the spirit of fishing

Thanks for the report. Life may have gotten in the way of posting it sooner but at this time of the year it's especially nice to read about a good week fishing. Thanks again.

Just saw this in the Toronto Star . Thought GTA folks might be interested. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/02/13/hamilton-harbour-turning-into-sport-fishing-haven-with-return-of-walleye.html

Great adventure even if there were no fish caught, glad you shared it with us. I've been thinking of taking my family to Labrador using Highway 389 for a summer vacation. One of my concerns was the condition of the road through that remote area. From your pictures it looks not too bad in winter so perhaps I'll pack up the clan and head there this summer. Thanks again.

What a great start to the hard water season. Always enjoy your reports and hope to see lots more.

There's good advice in the previous posts. I have a friend who has a waterfront leased lot in Prince Edward County. His father in law originally leased it about 40 years ago. He passed away and his heirs were able to assume the lease and renew it a few years back. They have a really good arrangement so it can work well but you need to make sure you know what to expect in various situations.

Another outstanding trip. I really like how you give an account of your fishing activities as well as a glimpse into life of the people you are assisting while you're there. Thanks again.

Nicely done. I'm enjoying the Loonie Tooner Shows.

The link worked. Nicely done video of a great 3 lakes in one day outing. Liked how you gave some knowledge about tackle,depths and techniques. I suspected I would really like it and I did. Thanks for sharing.

Good decision. It's only slightly more than 6 months since I quit. My wife and daughter are my biggest supporters and I've not run into anyone, smokers included ,who aren't happy with my decision. Something I found helpful to me was to look ahead at activities or places that might be triggers to smoke and plan how to handle the situation before I encountered it. There are a number of aids out there to help you quit. The best one is the one that works for you. I like your attitude about the cravings-keep it up!

I won't be pursuing the 6 cyl engine. The Ram 8 cyl appears to have lots of muscle.However the fuel economy is worse than a Ford or GM with similar capability. Brand loyalty isn't important to me so any of these are good and I'll see where my search leads me now. For those that suggested the diesel engines, I have given thought to them but I think the extra expense is too high. It's nice to be able to reach out to a group of people willing to help steer you in the right direction. Thanks to all!

I'm 63 and have a sit in that I've used on the guys annual spring fishing trip for about 7-8 years. What I WISH I had is a SOT with a really comfortable chair. When I bought mine I thought weight was a primary consideration however that can be overcome, within reason. Although mine is comfortable, at my age after a few hours it becomes less comfortable. I really enjoy being out on small lakes in mine- it's really enjoyable latching onto a splake or spec and while you're fighting them getting pulled around the lake. As important as feedback from others is; demoing one for the weekend is a great way to check it out. I can't comment on the brands mentioned because I just bought a cheap one to try it out. Now we have three at our trailer for my wife, daughter and I to paddle around in when not in use for fishing.

Hi all. I'm hoping to get some advice to help me choose a truck while all these sales are on. Presently I'm looking at the Ram pick ups. I like the fuel economy of their 3.6 l V6 but I'm concerned the torque rating of 269 lb-ft won't be enough to tow a travel trailer of around 5500 lbs throughout Canada. Properly equipped the specs say this truck is rated to tow 7420 lbs., my concern is that this rating is a marketing tool and can only be met with a tailwind going downhill. Hope I can get some help from anyone who knows about this stuff.

That's a good suggestion from Mitch. My family has property a few km from there and there are rarely many people around. Another spot a bit closer in the same direction is the Murray Canal just south of Trenton on Hwy 33 running east/west from Bay of Quinte to Brighton Bay. Can expect bass, panfish , sheepshead and even occasional walleye; expect more people around but it can be enjoyable fishing, bar-b-queing and watching the boats go through the canal.

I really enjoyed that. Thanks for putting the work in to create it and sharing with us.

I often use the thermocell units and find they work really well. Takes a few minutes to establish your "safe bubble" and then the bugs seem to disappear. Not really suitable to use while you're moving but once you're settled down they work as advertised.

Another great write up on your adventures. I always enjoy the fishing aspect but your additional experiences, particularly while in the north, captivate me as well. Thanks for sharing once again.

Although I've never met you or Joey I remember her many contributions going back many years to before I was a member. She gave a lot to her fellow OFC members whether through her photography or fishing reports. She will be be missed greatly. My deepest condolences.

For those interested but unaware Parks Canada is providing free passes for 2017. You can request them here: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/voyage-travel/admission.aspx

This guy is local to where I am. I don't know him and haven't used his services but I've not heard anything bad about him. His ice bungalows look nicely set up if that's what you're after. Distance from Niagara likely a little more than 5 hour drive. http://www.ottawariverfishing.ca/en/index.asp

I read the trip report and it sounds like like it was even better than you guys hoped it would be. Too bad the weather threw some challenges at you for a bit. The temptation of going back to explore more of the virgin waters around there would be a huge draw for me. Glad you shared with us.

Well done. I always enjoy reading about trout success stories.

Sounds like you had quite an adventure. Enjoyed your report describing the emotional roller coaster ride. Nice to see the specks cooperated after the work you put in. Hope you'll be able to have some more canoe trips this year and share your success with us again.

I suggest you look at what some of the others are recommending. Prior to retiring part of my job entailed outfitting people for specialized needs. This included setting them up with Under Armour base layer clothing. The sizing was crazy. An average sized guy less than 6' with a 32-34' waist could not get on a medium or large size bottom and would be swimming in a small size top. Everytime someone was given their stuff they'd think we were playing a joke on them because the sizes were so unlike what they were used to having. Often to appease them we'd give them the size they thought they were and without fail they'd come back saying they couldn't even get it completely on. There were also times tops had to be replaced because the odor could not be removed, even after multiple washings. If you decide to go with UA you better try them on first.

Congrats on doing so well. Too bad about just missing out on the big fish but glad you shared your outing with us.

Nice report. Too bad you couldn't find the more aggressive larger fish. However the weather looks fantastic and you managed to get some fish to cooperate. Good going.