hutch4113

These ones were done on my Tablet (Galaxy S), using Google Photo. However I have also purchased Adobe Lightroom, and will be starting to use that. I have some other pictures ready from it - will post them later. Guy I work with is into Photography - sells his pictures, etc. He highly recommended Lightroom, so I am going to give it a try. It has a lot of options, but starting to figure them out.

It is in a word - Awesome. The transmission is the main reason the setup works to well. It does not need to downshift for the most part - just push the pedal down and it accelerates - different from a Gasser - more like a freight train (unstoppable...lol). It has more than enough passing power. It is neat to be doing 120, and have the RPM's sitting at 1900....

Nice shots. We ran into them while in BC - on Whistler Mountain. Also called Whisky Jack -> and Camp Robber (apparently they like to take things, and don't mind if people are around...lol). Anyway - they loved the Almonds I had...lol.

Trying some new photography techniques. Did these on my Galaxy Tablet - and for the most part they were taken with my Galaxy Phone. Feel free to provide feedback, tips, and suggestions.

I know some have asked about the mileage I have been getting, so thought I would post an update. Did my annual drive to visit family. They are 4 hours away - KM showed 956KM round trip - Barrie to Manitoulin (Little Current). In the past we have taken our SUV (Hyundai Veracruz) which get's pretty good mileage. Generally speaking when we took the SUV it was one fillup to get there, one fillup to get home, and then one more once we were home. It was usually around $80.00 per tank - so * 3 -> $240.00. We took the truck because - well because I wanted to. Filled up as we were leaving from just over 1/4 - > came in at $84.00. Drove there and back on one tank (still stoked about that), and filled up at home for 101.00. So that comes in at 185.00, driving a bigger/heavier vehicle, or a savings of $55.00. Driving style was the same (I am pretty much a lead foot). Fuelly tells me 27 mpg.

I think you answered your own question, RE: the Bundle....lol. Look up a review for that lens, but I believe it is an excellent starting point. As such - buy the Bundle (I did the same thing when I got the T1). As you search, the bundled units are a better bargin, then just buying the Body - at least for most Camera's anyway. When I buy the 70D -> I will probably get the bundle. That way we have two cameras on the go - and can each be using one. The nice thing is to have one camera setup with one style lens, and the other with a different one - like Portrait and Telescopic.

We started off with a Rebel T1i - purchased a few years ago now. Got it in a package for $600.00, which was a steal at the time. It has been a great camera - no complaints. Some things I have learned as I have gotten more into pictures: 1) Don't blow all your money on the Body. At lot of the times, the important part of the Camera is the Lens - not what it is attached to. Case in point - you put an expensive lens on the T1i, and it will take professional level pictures, period. We were at a wedding and the hired photographer noticed our camera, and my wife taking pictures - he liked what she was doing, so gave her a lens to use that night, and told her to take pictures. It is a hobby for her, so she really enjoyed herself. 2) You either have an eye for pictures or you don't. We were at a tournament a couple of weeks ago, and asked a gentlemen to take our picture. We picked him because he had this nice Canon, with about a 5K lens on it, so figured he could handle our Canon. Worst picture ever.....So the price of the camera/lens does not equal a good picture. 3) Take your pictures in "RAW" format, not JPEG. This will consume a lot more space on your camera and hard drive. But if you want to have the ability to manipulate the picture after, RAW is the way to go. Think of RAW as the full negative you would have had with regular film - it allows way more flexibility to change lighting, etc. If you start taking HDR pictures you will want it as well. (Not saying that jpeg does not work - it does - but it has limits). 4) Looks at the lens styles/models that interest you first -> and then look at the Camera Body. Not all lenses will fit on all cameras. As such you may buy a couple of lens units because they are cheaper - and then lock yourself into a lower style camera body, because those lenses will not work on higher end cameras. Canon and Nikon both have compatibility charts that you will want to take a look at. (I am sure the other manufacturers will have them too). 5) Look at Professional Photographers at events (like sports for instance). They use either Canon or Nikon - nuf said..... 6) When possible - buy an Image Stabilized Lens. 7) Don't knock Cell Pics (Lol ) Most of these I took with my Cell Phone -> http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=76226 8) Make sure you get a Fast SD Card -> Shutter speed is great - but the if the SD Card is cheap/not quick it will become a bottleneck. 9) Buy a cheap/small point and shoot camera too. You will not always want to lug the big camera around - and having a small one ready to go is a good idea. I bought one a Costco (Casio) for about $80.00. The pictures it takes are awesome - I always have it with me when I go fishing. We are looking to upgrade our Camera, mostly because I want to start trying HDR pictures. We can do it with the T1i, but I would like to buy a Camera that has it purpose built. After research I am most likely going to go with a Canon EOS 70D, which is the next level up from the Rebel line. It will work with the lenses we have, etc. and has built in HDR. But what I really like is it has built in wireless too.

So as some of you already know from my Fraser River post, I recently got to spend my 15th anniversary out in BC/Alberta. It was an awesome 16 days, spent with my best friend/wife. We put almost 3000KM's on the Rental Car driving from: Vancouver to Whistler Whistler to Kelowna (northern route) Kelowna to Armstrong and back to visit friends (must stop on the way Kalamalka Lake - talk about Blue) Kelowna to Hells Gate - up to Cache Creek - and over to Salmon Arm. Salmon Arm to Jasper, via Revelstoke and Golden BC. Jasper to Calgary (and we missed the snow). Thought I would share some of the Pictures I took along the way. Took them with either a Canon T1i. On the way to Vancouver - Actually to Hope from Kelowna. We were heading down the highway and had to pull over to take this shot, but it was just an impressive looking chunk of rock. On the highway from Hope to Lillolet you come across Hells Gate, on the Fraser River. Nice Gondola ride down. Could see the Salmon stacking up, for the run up the river (sorry - not in the pictures..lol). If ever out there it is worth a stop. I took this picture in Lillolet - this is where the Fraser and the Thompson Rivers meet. Pretty impressive site, seeing the Dirty Waters of the Fraser, and the Glacial Blue waters of the Thompson Intersect. If you are doing a drive from Kamloops to Jasper - there are two ways you can go. We opted for the Revelstoke/Golden/Banff route. You will see things like this on the way: To put it into persepective: So Calgary got a little snow (ya right!!!) which made me a little worried. Fortunately the snow was only a light dusting from Banff, north - which gave us pictures like this (I took all of these with my Phone if you can believe it): Never got tired of looking at the scenery. We were on a bit of a time crunch, but made some time to stop and look at some side trips. All along Highway 93 through the park are lookouts, points of interest, hiking to points of interest, etc. We stopped a quite a few, but here are some highlights: One disappointment was the lack of wildlife on the drive up. We were expecting to see more - but it was not until we got to Civilization that the animals came out - guess they might have been waiting for a train. Spent a little bit extra - ok ok - more than a little bit extra to stay at Jasper Park Lodge. But we think it was worth it. Anyway - great time. If you have a chance - Go. That is all I can say. The driving - even though it was a lot of KM's, felt like a breeze. You literally did not know where to look next.

Added a Video to the Post: http://vid1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff391/_Tupelo/Vancouver%20-%202014%20Fish/Sturgeon.mp4 Highlights - Sturgeon broaches, pretty close to beginning. Me grunting..... (well...not really a highlight). I do several things wrong - but a couple right. Video on the Fraser River, at the Bed Springs.

Keep talking - it is a gorgeous area. There is lots to do - we did about 3000 KM's on the rental car (Whistler -> to Kelowna (north route) then back to Hope, and up the Fraser to Cache Creek - then across to Salmon Arm. The best part was Salmon Arm to Jasper).

Ya. It was a lot of fun. Great to talk fishing, and fish.

Decided rather last minute that while I was out in Vancouver, it might be nice to do some fishing. The debate was do I go Salt - or Fresh? Since the Salmon were starting to run, it sounded like either choice would be good. Thanks to some help from others on the board - suggestions/tips, I decided to go with Fresh. I was able to book a trip with STS Guides (http://www.guidebc.com) and overall had a great day. It was just myself, my wife (not fishing) and Vic - the owner of the company. As we started off the other guides commented - we had the smallest group (me) and the biggest boat, which was alright with me . We entered the Fraser at the small town of Mission - about an hour drive from Downtown Vancouver (if I had followed the directions provided instead of the GPS ). The day began by picking up dead salmon in the river (for bait) and then some salmon fishing of our own. I was having a hard time getting the feel, but Vic hooked one up and let me bring it in: Not sure how others feel though - I don't really consider it a catch, unless I catch it start to finish. But at least it was a fish. We tried for a bit longer, in a few other places, but truthfully my heart was not really into to Salmon fishing. I had chosen fresh water for one reason, and one reason only -> Sturgeon. Vic asked if I wanted to do half and half (i.e. half a day Salmon, and half a day Sturgeon) but I said no - let's go for Sturgeon. So basically after a little less of an hour out of our 8 hour day - we focused the rest on sturgeon, which is where the dead fish came in. We went to a location called the "Bed Springs" and thus began my entry into an entirely new kind of fishing. To be honest it was not very exciting, in terms of casting/retrieving. Just a big weight at the end of the line, a simple hook halfway up the long leader, and bait - either fish heads, row (in a cheese cloth - great idea) or other parts of the fish. The bite to was also waaaaayyyyyyyyyyy more subtle then I expected. There were little fish that would hit the bait causing the rod to jump - but honestly it was hard to tell the difference. The only difference was the rod would go steadly straight down/up, rather than bouncing up and down - but it was really hard to tell (for me). After a couple of false alarms - one where I nearly threw my shoulder out setting a hook for a non-existent fish (brain started to imagine things) - it happened. Vic was speaking with one of the guides at another boat, so was not really watching me at the moment. I watched the rod tip - and while I was not 100% sure, I thought - that looks different, so grabbed the rod - and set the hook - for this beauty: What a battle. I have never felt the power that a Sturgeon has. It was all I could do to keep pressure on it. It was also pretty cool to see it broach the surface and jump. But I was able to bring it in - start to finish. As Vic said after - I am no longer a Sturgeon Virgin. The fish was under 5 feet - so we were allowed to bring it into the boat. The gloves - while let's say they are a good idea, as this fish is sharp. I caught two others the rest of the day - both were just little guys, but still a lot of fun. The bite was a little strange that day, as Vic missed a couple himself. I know I also missed one, due to staring at the rod a little too long on one - and second guessing myself. I think if I ever do it again, I will have a better idea of what to look for. One of the other boats was the champ for the day however - with a fish measuring 8 foot 9 inches. That one took I would guess an hour to bring in. Boat basically went back and forth across the channel dragging the fish around until it tired out. Nice part of the story was one of the gentlemen who helped bring it in, is disabled from the waist down - but was out fishing in his wheelchair. So while I was disappointed I didn't get to catch it - I was happy for the other boat. The other thing that was nice was Vic told me after, that all the other boats, had the guides watching the rods, and setting the hooks. They also had 4 rods out, while we were limited to two due to licensing (as he said, our percentages were lower). While he normally watches the rods, etc. he is also not overly pushy, so was letting me give it a try myself (even though I know I missed at least one). I have a video of the fish (wife took it). If I can figure it out, will post it.

If you had a choice - Sturgeon Fishing or Salmon? I know the Salmon are starting to run. I can probably only do a day - so want to make sure I catch something. I have always wanted to Sturgeon - just not sure how active it is (but I know it is exciting). Thanks for the tip - will look them up.

Sure...that would be great. Any help would be appreciated. We are visiting with friends out there - so they may have ideas too.

Have a 2014 Ram 1500 Diesel - Love it. To be fair however it is my first truck. But did a lot of research, etc. before buying. If you have any questions on it, PM me. Be glad to help.

I am going to be out in BC for a couple of weeks - one of the stopping places will be Kelowna. Wife mentioned I should go fishing while we are out there - sure!!! Anybody fished out in that area? I will be looking for a charter, as I won't have any of my own equipment - won't have a place to pack it, etc. We will also be in Vancouver - so may think of Ocean fishing too. Any suggestions/areas/charters to use would be great. There August 30th to September 14th. Thanks again. Tupelo

Same experience at Barrie Chrysler. Sales guys argued with me on every option I wanted. Then told me the Diesel was not available in Canada - which then changed to it was going to be limited numbers. When I told him that 8000 had already been ordered/built (this was back in march), he kinda just stammered some other pointless ideas. I had sent them 3 build sheets - with exactly what I wanted. They would not give me a quote unless I signed something - what I have no idea. At any rate, I gave them a chance, but bought somewhere else. I am all for supporting local business too - > but the local business has to be worth supporting. Got the truck I wanted for almost 20K off the sticker. So - if you are looking, do your research, get your prices and shop around. Unfortunately just not in Barrie. (To be fair I have had the same experience at every dealer I have been too in Barrie - that's why my last 4 vehicles were purchased elsewhere).

I commuted 4.5 years - Barrie to TO (Airport). Pretty much on 200 KMS round trip - and let me tell you - 4.5 years was enough. I still remember the winter from - well you can guess. During a one week period I remember taking 3 to 4 hours at least to get home. There generally were two seasons - Construction and Winter on the 400. I am fortunate now that I have work close to home (15 minutes). The difference is considerable - I am not as tired as I was, my patience level for idiot drivers has gotten better, and I am no longer prone to road rage (I did not think I was at the time, until I almost followed a guy with the idea of getting him off the road, pulling him out of the car, etc. Was a - you gotta get your head checked moment for myself). The other thing - count all the costs - both the easy ones (gas, maintenance, etc.) and the hidden ones (your time, health, time with family, etc.). It may not be worth it - but that is a choice everyone has to make for themselves. Having said that, there were some good times - back road Fridays in the summer (had a good route home - took a little longer, but I was always moving) with Fan 590 round table was great. But honestly I hope that I never had to commute again.

Awesome post. How long was the drive up roughly? Wondering if this is one of the areas Skud was telling me about. Wouldn't mind do a 3 or 4 day trip - looks like a lot of fun.

I was on my first golf trip down south a few years ago. It was new to me, so was not aware how hardcore the rest were for Golf. We played 18 that morning - another 18 that afternoon (man was I sore). Then the organizer took us to a Par 3 called Tupelo Bay - for another 9. I complained the entire round, hit the ball like garbage (I have back issues, so I was hurting pretty bad, by that point). One of the guys in the foursome (we ended up becoming good friends) started calling me Tupelo Bay - then Tupelo - and it has since morphed to just Tupe. (He also hit a hole in one at Tupleo Bay that night....I was up next and shanked my shot into the Mall parking lot that was beside the golf course - I think that is when the nickname thought entered his mind). So when I am around those guys - I am Tupelo. Figured why not and went with it.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Unfortunately it was not a good day for fishing I guess. Tried all my usual spots - was not even marking any fish. Got one smallmouth (and the operative word was small) off Fox Island - and that was it. Moved to Cooks Bay to try for Pike, and got skunked. Oh well - at least we were on the water.....

We may launch from Innifil. I have done the trip before, so not that big of a deal.

Going to be heading out to Simcoe this afternoon - probably 4PM or so. I am pretty new to fishing - at least for Small Mouth. Any suggestions for fishing this lake? I am going to try around Fox Island (point) and may head over the Thorah (or check out Snake before we head over). Since it is a long trip - especially if I launch in Barrie, wanted to see what others are finding - are the fish hitting, etc. Don't worry - you don't have to share your secrets - but if you feel like it - PM me . I was thinking Strawberry Island, but it sounds like the fishing has been spotty there. At any rate - will have another guy in the boat - will be his first time, so want to try and make the trip worthwhile.

Oups...yes. DEF fluid. Will update my post. I had both on the brain, as they are often mentioned as being an expense compared to a Gas motor.

In terms of cost i cannot speak to the Jeep. But with the RAM I knew there would be additional costs. For instance DEF that has to be filled. But that is a small cost really (under $100 for the year). Then oil changes - will be more money, but unlike the Gas engine, my oid change interval will be about 16000 KM - so that is a wash. Fuel -> I will save money on fuel costs - estimated about $1K per year. Resale -> Diesel will always have a higher resale than a gas engine. Diesels are more money to fix. You do have the DPF system which could cause potential issues. Also injectors/fuel rail/turbos which can all be expensive. I bought the Truck with 6 Year warranty - so won't worry about it. Stations -> Pretty much any Gas Station that is near a major intersection/highway will have Diesel. The recommendation from others that I have talked to is look for new stations and/or where the big trucks buy from. The range on the vehicle is going to be long enough that you can plan your trips. IMO - go for the Diesel - but that is me