bare foot wader

even a bartering agreement/sweat equity you still invite liability issues upon yourself...you should make sure anybody on your land has hunting insurance, i think any gun club membership, ofah, etc all typically cover 1M, homeowner policy will cover secondary property coverage....I don't hunt in ON, only fish, but out west you won't step foot on any property if you don't have insurance, and must be kept on your person/vehicle at all times

for big ticket items I try to save the receipt, but as back up I immediately take a pic wth my iphone and email it to myself, throw it in a folder and never think about it again unless I need to look it up for a warranty issue as for BPS, talk to a manager or email their customer service, I called BPS Calgary about ordering a saltwater trolling motor, apparently a company as large as BPS can't figure out logistics of shipping between their US and Canadian distribution centers...a cranky email to BPS and I had the fishing and store manager call me 2 days later,,,short story my motor is being shipped to Calgary store and then on to me, with a small gift card for the hassle every store has their bad customer service stories, but those mostly start and stop with their retail staff, talk to a manager and they'll take care of you

this depends on what knots you use and how well you tie them, braid requires different knots, and thin braid (under 20 lbs) gets even harder to tie a high strength knot with out slipping or cutting into itself/leader uni to uni, blood knot, surgeon all have a high failure rate for me with braid, I've found an improved Albright (8 wraps up, 8 wraps down...thin braid then 12-12) to be the strongest, simplest connection...can work in a bimini twist or various cinchknots (sebile, slim beauty), 9 out of 10 times my line breaks at the terminal end, the braid to top shot connection is a stronger knot...but those are a lot more difficult to tie on the water, waves, wind, cold, etc I typically tie a 6-8' leader so it lasts longer and provides a bit of elasticity, when it gets down to less than 3' I tie a new one

every store has their good and bad stories, cabelas, bps, lebarons, have good and bad stories for each....except lebarons, horrible customer service, good prices and selection but the few times I've needed to talk somebody have all been bad times, a bunch of major dickheads work there that outcast is a great model, had a few float tubes before I bought a pontoon, the outcast was by far the best, tracking and comfort, sit a few inches higher too

hmmm, exec's make huge money because they have considerable education and experience and work crazy hours...yes there are dirty execs (Enron) just like there are dirty cops, but you can't paint them all with the same brush... some guys expect to make 30/hr ++ with excellent benefits to do a job that requires minimal skill, when the same job can be paid in Mexico/overseas for 1/4 of the cost with thousands of resumes waiting on que trying to get in North America is the second most expensive place to produce anything, European countries being first....I've worked in auto plants, construction through college and then in finance in the resort industry and now mining....I made more per hour doing labour/factory jobs then I did during my first 3 years post grad, 7 years later I've worked my butt off to make a great salary, I worked hard and didn't complain......but the guy that takes 10 smoke breaks a day for 20 mins each and cries about a bad back will get a raise this year even when the coal economy is very poor because he has a union that will threaten a strike IMO there is an artificially high pay scale for unskilled jobs in Canada and until that scale levels out we will continue to see operations moved to cheaper economies overseas why do people (like me) bash unions? because my old man worked in unions in the auto industry in southern ON his whole life, and now I'm a non unionized salary employee and work side by side with unionized guys....unions protect EVERYBODY, including the lazy parasites that abuse the employer and benefits programs, "failure to represent" needs to be removed from union contracts.....I've seen it my whole life, my dad's buddies who brag about making a career out of "injuries" and I see it everyday at work myself, the unions will go to bat for everybody, which hurts the honest guys in the long run....there was a point when unions protected violated and vulnerable employees but those days have changed and IMO they've outgrown their usefulness striking over 26 bucks an hour when management was still willing to negotiate....pass the pepsi, no sympathy from me

be careful not to cut yourself on the lighter braid when you wrap and hand pull out a snag, I think most people have learned that quickly...I make a few wraps around the handle of my pliers and pull if I'm fishing straight braid, otherwise the knot at the lure is usually the weakest point in the system learning a few new knots will help with using braid

this thread ties into the thread a week ago about insuring your tackle...I always have some tackle/gear in the truck on a permanent basis, just don't leave anything in plain sight and if you have a canopy, make sure it is always locked

home depot and some Canadian tires sell square aluminum tubing, some hardware, c-clamps and buoys from the marine section and you're in business for about 100 bucks when I was a kid I used a few c-lamps, broken hockey sticks and those 5L refillable water bottles, lot of duct tape...worked but wasn't very pretty just curious, I don't see the beer holder, errr, I mean the Gatorade holder....

definitely a safety feature most people don't have on their boats....I would like a full ladder like that, but instead I have a 6' length of rope attached to a cleat on the transom and is rolled up and held with an elastic, it tucks neatly away in the rear corner....the rope has 2 loop knots, one at the bottom and a second mid way up....if I go overboard I can easily reach and grab the rope, unravel it and put my foot in the loops and use my legs to push myself back inside....the only improvement I might do is to take a 6" length of pvc pipe to the loops, so they are easier to insert the rubber boots I am usually wearing in bad weather just a question, because I might end up bolting on a ladder like that....when you used those SS bolts, did you use a rubber washer to insulated the SS from the aluminum? or do you need to?

what is your budget? that'll help with the recommendations....cabelas and redington are both bang for your buck...I hear the redington's are made by the same factory that makes simms waders if you want to buy online you would save some money for sure, but I would try to find the same model in store and try on sizes before you order online

really? fish a pflueger hard for 3 years and then compare... as mentioned, it sounds like line slippage....or if it's not slippage you've broken the clicker, which is usually an easily replacable part but sometimes is press fit

I guess kind of slang, but the terminology and expressions some of the enthusiasts use to evaluate new rods/reels is getting to be a little over the top....last time i was at bps and overheard a "salesman"...lol sounded almost like a wine tasting "a medium powered body with lack luster sensitivity throughout, paired with a clunky tip that feels to be 7 grains out of balance to my mag body jdm reel, an overall harsh finish with a dismal cosmetic wrapping that leaves much to be desired, plus no way I can have a red rod in a blue boat"....etc

I can't see myself pre-planning a track but i would like to save tracks doesn't appeal to me to control the trolling motor from the finder and not likely with the setup on my boat i cancelled my backordered terrova and am looking at importing the riptide, which after researching seems like it's owrth a few extra bucks...just debating between the standard ipilot and link version, i had ordered the standard ipilot initially something to think about i guess thanks for the replies

aside from following contours (which lakemaster doesn't have a canada map out yet), what are the differences between ipilot vs ipilot link?

yep, insure my tackle among almost everything else too, only takes 1 unfortunate incident to learn ya....my boat policy covers theft from my boat, docked, trailered/parked while on the road or parked at my residence...up to 10K, it was the number i asked for and no questions asked...includes all tackle and electronics I do keep electronic copies of my receipts for big purchases as well as a photo inventory of almost everything my boat insurance for the year cost 846 but that includes ocean/fraser river coverage my tenant insurance covers theft up to 30K from my truck, NOT including my mountain bike, to insure a 5K bike would cost almost 1K alone...LOL that tenant policy covers laptop, cameras, firearms (as long as legally transported ie restricted only to and from the range) other hunting gear, optics, snowboard, clothing, etc few buddies think i'm nuts, but considering the one loss i experienced, i feel a bit better now for minimal dollars spent

I'm sure you will be happy with your camera for myself I spent more on the body as well, buying brand new, and I've managed to find good deals on quality used glass all the time....I find photographers go through more glass pieces than bodies, always buying new glass and swapping/selling/trading...check out craigslist and kijiji and be aware to inspect before you buy, most legit guys are more than willing to meet at a photo shop too there are a ton of books to choose from but I learned the most attending a few quick courses, hands on, talking to a pro who is helping you learn how to use your camera, really helps

you can buy an air gun for fairly cheap, home depot probably, look at model building shops can't really say I've noticed any difference/increase in bits with red hooks

I caught a condom in wilmot creek, seems to be a common thing in those east GTA ditches lol "caught" a catfish by the loop of mono he had trailing out his butt hole, he didn't seem to be too healthy, poor bugger guys next door to our ice hut lost a rod down the hole, we caught it 3 days later, a pike, with the other rod still attached I lost my grandfathers spinning rod while carp fishing when I was in grade 5, carp pulled it in....grade 8 I caught it back from the river

can't say I've ever tossed the live target crawfish, but their jerkbaits work great for me I've always done well for smallmouth on the rebel crawfish http://www.basspro.com/Rebel-Crawfish/product/2952/

sounds like a rip off on the All Blacks...not a fan of the new logo either

agreed, it's as much about the destination, travel and local myth as it is the fishing......one of my favourite shows going lately

I'd keep those as memorabilia no doubt you could catch a trout or two on some of those flies, but they are far from what I'd call a well tied fly, and nothing wrong with that, they have great sentimental value especially if your grandfather tied them....IMO they would be a great gift to pass down to your kid and should be preserved that way any more pics of that fly box? is it stamped anywhere? pic of the fly box logo?

hmm, what about the mozie-on inn?

FloatnFly - I bet you won't forget the mast next time! just kidding lol

i've been a trilene person my whole life, I like sensithin...recently started using spiderwire ultimate mono (can't quite remember if that's the exact name right now) and am pretty impressed with it