scuro2

I was wrong, I had thought everything would be depressed. My wife's mother is finally able to leave her retirement home for a vacation and my wife's birthday is coming up at the same time so I started looking for nice fishing lodges or cabin rental. Some places never opened for the season. That puts pressure on the places that are open. Everything within 4 hours of Toronto that looks nice and decent is booked till the end of the summer. Places reliant on US customers are suffering. My problem is that these places often get the 4 star rating but that is the 4 star fishing lodge rating! I heard from a friend who went west past Thunder Bay, that many of the lodges reliant on US patrons are suffering. Near empty. Weird times. If anyone knows of a high end fishing lodge reliant on a heavy US customer base, within 5 hours of Toronto, let me know.

Took a look at the pics. It was a Toronto type crowd, males there looked like Mitch Marner. Women flashing a lot of skin...youth.

As a whole we are doing okay. I am glad about this mainly for the healthcare workers and others who must deal with the public. I have no problem with large fines for those that ignore rules or better yet community service hours -say doing the laundry at a Nursing home. There will always be those that break rules even with punishment but most will adjust their behaviour accordingly. Transmission rates don't have to be at zero, they just have to get to below one. We don't have to be group perfect we just mainly have to all be going in the same direction even if a few idiots do what they do.

We had planned on Europe. Hadn't booked yet. I do see fishing Ontario this year regardless, it's not the year to fly....perhaps we'd go for a few weeks. It's been a while since I have done more then a week in Ontario.

I was thinking of a drive to lodge with your own cabin. But think about it, really I should only go with my wife or children living with me, otherwise with larger parties it defeats the purpose of self isolation. Then the question becomes where there people in your cabin before you arrived? On plastic and stainless steel I believe the virus can live for two days. You should really come with your own supplies, everything. I am sure there are other angles I haven't even thought of...but a fly-in to a big lodge wouldn't even be allowed I think. Are hotels open?

I have been thinking about how it would be great to be on the water far up north but if things stay the way they are what would that look like? I am concerned for the owners and operators of fishing lodges and would like to know more about their situation.

If you're fishing 7 days say 3-4 hours a day and bring 2 in, that isn't worth the money to fly there and make it a fishing trip. A week south with your wife yes! By the way that sounds about right...a nibble a day if your on a good spot...but if there is such low pressure how do you explain that catch rate? Florida can't be much worse except in the populated areas. I've heard some good things about Florida. I've walked and boated a lot of shoreline on Cayo G trying to get to "isolated" spots. I've fished with great cuban fishermen and seen their best techniques. Some do have rods, others are so dam persistent they sleep on the bridge for days with multiple lines in. I've seen fishing trawlers, and nets with 12 cubans needed to haul it in. When I was in the middle of a tidal channel thick with mangrove, there were Cubans there. They try to keep the cuban fishermen away from the tourists. They have banned them from the bridge...but they find their way back there a 1/2 year or so later. They are there and catching, they keep every single fish they catch. You should see their faces when you throw one back in. Any fish or species out of the sea is food. Next time go, head into the town where the workers live on the way out to Cayo Pardon. A good chunk of the Cuban population is living in what we would call poverty. The country is under a US embargo still. A fish has real worth.

To go down there thinking there is one mythology of fishing that works is like saying fast troll is the way to catch big fish in Ontario. I've fished those spots. Honestly, fishing was better in the past. I go down to that area every second year or so, more for my wife. I still bring a rod but fish once every day or two for an hour or two...depending on conditions. If I get one or two good hits for the week that is good enough...the opportunity is all I ask for. If you're a newbie bring the rod along. It's nice in the middle of winter to wet the line. First time I went down I figured out one fishing pattern day 7, hours before we flew. I caught some gray snapper bass size, I could have easily been skunked for the week ( beyond a few dinks ). Don't go down there thinking this is a fishing trip. Even though it is hard for them to fish on tourist islands the Cubans are there. Cubans are protein starved and net frequently, or spend nights and days in a row fishing places like the bridge with chest coolers with blocks of ice. I've fished with them, they keep everything.

Big guys have an advantage in reach and in scrums. I've seen him being testy.

Have you folks played truly competitive sports? If not consider your golf game with regards to talent. There are your stars because they are really good and because they are really good they are also generally consistent. Kappy? Give it a rest. Hutchinson? Give him a chance....I wonder what the longest stint of consecutive games he has played in the NHL? What is success for him? Winning 40% of his games? The others?...even the best have times when they are totally on their game and times when they are a bit off. The Leafs went to a game 7 with boston who played in the finals. Really the only goal should be make the playoffs and then to beat Boston or the team above them in the playoffs. Round 3 of the playoffs would be a total success. Round 2 would be a step up. What is obvious is that there will be teams ahead of the Leafs again this year in their division. They have a lot of new players and injuries, they won't be firing on all cylinders until well into November. I doubt they win the division. Forward wise they look stronger this year. Their young stars are older and better and the supporting cast of forwards looks much better. The defense is about the same, perhaps better later in the year when changes are made. Take a deep breath...odds are long that they win the Stanley cup this year. People believe that gritty is only way to win a cup. Another way to have success might be have waves of talent so that the attrition that happens in the playoffs doesn't pull you down. Kadri was suspended last year and Nylander had to play center. That isn't happening now with Tavares down. I would say they have vastly improved in depth. Dube...is responsible for that. Lets see what happens. Things are easier for you if you are diehard Leafs fan. Ottawa? Well Ottawa is Ottawa...the lowest of the basement dwellers. Hab's fans can't be lording Montreal's 29 wins last year over you! Remember Habs/Sens fans are now closet fans or impersonating disgruntled Leafs fans. They are in the exact same position Leafs fans were in previously. All they have is hope year after year. Yes they won some games...but...ahh no they don't even make the playoffs. Enjoy the ride.

Enjoy it, it will be hard to top that next year!

It wasn't a total loss for her. We did 3 days together, then she sent me out on an overnighter but she went to a weekend Native festival which she thoroughly enjoyed. Then it was off to Alaska which she loved and the back was okay by then. :)

I would believe he would be option #3, they put a new goalie on a tryout contract.

Those pics are not touched up...the colour is best on cloudy days.

We have been to the Yukon several times but Alaska was new. My wife Leslie, hurt her back on an ATV ride in to a remote lake so that stopped fishing for about a week. We only fished together 2 days of the nine days in the Yukon. She insisted I do an overnighter alone so I got an extra two days in. Climate change is messing things up...they only had four inches of snow all winter and most of that was in April. One lake was so low that most of the pike habitat was dry land. The water level was down about 5 feet. Drought is a new problem up there. Best part of the trip fishing wise was casting for lakers in 10 ft of water. They were basically all the same size but we had three solid hours of catching. Really you don't go to the Yukon to catch the biggest fish although there are some big ones there, you go for the setting. You are just smiling casting into this water.

Contracts have never been really tied to playoff wins. Half the teams don't make the playoffs, contracts have always been tied yearly stats. Trades are more a measurement of character.

Of all the Bull going on that is what you focus on? This is Boston's style of game, but they can dish it out but can't take? Booh hoo

Nice to see the spring pike posts. That damn winter is over!

That is reasonable, but I would go onto to say they got beat by a better team. Boston didn't just luck into 3rd place, especially when healthy they had an an excellent record. Remember that most pundits not connected to the Toronto market predicted Boston would win.

Really? first off GST is 13%, is this all a taxation issue? It doesn't sound like it at all. It's wrong to put this all on healthcare. Basically as a country we pay less for healthcare and get much more for what we pay for on average then the US. So, you can pay with taxes or pay more later. When is the last time you heard that a family in Canada went bankrupt because their mom had cancer? I am glad I don't have to run every medical thing through an insurance company and hope that the claim doesn't get rejected or the the co-pay is thousands of dollars. How many people are uninsured in Canada? I for one don't want to live in a country where people die because it is more important to cut taxes on services regardless of the human cost. Yes you pay more tax in Canada. We get a lot more in Canada too. Education for instance...we have a much better education system. While the US pays more then any other country in the world on education it is lower middle of the pack in results. Want to send your kid to college or university in the states? You may end up paying several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then there is safety net...ours is working much better so crime rates are much lower pretty well in every category compared to the US. People live longer in Canada. Canadians are a lot happier then Americans simply because things are as they are supposed to be...and not f-ed up.

That coming from a faceless silhouetted dude with 1500 posts, yet your last fishing report was about bottom feeders back in 2015. That about says it all. Go catch a fish for God's sake or get laid by whatever species you tend to lay with!!

Sportsnet did a piece with all their analysts weighing in on who they thought would win each series. I'll grant you that the majority picked Boston but there was a sizable minority that picked Toronto for this series. If I had to bet, I'd bet the Leafs lose. There is a reason Boston is ahead in the standings. But anything can happen in a 7 game series so if you gave me two to one on the Leafs then I would take that bet.

The water and nature are calming...fishing just puts you out on the water for the day with a purpose!

Everything is easier to arrange down there. You can try texting him...remember they use their phones pretty well exclusively. That he reached out to you by email is saying something. They do everything on their phone but it is still pretty primitive down there. You will notice that if you pay to go on the internet at the resort...Dial-up speeds. Also the Cuban government is probably not keen on making international communication easy. Get a plan through your phone company so that you can use your phone down there. Text...phone. If that doesn't work get a local to do it for you. They will be very pleased to help you. Flies...glitzy flies in small minnow shapes work. Think party colours or pastels. Black and dark earth tones...only in low light. When do you go?

Matt, you need a hobby...stamp collecting or toy trains? It’s gonna be a LOOONG while till your team sees any playoff hockey!? I would just stop watching any hockey all together, check the newspapers every three years or so to see if the Sens have turned it around,...you’re getting dark and I remember you before this negative obsession got the better of you.