Spiel

Wow, first the shampoo and conditioner rant and now 7 days later this! You lead a troubled life my friend.

I'm deeply saddened to hear of this Miss Joey. We'll talk soon.

Great pictures of a great fish, absolutely beautiful!

A GPS isn't enough to keep boaters safe in a heavy fog Sept. 25, 2009 TERRY CURTIS / www.northumberlandtoday.com Off and on. On and off. That's how the fishing is the last week or so in our neck of the woods and there's not much we can do about it until we get some consistent cold nights where the thermometer drops below the freezing mark. We need the cold, frosty weather to convince the bass and walleye to put the feed bag on for the duration of the fall season and nothing sets them off like the first really heavy frosts of the year that prompt the frogs to head from the grass and reeds down to the shallow water edges where they begin to bury themselves in the mud for the upcoming winter season where they hibernate until spring. These migrating frogs make perfect snacks for shallow-water fish and you can rest assured a lot of them get gobbled up as soon as they hit the water. Those sneaky walleye, especially, will be cruising the shallows in anticipation of some early evening dinners as soon as we get the weather we need to get the frogs moving. That said, though, I'm not saying the bass and walleye have really shut down with a complete case of lockjaw. We had a few cool nights with a nip or two of the much needed frost and the fish were stating to hit pretty good. Then, in came some hot, humid weather patterns that shut them down somewhat. But that doesn't mean they quit biting altogether. No siree! It just means you have to work a little harder to get them to take a slam at your bait of choice. A couple of hints? If you are throwing a buck-tail jig for walleye, don't rip it quickly through the water. Hop it and pop it at a slower, lazier rate than you would in the spring when the fish are very active. Let it lie on bottom before you start to retrieve it back to the boat. And watch your line closely for any little twitches or hops. Some of the bites you think may be panfish are actually walleye. They aren't smoking the jigs right now, just feeling them out very cautiously and it's easy to miss them. Throwing a crankbait for bass or walleye right now! Shame on you if you aren't! Smallies, largemouth and walleye are all hitting them, although very softly. Perch or craw patterns are tops without a doubt. Lures that have a very wiggly pattern like a Rapala Tail Dancer in the green hue are one of my top choices at this time of year for walleye. For bass, oversized, fat wide body cranks are without the way to go. Crankbaits aside, don't forget plastic tube baits and slashbaits for bass, either. They always take their share of bass at this time of year and can be deadly on frosty mornings when the fog is lifting from the water, especially the slashbaits. Just remember to fish them a little slower than you would in the summer, just as I said about the hair jigs. And speaking of fog, here's a little reminder to all boaters. One day this week I was at the boat launch at 7 a. m., ready to hit the water for some walleye but it was so foggy I couldn't see 15 feet off shore. So I sat there and talked to several other anglers who also knew it was too dangerous to venture out until the fog lifted. These were the smart anglers. But, as always, there were a couple of knuckleheads who hit the water anyway, saying they would use their GPS units to guide them too their spots. Unbelievably, they actually took off full throttle from the launch! Not even idling out, full bore! This in the thickest fog I've ever encountered on Rice Lake. I know that lake inside-out and I wouldn't even think about leaving the docks. Keep in mind, the visibility window was, at most, 15 feet. Any idiot can follow the arrow on a GPS unit to get to their fishing area, but what if some other boater was stuck in the fog that quickly moved in and was in their path? Or a dock had busted loose from its mooring or a log had floated into their travelway? No GPS unit in the world could relay that information quickly enough to prevent an accident. What disturbed me more was the fact two of the boaters who took off at full speed were tournament anglers, guys who are supposed to set an example for other boaters and know better. One in particular has done very well in tournaments and I used to think he was a pretty smart guy. Not anymore. A swelled head means a swelled ego and he sure proved it. The sponsorship for a tackle company he asked me to endorse for him? Gone! It's idiots such as that guy who give the rest of safe boaters a bad name and are the cause of the useless, money-grabbing boater's licence we're all required to carry now. Use your head out there! No fish is worth your life or, even worse, someone else's -- is it?

Nicely done Ryan. Read it here.

Frogmore resident learns the Facts of Fishing Sept. 25, 2009 Jeff Helsdon / www.tillsonburgnews.com When Ryan Bonin goes to work, he always makes sure he packs his camera and fishing pole. As a cameraman and editor for Dave Mercer Outdoors, the Frogmore resident has the type of job most anglers dream of. Not only is he traveling to some of the best fishing spots in North America, he is also learning to be a better angler with tips from television angler Dave Mercer. Bonin came into the job in a roundabout manner. Originally from Sudbury, he followed his brother’s footsteps showing an interest in video. “It was the only thing I really enjoyed in high school other than fishing, and there’s no courses in fishing,” he joked. Although he did a co-op placement with a conservation officer and loved it, his mind was made up for a future career when he was told job prospects, as game wardens were thin. He attended Fanshawe College and took television and broadcasting. There, he met his wife Ginny, who was from the Langton area. After graduating, Bonin was working at Technicolor in Toronto on commercials, when he chatted with Mercer through a message board on OFC. At the time, Mercer had produced videos and was looking at starting a television show, which launched in June 2007. “I was in the right place at the right time and was lucky,” he said. “He sent me a message on WFN and the rest is history. We worked well together so he asked me to come work full-time for Dave Mercer Outdoors.” Mercer’s Facts of Fishing television show aims to be more entertaining then other fishing shows. It’s also unique it is shot in one location in one day. Bonin is one of two full-time camera operators and the editor of all the footage. The show has taken him to the west coast of Canada salmon fishing, to northern Manitoba fly-in fishing for pike and walleye, the east coast of Canada shark fishing and to the Bahamas bone fishing. He also fished for bass in Alabama and alligator gar in Texas. When the filming is taking place, Bonin is behind the camera and isn’t fishing. But, when the work, is done he can play – or in this case fish. On Bonin’s first day fishing with Mercer, he caught two six-pound smallmouth. “I’d never seen a six-pound bass before,” he admitted. That trend continued, and he has set his personal best in every species fishing with Mercer. “I learned more with Dave in the first month than in my entire life,” Bonin said. “He’s an endless pit of knowledge. Just when you think he can’t do anymore, he throws out something else.” Asked if this was his life ambition, Bonin answered, “Always, in the back of mind, thought it would be great. My final project in college was a full half-hour fishing show.” With today’s technology, the Internet allows Bonin to live wherever he desired. He and Ginny decided to buy a house in Frogmore, near her parents. Bonin does all the editing from his home office Besides Facts of Fishing, Bonin is also kept busy editing Mercer’s tips and short video clips for the web site. For air times and more information on Facts of Fishing, go to the web site at http://www.factsoffishing.com.

Classic Muskoka boat changed and charged September 23, 2009 Cathy Cahill-Kuntz / www.muskokan.com SILENT RUNNING. Mark and Karen Harwood of Harwood Watercraft settle down in a disappearing propeller boat built by Mark. The boat is a traditional design combined with new construction techniques and powered by a 48-volt electric motor. / Photo by Cathy Cahill-Kuntz As Mark Harwood of Harwood Watercraft prepared to launch his Dispro into Muskoka Bay a passerby remarked, “This boat is so precious, I’d put it in my living room.” For good reason; the carefully handcrafted wooden boat, like any exceptional piece of artwork, draws attention wherever it’s taken. Its smooth, clean lines and beautifully varnished rails make it hard to resist running your hand over its surface. The first thing you notice about Harwood’s Dispro is the quiet ride it provides as it heads out of the bay into Lake Muskoka with only a soft purr of the electric engine. Trickles of water curl around the bow as it gently cuts through the waves. Its unusual seating arrangement allows boaters to sit face to face. The boat skims along the rocky shoreline of the bay; a Canadian flag flutters at the stern. “This is a great little shoreline boat,” says Harwood. “It has an efficient shape and graceful lines and the propeller is retractable.” The first Dispro was invented in the summer of 1914 in Port Sandfield by boat builder W.J. Johnston Jr. and machinist Edwin Rogers, both of whom were in the boat business. The patent was received in 1915 and a year later, the Disappearing Propeller Company Limited was created. During the 10 years the Dispro was produced in Port Carling, approximately 2,000 boats were constructed. “The Dispro is principally a Muskoka boat but they were also made in Tonawanda, New York, Lindsay and at Greavette’s in Gravenhurst,” says Harwood. Since then, Dispros have not only cruised the lakes of Muskoka but on lakes around the world. The invention of the disappearing propeller device allowed a small rowing skiff to be powered by a small, light gas engine. The boat could be hauled out of the water onto a beach because its propeller and shaft could be raised manually into a small box that fit into the keel of the craft. Harwood uses an electric engine but the concept is the same. Basically, his Dispro is a converted rowboat powered by an electric motor. Harwood and his partner Karen, have been in the sail and rowboat building business since 2004. The Dispro is his 18th boat. As well as keeping the business running and maintaining their website, Karen makes cotton boat mats, baskets, key floats and doormats. Over the past few summers, the idea of building an electric-powered, efficient, displacement hulled boat kept resurfacing. He was approached by a dippy owner and asked if he’d ever considered making a replica. “My acquaintance lamented that these lovely, old craft were becoming harder and harder to find,” Harwood says. “Dispro enthusiasts have been searching old boat houses and barns for years and there are very few of the originals left. But some of the original hardware, engines and machinery that have outlasted the hulls are still around.” In keeping with his boat-building philosophy, past meet present, Harwood’s Dispro is a Waterford replica built to the original mold patterns. The first Dispro model was named the Waterford because of the popularity of the Model-T Ford at the time. The biggest difference between Harwood’s Dispro and those made in the early 1900s lies in its planking. “I have adopted a modern technique called epoxy lapstrake,” says Harwood. “The hull is constructed of glued lapstrake marine mahogany plywood, a system that creates a strong, light hull without the traditional use of ribs found in the older model.” Lapstrake planking is a time-honoured system that dates back to the Vikings and is also how the original Dispros were built. “Instead of using mechanical fastenings like the Dispro builders to fasten primarily softwood planks, I use epoxy to fasten marine plywood planks,” explains Harwood. “My method produces a stronger, more durable, longer lasting and completely leak-proof vessel.” Harwood believes the electric motor will be attractive to customers because of current environmental concerns and high fuel prices. The four deep-cycle marine-sealed gel batteries provide 48 volts to drive the brushless electric motor. How long the engine can run is determined by the speed and weight of the boat. “The hydrodynamic hull is sleek in the water. It doesn’t take much energy to move this boat,” Harwood says. “I anticipated it having a three- to four-hour run time but it’s far exceeded my expectations.” The boat comes with a smart charge that plugs into a 110 volt household current. Owners can easily run an extension down to the dock. “A couple, cruising at 5 knots can cruise all day, seven or eight hours.” “The Dippy is a departure from what I’ve done in the past,” says Harwood. “I haven’t had to deal with propulsion and motors before. The most challenging part was sourcing the motor. I must have spent a month last fall researching.” It took Harwood four months to build the Dispro. Visitors to the website www.harwoodwatercraft.com can view detailed stages of the construction. “Building this boat has given me renewed respect for the Dippy,” he says. “I don’t think it has any limitations. It’s maintenance-free, fuss-free and user friendly. You don’t need support staff for an electric motor. There are no emissions. It has an added bonus in that you can put it in reverse; you couldn’t do that with the originals.” The boat is made from planking marine mahogany plywood. Its seats and floorboards are constructed from red cedar; its rail and breast hooks made from ash. “We’ve had a good response from staunch traditionalists,” adds Harwood. “They’ve invited us to their regatta. We’re now part of a culture.” “Everyone in Muskoka loves the Dippy,” Harwood says. “I think they’re one of the most distinguished and recognizable boats on the water.” Although Harwood appreciates people’s comments about the Dispro’s artistic qualities, he is hopeful that whoever purchases the boat will also appreciate it for its qualities as a strong, light and efficient boat. “With any luck, I’ll get to put a few more of these classic boats into the lakes. I’m really happy about this boat. I could cruise along until sunset,” says Harwood sitting back in the boat, his arm around Karen. “It runs so nicely, I have a problem taking it out of the water.”

The lure of angling and hunting in Muskoka September 16, 2009 Jake Good / www.muskokan.com TAKING THE BAIT. An exhibition on the history of hunting and fishing in Muskoka at the Muskoka Lakes Museum in Port Carling features a collection of vintage lures. / Photo by Brett Thompson The importance of Muskoka’s fishing and hunting history has been unveiled at the Muskoka Lakes Museum in Port Carling. The display focuses on the Sharon Club, a fishing and social club that dates back to 1891 in Milford Bay on Lake Muskoka. “The crest of the Sharon Club represents fishing, friendship and Canada, and it says exactly what the club was and is about,” said Muskoka Lakes Museum curator Doug Smith. “A lot of wealthy Americans were coming up to Muskoka at the end of the nineteenth century and fishing was one of the reasons they came here. The water was pristine and the fish were very plentiful. These fishing trips also helped establish Muskoka as a tourist destination. People, including Civil War veterans, would arrive at their fishing camps but would need supplies or even accommodation. Farmers, who were struggling to make a living from Muskoka’s soil, found they could supplement their earnings catering to these first tourists.” An early photo from the Sharon Club’s archives shows well-dressed individuals smiling around a long line of freshly caught fish. “The club developed ways of getting bait down to the bottom to catch lake trout,” said Smith. “Their methods really revolutionized fishing in Muskoka and members were very successful.” Part of the exhibition includes vintage lures. Patrick Daradick from Parry Sound, a writer for Bob Izumi’s Real Fishing magazine, has brought in his Busty Baits collection of fishing lures. The baits were created by William Flesher, who was born in Parry Sound in 1890 and was given the nickname Busty after being scouted by the Toronto Maple Leafs where fans liked his “bust-up” style of defence. The First World War put an end to his hockey career but Busty was a keen outdoorsman and a commercial fisherman on Georgian Bay. In 1947 he patented his Busty Baits and continued making his hand-made, hand-painted lures until shortly before he died in 1977. “Lures are fascinating,” said Smith. “People soon realized the right twist in a shiny piece of metal or a carved wooden lure would work better than another in catching fish. Lure making became an art form with successful designs getting top dollar. Vintage lures are very collectable today.” As with fishing, hunting has been important to the history of Muskoka. “The area was known by the first nations as a valuable hunting ground,” explained Smith. “Today hunting season is marked on a lot of calendars and it even gets a light-hearted mention in James Bartleman’s book Raisin Wine.”

Township to dredge Beaverton Harbour to prevent winter flooding Sept. 22, 2009 Scott Howard / www.mykawartha.com The Beaverton harbour floor will be dredged this autumn to prevent a repeat of last winter's near-flood. The work will likely take place in late October or early November, says Brock Township facilities co-ordinator Mark Warvill. While the municipality has not yet settled on a contractor or a price, many members of council are anxious to see the project proceed. "It's urgent that it gets done this fall," said regional councillor John Grant. After nearly a full week of above-freezing temperatures and rain, a large ice jam formed at the mouth of the Beaver River on Feb. 12, blocking a tremendous volume of water from emptying into Lake Simcoe. Contractors were called in to punch holes in the jam, but the water levels in the harbour came dangerously close to spilling over the concrete banks. "The water levels were pretty much right up to the brim," Mr. Warvill said in an interview at the time. Several large chunks of ice spilled into the parking areas on both the north and south sides of the harbour. Upstream, the situation wasn't much better. Ice jams blocked practically the entire riverbed around Riverdale Road. A torrent of water raged beside the bed, making it look like the river was far more than 150 feet wide in some sections. Several residents reported that the situation was the worst they've ever seen. According to the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority, much of the problem at the harbour was caused by what is known as frazil ice -- a collection of loose, needle-shaped ice crystals -- in the Beaver River, which flows into the harbour. A press release from the LSRCA explained that the frazil ice is floating downstream and is causing three potential problems. "The ice crystals are: 1) becoming trapped and snagged by obstacles and obstructions in the channel; 2) coming to a rest in areas of reduced water velocity, such as within the harbour and at bends at curves in the river; and/or 3) attaching themselves to projections on the underside of solid ice covered water," the press release read. At Monday's meeting, several members of council appeared confident that the dredging could at least partially solve the problem. "If we proceed with the dredging, it may alleviate the flooding issues we've faced," said Mayor Larry O'Connor.

Feds pump more cash into lake Sep 25, 2009 Laurie Watt / www.simcoe.com Barrie MP Patrick Brown presented a cheque to the City of Barrie Thursday to help keep Lake Simcoe clean. The money will be used to reduce run-off from parking lots and to install barriers to trap oil that may find its way into the lake from city roads. From left to right are Brown, Coun. Alex Nuttall, Kevin Richards, of the Lake Simcoe Fund. Stan Howe photo Three projects that will clean up the waterways at the edge of downtown Barrie mark the half-way point in the federal government’s Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund strategy. Barrie MP Patrick Brown handed over $606,000 Thursday for three projects: Kidd’s Creek watercourse improvements in the Donald and Eccles street area and oil and grit separation devices in the Maple Avenue and Spirit Catcher parking lots. “Kempenfelt Bay is the jewel at the heart of our city. The purity of its water is something we should not take lightly. Our federal government is not just making promises – we’re delivering real results for Lake Simcoe.” The $30-million Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund is an important part of a $93-million national water strategy, he added. This week’s announcements projects bring the project total to 23, representing $15 million. “It’s encouraging to notice that at the half-way point, we’ve had such noticeable and tangible improvements to Lake Simcoe, thanks to the partnership with municipalities and most notably, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.” Barrie Coun. Alex Nuttall , a member of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority board, said the initiative has helped win the conservation authority international recognition for environmental stewardship. Last week, the authority won the International Riverfoundation’s prestigious Thiess International Riverprize, along with a $350,000 grant. The conservation authority estimates the projects so far have reduce the amount of phosphorous entering the lake by 15 kg each year, restored 3.5 kilometres of urban and rural stream banks and planted more than 6,500 trees and shrubs.

DEC destroys nests to manage cormorants WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 MATTHEW CURATOLO / www.watertowndailytimes.com The state Department of Environmental Conservation has destroyed more than 1,300 cormorants' nests on the St. Lawrence River and the eastern basin of Lake Ontario as part of its management program. In an attempt by DEC to control the fish-eating cormorant population on the river and eastern basin of Lake Ontario, the agency received permission from landowners to remove nests and to destroy any eggs found on islands located on the American sections of the bodies of water. DEC fisheries technicians, hired seasonally, worked with U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife services staff during the effort. "We are done with management for this year. Management in the eastern basin and on the river will continue in 2010, but we have already begun to shift emphasis in the basin towards maintenance rather than substantial reduction," said James F. Farquhar, DEC Region 6 wildlife biologist in Watertown. "We still intend to lower basin numbers slightly, but are nearing our target population. On the river, we plan to continue with nest removal as part of an effort to reduce numbers, or at least prevent population increase." On the river, DEC worked on four private islands where DEC personnel reported approximately 450 pairs of cormorants attempting to nest and "most were not successful due to management," according to Mr. Farquhar. On Lake Ontario, DEC observed approximately 2,500 nesting pairs distributed between Little Galloo, Gull and Calf islands. Mr. Farquhar stated that cormorants on Gull and Calf Islands did not produce any chicks due to the management program, and on Little Galloo Island most were not successful due to egg oiling, the preferred method of killing eggs. "We destroyed 1,382 nests this year, 659 on the St. Lawrence River and 723 in the Lake Ontario eastern basin," Mr. Farquhar said. Persistent high-tree nesters that could not be reached by other means were taken down by shotguns. On those occasions, some cormorants were killed. DEC reported that 59 birds were taken on the river, while 799 were killed in the eastern basin. Cormorants can reportedly eat their weight in fish a day and anglers are concerned with their impact on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario fisheries, especially the yellow perch fishery, which is a staple of the birds' diet. A 2003 report by DEC showed that cormorants on just three islands on the St. Lawrence River consumed an estimated 23.52 million fish over a three-year period.

A terrific read Rich. You have the address for those musky and next year they'll be bigger and hopefully hungry.

You mean something like this post here dated September 9th.

I'll tell you what I think, I think it was excellent!

eh.

posts,

more

Four

As a 30 year veteran of float fishing (center pin) I don't disagree with Roy's opinion.

A great trilogy of posts Wayne, I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. Moments of hardship and sorrow interlaced with hours of cottage life, family and friends. Thanks for taking the time to recap your summer.

Can't be a Ford, you'd still be chained to the tree.

Congratulations Brian, I'm happy for you.

No doubt I'd have been as delighted as your buddy. I'm glad to hear that the damage was minimal, live and learn.

I don't think I'd want to be borrowing that one and I could likely replace it for less than most.

I love seeing posts of old photos. Thanks for taking the time to put them up Rob.