Spiel

Okay, that makes sense. Very conservation minded of you Glen or perhaps it's selfishness? Are you hoping to eat all the offspring once harvestable.

I gotta ask, what color does he prefer for road trips....

Did Brook Trout once inhabit these waters? March 6, 2009 BOB LIDDYCOAT / ww.dunnvillechronicle.com It may not be the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot but the search is on to find proof of a creature, now the mere subject of fishing lore, which once swam in Mill Creek just west of Cayuga. Habitat Haldimand is looking for anyone who has documented evidence the increasingly rare Brook Trout did indeed once occupy the cold water tributary that feeds the Grand River. In the 1960s the stream was dammed up to create an interpretive centre known as Taquanyah. That created a shallow warm lake, which is not a favourable environment for Brook Trout. Eventually, Taquanyah was all but abandoned until members of Habitat Haldimand decided to reverse the neglect and restore the natural and environmental educational opportunities that exist there. Wade Dowling, chair of Habitat Haldimand, told the Chronicle they began a partnership with the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) back in 1999 to reopen the centre. "Since then, a lot of work has been done at the Taquanyah Centre. We began by cleaning up the trails and planting trees and opening it for use as a nature centre to students," he said. "All students from various school boards and Six Nations are welcome." But Bill Christmas, president of the Ted Knott Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada, saw a new opportunity. "When I moved to the area about six years ago I noticed the possibility that Mill Creek would be a good trout stream. When they dammed the stream back in the 1960s it was one of the classic errors they often made 30 or 40 years ago," Christmas told the Chronicle. He explained that, by doing so, they created a wetland but also destroyed the ecosystem that was already in place. "They liked to dam up streams and make interpretive centres back then," he said. "But by the time I came along, Habitat Haldimand was already in the process of taking out the dam. I discovered Mill Creek is a natural cold stream and thought it might be perfect for Brook Trout." No Trout are present now but about four years ago he worked along with Habitat Haldimand and many volunteers to reestablish the natural channel and get the stream flowing again eliminating the shallow lake which had been created. Now they want to introduce Brook Trout into the stream as it has potential to be a perfect habitat for them in terms of constant cool temperatures and natural gravel bottom for spawning. But the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) will not allow that to happen unless a complete environmental assessment is done to prove there is a great potential for success. However, the Ministry will speed up the process if documented proof can be presented that Trout flourished there previously. Such evidence could eliminate the need for a lengthy and expensive study. "There are stories of people catching Brook Trout (or Speckled Trout) before the dam was built but nothing that can be considered documented proof has surfaced so far," said Christmas. "There are lots of stories of people who say dad, or granddad caught trout there but we haven't been able to document it at the libraries or museums or newspapers. People like Mike Pettigrew at Caledonia Bait and Tackle tell us they've heard the stories." Now Habitat Haldimand is trying to get the word out to residents or former anglers in the area to come forward with anything they might consider proof that Brook Trout once flourished in the stream. Christmas is convinced the stream will be perfect. "Mill Creek is spring-fed so keeps a constant cool temperature, at around eight or nine degrees Celsius, and it flows all year round and there are natural spawning habitats already there," he explained. "The MNR and GRCA were surprised by the amount of water coming from the stream," he added. "Brook Trout are like the canary in a coal mine. If you have them, you know you have a healthy stream because they require clean, cold water, oxygen and no pollution. They are the first to die off when anything goes wrong," he said. "They die off when the water becomes stagnant and warm and you get carp and other bottom-feeders instead." "And, said Christmas, "They proliferate quickly, stay in the area, are easy to catch and put up a good fight. Fishermen love them. Of course, it will be a catch and release area." Christmas explained the Brook Trout are a self-producing species. "You don't have to stock them anymore. They thrive at a very low cost. All you need is a little common sense and a lot of volunteer labour. By comparison, hatchery fish have a 90 per cent mortality rate so you have to stock every year. But if you take fish, like Brook Trout, from a wild environment, they reproduce on their own." The work done by Habitat Haldimand has also created a buffer zone from contaminants. They built fences along the stream to keep cattle out and stabilized the banks to prevent erosion. And four years ago they dug out the channel to allow the cold stream to flow along its natural course. Wildlife existing in the shallow lake was moved into the Grand River so nothing was destroyed. Habitat Haldimand has planted more than 1,000 trees that will also provide shade to the stream. "The neighbours have been fantastic. They were on board right away and helped with the work, fencing and bank stabilization," said Dowling. "They were into it right away. They knew what we were talking about." Christmas agreed. "I have been doing this kind of work for many years and these are the best landowners I've ever encountered," he said. In fact, among other projects, he has worked on 22 streams across the northern part of Lake Ontario in re-introducing Atlantic Salmon to the area. "They've been gone for over 100 years but the program has been a huge success," he said. Some of those projects were very large and expensive. At Mill Creek, volunteers have been doing the work, "So it isn't expensive at all," Christmas noted. "For example," Christmas said, "The 4H Club is now involved. They're really dedicated to helping with the stream." The Caledonia Hunters and Anglers and students from Niagara College have also been involved. "We've got an amazing network of young, local, educated people who are helping. The younger generation has latched on to this and are trying to undo the damage we've done to Mother Nature over the years," offered Christmas. "Right now, we've got all the stuff in place to get trout into the stream. And I think you will see Steelhead and Rainbow Trout migrating to the stream as well," he speculated. The Ministry will have final say if stocking of the stream goes ahead. But Christmas and Dowling are certain that documented proof of Brook Trout once populating the stream will go a long way to speeding up the approval process. "Without proof we will be looking at least another year before getting permission to move ahead," said Christmas. "With proof we could be stocking the stream by September." Christmas added, "Our (the TUC) mission statement is to preserve and protect clearwater streams in Canada and if there ever was an example of it, it would be to take this stream, which had been destroyed 40 years ago, and wind back the environmental clock." Anyone who can provide proof that Brook Trout (Speckled Trout) once swam in the waters of Mill Creek can contact Bill Christmas at 905-765-2720.

Ah the all in a day fishless tour. Saugeen, Sauble, Wiarton, Oxendon, Balmy Beach, Owen Sound, Leith, Meaford, Thornbury, Craigleith and home.....been there done that. LMAO

Ah man, you throw back crappie, that's just not right. I'd love a mess the size of those beauties! Filet 'em, flash freeze 'em and express ship them to me.

Navy blue for a coat I'll wear fishing.....ah no! Camo....

What color do you paint them Cliff?

Good golly Miss Joey we're going to look good driving around in that!

Perch, pickerel, bass return to Cootes after carp leave March 18, 2009 Eric McGuinness The Hamilton Spectator Ron Albertson, the Hamilton Spectator The burly, bronze-coloured carp thrashed strongly as Melissa Fuller displayed it to a crowd of spring break walkers at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) fishway separating Cootes Paradise from the open water of Hamilton Harbour. "It's basically a big bulldozer that goes through the marsh and wrecks everything," the conservation intern explained as she dumped the carp into a sluice leading back to the harbour. Fish heading from the harbour to Cootes to spawn swim into large underwater baskets that are raised at least once most days, allowing staff to let bass, pickerel, perch, pike and other native species swim into the marsh while diverting unwanted carp and goldfish back to the bay. Only about 50 fish were intercepted in the first three days of this year's operation, but the numbers will increase as spring advances. Aquatic ecologist Tys Theysmeyer says one of the biggest successes of the RBG's Project Paradise marsh restoration project is the resurgence of yellow perch, a popular Great Lakes sport and commercial fish, famous in Port Dover where it's deep-fried and served on platters. "Last year was a really good year for yellow perch, the species we're most interested in because it's a foundation species that has the biggest role to play in restoration of the fishery. It will return to being the most common animal in the RBG and the harbour. "In the fishway's first year (12 years ago), we saw only six. Now we see more than six in each cage lift, and had more than half a million last year, but I won't be happy 'til there are 10 million." Theysmeyer is also pleased to report that, "We've re-established spawning runs of all bass species -- rock, smallmouth, largemouth and white, though there are not a lot of them yet." Low water late in 2007 let RBG staff chase all but a few carp out of the marsh, though a few managed to swim back and more were swept downstream from Christie Lake in meltwater last spring. Fuller told curious onlookers this week that fewer and fewer carp are caught at the fishway each year. "We used to see a lot," she said, "but now it's 75 per cent native species."

Saving a dam March 19, 2009 Eric McGuinness / The Hamilton Spectator Gary Yokoyama, the Hamilton Spectator GREENSVILLE Ken Blackwell, who's lived near Crooks Hollow for 31 years, was surprised to read in The Spectator that the Hamilton Conservation Authority planned to rip out the crumbling, 96-year-old Crooks Hollow Dam on Spencer Creek. "It's an eight-minute walk from my house, my kids grew up playing near the dam and ever since the Optimist Trail was built three years ago, I've come to appreciate the hollow more than ever. It's an unmanaged area, quite a contrast to Webster's Falls Park, which is groomed." Blackwell says he and his neighbours enjoy seeing the dam and the 600-metre long reservoir that attracts geese and ducks, is popular for fishing and serves as an emergency source of firefighting water, though it hasn't been needed for that for many years. "There's a huge disconnect between the points of view in the plan for getting rid of the dam and reservoir and what people around here feel about the place," he says. More than 550 people have signed a save-the-dam petition circulated by Blackwell and artist Renate Intini. Blackwell has also created a Facebook page that's attracted 260 supporters, and west Flamborough Councillor Robert Pasuta has convinced the authority board to ask staff for a new report on the planned demolition next month. "I'm touched to find kids I coached in ball and hockey 25 years ago joining the group," Blackwell says. "The hollow and what we're used to there is part of everyone's background. You go down there frazzled and after about five minutes you become calm." Repair costs, originally thought to run from $2 million to $3 million, are now estimated at $1,236,000, which includes major maintenance again around 2040. Demolition, dredging of sediment and rehabilitation of the streambed is put at $945,000. There have been mills and dams in the hollow since the early 1800s, when it was home to the first paper mill in Upper Canada. The present dam was built to supply drinking water to Dundas. Since the Christie Dam was built upstream in 1972, the Crooks Hollow Dam does little to provide flood control, and consultants say the creek would revert to a more natural state without it. Blackwell says he's pleased the authority board "is showing flexibility in its willingness to take another look."

Will steel slump hurt reef cleanup? March 18, 2009 Eric McGuinness / The Hamilton Spectator U.S. Steel Canada says it will honour an obligation made by Stelco to supply steel for the cleanup of toxic coal tar around Randle Reef in Hamilton Harbour. But the impending, indefinite shutdown of both the Hamilton and Lake Erie plants raises a question about whether the company will be making steel in Canada in time for the planned start of construction next year. Agencies involved in the harbour restoration have not revealed that the former Stelco made a commitment before being acquired by U.S. Steel. They continue to say they only hope for a cash or in-kind contribution from the new owner. The promise is revealed in a February 2008 U.S. Steel filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It says: "The Canadian and Ontario governments have each made commitments for the environmental remediation of Randall (sic) Reef in Hamilton Harbour. Stelco had committed to supply steel necessary for this project. USSC (United States Steel Canada) has inherited this commitment and has accrued a liability equal to the estimated cost of supplying such steel. "It is possible that additional commitments may be sought or imposed on USSC, but the nature and extent thereof cannot be estimated at this time." Environment Canada and the Ontario Environment Ministry have each pledged $30 million to the $90-million plan to build a double-walled steel structure around the most heavily contaminated sediment, then to dredge up less-toxic mud and put it inside the walls before adding a cap of clean fill. Part of the resulting peninsula would be landscaped, part would become a Hamilton Port Authority pier. The authority hired former federal Liberal cabinet minister Tony Valeri last year to find the $30-million local share. Brent Kinnaird, the authority's market development manager, would not comment on how much has been raised or on the commitment by Stelco. Trevor Harris, speaking for U.S. Steel Canada, said the company realizes the importance of the cleanup and the SEC filing speaks for itself in terms of the company's obligation. Beyond that, he said: "We intend to be a good neighbour in Hamilton and do all we can to help this community thrive for a long time to come. Over the course of the last year and a half, we have demonstrated that environmental stewardship is a core principle of our business." Environment Canada's Tracy Lacroix-Wilson sent an e-mail saying U.S. Steel had "indicated a willingness" to address the coal-tar issue and, "We have received no indication that recently announced changes to the operation of the U.S. Steel plant in Hamilton in any way alter that position. "We will be following up with all parties engaged in the Randle Reef project over the coming months to confirm funding and participation through development of formal agreements. "We anticipate that U.S. Steel will join the governments of Canada and Ontario, the City of Hamilton, the Hamilton Port Authority and potentially other parties in confirming their contributions to the project at that time." Jennifer Hall, on behalf of the Environment Ministry, said: "U.S. Steel recognizes the need to contribute to the project and we are very encouraged with recent discussions about their commitment to help fund Randle Reef with in-kind steel contribution. "The shutdown has had no impact on these discussions and we remain very positive that an agreement will be reached."

Agreed! And remember if you have respect for someone nor matter how little you don't refer to 'em "Turd Boy".

Good job Carole. I am however having a difficult time believing Cliff caught the one in the picture he posted.

GRCA plans to shore up Drimmie Dam to protect river users in Elora Gorge March 09, 2009 / GRCA The Drimmie Dam on the Grand River in Elora is in such poor shape that there is a risk of a sudden failure, which could send a wave of water roaring through the Elora Gorge. Flows could jump to 12 times normal levels in just 15 minutes. A two-metre (six foot) wave would endanger anglers and kayakers at the foot of the Elora Falls. About 300 metres downstream the wave would still be about 0.8 metres (2.5 feet) high and would be a threat to all river users, including hikers and tubers. To reduce the risk, the Grand River Conservation Authority plans to shore up the dam by placing rock fill on either side of the structure. The work would be done this spring and the cost would be about $100,000. Care would be taken to minimize any impact on the environment. This is an interim measure to protect public safety. The long-term future of the dam would be considered by an Environmental Assessment later this year which would examine alternatives ranging from permanent removal to replacement. An Environmental Assessment is a public process that would involve all levels of government and other agencies, as well as local residents. Tentative approval for the plan was given by the GRCA’s general membership in a committee of the whole meeting on Monday, March 9. A final decision will be made by the board at a meeting on March 27. A staff recommendation that the dam be breached to lower water levels behind the dam was rejected by the board in favor of the plan to shore it up. Drimmie Dam straddles the Grand River in downtown Elora, about 65 metres upstream of the Elora Falls. It is known as a “run of the river” or “low-head” dam. It was built in the late 1800s to power mills. It was acquired by the GRCA in 1984 from the Elora Mill Inn and some remedial work was done at the time to allow the mill to operate a hydroelectric generator using water from the “head pond” created by the dam. However, the dam has significantly deteriorated in recent years, according to a report by Sanchez Engineering Inc. The company was hired by the GRCA in 2007 to do a dam safety assessment. “Visual examination of the dam in the fall of 2007 and June 2008 confirmed that the dam is in very poor condition,” said the Sanchez report. “On the north section, pieces of the concrete have been lost along the top of the dam, which presents a jagged surface. The concrete in the south section is severely broken and water is flowing through the dam itself.” “If nothing is done to repair or replace the dam, its deterioration will continue with time, the dam will fail,” said the report. The report said the dam meets the conditions to be classified as a “significant hazard dam” under the draft Ontario Dam Safety Guidelines. The dam is in such poor condition that there is a risk of what is known as a “sunny day” failure. That would occur when there are no unusual stresses on the dam, such as high flows or pressure from moving ice. In a “sunny day” failure, flows would rise to 65 cubic metres per second (cm/s) compared to 5 cm/s on most summer days. There is also a risk of dam failure associated with the spring melt, but that would not have pose as much of a safety threat because flows are already high. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Further information: Cameron Linwood, GRCA Communications Co-ordinator Phone: (519) 621-2763, Ext. 2251 Fax: (519) 621-4844 E-mail: [email protected]

Now that's a sweet report Wayne, the casualties are just part of the game. Hell I wouldn't mind going fishless and being called Terry, it's better than not getting out!

A real fish story He catches record muskie -- and then leaves it for somebody else Wednesday, March 18, 2009 BILL LANKHOF / TORONTO SUN When Dale MacNair hooked a muskie that had a bigger belly than many people, he knew he had a "dream" catch. What the 45-year-old Ottawa fisherman didn't realize is that he'd get more attention for letting the fish go than for actually catching it. "It is a very impressive fish. There hasn't been anything this big caught since 1949," MacNair said of the 145-centimetre muskie he caught in the chill and gloaming on the St. Lawrence River, Nov. 28. "Kids are amazed when they see this fish, a 33-inch (84 cm) girth -- that's bigger than a lot of men's pants size," said McNair, who will bring a replica to the Toronto Sportsman's Show on Saturday. The actual fish he can't show anyone. It's back out bellying up somewhere to a perch dinner. There was never a doubt that fish was going back into the water, said McNair, even though photos of him holding the fish show it to be a world record candidate. Muskie Canada's formula puts the size at 30 kilos; the U.S. formula makes it 34.9 kilos. Muskie Canada says the last official Canadian catch- and-release record close to MacNair's catch dates back to 1988, when a Toronto man caught a 29.5-kilo muskie in Georgian Bay. "I'm still getting calls every day ... but the bigger buzz is that I didn't kill the fish. I let 'er go. If I would've killed the fish, there's no question it would've been a world record," said MacNair. "It's recognized as the world's biggest catch-and-release muskie which means more to me than having a dead fish." McNair grew up fishing Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick and about 18 months ago caught the muskie bug. "I relive it every time I tell it," he says of the day he came face to fin with history. He, girlfriend Julie Cashaback and fishing buddy Sal Rotolo fished uneventfully until late afternoon and decided to move to an area known as the 40-Acre Shoal. "It's -4 (degrees) before the wind chill, 25 mile an hour winds from the west, three-foot waves, five o'clock, pitch black ... my rod gave a tick, tick and I picked it up." Seconds later, MacNair knew he'd scored big. The fish screamed line off his reel, then reversed direction. Rotolo turned on his boat lights. When the fish was nine metres off stern, "she launches out of the water. It's a sight the three of us won't ever forget," said MacNair. Nobody, will let him forget. He was invited to the Chicago Muskie show in January, then the Milwaukee Muskie show and another in Columbus. He appeared at the Ottawa Sportsman show. This weekend it's Toronto. He's been invited to the St. Catharines Muskie Odyssey and the Ottawa Carp Show. "It's been insane," MacNair said from his Ottawa custom glass shop. "Larry Ramsell, he's a muskie historian and author in Hayward, Wisc., drove 16 hours to Ottawa to meet me, shake my hand and look at pictures. He slept on the floor in my condo, got up at 5 a.m., and drove all the way back." The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward recognizes a 31.6 kilo (69-pound, 11-ounce) muskie caught by Louis Spray in 1949 as the record. The International Game Fish Association in Florida, recognizes a 31.7 kilo (69-pound, 15-ounce) fish caught on the St. Lawrence by Marv Lawton in 1959. "Ninety-nine percent of muskie anglers don't believe either," according to Ramsell. "Many would like to see a clear and clean record caught to settle the issue." But MacNair has no regrets. The St. Lawrence lost 70% of its muskie population to a virus in 2004. "I know guys with over 400 hours fishing on the St. Lawrence without a single fish," said MacNair, adding, "a fish with this strain of genes will produce a lot more muskie. This will help the population come back."

Father-son quest: 50 trophy waters in 50 states in 50 days SUN., MAR 15, 2009 - 12:59 PM BRAD DOKKEN / madison.com GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Jeff Turner has never fished Devils Lake; or anywhere else in North Dakota, for that matter. That will all change July 10, when Turner, 47, and his son Taylor, 17, spend a day on Devils Lake with Grand Forks fishing guide Mark Bry as part of an epic angling adventure they’ve dubbed “50 Trophy Waters in 50 States in 50 Days.” The marathon fishing trip begins June 13 — the day after Taylor finishes his junior year of high school — on the Susquehannah River in Pennsylvania and concludes July 30 on Hawaii’s Kona Coast. In between, they’ll fish some of the best water the United States has to offer for everything from steelhead and sturgeon to bass and blue marlin. According to Turner, who lives in Warrenton, Va., the trip is part charity, part adventure and all about promoting father-son relationships. Call it a “Bucket List” item, of sorts. “I’ve been asked numerous times in life, ’What would you do if you had no real limits? If you could take a summer without any consequences, what would it be?’ “ Turner said this week in a telephone interview. “My response was always fishing.” Turner said the inspiration for the upcoming trip came from the John Eldredge book “Wild at Heart,” which he’d read in 2002. The book, he says, challenges men to rediscover their passions in life and not shy away from adventure. The point hit home last June, Turner said, when a friend who’d founded a men’s ministry called “Band of Brothers” died suddenly of a heart attack. Sitting at the funeral, Turner says he was touched by the number of people whose lives his friend had touched. Turner said he realized then that he and his son had only one summer left to do something really special. That something, the pair decided, would be a fishing adventure. An expert in satellite and aerial mapping, Turner was partner in a company that developed 3D mapping technology that’s gained wide use in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A contractor purchased the company, Turner says, which gave him the time and the resources to take a marathon fishing trip. And when his wife, whom Turner calls a realist, agreed they should make the trip, the seeds of this father-son adventure were officially planted. “I often tell people that, as men, we have this desire for adventure, but we also have this desire to create what I like to call a ’Remember When’ moment,” Turner said. “It’s kind of like the guys sitting around the boat in the movie ’Jaws’ and talking about their shark bites. “It’s neat to think about what this summer will mean in that respect.” Turner and his son started planning for the trip by poring over every magazine, book or Web site they could find to lock in their list of trophy waters. Trophy, by Turner’s definition, didn’t necessarily mean big fish. He says he chose the Androscoggin River in New Hampshire, for example, because the stream, once badly polluted, inspired Congress to pass the Clean Water Act of 1974. “I very purposely avoided any aspect of geography,” Turner said. “I didn’t want to know how I was going to get there; I just wanted to say, ’This is a reasonable, defendable trophy water area.’ “ Once they’d nailed down their list of fishing destinations, Turner said he broke out a map to see how grueling the route would be. It’s possible to cover the Lower 48 states in about 7,200 miles, Turner says, but he and his son will cover about 15,000 miles in a used compact RV he bought just for the occasion. Flights to Alaska and Hawaii — their last two stops — will put the total trip at about 21,000 miles, he says. Next up, Turner started contacting guides across the country. He also set up a Web site to help publicize the trip. Many of the guides offered their services for free, or at a reduced rate, once he told them more about the trip. In Florida, for example, Turner says a tarpon guide who commands $1,000 a day in mid-June initially offered a discount. The next day, Turner says, the guide called back and said he’d do the trip for free. And in Alaska, a bush pilot offered to fly Turner and his son anywhere they wanted to fish and set them up with a guide — no charge. “He said, ’I don’t know exactly what this is, but I want to be a part of it,’ ” Turner said. “That’s been the response so often.” A native of Wichita, Kan., Turner says he almost attended graduate school at the University of North Dakota in 1984, but a geology and petroleum project he was set to work on in the Williston Basin fell through when the funding was canceled. As a result, his North Dakota travel experience is limited to passing through the state en route to fishing destinations in Manitoba and Ontario. Turner and his son will travel to Devils Lake from a fishing stop in the Black Hills of South Dakota before heading to east to fish muskies on Lake Vermilion near Tower, Minn. In researching North Dakota fishing, Turner said Devils Lake kept coming to the forefront as a prime destination. He found Bry’s name on the Internet and contacted the guide about six months ago. Bry, who also teaches at South Middle School in Grand Forks, says the concept behind the trip immediately caught his attention. “When he called me, I was thinking 50 states in 50 days, how is that going to happen?” Bry said. “Then I went and looked online and I could tell right away he was a very organized guy. He had everything lined up. Just to get his son involved — I think that’s so important. I thought it was really cool how he wanted to do that and publicize it all.” Bry recalls Turner saying not to worry about catching fish. But like any guide, Bry’s hoping to put some fish in the boat. “I don’t want to blow my own horn, but I think we can catch a few fish,” Bry said. “I’m looking forward to it.” Turner says about a dozen companies and organizations have gifted equipment for the trip. The donations and reduced guide fees will cover about 25 percent of the trip’s cost, Turner says. “That leaves me with about the cost of a car to get the rest of the things done,” he said. Some days, Turner says they’ll be able to fish two states in a single day. That will allow them to fish 48 states in 46 days. Other times, Turner says, they’ll have to drive 10 to 12 hours to get from one state to the next. He says the logistics, including the purchase of two fishing licenses from each of the 50 states, are almost in place. He also has a Plan B for nearly every aspect of the trip. As always in fishing, weather is the wildcard, and there might be days when they can’t get on the water. “If the guide won’t go out, do we just fish from shore and check the box? For some, we might have to do that,” Turner said. “The weather is the one thing we’re really going to have to make some concessions on with the quality.” Worst-case scenario, Turner said they’ll make up any states they might lose by adding them at the end of the trip. Turner said he’ll update his Web site daily throughout the trip with videos and journal entries. People also will be able to track their whereabouts in real-time through GPS technology called Live View. In the end, though, the reason for the trip is simple: to encourage fathers and sons to connect. “It’s so easy for us to let time get away and not take advantage of the opportunities we do have,” Turner said. “We do have a special relationship and should cultivate it.” Not everyone, he says, has the resources to embark on such a lofty undertaking. “By no means do I expect people to go off and do what we’re doing, but I’ve had guys come up and say, ’Because of what you’re doing, I called up my dad and went on a fishing trip — or camping,”’ Turner said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

The Great Lakes on the great big screen March 14th, 2009 John Law / Niagara Falls Review Growing up near the Great Lakes, director David Lickley thought he knew plenty about the massive freshwater system. Then he started filming his IMAX movie Mysteries of the Great Lakes, and discovered he’s a novice like everyone else. “I realized I really didn’t know very much at all,” says the filmmaker, whose big screen nature flick opened Friday at the Niagara IMAX Theatre. “Some of the issues, the events, the critters … most of it I learned on the way through this film. And I’m a biologist, so I kind of prided myself on being fairly knowledgeable. “But I think most people - even if they live on the Great Lakes -will find about 90 per cent of the things in the film will be new to them.” Six years in the making (four of them just securing financing), the 45-minute, $6-million production offers one spectacular visual after another, including a majestic shot of the Horseshoe Falls in the opening moments. Lickley calls it the “icon” of the Great Lakes, and an appropriate place to start the story. From there, the film examines how the falls went dry for 3,000 years, how nature has adapted to the 16,000 kilometres of Great Lakes coastline, and how one man -biologist Ron Bruch -is trying to reintegrate the world’s oldest and largest freshwater fish into the system. The narrative connecting the film follows Bruch and his love of the sturgeon, which once thrived in the lakes but was decimated in recent decades by overfishing and polluted waters. Dating back 130 million years, the prehistoric giants can grow to 200 pounds and live for more than a century. But as the film’s narrator Gordon Pinsent explains, “to the newly arrived Europeans, the sturgeon was nothing but an ugly nuisance. “A fish that once dominated the Great Lakes declined by 99 per cent.” Lickley also got fascinating footage of bald eagles raising their young. It required hiding a huge IMAX camera in a tree, 24 metres off the ground. “That’s never been done before in our format,” he says. “They’re difficult birds to get access to, and they spook very easily.” The film has been leased to 11 IMAX theatres across North America, and has been playing at Toronto’s Ontario Science Centre since May. Niagara IMAX Theatre spokesman Murray Mold says a recent screening for educators resulted in several schools booking matinee performances. It will screen at noon and 6 p. m. daily through the summer, alongside the theatre’s flagship movie, Niagara: Miracles, Myths & Magic, which has been shown continuously for 23 years. “We feel the two movies really complement each other,” says Mold. Tickets cost $12.50 adults, $9.50 children.

Fishing for ways to protect Lake Michigan Friday March 06, 2009 / mlive.com Asian carp will remain a pervasive threat to the Great Lakes until there is a reliable system to keep them out. To date, there is no fail-safe barrier. These formidable fish escaped from Arkansas catfish farms in the 1990s. Now, they are the dominant species in much of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. And they aren't far from Lake Michigan. We can't let them in. They have the potential to damage or destroy the habitat for other fish, ruin the big lake's ecology, find their way into the other Great Lakes and eventually devastate our multibillion-dollar fishing industry. "The worst-case scenario for the Great Lakes, if you compare it to what's happened in the Mississippi River, is pretty frightening," Marc Gaden, a spokesman for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, told Gazette News Service reporter Jeff Alexander more than a year ago. "This is a species that spreads quickly and is a feeding machine at the lower end of the food web. They take out all the things other fish eat. "When you start mucking around with the fundamental aspects of the food web, you're playing with fire." But we're not playing with fire here. We're playing with the world's largest surface freshwater system. Where is the sense of urgency on the part of our federal legislators? Are they actively working to find a fail-safe protection? Right now, the only structure keeping this invasive species from entering Lake Michigan is a small, six-year-old experimental barrier that delivers a non-lethal jolt to the fish. A permanent electric barrier, built in the Illinois River in 2006, will be turned on at partial strength this summer. Even though the U.S. Coast Guard OK'd its operation, there are concerns. Would its use at full strength pose a risk to any boater who fell overboard near the barrier? Would it threaten the safety of cargo ships transporting flammable substances? These are valid questions. But there also are questions about its effectiveness if it operates at a low level. Would such a low level render it useless against this aggressive fish? So what's to be done? We think any electric barrier strategy also requires sufficient backup, some reliable redundancy, to allow for possible power failure. Consider the fact that these fish originally escaped from containment ponds and have traveled farther and faster than anyone ever expected. Let's not make the mistake of underestimating this species again. Now here's an idea we find intriguing -- and it comes from private industry: A company, Heartland Processing, intends to operate a rendering plant in Havana, Ill., starting April 1, to process Asian carp. They certainly will have a nearly limitless supply of the fish. The Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star opined, "While we'd take a car plant, too, a carp plant will do what it can't: take on a non-native pest that the Illinois River's ecosystem can do without." The plant would heat whole carp until most of the liquid content is steamed away, leaving only fish meal, for animal feed, and Omega-3 fish oil, for pharmaceutical uses. Now there's a clever way to fight back -- a carp plant. This may help reduce the burgeoning number of fish, but it won't eliminate the threat they pose to Lake Michigan. The Alliance for the Great Lakes says the most effective way to stop the Asian carp would be to remove their pathway. Perhaps that would be most effective, but how quickly could this happen? And where would the money come from to pay as much as $15 million to erect concrete walls and construct more shipping locks in up to six areas? More studies would need to be done, taking more time that we just can't afford. The best option, at this point, is getting the new electric barrier operational as soon as possible and developing a fail-safe system to back it up. Speed is imperative.

A hole in Huron Newly discovered sinkholes sustain unusual bacteria at the bottom of the Great Lake Tuesday, March 10, 2009 Kevin Mayhood / THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Tiny, ancient life forms that thrive in ice-covered lakes in Antarctica and at thermal vents deep on the ocean floor have been discovered in saltwater percolating through the floor of Lake Huron. Mats of bright white and purple algae abound in sinkholes close to the freshwater plants and fish that teem through much of the lake. "We're seeing organisms and biochemical processes we're not supposed to be seeing in the Great Lakes," said Bopaiah Biddanda, an aquatic microbial ecologist at the Annis Water Resources Institute at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. His colleague, Stephen Nold, a biology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, said scientists are getting their first glances at this discovery. "It's like a rain forest on the bottom of Lake Huron; we don't know what species are there." Or, for that matter, what might lurk at the bottom of Erie and the other Great Lakes. "It's strange that salt-savoring bacteria from deep in the ocean would be in the lake," said Eugene Braig, assistant director of the Ohio Sea Grant program. "It certainly is of interest to me." Scientists from several Wisconsin and Michigan universities and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently made the discoveries and plan to look for the sinkholes and unique ecosystems in Lake Erie and Lake Michigan in the next couple of years. But first things first. How in the world do salt-tolerant species exist in a freshwater lake? To crack this mystery, you have to go back hundreds of millions of years, when an ocean covered the area. Eventually, the ocean dried up. Later, the Great Lakes formed. Today, there are freshwater aquifers beneath the lakes. In Huron, water bubbles from such an aquifer rise through the old sea floor, eroding and absorbing minerals left behind in the ancient limestone and dolomite, said Steve Ruberg, an observing systems researcher at NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. This denser water pools in the sinkholes there, creating the right environment for the microbes. The sinkholes, which are about a yard deep and stretch in length from a few yards to 100 yards, were discovered in 2001 by scientists looking for shipwrecks. After several years of preparation, the team of researchers began exploring with both divers and submersibles. Two weeks ago, the team announced that it had found unique ecosystems that include species normally found half a world away. "It looks like the bacteria have mechanisms to distribute themselves worldwide," Nold said. "They find a niche -- a spot where they can grow." After examining the DNA of one of the finds, cyanobacteria, researchers found that it is a close cousin of genus Oscillatoria, bacteria found at the bottom of clear, frozen lakes in Antarctica and at the bottom of a lake in Switzerland that is fed by sulfur springs. The purple microbes can feed through standard photosynthesis and anoxygenic photosynthesis. In the absence of oxygen, the microbes use hydrogen sulfide instead of water as a source of electrons for the process. The researchers found mats of white bacteria in deep, dark sinkholes where oxygenated lake water meets the high-sulfur water. The bacteria appear to be related to Beggiatoa, which live deep in the ocean near geothermal vents and cold seeps. These microbes feed off hydrogen sulfide through chemosynthesis, a lightless process akin to photosynthesis. The bacteria make carbohydrates from the oxidation of sulfur compounds. "In a true sense, this is a look at ancient times," Biddanda said. "Only microbes existed at the beginning of the Earth. "The conditions are similar: shallow seas, water very rich in sulfate and carbonate and chloride and almost depleted of oxygen." Monitors set up in two of the sinkholes will run through the summer to determine whether the flow of water through the floor is constant and how much it contributes to the water in the lake. Biddanda said they will try to gauge the age of the water by studying its radionuclides. Although the findings are unprecedented, researchers say the discovery in Lake Huron might not be unique. "We've heard from people that there are sinkholes in Lake Erie," Ruberg said. The same kind of aquifer that abuts Lake Huron also surrounds Lake Erie and much of Lake Michigan. And there are sinkholes on land associated with the aquifers. For example, the Blue Hole of Castalia is a spring that pumps more than 7,500 gallons per minute of fresh, oxygen-poor water into Cold Creek and nearby Sandusky Bay. Similar holes are reported in Sandusky Bay as well, making it a likely spot to look, said John Hageman, lab manager of Ohio State University's Stone Laboratory on Put-in-Bay. Mark Jones, a scientist with the Ohio Geological Survey, said he'd be surprised if no sinkholes are found in Lake Erie. However, he said he doesn't expect to learn of isolated microclimates. "Consider the western basin averages 10 or so meters in depth, maybe less," Jones said. He said the shallow lake is influenced more by sunlight and the warmth of the air than the rest of the Great Lakes, and that might make the lake inhospitable to the fauna seen in Huron. Nold said that makes further research all the more interesting. "A change in pH or temperature or any number of factors would make a difference," he said. "What's there may be the same as what's been found in other habitats or something completely different." Image 1 Image 2

Champion of Environmental Stewardship Sunday March 15, 2009 Matt Schudel / Washington Post Jack Lorenz, who became a nationally prominent advocate for nature preservation during 18 years as executive director of the Izaak Walton League, and who developed a code of ethics governing outdoor activities, died of a stroke March 2 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, where he was visiting. He was 69 and lived in Woodstock, Va. In 1974, Mr. Lorenz became leader of the Izaak Walton League, a conservation group long associated with fishermen, and made it a leading voice in the nation's environmental debates. He was best known for establishing the league's outdoor ethics program, which is based on a simple but far-reaching credo: "We must leave our woods, waters and wildlife better than we found them, and we must dedicate ourselves to inspiring others to do the same." He helped launch stream cleanup programs across the country, often with the participation of schoolchildren and senior citizens, and formed partnerships with businesses to preserve company-owned land in its natural state. He was a founder of an influential coalition of environmental organizations now known as the Green Group. As off-road vehicles became increasingly popular in the 1980s, Mr. Lorenz put pressure on manufacturers to change their advertising, which often depicted people barreling heedlessly through forests and streams. "He was the nation's spokesman for many years on the ethical management of hunting, angling and off-road vehicle use," said Paul W. Hansen, who was executive director of the Izaak Walton League from 1995 to 2007. "He was one of the nation's most well known and popular environmentalists." Affable and easygoing, Mr. Lorenz had the rare ability to find common ground among such disparate groups as the Sierra Club, National Rifle Association, businesses and recreational sportsmen. He denounced the thoughtless despoliation of the outdoors without condemning hunters or fishermen. "When we silently countenance slob hunting in a friend," he said, "we become slobs ourselves." A dedicated fisherman, Mr. Lorenz accomplished a lifelong goal of fishing in all 50 states and each of Canada's 10 provinces. But in the 1970s he challenged fellow members of the angling fraternity when he spoke out against killing fish caught during tournaments. He was considered a kook at first, but he was quietly persuasive and helped popularize the slogan "Don't Kill Your Catch." Today, "catch and release" is an established practice in sport fishing, and virtually all tournaments require hooked fish to be returned to the water unharmed. Mr. Lorenz's work was guided by the principle that every step into the wild should be taken with understanding and respect. "Hunting, fishing, camping, birding, hiking or simply witnessing a spectacular sunset while strolling along a beach -- it's all worth preserving for ourselves and those who will follow us," he said in 1987. "We dare not take it for granted." John Robbins Lorenz was born March 14, 1939, in St. Louis and grew up fishing on the rivers and lakes of Missouri and Arkansas. He graduated from the University of Tulsa in 1961 and worked early in his career for the Falstaff Brewing Corp. in St. Louis. One of his jobs was to accompany Dizzy Dean, the Hall of Fame baseball pitcher and broadcaster, on public appearances for Falstaff. "We talked a lot of baseball, but mostly we talked about fishing," Mr. Lorenz told the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail in 1997. "Diz lived in Mississippi, and when I'd brag about the size of some fish I'd caught, Diz would say, 'Pardner, down in Mississippi we've got fish that are that big between the eyes.' " In 1973, when Mr. Lorenz was named editor of Outdoor America, the publication of the Izaak Walton League, he loaded his family into a Volkswagen Beetle and drove to Washington. A year later, he became executive director of the league, which is named for the 17th-century author of "The Compleat Angler." Mr. Lorenz rarely stepped into the world of politics, but he made an exception when President Ronald Reagan nominated James Watt as interior secretary in 1981. "We've never done anything like this before," he said. "But our members simply can't see this man as a responsible steward of the environment. People say, 'He hasn't done anything yet.' But I don't have to see the body in the water if I can smell it." After a severe heart attack, Mr. Lorenz resigned as executive director of the league in 1992 but continued to write for its publications and to refine its outdoor ethics programs. In 2004, he moved from Alexandria to a home on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, which he considered one of the finest bass-fishing spots in the country. With a trip to Hawaii in 2007, he completed his personal quest of fishing in all 50 states. Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Margaret Caldwell Lorenz of Woodstock; two sons, John C. Lorenz of Vallejo, Calif., and Stephen F. Lorenz of Accokeek; two brothers; three sisters; and a grandson. Mr. Lorenz was a member of the Izaak Walton League's hall of fame and received the top conservation awards of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and Natural Resources Council of America. He was a co-founder of the Wildlife Habitat Council and was chairman of the Washington Conservation Roundtable. When asked to describe the significance of Mr. Lorenz's contributions to the natural world, Hansen, his former Izaak Walton League colleague, said: "Jack's response was that gratitude of our children will be thanks enough for our work."

Now that's truly insane!

I launch at the Queenston ramp I just head downstream from there. I don't drift the back eddy as it can get a little hairy at the top end.

The lower Niagara River has bass, walleye and more. I have fished it from a small tinny and it's all good if you stay down stream of the Queenston boat ramp.