Dave Bailey

Back in '06 we took a family vacation up in Moosonee, stayed at Tidewater Provincial Park. One day we paid one of the local water taxi guys to take us fishing a few kilometres up the river, in one of those big James Bay freighter canoes. Just started to hook into some nice fish when the sky suddenly turned black. Ok, pack up the gear and scream as fast as we could back to town - looked up and saw a funnel cloud starting directly above the canoe. Fortunately it didn't develop past a small spike, but then the hail started. Our guide gunned it for an island in the river and we hit the beach like a military assault. He got the wife and kids under a tarp that he wedged into some tree roots coming out of an embankment about 2 metres high, while I was jumping on the anchor to make sure it was driven securely into the gravel. After it let up a bit we got back, and had him drop us off in town, where we got a hotel room instead of going back to the campsite. Talked to some locals in a restaurant that night and they told us that it was the worst storm they could ever remember, and that there were reliable reports of tornadoes touching down in the muskeg west of town.

Nah, when you're fishing with family, and just for fun, it's easier to use swivels. It also fits with what I humbly call Bailey's First Law: Necessity may be the mother of invention, but laziness is usually the father.

High school friend of mine got a badly sprained wrist when he slipped off the couch during some, uh, extracurricular activities. Since his paramour was a cheerleader, he called it a football injury.

Yeah, #1 son suggested that. I would get known as the Fishing Punk.

I'm betting they were wondering which side of the road would be better. Do we put it on the northbound side, to get all the guys who forgot stuff? Or on the southbound, to get all the guys who lost stuff?

I've got the 2015 regs in my hand, and for FMZ 5 it says open all year.

Same place I had this one removed, I'll bet they do a roaring trade every summer! My daughter hooked me, we kid her that she caught a 180 lb loudmouth bass.

They had a grand opening last year, haven't stopped in myself. I'm wondering if they're affiliated with Boatland, they're immediately next to it. Web site: http://easthilloutdoors.com/

If you want bass fishing you might want to take a trip north, Zones 1 to 9, and much of 10, are year-round seasons.

Nice pic of a nice bird. First time I ever saw them was 1985, Eco Pond in Everglades National Park. The trees on the island in the centre of the pond were full of them, and they all took off in the space of about a minute, heading out en masse into Florida Bay. I'll never forget that sight.

Something called a Papago, cost me $107 after tax, including a 16mb MicroSD card. The mount is a suction cup, and the attachment of the camera to it is maddeningly tight, tough to get on and off, but it works. Has to be plugged in to work, the internal power supply only lasts long enough to turn it off when it's unplugged.

Got dinged in a parking lot last month by a guy who didn't look before backing out of his space (Should have backed IN), so I immediately bought myself a dash-cam in case I ever need verification of a transgression. Here's a couple of dinks who came through my sights. First is from a few weeks ago, Whites Road at the 401. Both videos are available at 720P: And another one from yesterday afternoon, Sheppard Ave. in Scarborough: Good news about the ding though; the guy was not only apologetic, but was very gentlemanly about the whole thing. Once we had established a body shop for the repairs, he deposited cash with them for the full amount, plus a little extra for my gas getting out there and back with my wife's car to drop it off and pick it up. Yes, there are still such people in this world.

Ain't she a beauty?! (heads out to buy lottery ticket...)

My dream boat. Might not get into every lake, but it will get there faster.

If they were half-way honest, they would at least give a genuine prize to the one millionth sucker to fall for it.

Confirmed. Used to run a bass tournament on Dalrymple, and seriously thought of switching it to pike!

Perhaps my favourite photographic subject. Well, after aircraft.

I've stopped at the old railway bridge there a few times and washed some lures. It looks so inviting, but I've never had so much as a hint of a suggestion of a nibble.

He was an all-around player. People still talk about the 'Gordie Howe Hat Trick': a goal, an assist, and a fight!

Pink Floyd, The Endless River. Been playing it in the car, and feel like just running away from everything.

Which is a good thing.

Good catch! Rare for a buteo to go after a bird, but not unknown, I've seen it a couple of times.

I wouldn't have too much problem with this. You have to understand that the population density would make this one of the more pressured parks anywhere, with or without consumptive uses. In fact it already is. Anything that will reduce the impact, and keep the ecosystem as unmolested as possible, would be a good thing. Just consider it a sanctuary, something which benefits the surrounding areas. I imagine that fishing will continue at the mouth, it's so urbanised that it would be senseless to try to make it wilderness, and it's so well known and used that taking it away would, rightly, be a public relations disaster.

$25 at Sail: http://www.sail.ca/en/catalogue/winter-sports/snowshoes-and-accessories/34203/stabilicers-lite-ice-cleat/

Bah, New Liskeard is where Latchford sends people it doesn't want.