craigdritchie

For God's sake, do NOT even think about using marble in a kitchen. It's extremely soft stone, so it won't take long at all for the surface to be scuffed and scratched, and look absolutely awful. Beyond that, marble is extremely porous, so it absorbs liquids like crazy. Every drop of wine, spaghetti sauce, terriyake, soya sauce etc will leave a permanent stain - regardless of how careful you are to seal it first. Marble looks great when it's brand new, but put it in the kitchen and I promise you'll hate it within six months. For heavy-use areas like kitchen counters, you want something that wears, and granite is the standard. You'll still need to seal it, and give it an annual re-seal, but it lasts forever and looks absolutely great. Even better, consider going all-out for quartz countertops like Caesarstone or Cambria. Caesarstone has its own look (you either love it or hate it) while Cambria comes in a range of finishes and can be impossible to tell from granite. It's also resistant to heat, but unlike granite, Cambria doesn't need to be sealed. It's as low maintenance as you can get, and looks fantastic. Cost is not that much more than granite, and it adds to your home's resale value. When we renovated our home last year (stripped to the studs on all four walls) we put Cambria in the kitchen and I feel it was the best decision we could have made. Every morning you walk downstairs and see it and think holy crap, that looks amazing. We put marble in the bathrooms. It's now 8 months later and I regret that decision. Should have put Cambria there too. The marble counters in both the main bath and the ensuite were professionally sealed, and already there are tiny stains here and there, along with several small scuffs and scratches. That was an expensive mistake I will never repeat.

Nice romantic visions Captain Bruce, but let's face reality. 1. The majority of Atlantic salmon caught in Lake Ontario rivers show up in fall after there has finally been enough rain to raise their ditch-like water levels. By then, the fish are either approaching spawning condition, or in full spawning condition and loaded with eggs, just like the cohos and chinooks. By that point in time and in that cold water, they do not leap eight feet into the air, nor do they put on "tarpon-like" aerial displays (come on man, be honest. Have you ever hooked a tarpon? It's a whole other breed of cat). And yes, some Atlantics do get a bit of fungus on them just like the coho and chinnies. That's reality. 2. Atlantic salmon do not provide a spring fishery in the rivers - at all. It's strictly a September - November thing, then game over for the rest of the year. 3. Atlantic salmon don't provide a summer boat fishery - at all. I know in August and Spetember guys catch them from tinnies fishing the power outlet discharge in Sault Ste Marie, but that is not the same thing. I'm talking about supporting an offshore boat fishery, like coho, chinook and steelhead do. Now let's compare to steelhead: 1. Fall steelhead are generally bright as a dime, right into January. They don't leap like a tarpon or come flying eight feet out of the water either, but fresh from the lake they fight every bit as hard as an Atlantic. 2. Steelhead provide a pier/river fishery from late August till mid-May, sometimes late May. Atlantics don't. So you get nine months of shore fishing for steelhead each year, and maybe two months and a bit for Atlantics. Steelhead provide way more bang for the buck. 3. No doubt Captain Bruce has fished the Blue Zone on Lake Ontario or Erie ..... and can confirm that steelhead provide an awesome and dependable summer boat fishery. Not so for Atlantic salmon - anywhere in the world. So why keep beating a dead horse that hasn't produced any results since 1985? Scrap the Atlantic program altogether and put those precious MNR resources on steelhead. You'll have a MUCH better fishery in 18 months. After all, DOESN'T MNR HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE ANGLERS OF ONTARIO WHO FUND THEM THROUGH THEIR TAXES AND LICENSE FEES???? WHEN CAN WE FINALLY GET SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE AROUND HERE, AND START SEEING VALUE FOR OUR DOLLARS????? Our sport fishery on Lake Ontario has gone down the toilet and all we keep hearing are endless excuses. People who say "it takes time, we haven't waited long enough to see results yet" really make me laugh. We've stocked Atlantics for 25 years, and still .... nothing. We've stocked a couple million in the past four years alone. Nothing. When Ontario introduced coho to Lake Ontario in 1968, they stocked about 130,000 fish and had a wicked sport fishery in 18 months. Within four years, the number of boats on Lake Ontario skyrocketed. There were lineups at launch ramps, tackle stores did great business, hotels and restaurants were filled, and everyone was happy. Capt Bruce mentions the glory days of Lake Ontario coho fishing, and it's true - those were really good times for everyone. Now, we stock half a million Atlantics each year and think great, maybe in 30 years maybe there might be enough of them out there I can legally fish for them in the river and expect to catch something. Because let's remember, right now it is absolutely ILLEGAL to fish for Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario rivers. That is, unless you are one of the special few who have one of those special permits that lets you fish in the sanctuaries and areas with closed seasons, but I digress. When Ontario began stocking browns in Lake Ontario tributaries in the early 80s, there were good runs and great fishing for them within four years. Remeber those days, Captain Bruce? Yet after 25 years of Altantic stocking ....... nothing. What does it take to get some people to face the facts and admit the Atlantic salmon program is a complete failure in every way? I know the truth hurts, but enough is enough.

Not to hijack the thread, but ....... Jon, Yes, we all know more chinooks have been stocked into Lake Ontario than Atlantics, simply due to the fact Ontario has been throwing Pacific salmon into the lake for 20 years longer. But it's not like any of those fish are still out there, so let's not confuse the issue with historical totals. Instead, let's compare apples to apples. For the past several years the number of Atlantic salmon and the number of chinook stocked in the Ontario side of Lake Ontario each year has been roughly the same, at about a half-million each. And, they're stocked at approximately the same size. I see lots and lots of chinooks out there, and almost zero Atlantics. The Lake Ontario Atlantic salmon program is a complete and total flop. The sooner we admit as much, the sooner we can put valuable resources back to managing fish that actually exist and provide a fishery, like steelhead, browns, and Pacific salmon.

That's because we don't stock enough of them. 500,000 a year isn't enough.

The Port Hope town council needs to give its head a shake. It's already illegal to gut salmon and leave the carcass to spoil under the Ontario fishing regulations. If people are already ignoring a provincial law, then adding a new municipal bylaw on top of it won't make one bit of difference. Instead of grandstand gestures like introducing new bylaws that have no teeth, what they need to do is enforce the laws that already exist. If the town is serious, then they should petition MNR or OPP to put some cops down there and write people up. Simple as that. Of course that still won't do anything about the stench of hundreds of salmon that croak from natural causes. No bylaw will solve that problem. At least there aren't thousands of Atlantics adding to the problem :-)

Old Man Winetr can kiss my grits already. Bring on spring!

I wouldn't feed a farmed salmon to my cat, much less eat one myself.

What I'm looking at is several decades of historic experience. Fisheries rehab projects and gill nets have yet to make a good combo - in Ontario or anywhere else.

Isn't this the very same "new" Ontario government that just let the Indians set up gill nets from Goderich to Owen Sound? Yes, I'm sure that initiative will go a long way toward protecting fisheries. Nothing like a few miles of gill nets to put more fish in the system. Idiots.

At that time of year smaller baits are where it's at - for both pike and muskies. Toss the big stuff if you like, but you'll do a lot better using smaller stuff, and avoid potential enforcement problems at the same time.

Excellent. Too bad it's illegal, at least around here.

If you want to drive a little further (9 hours from the GTA) you can fish northern Kentucky for muskies, stripers, walleye and bass. By April striper fishing will be at its best - fish average 8 to 15 pounds and at that time of year, they eat topwaters like crazy. Largemouth and smallmouth will be pre-spawn or spawning, so it's easy (and totally legal) C&R sight fishing in shallow water. Walleye will be immediately post-spawn, so skinny, hungry fish. They're big, but it's a planer board trolling bite, so pretty boring fishing (sort of like Erie). Muskie fishing peaks in April - lots of big muskie, which will all be in shallow reefs and points. Cast big inline spinners and you'll have a blast. It's a cheap trip and a lot of fun. Feel free to PM is you want specifics.

Don't forget to use a wide-angle lens too ... makes any eater look like Moby Dick.

Agree, check the simple stuff first. Assuming the truck has auto headlights ..... turn that feature off and turn on full lights manually, as Sinclair suggested. If everything suddenly works fine, then almost certainly a failed ambient light sensor or corrosion somewhere in that system. Very easy to check and either confirm or rule that out. If the problem persists with lights on manually, then I'd check the bulbs on all four corners for corrosion.

Sweet lakers, Mike. You definitely have them dialed in. Sorry to hear you'll be spending more time with the quack this winter, but as others have said, please keep us in the loop. You know everyone's pulling for you.

We all know that supermarkets, fish stores and restaurants sometimes mislabel or misidentify the fish they have for sale. Turns out sushi places are the worst, and a lot of the tuna sold isn't really tuna at all. Scary thing is what it can lead to ........ click here to read further.

Two thoughts: 1. Don't bring anything you aren't afraid to lose, or leave behind. 2. If you don't bring some sort of rod, you'll probably regret it.

Coming to Copps Colesium in the Hammer, July 6. Scored second-row floors and can't wait for the show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWA6NETpF5E

The current issue of Boatguide magazine has a couple of boat tests that I did on two very similar hulls - the SmokerCraft Pro Angler 172 XL, and the Princecraft 200 WS. I drove a 2013 Pro Angler 172 XL last August on a trip to the SmokerCraft/Starcraft plant (it was one of 10 boats I drove over a couple of days). You can link to the article on SmokerCraft's website by clicking here. Very nice boat, well laid out, rides quite well in rough water. The Ultima you're looking at is a higher-end model than the Pro Angler I drove, and perhaps a bit more versatile with a few added features like the flip-up seats in the rear casting deck. But in terms of ride, fit and finish, they're both going to be very close. The Princecraft I wrote about was the 200 WS model, not the 170. Sorry, I don't have a link to the boat test, it's apparently not available online. My understanding is that apart from the additional length (another foot-and-a-half or so in the front deck, plus about another foot in the cockpit) and another inch of beam on the 20-footer, they're basically identical. The 20-footer was a very nice rig, and I have to say, very nicely finished. But again, that was the 20. I haven't driven their 170 WS so that's about as much as I can say. On specs alone, the SmokerCraft is a little wider the the Princecraft (96 inches, versus 91) and weighs a bit more (1,350 pounds versus 1,166). That gives it a max HP rating of 150, compared to 115 for the 17-foot Princecraft. Aluminum thickness on the hull bottom is .100 for both .... sides are .80 for the SmokerCraft and .72 for the Princecraft. Fuel tank in the Smoker is 90 L, and 77 L in the Princecraft. Both brands have fans and critics. At the end of the day, you need to consider the dealership you're getting it from too. Are they convenient to get to? Do they have good hours? Check out their service bays - can you get something fixed quickly, or will you have to wait because they only have one mechanic or they don't stock many parts? That stuff matters - ask anyone who's hit a rock and had to wait for a repair at the height of bass season. Hope that helps. Either way, you're looking at two very nice boats.

I believe most people have absolutely no idea how much money it costs to exhibit at a show. The average cost to rent a 10x10 booth space is around $900 - $1,000. That's the smallest size spot avialable - basically a table and two chairs - so most tackle dealers have booths that are much, much larger than that. But it still costs about a grand for every 10 feet of floor space. If you have a 10 x 20 foot booth (still a comparatively small one), you're out $2,000 right from the get-go. That takes care of your real estate, but you also need to pay for the actual booth itself. Buy one, build one or rent one, you're out more money there. Yes, you can use the same booth for several years, but it still costs money to build/buy in the first place, so figure on spending another couple of grand there. Plus you need to pay extra for things like electric power (need it for your cash register and credit card machine) .... thats a few hundred bucks for the weekend ..... plus lighting. All of these venues are union shops, so you can't even plug in an extension cord yourself - you have to pay the electrician $100 to do it. That's no lie, and it's no exaggeration. You also have to pay the electrician another $100 to unplug it at the end of the show. If you don't, they just send you a bill for $100 anyway. One way or another, you pay. You also need to buy additional insurance coverage for the show, mainly to protect you in case someone takes a header and falls in your booth space ($???). Plus, you know over the course of a weekend you will lose a certain amount of stuff to theft. That just happens. As the owner, it's simply more money out of your pocket - and at one of the slowest times of year. Signs cost money too. So do booth decorations. You need shipping containers for all the inventory, and you'll probably need to rent a truck to get it all to and from the show. None of this stuff comes for free. Then you have the cost of staffing the thing. You need to pay people to work the booth (and that's over and above paying for the people working at your normal store if you stay open during the show). If the show is out of town from your shop, you also need to cover your staff's transportation costs, feed them, and put them in hotels too. If it's a three-day show, remember, you need to pay them for additional time to set up the booth and take it down afterwards. You have five days of expenses on a three-day show. You don't have to pay for them to get in each day, but you do pay for parking like everyone else. Most buy a parking pass instead of worrying about multiple reciepts each day. There is no price reduction. For an average sized tackle dealer, it might cost $8,000 to $10,000 to exhibit at a weekend show. Do you have any idea how many rod and reel combos a guy has to sell to earn that money back? And that's just to get back to zero ... he still hasn't made a penny of profit yet. That being the case, why on earth would any dealer load up on high-end inventory just to sell it at huge discounts? That makes no sense at all. I understand people go to shows hoping for a deal, but let's be realistic - the only stuff you see on sale are the things they make a really good markup on. The things you see at more or less regular price are things they make average markup on. Stuff you don't even see there at all ... they probably don't make that much on to begin with. It's nice to say "I wish they had more of this or that at the show" but if they can't make money selling it there, it won't be in the booth - simple as that. And the stuff people will buy anyway .... why not just keep it back at the shop and let people pay full price? After all, isn't the whole point of your business to make money? Why give it away for free when you don't have to? I like shows. They're a great place to socialize and network. They're fun entertainment. And the seminars are always good. That's why you go. But anyone who goes to a show expecting to find amazing deals on high-end equipment will usually be disappointed. You hear about the odd exception, but for thge most part, dealers go to get rid of stale product or blow-out stuff they didn't pay a lot for to begin with. It's the grab bags and high markup stuff that makes it worth their time to attend. Last thought - hirk, it's not a trade show. That's a completely different animal. There are no retailers at trade shows, it's corporate booths only. Trade shows make money on the seminars they provide. Registration costs in the thousands - each! Go to a major trade show and you can easily spend $10,000 in a weekend just attending seminars. They're all about education and corporate networking - totally different thing from the spring fishing show.

I have a pretty substantial collection of old fishing and hunting magazines, which take up a fair amount of space in my basement. There are a lot of old Field & Streams and Outdoor LIfes dating back to the 1940s, old In-Fisherman magazines from the mid-70s (when the spring issues were over 300 pages), some early 70s Fishing Facts issues, and a couple of late 60s Ontario Fisherman and Hunter (now Ontario Out Of Doors) newspapers. Plus a bunch of tackle catalogues, most of which were gathered at the sportsmen's show each year. I agree, the ads are the best - especially from the ones from right after WW2. I'll see if I can scan one or two when I have more time to find them. There's an Evinrude one in particular, showing a drawing of soldiers in a landing craft powered by an Evinrude outboard, charging toward the Normandy beaches. The text says something about "if it's good enough to defeat the nazi menace, it's good enough for you." Complete fantasy of course, but interesting approach by today's standards. There's another one ... Marboro cigarette ad .... where the guy has just come home and given his wife a bunch of fish to clean. The implication is if you smoke Marboros, you can catch a lot of fish and have a hot chick in high heels waiting to clean them for you. Hysterical stuff!

It's kind of a moot point isn't it? I mean, any spot will only be good when you're there at the right time of day, right time of year, and in the right weather conditions. And, if you're using the right stuff. Telling someone a spot may give them a piece of the puzzle, but it's only one piece. That alone won't put any fish in their boat.

My best spots? Nope.

I couldn't agree more. Advanced did a large steelhead for me about 12 years ago and even though James and Shawn would probably say their word has improved since, I still think it looks totally amazing. It's truly a piece of art ..... you can't put a value on that.