craigdritchie

Think you just answered your own question. Imagine what might happen if you actually targeted them?

Nice fish, and congrats.

Yup, replaced by V-MAX four-strokes. Have you had a chance to drive one? Talk about da bomb! They're awesome.

Easiest route with single strand wire is to form a loop at each end using a Haywire Twist. Bend the wire about six or eight inches from its end to form a 180 degree loop. Slide on the fly, then wrap the tag end over the main line in four or five evenly spaced twists, then finish by twisting it several more times, but now with the wraps butted up against each other (google it - there are plenty of YouTube videos showing how to tie it). You tie the other end of the leader the same way, just leave it as a loop that you tie your line to. Being so light weight, this works great for buzzbaits too, by the way. Buy stainless steel wire from BPS, Le Baron, or any bigger fishing store. The leaders usually only last for one or two fish before they kink like crazy, but you won't lose any - guaranteed.

You might want to add 8 or 10 inches of single-strand wire to the end of that 20 pound. That is, unless you really like having your flies sliced off without even feeling the fish. I'm just saying ..... As far as flies go, it depends on the size of the pike. For anything over about 5 pounds, go big -- eight inch rabbit-strip streamers are not too big, nor are 10-inch Dahlberg Divers. They soak up a lot of water, and it's kind of like trying to cast a wet squirrel, so forget "technique" and just "chuck and duck." Don't forget the duck part. And don't worry about the flies being too big. That's pretty much impossible. Oh - and for what it's worth, the little snot rocket muskie in my avatar was caught on a Dahlberg Diver. It's great fun!

Mercury introduced its direct-injection Optimax two-strokes in 1996. BRP bought Evinrude (and Johnson) out of bankruptcy in 2003 and introduced its E-TEC two-stroke outboards shortly afterwards (E-TEC technology was only offered on Evinrudes, not on Johnson). Prior to being bought by BRP, Evinrude (and Johnson) sold a line of new-gen two-stroke engines using FICHT fuel injection for a couple of years, but reliability of these was inconsistent. FICHT was replaced by E-TEC. Today, Evinrude and Merc Optimax are pretty much it for direct injection two-strokes. Yamaha, Suzuki, Tohatsu, Nissan and Honda sell four-stroke engines only; Mercury sells both.

Then you're one of the lucky ones, Bernie. That seems to be the thing with Ficht - while some owners have great experiences with them, many more have nothing but headaches. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground.

+1 to comments above. The 150 and 175 are the same engine, just tuned differently. Don't touch a Ficht at any price.

Merc Optimax and BRP E-TEC are nothing like 'old' two-strokes. Those who have them love them to death. Those who have gone to a four-stroke engine also love them to death. Either will be a LOT better than the old two-bangers you remember. So which do you buy? Truth is there aren't any bad choices out there any more, so the biggest consideration is the dealer you'll wind up working with (whether you buy at a dealer, or just use them for service/maintenance and the occasional spare part). If you have a big Yamaha dealer nearby, then buy a Yamaha. If you have an Evinrude dealer close to your cottage, buy an Evinrude. Or a Mercury, or a Honda, or a Suzuki. Everyone you ask will tell you the brand they own is the best, but the truth is these days, they're all pretty good.

That sure doesn't say much!

And here I thought Beavis and Butthead were just animated characters.

For what it's worth, early April isn't "way back" at all where a boat dealer is concerned. "Way back" would be sometime in 2011.

Bottom line - it's an "operator" card. That means that unless they're paying to rent the boat from a registered business that has all the required licenses and liability insurance, the person operating the boat has to have one. End of story.

The cork is easy - mask off the reel seat, butt cap and other shiny parts with tape to protect them, then give the cork a quick sanding with medium, then fine grit paper. Don't worry about treating it with anything afterwards, just sand it as smooth as you like and you're all set. Minor hairline cracks in the epoxy around the guides aren't uncommon among some brands of fishing rods. Major cracks are another matter though. If they're bad enough that water could get in underneath, or if the epoxy is starting to chip and flake away, then you should remove the guides and re-wrap them. It's easy to do yourself, but you may prefer to ask a rod builder like Spiel to quote on it. He does awesome work, and you know it will be done right.

Generally speaking, if you can see the fish then they can see you too. In a small, clear creek, that usually means game over. Agree with Spiel ... at this stage, I'd leave them be.

x2 on aluminum putty. Aluminox is a good brand.

Not everyone will. Lots of counterfeiting these days. Many places will not accept US cash, at any rate of exchange. Beyond that, some days it's below par!

My waterfront retirement location is south of North Bay, but it isn't in Canada.

Sea lamprey. Common sight in Great Lakes tributaries at this time of year.

Re capacity plate - exceed it, and your insurance is null and void.

Been there. Fishing is absolutely spectacular, particularly for giant brook trout at the north end of the lake. Downside is, yes, it's generally pretty expensive. If you want that kind of fishing, then that's what it costs. Everything there, from the buildings to the food to the toilet paper, comes in a long way by truck so it isn't cheap. That said, you get what you pay for when it comes to fishing quality. Some other options beside Osprey Lodge include Cree Tourism and Mistassini Lodge. If it's trophy brookies you want, Mabec Outfitters is another option. They're in a different part of Quebec (St. Lawrence north shore, near Sept Iles). Again, it isn't cheap since it's fly-in only. But if you want to catch a dozen or so brookies over 5 pounds each day, then you'll love it. Been there twice, best brookie so far was a shade over 8 pounds. It's heaven on earth.

Lip it like a bass. No problem.

I hate to break it to you cowboy, but the government that doesn't care about your information is Dalton McGuinty's Liberals. This is a provincial matter and this decision was made by a Liberal government. Same one that's been in power for the past nine years. So .... you were saying that you were upset?

He wasn't that tiny. I'd guess 6-foot-6 and pushing 300 pounds. Wonderful man, but not an elegant sight in waders, let me tell you.

In his book The Art Of Angling, Tiny Bennett writes about a guy using a live mouse to catch a huge resident brown from a fairly small river in southern Ontario. Fish allegedly weighed 14 pounds. In the far north it's quite common for brook trout to eat mice, moles, and lemmings. Basically anything that falls in the water is food. Personally, I draw the line at putting small mammals on a hook. But I would imagine a live mouse would work quite well.