Moosebunk

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.

Might still have some Real Fishing mags from back in the days when Craig Ritchie was writing... those are probably a century old by now.

50HP 4-stroke Rob... what is the slowest you get and how slow are you looking for? Have a 60 that dials down to 1.4 mph, any slower and the electric does it easy.

I was waiting for "beer guy," cause we've all fished with one of them. lol That was purdy good!

Dood! That was alotta fun. Really liked all the tunes, been years since hearing Brass Monkey and quite forgot how catchy that one is. You guys head bobbing and such through it, sped up and all, I'll admit to grinning ear-to-ear. Great first vid for sure. Bring more...

206. lol. Guilty of posting too many fish there. Ohhh well.

His site does appear down. He is hoping to improve on it too, but admits he's not tech savvy and hardly spends anytime on the Net. That and, all his hydro is all his own, sometimes maintenance of that may shut him down. Rob was away snowmobiling a fair bit this winter, it's his downtime. Fresh dump of snow up there and he's off playing but, only a month before his busy season begins now.

Birds pluck 'em clean. Ravens mostly. Those things show up out of nowhere the second you flick a bread crumb 10 feet outside from the hut. Heck, you can be out there between miles of any shoreline and I swear those black bird-ninjas are cloaked white watching from nearby. Ling skeletons those are, for every 5 to 10 of those you find a laker. Wear a watch on the right wrist. Haven't replaced the lost water resistant cheapo I'd normally wear fishing. The one I was wearing ain't really meant for dunking in the drink. You caught some hesitation reaching for that laker. Paint whichever photo you choose Sir. That'd be great, all good by me. Pamela Adelaire (Delaire)... wonder if she's still around here, and painting too? Tyler... I might have told you before Christmas we'd talk in the New Year? Time is flying. Talk soon.

These are good. Paudash your kids are brilliant funny.

Fished an opener once... the Madawaska. Did OK for small fish. Would like to try Larry at opener but wouldn't know where to start.

Knew you'd like that Bravo picture Chris. Hahahaha! Took a bunch of 'em and while doing so you totally crossed my mind when thinking... who might actually like these shots but me? Bravo lover that you are!!!

Too funny this thread. Started watching his show on Netflix but it didn't stick. Will try again. We all call BIG fish MONSTERS right? Had a fella in Moose Factory with a totally straight face and as serious as ever tell me that he hooked into a 72-inch pike on Kesagami Lake, fought it to exhaustion over an hour, pulled it up onto the dock he was standing on at the main lodge, then put a rifle bullet into it's head. dang' river monsters eh!?!

Really cool Lew. Glad you posted this. Many if not all here can only imagine those miles aboard...

Poplar Park Camping... http://www.greenstone.ca/content/municipal-parks-campgrounds Onaman River Resort... Website must be down. Contact info I have. Late season 2015 dates will work well but the cabins are booked solid thru early season. http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=70646 In Orient Bay... Royal Windsor and Reflection are options. There's also Superior Charters. Commercial houseboat that takes ya all over the lake to fish. All these options will provide shelter, electricity and most running water.

Now that there's a deal !!! But me and the girls gots some plans this weekend, otherwise it ain't that far really. Have fun.

Only extended leaders there, like both of you, all other times just run 3 feet or so. Thinking with up north, with four feet of ice, snow on top, plus rod length, and strong heavy fish so far averaging high teens, when that thing's head just turns up the hole the swivel might not yet even be on the reel. As well, before turning the fish at the bottom of hole it got into mind that having that thicker more abrasion resistant floro rubbing at that bottom hole ice edge would be better than the narrower braid. Again, if the rod tip is inches above the water atop the hole and the laker is 2 or 3 feet from turning up at the bottom of the hole, there's still 6 to 7 feet of line off the rod. My preference is not to have that thrashing fish doing donuts under the hole and rubbing braid on ice. Good to have the swivel high too in this case, cause if line is cutting into hole ice and that swivel lodges in, it's as bad a karma as it getting hung up at the reel. Loosen the drag could remedy some worry, but maximum pressure one can get away with, without ripping out hooks gets that fish home quicker. Again, we all have our methods. In this case too, it's rather experimental right now.. but working out OK. Alone or with friends, I like that drive Bill.