Spiel

:D :D :D :D

Remember Ryan it's not the size that matters, it's the quality. Perhaps today will be the day.

Cabelas wouldn't ship two part epoxy rod finish over the border, something about bombs and explosives! Oddly enough though their component kits have the epoxy prepackaged and it gets through.

It'll be brookies and browns in the morning for me then perhaps off to the Musky Odyssey in the afternoon.

Hmmmmmm, well I never.......

Oh yeah it was Dave, I was right beside him while he was yammering with you. Dave feels that it's a one sided relationship.

Hey I was standing in that very spot on Friday. Alas I have no fish to report. Good to see you guys made out better than I.

LOL.....Fishing rods.....right? As for that hot dog, mmmmmm that does look good!

I did see you only I didn't know it was you....LOL If you saw this boat it was me and the van was in the lot with Loomis decals on the windows and an OFC decal on the back. To bad I missed yous, would love to have spent a few moments yacking.

Those that missed it missed plenty. Great show put on by great people and the chance to spend time chatting over a few cold ones with TJ and Monique as well has old and new friends from OFC and of course the hosts of the Facts of Fishing seminars and their generous friends at Subway was well the the price of admission....FREE I know I'm glad I changed my mind and went!

No worries Mike, perhaps we can hook up for some fresh fall silver this year. Love the fall silver.

Well you did better than I did. I took my son out there yesterday and armed with Fishmasters cut bait and a handful of suggested spots we failed to even get one hit. We saw a number of boats up and down the river who were seemingly doing as well as us. My son had a great time and wants to go back next week and I think it's a good idea. I even had a number of OFC boat and car decals with me in case I saw any OFC'ers, but alas I did not.

Now I really feel like I missed out on something special this time.

I always look forward to trout opener but there's no chance in hell you'll find me steelheading! You can fish steelies year round without the crowds in many instances. Opener for me will be on a beauty little speck and brown stream with no company!

Wow I never knew I was an American....

Great shots Wayne, I'm not in any of those boats but with a little luck maybe next week.

In the park it is or you can try the one at Nancy Island (across from the beer store and free last time I used it). In the park you'll need Loonies and Twoonies for the automated ticket machine, don't try to go without paying cause you'll get dinged.

I must have missed something, care to elaborate?

Thanks guys, I am familiar with smaller versions of these reels (own 3) but was curious what the bigger reels were like, I think I've even used one or two 6500's (borrowed). At first I was leaning towards the 5500 thinking I don't need all that line capacity as a few of you noted but it was less coin for the 6500 (factory refurbished). I can get a brand new 5500 for $102.00 American if I act fast. Might go that route. Thanks for your help. Couldn't stay away eh Garry....

For you seasoned musky boys I'd like your opinion on this reel (for casting) and which size would be best for 80lb power pro? I can get a factory reconditioned one for $80 American, worth it?

Cool, I've heard of this once or twice before, though I've never seen it. But I do know that she is refered to as a "peahen". Took this quote from nationalgeographic.com "The term "peacock" is commonly used to refer to birds of both sexes. Technically, only males are peacocks. Females are peahens, and together, they are called peafowl." I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere.

Intolerance behind Asian angler attack, commission report says Georgina gets B grade for its response to issue April 09, 2009 L.H. Tiffany Hsieh / yorkregion.com David Ma will not go fishing anymore. In May 2008, Mr. Ma and a group of his friends were fishing on a bridge at Lake Simcoe, when a Caucasian man approached them to chat about fishing. The man appeared friendly at first, but what Mr. Ma experienced next was not what he had expected from the perfect stranger. The man pushed him into the water. "No, I don't fish now," Mr. Ma said in Mandarin. "I don't go." Mere days before Mr. Ma, who lives in downtown Toronto, found himself having to swim back ashore without the help of his attacker, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released a report that confirmed racial profiling as playing a role in the much-publicized inquiry into assaults on Asian Canadian anglers. The inquiry was prompted by six serious incidents reported in Georgina between April and September of 2007. Police are still looking for suspects for the Aug. 18 incident on Mossington Bridge. The final chapter of Fishing Without Fear, released in Markham on Tuesday, gives a generally positive progress report on how the 22 community, government and police organizations engaged by the OHRC dealt with racial discrimination throughout the inquiry. Chief commissioner Barbara Hall stated "yes" to a list of key criteria the OHRC examined: increased police presence, commitments, dialogue, awareness and a decreased number of reported assaults. "But have we finished the job? No," she said. "It's a positive start, but more needs to be done to keep the momentum going." Following incidents in Georgina, a number of cases involving Asian Canadian anglers have sprung up across southern and central Ontario. The latest hit close to home again during an ice fishing tournament in Sutton, part of the Township of Georgina, on Jan. 31. According to the OHRC report, Georgina Mayor Robert Grossi called the anglers and offered his apologies in response to the Sutton incident. Mr. Grossi, who was not present at the press conference due to meetings, his secretary said, was not available for comment. Representing the Outdoor Venture Fishing and Hunting Club, which hosted the event at the Diamond Banquet Hall in First Markham Place, Danny Leong says the OHRC report sends a very important message. "When you are working, fishing or travelling and some people are doing something wrong and you can't define it as racial discrimination - you have to learn (how to recognize) it," he said. "The report says racial discrimination was there right amongst us and we didn't realize that before." Mr. Leong, who lives in Markham and has directed a number of victims to the police, also noted attacks on Asian Canadian anglers are not inclusive of people of Chinese descent. "It's Filipinos and south Asians as well," he said. "And for someone like David, who was pushed and doesn't go fishing anymore, it's sad. It's not the way to share the natural resources of Ontario. It's totally wrong." Also at the conference were members of the Community Reference Group, a community-based coalition group. Headed by lawyer Avvy Go, director of the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, the group released a report card on the response of the Ontario government and stakeholder groups. It gave an "F" to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters for its "failure to understand the issue of discrimination against Asian Canadian anglers," and to the Village of Westport, north of Kingston, for "no commitments" in dealing with two reported incidents there. The Town of Georgina and both school boards in York Region received a "B." York Regional Police Services is the only one of all 22 organizations that garnered an "A" for "promoting safety around angling in the region, as well as educating the public and providing multiple language services to report any incidents." Chief Armand La Barge is proud of the more than 40 Asian officers he has on the York Regional Police force. He addressed the crowd with salutation in Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and English. "There's been a lot of action taken since the initial incident in 2007, but the reality is that this is a never-ending process," Mr. La Barge said, adding Operation Safe Shores, launched last year to step up waterfront patrols, will continue to take effect in Georgina. Mr. La Barge also said these "cowardly acts" of hate crime by no means reflect communities where the incidents have occurred. Last year, a total of 83 hate crimes were reported to York Regional Police, while 23 were in the Jewish community, only one was in the Asian community. "In the Town of Markham, 66 per cent of the residents were not born in Canada, so we have really worked hard, especially here in Markham and Richmond Hill, to represent the community that we serve," Mr. La Barge said. "I quite frankly think that the 80 or so cases that were reported to us in 2008 are the tip of the iceberg. I'm quite confident that there were more incidents of hate out there that were not reported to us, and I would suggest that the Asian community under-reports probably more so than any other communities." Part of the challenge, he explained, is the language barrier. As well, "most other communities don't enjoy the support the Jewish community does from organizations such as the B'nai Brith Canada Institute for International Affairs or the Jewish Congress, which will facilitate the reporting of hate crime." Nevertheless, Mr. La Barge says it is important to report all crimes, and reporting can be done in languages other than English. Not far from where Mr. Ma sat in the restaurant was Scarborough's Wally Cheng, who listened to the press conference with his family while photographers perpetually turned their lenses on him. "It's because of what happened to me, you know? Twice," Mr. Cheng said. "Once at Lake Simcoe, once at Rice Lake." In one incident, Mr. Cheng says he was approached by a police officer who was not in his uniform and demanded to see his fishing license. "I asked, 'Who are you?' You have to give me your name or I'm not going to give you my fishing license. Then he got mad at me. He shout at me and that's why I shout at him," Mr. Cheng said. While Mr. Cheng did not suffer from physical injury, he said the experiences still haunt him today - just not enough to discourage him from his favourite pastime though. "I still go fishing, all the time," Mr. Cheng said. "I went fishing to the same place three times March and April. I'm not afraid, because I'm entitled to fish."

Dye tracer testing near Fergus may turn Grand River red April 07, 2009 / www.grandriver.ca Over the next few weeks, officials from the Township of Centre Wellington’s Public Works Department, in partnership with the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), will place a safe, environmentally-friendly, "fluorescing" dye into the Grand River between the Shand Dam and Fergus, temporarily giving the river a red tint. The study is part of a Ministry of the Environment funded program to assess the vulnerability of municipal drinking water supplies. The undertaking is known as a "dye tracer test" – a common way to determine the travel time in watercourses to protect drinking water supply intakes. During the test, the dye will be injected into the river at several locations and the travel time and dye dilution will be measured at downstream locations. The test may appear to turn the watercourses red temporarily where the dye is placed. It will dilute quickly as it moves downstream, eventually becoming invisible. The dye tracer testing is one component of a series of municipal drinking water supply source protection studies the Township and GRCA are completing in support of the Province’s Clean Water Act. For more please contact: Ken Elder, Director of Public Works, Township of Centre Wellington, 519-846-9801 Rick Chilton, Environmental Services Foreman Water, Township of Centre Wellington, 519-843-6715

Conservation project aims to improve watershed for fish April 3rd, 2009 Jason Misner / Burlington Post Brook trout are becoming river’s version of canaries in a coal mine: observers During a visit to a friend’s house, located near Limestone Creek, just north of Burlington, Brian Penman noted last week the telltale ‘fanning’ motion of a trout. It was a female clearing away sediment to lay her eggs. When the eggs were laid, he said, male trout were quick to fertilize them. It was nature at work and Penman was amazed. This natural act impressed upon the Conservation Halton (CH) chair the value of a $260,000, two-year project to help restore and rehabilitate part of Bronte Creek, meandering through Burlington’s Lowville Park, with the goal of making the watershed healthier for trout to thrive. Last Monday morning, the project — a partnership between CH, Trout Unlimited Canada (TU) and the City of Burlington — was officially unveiled with an emphasis placed on how important an indicator trout are to the health and vibrancy of the creek. Trout love cold, clean water and that starts with clear groundwater that feeds into creeks and streams. If the trout population is low — particularly brook trout — that is an indication something is amiss and needs fixing. In Bronte Creek, small dams are popping up and causing water to pool and heat up. Jack Imhof, a University of Guelph biologist and representing TU, said a healthy creek should have around 60-80 lbs. of trout per acre and he estimates Bronte Creek has around 15-20 lbs. “Watersheds are the natural infrastructure in Canada,” he told the crowd at CH’s head office on Britannia Road earlier this week. “Bronte Creek is running a fever. It’s basically ill and in need of help.” Citing concerns about creek bank erosion and warming water, among other issues, TU — a three-decade-old volunteer, not-for-profit conservation organization — is working with the city and other groups to improve the sustainability of a portion of Bronte Creek. TU, with a mission to ensure viability of cold-water streams and creeks, has chapters located throughout Canada including 17 in Ontario. The Ted Knott Chapter has adopted the Bronte Creek watershed as its home watershed and meets regularly out of Conservation Halton’s offices. TU has access to an historic air photo which indicates Bronte Creek, through portions of Lowville Park, has widened substantially over long periods, degrading overall environmental health. The funding is shared by the Ontario Trillium Foundation ($126,000) and the city ($100,000) with TU providing the rest. Said Councillor John Taylor, whose ward includes Lowville Park: “The City of Burlington is awakening to environmental consciousness.” Through discussions with city staff, TU has said it is interested in renewal work, first on public lands and later expanding to initiatives on private property. At this point, TU is envisioning environmental improvements in Lowville Park would be implemented in 2009-10 and then focus on work on private property from 2011-13. Riparian areas or zones — land areas next to streams/creeks identified by the presence of unique vegetation requiring large amounts of water — would be targeted for improvement. The restoration of these areas will help support fish habitat by providing shade, cover, food and nutrients, as well as help to maintain water quality and moderate flows and temperatures that are critical for healthy fish habitat and overall watershed health, stated a staff report. The work is intended to start as soon as possible, Imhof said in an interview. For example, what could happen is specific rocks would be placed along the creek banks to help narrow them to make them cooler, as a means to kick-start a naturalization of the creek beds. Workshops will be held to inform landowners of the project. Penman said after the press conference the participation of private landowners as creek stewards is key. Through other ecologically-friendly works completed, more than 70 property owners have already been recognized for protecting the natural environment along the Bronte Creek watershed, according to a CH news release.

Giving back to the lake Local volunteers stock Lake Ontario with thousands of fish April 8th, 2009 Jillian Follert / Newsdurhamregion.com When Bruce Burt catches a Chinook salmon, it’s likely that he’s looking at a fish he helped raise. The Ajax fisherman is one of about 60 volunteers who help fill Lake Ontario with tens of thousands of fish every year. Most people outside the angling community assume salmon and other fish naturally reproduce and keep their numbers up, but it actually takes a lot of time and hard work to ensure local waters are well stocked. “I really enjoy fishing, and this is a way of giving back to the sport,” said Mr. Burt, vice-president of Metro East Anglers (MEA). “It also helps the environment and it helps the fishing industry.” It all starts at the Ringwood Fish Culture Station, just north of Stouffville. The hatchery used to be run by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, but when the Province ran out of funding a few years ago, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters took it over with the help of dozens of volunteers. Every fall, volunteers head out to the Credit River in Mississauga, where they catch Chinook salmon and milk them for their eggs. The eggs are then taken back to the hatchery where they are fertilized. About eight weeks later the eggs hatch and the tiny fish are put in tanks and carefully fed and monitored until they’re ready for their spring debut. “People really like the idea of creating something, they start with these eggs and six months later they’re releasing fish,” said Andy Rubaszek, operations co-ordinator at Ringwood. “Some of our volunteers fish, but some don’t at all. They just want to do something to help the lake.” This weekend, volunteers carefully transferred thousands of Chinook to locations along Lake Ontario, including the Whitby Marina. The fish were placed in special pens in the water, where they will stay for another six weeks, before being released into the lake. Mr. Burt said the pens allow the fish to gradually get used to the lake water after spending their early weeks in the pristine spring water at the hatchery, and also give them a chance to be “imprinted” with the scent of Lynde Creek and Whitby Harbour, so that when they reach maturity, they will return to their home stream to spawn. This year, the Ringwood project will stock Lake Ontario with 540,000 Chinook salmon, 50,000 Coho salmon, 60,000 Atlantic salmon and 20,000 rainbow trout.