Big Cliff

We are going to need some really cold weather before that firms up! Thanks for the report and pictures, I was hoping to get out this weekend but I think I might just wait a while longer.

I'd really like to ask that this thread be locked. I truly think it has run it's course, everyone that has wanted to contribute has had their chance to do so and express their opinion. I doubt that anymore good can come from it and before it gets totally out of hand I feel it's time to put it to bed. Please!

J finally told you eh Roy! LOL Kung Hei Fat Choi

I'm with you 100% on this one Lew. I don't like LOUD music when I'm fishing or watching fishing. When it ticks me off I turn it off. Wonder what their sponcers would do if they got enough complaints?

I'm not sure about the newer technology but there are a few places North of Elliott Lake where there are some old mines. I would guess they were small operations by todays standards but there seemed to be minimal damage to the local area around the mine, in fact unless you knew there was a mine there you'd probably walk within 100' of it and miss it. We use to get our ice to pack our fish on in the summer from one of them (dangerous but we didn't go very far into the shaft). Anyway, I hope it doesn't mess up your annual fishing trip!

Mike sorry to hear about your dad but I smiled when I read: The part "he lives life to the fullest". It isn't over yet and as long as it isn't there is still hope, people with that attitude don't usually give up very easily. I hope he beats it and goes on to enjoy many more years. Brian; my condolances to you and your family.

Just had one of those calls about 20 minutes ago; "congratulations you have been randomally selected to win a free trip....." Then the line went dead. Now I don't even know where I'm going or when but I'm sure they will call me back and let me know. I am so excited!!!!!!

This has been a really good thread with many good points both pro and con. I guess it all boils down to whatever you are comfortable with. After my dad died my mom did the best she could to raise two sons. Social assistance, what was that? Mom walked to work every day winter and summer about a mile each way and those Quebec winters were cold. A woman didn't make much in those days but we had a roof over our head and she always managed to pay the bills and put food on the table but there weren't any extras. Growing up poor made me appreciate every opportunity I had to get ahead. Every year the local news paper would have a subscription drive in Nov. and they would always have a contest and cash priizes (kids only) it was a small town and everyone knew everyone else. Every afternoon after school and on weekends I would be out there banging on doors, heck, I had some people that probably still have the subscriptions that I sold them back then LOL. Every year I won either first or second prize, I was a kid at the time but as I grew older I realized that the people who bought a three year subscription from me EVERY year were just trying to help me because I was trying to help myself, the lessons I learned from those people have stuck with me today. I know what it's like to not have the money to go to camp with the other kids, I couldn't play hockey because I didn't have skates (well a pair of girls skates but those darn picks and besides I was a boy). I know what it feels like when all your friends are talking about the big turkey they had for Christmas dinner and all your mom could afford was a chicken, I know what it's like when all the other kids are talking about the toys they got for Christmas or their birthday and you couldn't. Don't get me wrong, there was always a present under the tree for us or a gift on our birthday and everyone of them came with all the love you could pack into them but paying the bills and putting food on the table came first. We didn't have much but we didn't owe anything. Perhaps growing up like that has made me the way I am today. I enjoy the opportunity to help others, it makes me feel good, be it slipping a panhandler a buck on the street (I always look them right in the eye and smile and tell them to have a nice day, they are people too regardless of their circumstances) or just trying to do something nice for someone everyday. I don't feel it's my place to tell the panhandler how to spend the money I give him, if he uses it to buy booze than it's his choice, it was a GIFT from me. I have been very fortunate over the years and now I am in a position where I can do things to help others, we don't have a lot of money, but we've got enough. I am blessed with a wife that feels the same way I do.... do unto others. Our house isn't very big or fancy but you couldn't pack any more love into it if you tried. Can't remember where I heard it but a long time ago someone said "it's not what you have when you leave this life that's important, it's what you leave behind"! Guess we all just have to do what's best for us!

I love spam, I just save it all to a folder and every time I get one from someone I just send them everything that's in my folder. I've got unlimited dialup and I send it at night when I'm going to bed. Probably doesn't do any good but makes me feel better!

Just started snowing here in Lindsay about 1/2 an hour ago, big wet flakes. looks like a perfect day to put a big pot of soup on the stove and bake some fresh bread.

Well, I sure hope you two are planning a few trips up here again this year, Andy misses you! I'm going to install the Aqua-view in the boat this year and perhaps we can figure out how to nail a few more of those sly walleye. The door is always open and you two are welcome anytime!

Our condolences! Cliff & Sue

Sue and I have a simple solution: Every year we sit down and work out a budget and part of that budget includes what we feel we can comfortably afford to give to worthy causes. We have a few that always make the top of the list. One of our favorites is that every year at Christmas time we go to the local womens shelter and adopt a family for Christmas. They supply us with the number of people and gender of any kids and approxamate ages. We then go shopping and pick up everything they need to have a full blown Christmas dinner and a gift for each of the kids We usually put a gift card in for mom too and always include a card with a bit of cash just in case we missed something. We deliver it to the shelter a day or two before Christmas and they arrange to get it to the family. We never know who the family is, and they never know who we are but there is no better feeling (for us anyway) than when we sit down to our christmas dinner someone else is going to have a much better Christmas than they might have. The Salvation Army is another one that always gets something. Many years ago I found myself stranded in Sudbury with no money and no job. They fed me and gave me a place to sleep. A few days later I found work but money was still tight; they rented me a room for $10.00 a week and gave me my meals (even packed me a lunch) until I could get back on my feet. All I needed was a hand and they were there for me (I'll never forget it)! We have a few others that we always try to help and if anyone else asks we just tell them "we have already donated what we can afford this year". As for kids coming to the door selling things..... well I'm all for kids putting some effort into trying to do things so if we can and want to; we do support them. Works for us anyway!

Take it from a guy that works on this stuff all the time; the right tool for the right job. You can put a blower on your lawn tractor but that isn't what they are desigined for. Get a lawn tractor to cut your grass and a snow blower to clear the snow. You'll be much happier in the long run!

See your PM

WTG you two! As usual it looks and sounds like you had a wonderful time!

I would never TRY to offend anyone, I believe we should all try to act in respectful towards each other, recognising and respecting difference. However, difference sometimes involves views that we find disagreeable and offensive. Almost every everything is offensive to someone! I've driven trucks, worked in the mines; in the bush and with people from almost every walk of life and level of education (one of the smartest and best spoken men I ever met was a truck driver with a grade two formal education). There are times where coarse language just isn't appropriate, there are times where it just suits my frame of mind and surroundings, there are times where it just slips out. I don't tend to use a lot of it but if I do I always try to make sure there are no children or ladies within ear shot. That is just plain respect but if I do use a "BAD" word or say something that offends someone then they should respect my right to express myself anyway I want to. I'm 62 years old and I have watched the Lord's Prayer taken out of our schools, Happy Holidays substituted for Merry Christmas, and many of our traditions changed so as to not "OFFEND" others. Well you know what? Respect is a two-way street, I'm getting tired of people trying to tell me what I can or can't do any more so heres' the deal! I'll try to respect you as long as you try to respect me! If that doesn't work for you then in my opinion, thats your problem!

here are some links to posts that I made last year about fishing in North Myrtle Beach, I hope they help but if you need any more info, I'll be glad to help. North Myrtle Fishing Post 2 Post 3 Some pictures here is a thread that I posted on earlier this year; More info And last, a URL with information on Apache Pier: Apache Pier

This should help. CTV News Link about border crossings

Ok, just heard back from the butcher shop and they will supply us with the saussages at cost again this year. We are only getting 100, 50 honey garlic and 50 Italian as we had some left over last year. Cost is $60.00 including tax. Hope this helps. Cliff

Balsam, Sturgeon, Scugog (and many others )are part of the new Zone 17 and there is no ice fishing, the exception being Scugog. Check the regs for lakes outside of zone 17 and you'll find lots of spots that are open within the 1-1.5 hours you are looking for.

Called the butcher shop again yesterday and again they promised to get right back to me, if I haven heard back from them today I am going to go and see another butcher here in town and see if they can help us out.

Well, I have never used that one but after reading up on it, it does have some features that I really liked. A lot of it is going to depend on the type of fishing you do, if you mostly fish shallow I'd be a little concerned that a 20° transducer isn't going to give you a very big cone in shallow water but if you are just using it to find structure that probably wouldn't matter. The fact that it floats would be handy when fishing from a canoe and it wouldn't be hard to make an adapter up or get a gelcell battery for it, input voltage is 10-12 volts. The price seems quite reasonable too. An underwater camera is a nice toy but very limited in it's uses and is very dependent on water clarity. I think you'd be better off with the fish finder.

I use a lot of 4 & 6 lb test for walleye fishing and last year decided to try Berkley's Transition. I wasn't very pleased with the product, I found it broke very easily and tangled a lot more easily than the mono lines so I contacted them and explained my concerns. They were very quick to respond and sent me some technical information about the line which pretty much confirmed what I had been experiencing with the product. Then I got an email from their Canadian distributor asking me to phone him directly. It took many tries before I actually got to talk with him but after reviewing everything with him he asked for my address and a few days later a new spool of line showed up. It wasn't the transitions but it was the vanish. I tried it but found that while it wasn't quite as bad I still prefered the mono I had been using and switched back to that. I really think you should give the name of the manufacturer good or bad and I do think you should persue this further, it isn't about the cost of a spool of line it's about feedback on a product. If they get enough feedback good or bad it will help them developing/supplying better quality products. If they aren't interested in doing that then we will know to avoid their products.

I use a lot of 4 & 6 lb test for walleye fishing and last year decided to try Berkley's Transition. I wasn't very pleased with the product, I found it broke very easily and tangled a lot more easily than the mono lines so I contacted them and explained my concerns. They were very quick to respond and sent me some technical information about the line which pretty much confirmed what I had been experiencing with the product. Then I got an email from their Canadian distributor asking me to phone him directly. It took many tries before I actually got to talk with him but after reviewing everything with him he asked for my address and a few days later a new spool of line showed up. It wasn't the transitions but it was the vanish. I tried it but found that while it wasn't quite as bad I still prefered the mono I had been using and switched back to that. I really think you should give the name of the manufacturer good or bad and I do think you should persue this further, it isn't about the cost of a spool of line it's about feedback on a product. If they get enough feedback good or bad it will help them developing/supplying better quality products. If they aren't interested in doing that then we will know to avoid their products.