Spiel

Now this sounds more like the Doug I know.

Thanks everyone. They are tedious and time consuming but I'm enjoying playing around with ideas and trying to create something realistic. My pins are no different Bill but what I do is build up a small ball of thread to keep the bead from slipping off the pin. I'll do 6 or so at a time then mix a small amount of 5 minute epoxy, cover the thread with it then slip the bead into position. For a buck fifty Ron I wouldn't even let you hold one. I've saved that image Doug, I'll try to do better. I hear what your saying Mike and agree to some extent. Honestly these are just to time consuming and are more for show than anything. For ease of construction and movement I'm more inclined to fill my box with patterns using a hackle in place of legs. Like this one.

Well I spent a rather quiet Sunday afternoon here mucking about between the puter and the fly tying vise. So I thought what the hell, I'll snap some pictures of how I do it and post them here in a "Leechman" fashion (thanks Jacques). Now as I mentioned in a previous post I've been away from fly tying for over 20 years. I do remember all the basic skills but tying with jig hooks and bead heads is all new to me. So I've been playing at this for a number of weeks now trying new materials and fiddling with ways to get it all right with the jig hooks and beads. So it starts with a straight pin and some thread. To this I add 2 segments from a goose biot quill to form the stonefly antennae. (dyed black) Once the antennae are in place a small black bead is slid up the pin, glued in place with 5 minute epoxy then secured to the jig hook. For this fly I'm using a #6 Daiichi jig hook. Then 2 more goose biot segments are added for the tail followed by the under body. This consists of a short section of bamboo toothpick split down the middle, secured in place with thread then coated in 5 minute epoxy. This is done to give the stonefly the correct body shape. Now a length of very fine copper wire is added and then a loop of thread is created to accomadate the dubbing. The thread is first rubbed down with bees wax and then black squirrel fur is inserted between the threads then spun into a yarn type consistency. The fur is wrapped foreward creating the body. Followed by the copper wire to create segmentation. Now this is where I've been playing. I'm using a previously unkonown material to me called Swiss Straw. I'm using it here to create what will become the wing casing.... Then splitting another piece into thinner lengths, then knotting it to become the legs. So here we are with 4 of the legs in place.... Now all 6 legs in place and another length of dubbed squirrel fur wrapped up through the legs to the head. Flipping the fly over I then split the Swiss Straw and bring it forward on each side of the jig hook eye. Secured in place with the thread I now wrap it off securely and apply finishing cement on the thread and over the wing casing to make it glossy (thats important). And that's it. Here's the finished stonefly next to a quarter. Thanks for looking.

That's quite a mixed bag o fish. Not only have I never iced a bowfin, I've never caught one....period!

Invasion of the bighead carp has Ontario scared Supermarket fined $3,500 for selling a live bighead carp that could endanger native fish Jan 16 2010 Ann Hui / www.thestar.com Eyes are set low on the face of a bighead carp, above. Live bighead carp have been sold illegally in some GTA supermarkets. Ontario inspectors worry the carp will endanger native fish if they escape into the Great Lakes. / ASIANCARP.ORG A Scarborough supermarket has been fined thousands of dollars after the province's Ministry of Natural Resources discovered the store was selling a live invasive fish. During an inspection by ministry officers in February of last year, a live bighead carp was found in the New Wai Hong supermarket on Brimley Rd. The case was heard on Wednesday by Justice of the Peace Alice Napier, who fined the supermarket $3,500. The supermarket went out of business last year, shortly after the ministry inspection. Invasive fish are species that are not native to Ontario, and considered "injurious" to the existing fish population. "These are fish that propagate so rapidly and eat vegetation at such huge rates that they take over," said Matt Orok of the Lake Ontario Enforcement Unit. Some of these species feed up to three times their body weight in a day, and can grow up to 100 pounds, threatening native populations. There are nine species of fish classified as "invasive" by the ministry, including bighead, grass, silver and black carp – collectively known as Asian carp. In 2004, legislation was passed to ban the live selling of some of these species. Despite this, the carp – particularly popular amongst Asian communities, which is where the species originates – continue to be sold in some GTA supermarkets. In October of last year, Fuyao supermarket in Scarborough was also fined $4,500 for selling live bighead carp. Orok said that though these cases are becoming increasingly rare, the few cases the ministry does find tend to be concentrated in the GTA. According to Orok, ministry officers are not necessarily worried that the fish sold in supermarkets – destined, for the most part, for consumption – will end up in the water. Rather, the ministry is concerned about how the fish are transported, usually by truck from U.S. wholesalers. "The worst case scenario is that one of these tractor trailers goes off a bridge somewhere and ends up in a tributary. Then we're in trouble." Earlier this month, the province joined the state of Michigan to attempt to force Illinois to shut locks leading to the Great Lakes to keep out Asian carp. U.S. fish farms introduced the species to control vegetation. But some can escape during floods and make their way into main waterways. With files from Tanya Talaga

grt1, I suspect you've got all you need out of this one.

I might be able to do that Mike. For all those other do it youselfers, some great looking lures there. No doubt all are effective fish foolers.

No long road trip would be complete without at least one entire Pink Floyd album.

I have to admit you've lost me with this post. Are you suggesting that your e-mail issues are related to this forum?

I've never had to sneak out of the house. Never will! Didn't we go through this one recently?

Those look killer Clive. Very well constructed. I never dabbled much in lures but as I recently noted in this thread, http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.p...=39277&st=0 I've gotten back into fly tying.

HaHaHaHaHa....Too funny.

Indeed!

Nice, you can come cook for me anytime.

Booooooo, that's just wrong.

HaHaHaHaHaHa....Gee, I wonder why....LOL

Terry offers tips for a successful ice-fishing expedition January 8, 2010 TERRY CURTIS / www.northumberlandtoday.com It's that time of year again when ice fishing fanatics head out in search of their favourite species of fish, and no doubt about it, I'm one of them. Big time! Although the ice fishing season was already open in many areas such as the Bay of Quinte and on some of the lakes farther north in the Bancroft/Apsley districts, the Kawartha Lakes (Zone 17) didn't open until Jan. 1 of this year for the first-ever legal ice fishing season on these waters. So far, the ice is forming quite well across much of the province and anglers at Trenton and Belleville have been dipping lines or a few weeks now, with spotty results for both walleye and perch. And speaking of spotty, watch the ice there. It varies greatly in depth, depending where you are fishing. This seems to be the case right now on a lot of our usual haunts, especially in the Muskoka and Bancroft areas where heavy snowfalls have hindered the formation of safe ice. As usual, at this time of year,Terry's Tipsis offering up a few favourite ice hut rental locations I tend to depend on, including a couple of brand new ones this time around, as well as the latest ice condition information I have for those chosen places. What would a lake trout outing be without a trip to Carnarvon, north of Minden, to visit Don Archer? Don doesn't advertise his huts much. He doesn't have to. Most of his clients are repeat business and have been going there for years, which speaks well for his business. Some of the easiest access lake trout and whitefish ice angling you will ever experience takes place right there on Boshkung Lake and I've been going there since 1980. This is a real favourite lake for me. I spoke to Don earlier this week and he hopes to have safe ice this weekend to put his huts out. Give him a call at 705-489-2846 to book a hut. I also spoke with Carl D'Amour, owner of Grump and Grumpy's Ice Fishing Adventures on Lake Nippissing at North Bay, and they have lots of safe ice in their area. I wrote about this operation in my column last year and it's absolutely the very best jumbo perch fishing I've ever experienced in my life, not to mention the blue back herring, pike and white fish all caught in the same huts, as well as the odd walleye. Carl offers overnight bungalows ($60 per person) where you can fish all day and night in very warm accommodations right on the ice, and they are spotlessly clean and comfortable. I can't wait to return. I plan on being there next week, in fact! Contact Carl at 705-495-0941, 705-495-3106 or www.grumpyfishermen.com For those wanting some walleye and crappie fishing close to home, don't overlook Stiles Fish Huts on Lake Scugog. They offer two-, four-and six-man huts ($35 per person, kids are free), propane heat and minnows are available. Scugog is a real hotspot for huge crappie and they are very eager biters, especially just before dusk. Contact Steve Stiles at 905-925-9742 or at [email protected] . Even closer to home, B.J. Tackle in Bewdley on Rice Lake is offering rental huts for panfish such as perch, crappie and bluegill. They have two man huts for $50 a day as well as four-, five-and six-man huts that rent for $30 per person. Ben is well stocked with pinhead minnows you'll need for panfish as well as bigger minnows for those wanting to travel elsewhere to fish where walleye, trout fishing etc. is permitted. As well as the minnows, B.J. Tackle has any other gear you can imagine for ice fishing on hand, such as portable huts, rods, reels, Suffix line, hooks, jigs -- you name it, it's there! For more information call Ben or Beth at 905-797-2632. Business hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There you go, a few favourite places I recommend for some great ice fishing. Please keep in mind there is NO ice fishing for walleye, bass or muskie in Zone 17 which includes all the Kawartha Lakes. From what I hear from some well knowing people who will be patrolling the waters, the Proceeds of Crime laws will be heavily enforced, meaning you could lose your ice fishing gear, your mode of transportation to get to the fish (ATV, snowmobile, Argo, car or truck) plus heavy fines if you are caught with an illegal fish. Is it worth the chance? Not for me! Good luck fishing wherever you go. Have fun and fish safe!

Ice fishing off to booming start Jan 14, 2010 Bruce Hain / www.simcoe.com Jim Broome has been looking forward to ice fishing season all year. He has his newly built hut out on the ice on Little Cedar bay, just off Cook’s Bay in Innisfil. / Stan Howe It’s January and that means it’s ice fishing time for both local residents and those who come to Innisfil from afar. Lake Simcoe and Cook’s Bay are two of southern Ontario’s favourite ice fishing locales and the frigid weather of the past 10 days has helped to kick start the 2010 season. Vito and Sue Villani of Love to Fish Simcoe in Belle Ewart have been busy chatting up not only their regulars the past week, but have also welcomed many newcomers to their store on Ewart Street. “I’ve been here for six years,” Villani says. “The ice is good, as long as you know where you’re going. It’s not ready for vehicles yet.” In addition to all the supplies and equipment one would ever need, the Villanis rent 14 huts, now in place out a few hundred metres from shore at the 4th Line. “We’ll be moving them farther out later this week for the whitefish,” he says. “Right now, they’re in about 20 feet of water for people catching perch.” Despite a mild December, Villani says his fishing season, which runs until March 15, began just one day later than last year. Business is booming. “I ran out of fishing licenses this past weekend,” he says. “In a typical week, I get a lot of people, even all the way from northern Michigan and southern Ohio. There are a lot from the 519 area code, too.” Customers have been happy with their catch, he says. “The perch are biting and out by the islands, there are a lot of whitefish,” Villani says. Jim Broome of Belle Ewart is one of the regulars at Love to Fish Simcoe. “I like everything about ice fishing,” Broome says. “I’d rather sit in a hut than in a boat.” This year, Broome probably has the most inspiring ice hut out on the lake. A sub-contractor for a Toronto-based imaging company, Broome has built himself a hut plastered with digital images of tropical fish. “I’ve been wanting to do it for years,” he says. The edifice stands out on the frozen bay with its blue and black roof. “It’s a real eye catcher,” Broome proudly reports. “It took about two weeks to build. The sides are fully imaged, like you would see on a city bus. People have stopped, pulled out their cameras and taken pictures.” As to the fishing conditions, Broome says they couldn’t be any better. He also builds huts for other folk. “The perch are biting like crazy,” he says. “As soon as you get to the bottom, you’re reeling back up with a fish.” Steve Arnold of Innisfil is spending as much time as he can out on the bay this winter. “I’ve been ice fishing for, let’s say, at least 20 years,” Arnold says laughing. “It’s fun, it’s a hobby and it breaks up the monotony of winter.” Conditions to date this year have been “perfect” in Arnold’s opinion. “The fishing has been just great,” he says. “There’s been a good catch of whitefish so far and no problem getting your limit.” Socializing with your fellow fisher folk is a big attraction of the sport, too. “I always make a lot of new friends out there,” Arnold says. “It’s a great way to spend your time.” Fishing tips: • Advise others where you plan to fish and when you will return • Wear appropriate clothing, such as a floater suit • Carry appropriate equipment, such as a set of ice picks • Register ice huts where required, except tent-style huts with a base area of less than seven square metres • Check ice thickness regularly with a spud bar or augur as they move further out on the ice • Ice does not freeze at a uniform thickness across most lakes and rivers, particularly at the start of the winter season when near-shore ice is often much thicker and safer than ice farther out • Ice that forms over flowing water, springs, pressure cracks, old ice holes or around the mouths of rivers and streams can be weaker than surrounding ice • The strongest ice is clear blue in colour. White or opaque ice is much weaker, and ice with a honeycombed look should be avoided?? • Added precautions must be taken when travelling on frozen lakes or rivers • A layer of heavy snow on a frozen lake or river can insulate the ice below and slow down freezing. — Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Thin ice takes its toll Jan 14, 2010 Rick Vanderlinde / www.simcoe.com The owner of submerged vehicle works to free his Ford Explorer after it went through the ice about 250-feet from the Innisfil Beach Park boat ramp Saturday. / Rick Vanderlinde It was a wrong turn that ended up costing thousands of dollars. A Bancroft man returned to Innisfil Beach Park Monday to retrieve his Ford Explorer after it broke through the ice about 250-feet from shore Saturday. The man, who didn’t want to be identified, told onlookers who had gathered to watch the SUV being pulled from Lake Simcoe, he was a passenger when the truck plunged through the four-to-five inch thick ice. Onlookers were telling tall tales of police chases and stolen vehicles, when the man set the record straight. “It wasn’t nothing like that. I was the passenger. There was no police chase and no stolen vehicle,” he said as friends tried to hook chains to the submerged vehicle. “We just got mixed up and came on the ice at the wrong spot.” The 55-year-old man said he and a 37-year-old friend drove across the ice along Cook’s Bay from Keswick to the Bell Ewart area, coming ashore at Conc. 5. “We went out shopping and ended up coming to the lake here,” he said. “We thought we were getting back on the ice at the same place we came off.” Instead, the SUV drove down the boat launch used by ATVs and snowmobiles at Innisfil Beach Park and crashed through the ice seconds later. “I’m not too worried about the truck,” the man said. “It was only worth about $500 before it went through.” But the estimated $2,000 cost of the tractor-trailer sized tow truck and an automatic $1,500 provincial fine was hard on the pocket book. The man and the driver also face court costs after they were charged with obstructing police. They were charged because they refused to tell police who was driving the vehicle, the man said. Rod Smith was returning to shore on his snowmobile Saturday when he saw the truck come down the ramp and smash through the ice. “They came bouncing across the ice pretty fast. They didn’t slow down at all, they just went right through,” Smith said. “A man and woman got out as it was going down and another guy barrel-rolled out of a window as the water was coming up. As soon as he got out, the truck went right down.” One of the men told him they thought they were about to cross the ice on Cook’s Bay, Smith said. The threesome left the scene, walking toward the park. “The girl was pretty upset about the whole thing,” he said. Smith, who went back to the site Monday to watch the recovery, said he reported the incident to South Simcoe Police. “They called me back on my cellphone later and said no one was around the vehicle,” he said. However, police later found and questioned the men, which led to the obstruction charges. It took several men about four hours to get the car out of the lake with the help of the heavy-duty tow truck. A chain-saw was used to cut a 150-foot path through the ice so the vehicle could be pulled free. It wasn’t the first vehicle to go through Lake Simcoe ice this year. Tragically, a Georgina Island man was killed New Year’s Day when his Jeep went through the ice near Virginia marina. Wayne Hoeg, a well-known First Nations citizen, had a heart attack during the incident. Ice hut operators and police warn that it is never a good idea to drive on the ice.

Have great day Bernie. Are you planning on spending the day icing some walleye?

All in good time Mike. I think the most common denominator here with the folks who have posted there beautiful boats is that most are not young fellows like yourself. I'd also be willing to bet that most have owned a number of smaller tinnies and such before getting their dream boats. Personally I've been through a number of boats and it all started with a 16' Sportspal. And gosh darn it I wish I still had it. You'll get your boat one day, as they say, "good things come to those that wait", supposedly.

Years ago, many years ago I used to drive my Honda Civic out on Simcoe all the time. But before doing so I asked my insurance provider if I had coverage for this and they said yes! Not sure if I would get it these days.

LOL....I think the guy with the shovel gotsa schnoot full of woodka.

Now that's a fine looking mess of fish. Perhaps I'll see you there Goran.

It's been a few years Tony but I still think I know Bronte Harbour when I see it.