Jonny

I've been using the improved clinch knot for mono ever since I was a kid. I can practically tie it blindfolded. Palomar for everything else.

OK, good to know, thanks. I knew it wouldn't be a lick of help with a "direct hit" - nothing is. I thought it might help with a near miss.

Thanks for the replies, gents. It was the kind of "event" that just about anybody would like to be part of. Uh, because there is actually such a thing as catching "pan-sized" fish and not taking pics of them? But you knew that. Actually, in there somewhere was the 'Dollarama' bass I caught. Remember this one?... This is how he ended up... ...and in a ziploc freezer bag with other fillets for the fish fry.

It's not "abuse" through this medium... it's just words. I confess, there's definitely an entertainment factor to your writing, though probably not always in the manner you intend.

We had a family fish fry over the weekend --- fun for all, including the kids. The actual meal preparation was "segregated". I wish I had a set-up as good as my cousin's cottage (on Long Lake, in Sudbury). He has a commercial deep-fryer and a potato "chipper" set up in the garage, so we guys went there to fry up fish and chips, and have a few beers, while the girls got other stuff ready in the kitchen and sampled some wine. The fish were contributed by those of us who are fishermen --- all fish about 3/4 to 1 1/2 lb. --- about 60% bass, 40% pickerel --- kept specifically for this gathering. They were dredged in garlic-and-butter Fish Crisp (excellent!). We had to go back later and fry another batch (and drink more beer)!

My choice as to whether I want to ignore someone. If I played it like that it wouldn't be much sense posting here, or as much fun. My system worked fine, but thanks anyway.

We used to use under-dash-mounted CB's with magnetic roof antennas that worked VERY well. I also had a hand-held that was terrible unless you put the short magnetic mount antenna that came with it on the roof and ran the wire through the window. Then it was OK. (It had a built-in antenna - old "walkie-talkie" fashion - that's what wouldn't work in the vehicle through all that metal). We also used to carry battery-powered hand-held CB walkie-talkies for hunting. In the open air they worked well. Now we use FRS radios - much better battery life, compact, and range pretty well as good. The advantage of CB on the American highways is you can listen to the truckers and get all the latest on where Smokey's hiding with his radar. "Hey good buddies, there's a Smokey hidin' under the overpass at Interchange 86 waitin' to take yer picture." We heard stuff like that all the time. Whenever Smokey was around the CB would start to squawk like there was a fox in the chicken coop. Bottom line - IMO - on the highway, use a CB, but only if you can attach a roof-mount antenna.

I had one for many years. Sight unseen... if in good/very good condition and no leaks... no less than $700. Maybe somewhat more. IMO. Any old Sportspal will have some scratches and minor dings. Thin metal. http://bwmarineproducts.com/images/Sportsp...-%20English.pdf http://www.oakorchardcanoe.com/sportspal.php

But the story is from Timmins.

That would be North Bay, not Timmins.

Watch out for potholes. One time on a long (4 hr) trip, I pulled the truck and trailer off to the shoulder to check something, and the right trailer wheel caught a deep, sharp pothole at the very edge of the pavement. BAM! The right trailer spring snapped. It took us better than half the day to get it replaced. I'm convinced that if we hadn't hit that pothole, we would have been OK. (It might have let us down somewhere else though.)

Moose trails. We don't have no donkeys up here. We did have some mules once, but someone shot one of them during moose season. About 10-15 years ago a French (from France) "tourist" was making a cross-country trek with two mules hitched to some sort of cart or wagon. On a bush road south of Timmins, he stopped by a river for a rest. He unhitched the mules and let them drink in the river. A guy came along in a pickup and shot one of the mules. The Frenchman went back to France. True story!!!

Quit tryin' to bust my ass, GCD. My skin is too thick. My transom sticks out too far from the trailer frame to use a transom saver.

If you raise your motor for trailering (like you would when beaching the boat) you're producing a lot more stress on the transom every time you hit a bump, unless you use a transom saver. Because of the design of my boat and trailer, I always left the motor in a "down" position and tied it to the trailer with a tie-down strap underneath the cavitation plate. The motor was always turned to one side because the fit of the strap was more snug. My skeg still cleared the ground by a good 8". On gravel roads (which I travelled a lot) I always wrapped the part of the lower unit projecting below the trailer with a piece of old carpet, shock-corded in place, to protect from stone chips.

Interesting problem. I'd consider this: Lay a 3 to 4"perforated pipe along the keel, leading to a bilge well at the back by your drain plug. Lay in 1/2" marine grade plywood, cut to fit. Drill some small filling holes in strategic spots and fill the "V" cavity with rigid expanding foam. Maybe a dumb idea, but it was the first thing that came to mind for lightness of construction. The plywood would protect the foam and the foam would support the plywood. Cover the plywood with weatherproof indoor/outdoor carpet.

I got one too. I'm not interested in a woman who can't express herself in proper sentences.

That's a joke, right?

After the events of the day, I sent Environment Canada a couple of messages (one of them appended below). I think they meant Restoule Lake, but a lot of people wouldn't know where that is either. My second message dealt with the fact that although they have a lot of marginally interesting items on their site, they have nothing about what the precautions should be for a tornado. When they say in their warning "take necessary precautions", they don't tell you what those are. I think that in tornado conditions you are supposed to get as far below ground as you can, or at least be indoors in the center of your house and lie down on the floor if you have no basement (we were ready to get into our crawl space). If I have it right you should also open as many windows as you can (air pressure equalization). Other than that we've never checked.

Conservation areaas should be free of charge or ask just a nominal fee (a loonie or a toonie). They're similar to a city park - some green space for people to enjoy. You shouldn't have to pay at all to just go for a walk or have a picnic. God knows, your tax dollars get spent on lots worse things.

I guess that's why we don't have many of them around here..... not enough buildings.

.............

What's a conservation area?

I went to the article on cormorants first. I must be slowing down.

Might turn the "new generation" on to the sport though.

Perfectly legitimate question.