bare foot wader

I was initiall a fan of rapala rods, I thought they were pretty good value and decent rods, which they are..but they are incredibly cheaply built I purchased 4 of them, the northcoast series and the f2 ultra light rod....one rod snapped brand new, another snapped after 2 months of light use (lost a monster coho), another snapped casting a 3oz weight and it's rated for 2-8oz i think, tip guide rotates around the blank and EVERY single rod has had issues with the reel seat, two completely spin around the blank...when i tighten the reel seat it actually pushed the foregrip cork forward I cut my losses and stopped trying to return them, they all had issues I wouldn't expect much for their reels they should stick to making lures

you won't regret the hardy...I've never heard of anybody filing a warranty claim, ask your local shop/wherever you're buying the reel if they've heard of a hardy warranty issue

the toe pads are fairly round but without seeing the tracks up close it's tough to call...overall they resemble a cat print, but it does look like there are nail marks above the toe pads and that's throwing me off, they also look fairly small so not likely a cougar but they could be right with a smaller cat...something to establish scale would help next time you find tracks the tracks looks fairly old...was the area muddy previously or on a steep grade? I've seen cat tracks using their claws climbing an embankment or muddy areas

cougar tracks for comparison those pics are small, but it looks like there are nail marks in the upper print in the pic...I'd guess coyote

Ah, i missed the dd 7000 part in your post...you're comparing different sized reels, I have the guru 3.5 and it holds 200ish yards of backing the 7000 is rated for wf8/100m of backing, 4.29" diameter...the guru 3.5 is 3.75 diamater, it's a wider spool that the hardy but IMO the spool diameter is important for line pickup...especially with lighter reels you can upsize the reel and still have a light combo but have a larger diamter for pickup if you go with the hardy i'd go with the 8000, or the guru 4

what length is the rod? is it a single hand or a switch? I've had a guru for a few years now, it's light and the drag is smooth and has a wide range...I'm not a huge fan of the drag knob with cold fingers and gloves...personal preference there...the finish has held up with a few scratches, the lettering has completely worn off....there is nothing wrong with the reel overall, it just has a somewhat cheap feeling and look to it (plus the plastic drag housing), wouldn't be my choice for a custom build I don't have that particular hardy, but I love the 2 hardy's I have, as with all hardy's it'll last forever, well built and has a classic design but with carbon drag, and looks impressive...that hardy is a bit heavier than the guru which I'd prefer on a steelhead rod I'd go with the hardy, but regardless of brand, I'd upsize to a 9/10 reel if you're chasing steelhead, not that i think you need 300 yds of backing, but the little extra line pick up helps

the panasonic lumix is a great compact, waterproof camera, about 269-300 the canon g12 is a really great camera as well, 400-450

if you're looking to burn cash on a high end combo, treat yourself to a cumulus or custom wrapped glx with tysg's...new xship stradic or sustain...8 lb braid....if a walleye so much as farts down there you'll feel it

no jab intended if it is a skin mount...just looks more like a replica vs skin would like to know where he got it done? it's very well done whatever it is

when you say "she's home"...is that a skin mount? or replica? very well done, looks incredible

I know you did your cuba trip, so needless to say fly casting 70-90' is key...casting in the wind too I did a day trip to everglades national park from miami, tough fishing, little early for the tarpon run but still one of the best trips of my life, really amazing place, just beautiful I used the same captain 1 full day, 1 half day and 6 hr night trip, more affordable that most captains i found...pm if you want his number, he's closer to miami but he guides everywhere...if you have a rental car you could meet him or easily find a captain to charter from the inside of the gulf stay off the beaches after the bar...LOL they ain't like up here at wasaga or at any resort i've always wandered off the resort and never had an issue...i got jumped/mugged on south beach, miami...fought back and the cops treated me like a criminal, figured it was a drug deal gone bad or why else would i be on the beach at 2 am? just wow, finally a detective from seattle who spent time in vancouver made things easy for me, said the beaches here aren't like van haha got all but a few hundred cash back the next time i go south i'm going to buy a quality 4 piece spinning rod and bring my own jig heads/gulp/plastics, topwaters and some other lures, my own spinning reel with braid and fluoro leaders....i walked around the docks and chatted to a lot of captains, i noticed that most were using lower end gear, i guess they get trashed a lot guiding but it was a real downer fishing with cheap gear...plus you can catch a lot of fish from the docks...a lot of bass/pike lures/flies work well for seatrout, snook and reds

x3 okuma you can get the vt series for 139 new in box these days, raw II for about 200 if you're willing to wait i'm sure you could find something used this time of year, check kijiji, craigslist, and the online forums

I don't even bother wetting a line anymore...I just walk my white bucket down to the waters edge and yell, "I'm friends with Chuck Norris!" and BAM, bucket is over flowing with fish braid is amazing IMO, use it for almost everything, mostly because of increased sensitivity and thinner diameter...i use it topwater fishing but with a longer mono leader than normal...even use 20 lb braid with a floating coating on my big water drift rod...i love feeling of driving the hook home at the very end of a long drift, which I used to miss a lot of fish before switching downside to braid: harder to use properly compared to mono, expensive if you're new to the sport keep things simple and cheap...use a quality mono, trilene sensation is my preference...for walleye fishing i'd say 8 lb is a good all round choice

lol yes, I found out after many guys use pancake batter, I "discovered" it by accident during a sleeper hut trip in early college, we packed everything in ziploc bags and the marker wore off....I was bummed out because i thought i had discovered something new, only everybody i told said they all heard of it...guess i missed the memo lol

is he on a rotation schedule? or permanently based out of edmonton with a little site travel? craigslist and kijiji are good for shorterm rentals/renting rooms, a few scams but they are clearly obvious I rented a 24 hr access storage locker for my valuables, extra parking spot at a friend's condo for cheap and stayed in hotels and hostels while doing a rotation schedule based of vancouver, worked great for 10 months, not for everybody but works for a single bachelor and works out to the same as paying rent or slightly cheaper it's a tough time of year with fall semesters starting but there should be lots of options available...the search will be much easier when he's out here, searching long distance is definitely tougher, he'll be fine once he gets out here

I'm sure the icing sugar turned out good, might be worth trying a fillet next time...I used pancake batter by mistake one time and it was great

I really like the split grip foam on 2 cumulus rods i have, insanely light, I think they're a glx blank so that helps 1 spinning and 1 casting rod, both ML and M for finesse...they really suit me and although initially i wasn't a fan of foam i've grown to prefer it over low grade cork typically used these days i've used tennis racket tape on a rod before and it' worked great...i also used a product marketed for fishing rod handles and seems very similar to the tennis tape, both worked great, good grip and protects the rod very well, in holders or whatever

my first breathable waders were wright and mcgill and would not buy them again, multiple leaks after a month of fall fishing...the material had literally worn through itself from "chub rub" between the knees, multiple seam failures (around the neoprene booties, crotch, knees) and too many pinhole punctures first pair was warrantied after 2 months, second pair didn't last any longer...they fit properly, it wasn't sizing issues, just a poor product IMO i think the simms headwaters jacket is comparable in price to the W&M jacket...i've heard good reviews about cabelas jackets too depending on your price range there was a steal of a deal on a g4 pro jacket on the classifieds here, solo/mike b was selling it

x2 on carbon lite (standard guides, not micro guides) johnny morris is a very good rod for 130 as well

Lambeth is a great local shop, been going there since I first started fishing in grade school, George was a good guy and Steve has continued the great level of service, let alone the knowledgeable help and current fishing reports/bites/techniques, the number of guys he keeps on a first name basis is top notch....I always make it a point to stop in and buy something whenever I am home Angling sports is much better with the new ownership...I stopped buying there in high school when the owner advised the whole store that "vests are for **** and everybody should be using a fanny pack because it's the only way to go on the river"....they should've seriously advertised new ownership!!! that alone would've drew back customers LOL

nice handle work, well done, what guides did you wrap on? those are nice reels too...definitley a skagit cannon, when you visit BC make sure you explore squamish/whistler area, well suited stick for those rivers

not a smart idea...but if's hard packed like sauble you could get by, haven't been to toronto beaches in a long time now, can't remember what size tires do you have? lower the psi to 15-20...I think you'd be ok if you didn't have the trailer, but you can rent a 4x for the weekend

hunting aka open season is august to december for ungulates, predator is year round to most guys, plus scouting and trail camming...hunting accessories are far more expensive than what anybody spends on fishing...hunting and shooting is the way of life, 3k leica spotting scope, 2k binos, boots and clothing, quads, travel trailer or wall tent, gps, rifles, custom rifles, 3k scopes, 5 k gun safe, 60-90 per box of ammo for the wizzum fever everybody is caught up with ha, etc, etc, etc everybody i know fishes with the basics and nobody comes close to the level of angling diehard-ness as myself and the friends i grew up with....the guys at work see my bow and single rifle and they're amazed that's all I hunt with LOL...but then these same guys I see their hunting room and I'm blown away, everybody has enough to open a small store as for cabelas selection, I know they do the shipping thing but I like to have something in my hands before I buy it, maybe it's just me but online order is usually last resort, unless it's something I've bought before (shimano reels for example)...my buddy orders a fair bit from cabelas and usually it's alright but there's been a few times where something wasn't right or ended up being on backorder even though it said in stock...that would agitate me, i want stuff now! haha new boots, rifle fit, clothing, etc is all stuff I want to try and make sure it fits before I buy or go through the hassle of return shipping...that's where I think cabelas loses, at least at the edmonton store...BPS and wholesale sports is better than cabelas IMO, and cabelas pricing is either comparable or way out of line for no reason on some items

jighead and grub is effective if you're sightfishing...smallest jighead you can get away with and obviously scented grub...hooked many carp fishing for smallmouth this way

I wouldn't be too excited about cabela's opening in ON, if it's anything like the Edmonton store it's a let down IMO....but hopefully competition produces competive pricing locally BPS (calgary and vaughan) has cabelas beat by a landslide in terms of the store cosmetics and selection, even on prices (cabelas edmonton was selling st. croix ice sticks for 36.99....19.99 everywhere else!!!) I think everybody who is questioning why expand into the prairie provinces are missing a few points, ON is a hard market, there's BPS, Sail, Lebaron plus hard to find prime real estate economy is booming out west, everybody makes 80-100k ++ on the rigs, mining, logging, etc I think some people might only be considering fishing sales, but I'd guess that hunting is the top generator at cabelas.......hunting trumps fishing out west, guys spend much more on hunting than they do on fishing, fishing is just a hobby and hunting is a way of life....plus there is MAJOR travel from the US into the prairies to hunt, on top of residents try buying a jetboat in AB/BC..50K starting and as mentioned, the hardest part is finding inventory