beach was a real chore. For one, he was hardly ever resting, and for two, if he was and saw you coming, he could belly-flop forward into the drink faster than any seal I'd ever seen. There was only one day when Charlie allowed me his company on the beach. I pulled the freighter canoe onto the sand, stepped out and squatted near to him for a photoshoot, and he posed proudly for the camera. Charlie was one cool customer and always on the go. After I had moved home south someone had posted a video on You-Tube of Charlie. Some local doods in their freighter canoe were coming downriver near Bushy and when they reached a deeper channel and throttled up for speed. Charlie was half on the shore half in the water (could have maybe been Bruce though) when the boaters rammed him with the bow of their boat. The seal flopped into the river and appeared to swim away. Hopefully Charlie was okay. Red & Charlie Cutie Red showed up in 2008. She was a tiny seal, maybe half that of Bruce and still quite smaller than Charlie. Red was absolutely gorgeous and she appeared to love showing off her looks. When I'd be fishing nearby or just traveling past on the river, at the tip of Bushy Red was always modelling on the beach. In fact, I can't ever remember seeing her in the water unless I scared her there from off the shore. Maybe Charlie was looking after her, afterall, I did catch them laying around together now and again. Red was Miss Photogenic too. She'd pose pretty and instead of hissing she'd only occasionally grunt or snort her concerns. Red was so gentle and accommodating that twice in our history she actually let me close enough to touch her. She was nervous, I was nervous too, and although I was quicker, she still likely had 500 pounds or more on me, and much sharper teeth. Truth about Red is, I might have actually loved her. I mean, when heading out fishing on the river and arriving round the tip of Bushy at the sandbars, my palms would sweat while holding my breath, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of her there. She was a beauty that Red. Over the years I've fished with some pretty solid anglers in some rather incredible places but Bruce, Red and Charlie were three of the best. There would be no out-fishing them ever!!! And no, they didn't at all practice catch and release either. It's cool to think too, that there are so few places in Ontario; let alone Canada, where one can fish freshwater tidal flows and pools for walleye, pike, whiteys, fallfish or even trout, and do this alongside seals fishing as well. Fish swimming off the sea on an incoming tide to the tidemark, and there waiting to catch them were me and my fishing friends, the Seal Anglers of Bushy. Bunk.

Kashawawawawawawawawakimakakak and Missisissisisisisisisisisisiagogogon are tough fisheries. Same as Crotch. But fish are there... supposedly. lol.

What Wallyboss said with Muskrat, or quite close to Dacre with places to stay as well is Lake Clear. A 40+ inch pike was caught there this season through the ice, and it's historically had big fish. There's also plenty walleyes and BIG smallies, and some lakers may still be kicking around.

Some quality shots P.

Some great craftsmanship in this post.... Just wanna say.