Photoz

Ah h h h h . . . . . it's not even below freezing yet . . . . but I MIGHT throw on a long sleeved shirt with my shorts for delivering mail today! when there's l'il balls of ice stickin' to the hair on my legs, time to put away the shorts! Looks like the forecast for B o Q is somewhat more favourable for the weekend though . . . . although it may be a tad rough today!

Whew w w w w . . . . ya sure know how to hurt a guy on dial-up, eh? Just had to get a boo at all the shots though . . . looked like a great time was had by all! I just gotta get a shot at a musky some day . . . . that hawg you're holding like a baby looks big enough to eat my biggest trout for breakfast!

Fishing can get VERY dangerous, especially along a crowded riverbank or any other public fishing spot, weekends being the very worst! This is because of a lot of VERY inexperienced anglers, and then there's the bystanders who have to crowd you when you do get a large fish on for a better look. But . . . I don't think fishing really can be compared to hunting, as ANYBODY can walk into a store, with no knowledge whatever of fishing, lay down his / her money and get a fishing license, then buy a rod, reel & a bunch of lures with VERY sharp trebles, and 'go to it' . . . no instructions, no advice. To get a hunting license & a permit to own a gun, I believe it's manditory to take one or more safety / familiarity courses? Too bad there wasn't SOME type of instructional course for getting a fishing license!

But, not only can casting lures be dangerous, I've float-fished quite often . . . and several times cautioned bystanders about standing too close, explaining if my float goes down, and I try to set the hook, IF I miss, that float, hook & bait is comin' back . . . . REAL FAST!! Even bottom fishing . . . . a hook can pull out, and the egg sinker can come back, just like a bullet!! I accidentally got a bystander at the Ganny a couple years ago . . . . I had a big salmon on, my medium / heavy rod was bent 90 degrees, and the hook let go. The 50 gram egg sinker nailed a guy (whom I had just warned about standing right behind my rod) right in the forehead, and actually sat him on his butt! At least (after we ascertained he was okay) he had a sense of humour . . . "HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS TO MY WIFE," he moans, while gingerly running his fingers over an egg on his head, like a golf ball . . . "SURE AS 'ELL SHE'LL ACCUSE ME OF BEING IN A BAR-ROOM BRAWL, INSTEAD OF WATCHING THE SALMON DOWN AT THE RIVER LIKE I SAID I WAS GOING OUT TO DO!!" This was a case where I believe I had done all I could to prevent any mishap . . . . the guy was warned . . . twice . . . . . I had explained the bent rod he had moved to within 3' of, if the hook let go, would take his head right off. I've occasionally ended up with my float hitting me, but this was a first for getting a guy with a sinker!

To Carp Starter . . . . . . . . . OOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!

So o o o o o . . . . . would this make it a brownish salmon . . . . . or an Atlantic trout?

Although I THOUGHT this was a brown trout, I 'GOOGLED' 'brown trout, which gave me what I THINK to be the twin of Rich's fish?

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/art20...5browntrout.jpg

Then I 'GOOGLED' 'Atlantic salmon, here's what I came up with . . . http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=104

If I knew how to do it, I'd cut & paste these photos into this thread . . . . because I don't think Rich took an OOS Atlantic salmon, it sure looks a lot like a nice IN-SEASON brown trout to me? Nice fish Rich . . . . . t'was the best I could come up with for you?

I'd have to rate 2007 (so far) as at least an 8 . . . I wasn't out quite as much . . . . the ONLY things that put the damper on the year for me was the EXTREMELY low water levels (bad for shore fishing) and a few more shore spots either being put off limits, (either new 'NO PARKING,' 'NO STOPPING,' or 'NO FISHING' signage, or parking rates you have to be a lottery winner to afford) or getting so crowded and so much trash left, that THEY may soom be closed too! Makes me wonder if the days of fishin' the shores of Ontario lakes & streams are numbered? But I caught a few fish, was able to coerce a few more people into trying carp fishing, and met a few members, if not for the couple of aforementioned points, it woulda been a TEN!

BRRRRRR R R R R R R R!! ZERO degrees . . . 20 klick breeze outta the northwest . . . . out on the water . . . . . now THAT'S dedication!!

Yeah h h h h h . . . . that LOOKED like pretty heavy-duty equipment . . . . makes my (supposedly) heavy duty carp gear look pretty penny-ante, eh? And thanks for the answers . . . . . I can barely imagine wrassling one of those behemoths into submission . . . . but I'd sure love to try!

I like my 11.5' & 13' Loomis GL2's . . . . I use the 4000 Sustains on both . . . . 4 pound P-Line on the 13', & 6 pound Andeline on the 11.5'. My best trout came on the 13' . . . . 15.8 pounds. When it's kinda crowded, I use a 10.5' (8 - 14 pound) St. Croix Wild River with a 4000 Stradic & 8 pound line, so as not to tie up shoreline for a half hour trying to land a bigger fish. But . . . . there are literally dozens of different combinations, a lot of them likely better suited than mine, and less expensive. Pick a few up, see how they feel to your hand . . . . THEN look at the price tag . . . . if the rod felt REALLY good . . . . DON'T look at the price tag . . . . just head for the cash register!

But . . . . . . it WASN'T documented? Did you think to have a look at the title of this thread? ( Finally for the Family, Jury finds Wolf killed their son, First case of healthy wolves killing and eating human in North America)

How much GOOD SOLID sleep a night do you get? Because of one of MY medical conditions (prostate cancer) I'm up as many as 6 to 8 times SOME nights, making the treck to the wee boys room. When 04:00 rolls around, I'm more tired than when I went to bed! So, I sleep whenever the opportunity presents itself. I'm on holidays (again) this week . . . . I've literally had to FORCE myself to get up and go fishing this morning (and yesterday) . . . . I came home about noon today and went directly to bed, just got up an hour ago . . . . checked the board (here I am!) and will be back in bed by 8:00, and up by 04:00, to go fishin' again. But . . . . my doctor is reluctant to get me on sleeping pills (I don't want them either) and just tells me I'm lucky I can still work & enjoy life to the degree I do. After being chopped up several times, I'm just 'wearing out,' but, other than the various treatments I've had over the past 8 years, lack of good solid sleep is what's doing me in! But . . . . my job gives me at least 4 hours of fresh (VERY fresh lately) air, while I walk approximately 10 kilometres, and climb up & down 3400+ stairs every day . . . . it's what keeps me alive!! If it wasn't for the I P Nightly (many times) trips, I'd be feelin' a lot better though!

Wow!WOW!!BOW WOW!!!Best catch I've seen on this board! I'm just wonderin' if my carp gear would handle fish like that? Hope you don't mind a few questions? Are these fish edible? Or strictly catch & release? Not sure, but I THINK they are netted commercially in Ontario . . . . but, I've NEVER seen sturgeon at any fish counter in the stores? What rod, reel & line do you use? Are these fish bottom feeders . . . . what bait(s) are used to catch 'em? Sorry about all the questions . . . . but I'm REALLY interested in putting sturgeon fishin' on my 'things to do' list. If they are strictly C & R, are they pretty tough (like carp) or they fragile (like muskie) and require a lotta TLC before releasing? If one of these is not edible, I'd hate to accidentally kill one . . . . they are so ugly, they're beautiful! Again . . . GR R R R R E A T post!

I wuzz just down the lake a bit from you guys . . . . got a 15" brown I had to keep . . . . swallowed the hook right into it's gills . . . no way wuzz I about to feed THIS to the gulls! The ONLY hit I had, I packed it up at noon too. So o o o o . . . . what shall I have for supper . . . . trout or perch?

Just another reason to kick ALL shore anglers off docks . . . .. looks like somebody lost a jig head between the boards . . . . solution? Go to your car, get a prybar, go after lost item . . . . who cares about the dock? I actually saw a guy trying to pry a board loose at the Barrie Marina to get his jig head ($1.99) out, until some of us stopped him. Can you blame people for putting these spots off limits for fishing?

That sounds like about the same time Lebaron's has their 'NO TAX' pre-Christmas sale?? hm m m m m ??

ICEFISHERMAN . . . . You have a p. m.

I've been present SEVERAL TIMES when guys fishing Lake Ontario for carp, with 2 rods were picked off . . . definitely a no-no, unless in a boat or on the ice!

Although I've given it everything I have, it would appear every time I seem to have things under control, I got hit with a new side-effect . . . . . it just gets so o o o o o tedious, at times I feel like a real, bonafide hypochondriac, the doctor's appointments & tests NEVER seem to end! But . . . . both cancers (colon & prostate / totally unrelated) can be beaten! And the colon cancer can be prevented from ever taking hold . . . . 100%! I know we all joke (including me) about getting the (UGH H H H H H) dreaded colonoscopy, but, by having this done, starting around age 40, if you have a family history, and perhaps 45 if no cancer in the family, you can catch and stop this disease, BEFORE it even starts. The worst thing you can do, if you start having ANY unexplainable symptoms, just ignore 'em, thinking they'll go away!! THEY DON'T!! At age 45, my doctor recommended I get tested . . . . I kept putting it off . . . . at 50, I had symptoms that I put up with for 2 years . . . . which nearly cost me my life!! If you think a colonoscopy is invasive & demeaning . . . . . if you won't do this test, and end up with cancer because you didn't, it will give 'invasive' & 'demeaning' a whole new meaning! Sorry to preach . . . . but, my bet is that SOMEONE out there, who is reading this, already has the polyps that the cancers gets started from . . . . . and if you go to your family doctor TODAY, and have the test booked, you'll likely save your own life . . . . I'm NOT kidding! And the P S A (prostate) test is just a simple blood test . . . . takes about a minute . . . . and again, this one can easily be beaten, 85% to 95% success rate if caught early. Colorectal cancer, if caught BEFORE it becomes malignant . . . . 100% cure rate! Sadly there are THOUSANDS who die, every year, just because they are hesitant to do this test, or ignore symptoms (like I did) and give the cancer a 'head start,' this is where the odds of beating it become slimmer by the day! If ANYONE wishes to discuss this further, by P M I'll give you what info I can. This is what makes this a GREAT board . . .. I have been helped numerous times by advice from others here, perhaps this will get a few people to do this 'dreaded,' (but simple & painless) test, and they won't have to endure what I have. When I start feeling sorry for myself, I just think of some of the people I see down at Princess Margaret . . . . . and thank my lucky stars I am where I am.

As many of you know, over the past few years I've had my problems with cancer. In 1999 I was diagnosed with colon cancer, with a very poor prognosis. . . . . but, with the skills of my doctor & the rest of the support staff at Branson Hospital, 3 operations, chemo & radiation, and 17 admissions to the hospital for complications, in a 4 year period, by 2004 I was still in remission, and about to be declared CURED. Then a routine PSA test discovered cancer in my prostate! Because of complications due to my prior radiation, they couldn't operate and remove the prostate! Again a great doctor came to my rescue . . . . I had radioactive seeds placed in my prostate . . . again with some nasty side-effects. But all was going well, my PSA levels had been down to normal (3 month check-ups) for 18 months, everything was lookin' good . . . . until I reported some different type of symptoms, which prompted another closer check! A bleeding ulcer was found in my colon . . . it could 'eat' through the colon wall & bladder if it wasn't stopped! Now, THIS is where things get very interesting. Diabetics, who often develop sores, because of poor circulation are treated in hyperbaric chambers, where they are 'fed' pure oxygen, under pressure, which aids & speeds up the healing process. The waiting list at Toronto General was about 4 months, but Branson (Division Of North York General) had just opened 3 new machines . . . my doctor got me in in 5 weeks! I spent 12 weeks, 2 hours a day, 5 days a week in one of these things. It partially screwed my hearing, temporarily screwed my night vision, AND made my long distance day vision kinda blurry. But . . . . today I was at Princess Margaret, and the specialist says the spreading of this ulcer (no longer bleeding) has been reversed, and all I have to do is take large doses of Vitamin 'C' & 'E' and eat REAL (YETTTTTTCH!!) yogurt twice a day until this thing is COMPLETELY healed! AND I GET TO LIVE!

Here is a shot of the 3 hyperbaric chambers . . . the little screen on top is for watching DVD movies . . . . kinda crowded in there to be comfortable enough to sleep!

This is a closer shot of what they look like inside . . . . actually, with all the plexiglas, it's not too bad for those of us who are slightly claustrophobic. But, if you should decide you gotta get out in a hurry . . . . sorry . . . . it takes about 5 minutes to 'depressurize,' and open the door. Otherwise, it would do major physical damage to your body . . .. similar to INSTANTLY coming outta 66' of water!

Here, I'm trying to get comfortable on this little gurney, to go into the 'oven!' . . . . matress DEFINATELY not outta a 5 star hotel!

And WHE E E E E E E E . . . . . . in we go! Damn, I used to get that sinking feeling as that big steel door went 'C L L L A A A N N N G, when it shut and the pumps were turned on!

And here we are . . . . . sorry if I didn't look very happy in this one, but I'm now stuck in here for 2 hours, just enough time to watch 'DIRTY HARRY!'

Yup, June, July & August . . . but, it DID save my bacon. But . . . . IF any of you have, or know of, anyone who is diabetic, and in danger of losing an appendage because a wound won't heal, have their doctor contact Dr. Ron Linden, Judy Dann Wound Treatment Centre, North York General Hospital, Branson Division . . . 416-223-6600. Unfortunately, because of our Health Care Laws, they are NOT allowed to charge for this (private clinic) and O. H. I. P. won't recognize this as a legitimate treatment, they have to rely on donations. It DOES work . . . . in my case, this type of thing is quite rare, and it was the ONLY option I had . . . . the didn't know if it would work . . . . . IT DID!! If this thread will help anyone out there, with a similar problem, it was well worth taking my time to spread the word . . .. my bet is there are few of you even knew this type of treatment existed . .. . I didn't!

Great report . . . even better shots! One of these days I'ma gonna try my luck at the pike . . . . but I DO like my perch & trout! Just for curiousity, I have a medium 7' Fenwick, medium 9' Berkley & a heavy 10.5' Shimano . . . . all with Stradics on 'em . . . . which would you use for the pike?

Yeah h h h h . . . . the 'Pharmacy & Finch' likely was 'Bridletown,' (one block east) AND it has been a long time since I've been out to Aikmans, but I guess I'll be goin' again next week . . . at least when ya give them something to fix, you can depend on them getting it fixed. T'anks for the heads up Lew!

I used to hear people reccommending one or 2 guys who ran a small part-time repair shop over near Warden & Finch (Scarberia) for rods & reels . . . I seem to have misplaced their info? I have a 2000 Symetre I use on a rod for perch / crappies that needs an overhaul, and Aikmans is a bit far (40 minutes across 'Suicide Alley') for something as simple as a good cleaning. Apparently Lebarons has the 1000 & 2000 Stradics on for $130.00, but if I can get my 6 year old Symetre back in good working order (handle sticks a bit when rewinding) for about $25.00, right next door, that's the way to go. Any info on these guys would be appreciated. T'anks.

Hm m m m m m m m m . . . . . . . ??