Spiel

Please accept my heartfelt condolences Jacques.

Law could boost Lake Michigan beach algae February 15, 2009 Gitte Laasby / Post-Tribune More algae could make its way onto Lake Michigan shorelines if a bill introduced in the Indiana Senate becomes law, environmentalists say. "We have concerns in Lake Michigan about the amounts of phosphorus and nutrients because they can cause algal blooms, create problems and you get a lot of algae washing up on beaches like we've seen in Wisconsin and Michigan. Scientists believe it's, in part, tied to large amounts of nutrients," said Lyman Welch, water program manager with the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Welch is concerned the problem could worsen if the Legislature passes a bill by Sen. Beverly Gard. Under the federal Clean Water Act, facilities that want to dump more pollution into Lake Michigan are required to go through what's called an anti-degradation analysis to demonstrate that the increase is necessary to accommodate important social and economic benefits. Otherwise, the facility can't get a permit. But Senate Bill 419 attempts to undermine that law by exempting nitrogen and phosphorus from the analysis, Welch said. "This bill would exempt several different pollutants and facilities and companies from having to go through this analysis," he said. Nutrients like phosphorus have impaired many Indiana rivers, lakes and streams, including the Grand Calumet River at the Indiana Harbor Canal, Cady Marsh Ditch, Stony Run and Bull Run in Lake County; and Upper Fish Lake in LaPorte County. The bill could also undermine attempts to improve impaired waters so they can eventually be used for swimming and fishing. Albert Ettinger, senior attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, said the bill would prevent the Indiana Department of Environmental Management from calculating the total amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards. The calculation helps IDEM determine permit limits and ultimately ensure that impaired waters improve. Ettinger said if the General Assembly forces IDEM not to enforce federal law, EPA would have to take back IDEM's delegated authority to issue permits. "The whole point of a delegated program is that IDEM?will do what's required by federal law," Ettinger said. "This is certainly a bill that, if enacted, would result in U.S. EPA writing permits for Indiana." Welch pointed out that the bill would also disrupt ongoing meetings between businesses, government officials and environmentalists to flesh out Indiana's version of the federal law. That process has been ongoing since an independent review in 2007 concluded Indiana's unclear law contributed to the controversy over BP's wastewater permit. Welch sent a letter to Gard to point out the Alliance's concerns. Gard was not available for comment, but spokeswoman Erin Reece said Gard is working on an amendment to the bill, which she expects to introduce this week.

Gotcha.

Leave it to beaver to prove river cleaner, Animal spotted in Detroit after 75-year absence

Sturgeon spearers bring in 506 fish 91-year-old Hilbert man bags 125-pound sturgeon February 15, 2009 Ross Bielema / The Post-Crescent Tom Schumacher of Oregon flew all the way home just to spend some quality time in a Lake Winnebago sturgeon spearing shanty with his grandpa on Saturday. Schumacher's trip was worth the effort. He watched his grandpa, 91-year-old Aelred Schumacher, of Hilbert, drive a spear into a behemoth on opening day of the 2009 season. "I've been out on the ice 100 times with them, but this never happened," the grandson said. "It's the first time I've seen one come through the hole." He was ready with the gaff, pulling the 76.4-inch, 125-pound female lake sturgeon out of the hole on his first try. Aelred's fish was the second-largest registered Saturday on the Lake Winnebago system sturgeon spearing season, which also includes the upriver lakes of Poygan, Winneconne and Butte des Morts. The best fish of the day was a 148-pound female speared from Lake Poygan by David Koball, of Elkhart Lake. State Department of Natural Resources senior sturgeon biologist Ron Bruch, of Oshkosh, noted in his daily e-mail report that a total of 14 fish weighing 100 pounds or more were harvested, with 506 fish in all brought to the scales. The season will close when one of several harvest quotas is reached, or will remain open one more day after 90 percent of an individual harvest quota is reached. Aelred, who alternated between standing with his walker and sitting on a bar stool outside Harbor Bar's sturgeon registration station in Stockbridge, was beaming as a crowd gathered around to hear his tale. "I aimed for the middle, but I lost my balance a little bit," Aelred said. His grandson had spotted the fish and warned him that it was coming. Aelred's aim was a bit forward, and four of the five tines on the spear head Aelred made himself connected with the fish's head. "I think that's going to be my last fish," Aelred said. "When you're 91, it's time to quit." His party, including sons John and Don Schumacher, groaned when they heard of his possible spearing retirement. The upriver lakes typically are shallow and boast clearer water than Lake Winnebago, making it easier to see a sturgeon swimming below a spearer's hole. "Water clarity diminished significantly in the southern end of Lake Winnebago over the last few days due to the warm weather-induced runoff last week, so many spearers were moving north and east to areas of clearer water," Bruch said in his report. The Stockbridge weigh station on the lake's eastern shore registered 153 fish Saturday, the most of all 11 sites, while nearby Quinney tallied 63 fish. On the upriver lakes, Indian Point registered 60 fish. For comparison, Wendt's on the Lake along Lake Winnebago's west shore registered just 30 fish, with Harrison Town Hall recording 32 fish. Biologists and students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Great Lakes Water Institute moved their research spot from Wendt's to Stockbridge when it became apparent that's where the fish were. Rebecca Klaper, a scientist with the Water Institute, said the crew was taking liver, gonad and blood samples in an effort to find an easy, non-invasive way to determine a sturgeon's sex and growth stage. Kendall Kamke, a DNR fisheries biologist, was getting his hands dirty stripping eggs from an 87-pound sturgeon speared by Dave Shymanski of Chilton. Biologists will weigh the eggs and match it with the fish's overall size so they eventually can determine how many eggs a female of a certain size can produce, Kamke explained. While the science of this prehistoric fish is fascinating for some, others simply love the camaraderie and social aspects of this sport. Mike Matznick and Kevin LeMay, both of Oshkosh, were passing a bottle of vodka to celebrate the 49-inch sturgeon Matznick jabbed about 11:30 a.m. Saturday. "He came in fast," Matznick said. "I had to spear him at an angle." It was his first fish in 13 years, and his best, although he admitted to missing a few last year. There were a record 6,853 spearing shanties on the combined lakes Saturday. Although there was speculation that a 200-pounder might fall Saturday because of the increasing health of the estimated 60,000-fish population, the 188-pounder taken by Dave Piechowski of Redgranite in 2004 remains the one to beat. Of the 10 largest fish on record, four were taken in 2008. Water clarity made for good spearing, and the season closed in four days last year. Picture and Video here

Lessons from the lake: Rescued ice fishermen needed a backup plan February 15, 2009 Steve Pollick / toledoblade.com The ice fishing season on the south shore of western Lake Erie is finished, thanks to the recent warmup, rain and very high winds. But some unfinished business remains, particularly in light of the bashing ice fishermen generally are taking in the court of public opinion, thanks to and shaped mainly by the national television media circus that was ramped up to nonsensical levels on a slow-news Saturday afternoon. First, several points are beyond argument: •Bad judgment was in play here, especially by the minority of fishermen who did not have a backup plan and had to be retrieved. •No one should question the call of public safety authorities, from the coast guard to local fire and rescue departments, to institute the retrieval of stranded fishermen. They are the professionals and they face having people's lives in their hands every day. •Western Lake Erie is arguably the most unpredictable ice fishing venue anywhere. It is not, say, Upper Red Lake, Minnesota, where ice is measured in feet, not inches, and whole shantytowns are set up for months at a time. Erie lies on the southern fringe of the ice fishing zone; some winters there is no season, and the weather can change so suddenly and drastically that the need for caution is paramount. Which is why going out on a warm day with 40 mph south winds forecast was a bad move. It is no surprise that a manageable-size crack that had to be bridged suddenly grew unmanageable. But a majority of the fishermen on the ice that day - 75 to 80 percent of them, actually, figured it out for themselves and simply moved east until they found safe passage back to the mainland between Turtle Creek and Camp Perry. They didn't need rescuing. Their actions are part and parcel of living on the ice, and most of these individuals are capable enough and well-equipped enough to do so, as their actions proved. So let's spike the all-ice-fishermen-are-jerks stereotype. As for the wooden bridging of the initial crack being used by fishermen, that actually was a smart idea, astounding as that may seem to underinformed public critics. Pressure cracks and heavings always occur on ice, even on the aforementioned Upper Red Lake, Minnesota. Bridging is a common, if temporary, way to keep from beating up or wearing out the edges of a crack and to prevent it from growing wider - at least until strong winds shift the floe. So the fact that fishermen had built a bridge to cross a crack was not the issue; ignoring the wind forecast was the issue. Another popular criticism floating out there is that the rescued fishermen should have been fined for the cost of their retrieval. OK, open that can of worms. But then why stop with just ice fishermen? If they should be fined for bailout over bad judgment, why shouldn't everyone be fined when a fire and rescue or other public safety agency has to bail us out for carelessness, recklessness, or negligence? Falling down stairs, often because of carelessness, injures tens of thousands of people every year, many of them requiring rescue-squad calls. Many house fires are the result of negligence. How many motorists imperil themselves and others - and cause rescue runs to roll - because they drove too fast for conditions or were too busy jabbering on a cell phone or wolfing a cheeseburger at the wheel? Where do you draw the line? Golfers struck by lightning because they had to get in one more hole before the thunderstorm? Skiers in an avalanche? Or how about summertime boaters whose distress is caused by negligence? This is about saving lives, not about property. If you break it or lose it, you fix it, fetch it or replace it. Stranded ice fishermen are a sensational story, especially for a public and a media that barely understands it, and the story usually develops at a dull time of year so it quickly becomes high profile. Admittedly, this was the biggest Erie rescue operation ever, involving 21 agencies and the retrieval of some 130 or more fishermen. But the coverage lacked perspective and at times seemed almost semi-hysterical. [Gotta boost those ratings, you know.] Another thing: To say that "ice is never safe" is to utter an empty statement. Nothing is ever safe, including highways on a dry and sunny day. I like the reaction of Lucas County Sheriff Jim Telb. He essentially said setting up a system of fines as a deterrent to bad ice-fishing judgment may be worth a look. But he tempered that with the observation that public safety agencies exist to get people out of jams 24/7/365, and a lot of those jams are induced by improper behavior. A lot of blame gaming also is under way about what caused that unmanageable crack to widen - that it somehow was commercial shipping's or the coast guard's fault. For one thing, shipping has as much right to be on the lake in winter as ice fishermen. It is not ice fishingdom's private walleye honey-hole, and a fishing license does not entitle anyone to think so. Ship traffic moves up and down western Lake Erie and the Maumee and Detroit rivers from Toledo to Detroit, only very occasionally, every winter. Pelee Passage is also periodically opened by coast guard cutters for ship traffic, again every winter. This is not new; get over it. More importantly, ice moves - even 16-inch-thick, 8-square-mile floes. Just take a look at the 22 to 24-foot high ice piles on the beach at Catawba Island State Park northeast of Port Clinton. It is part of what is left of the Erie ice field after last week's windstorm pounding. The forces of nature have power beyond our micromanaging. For crying out loud, Rhode Island-size chunks of Antarc-tica's ice sheet break off and float out to sea in the coldest, most barren lands on earth. Do passing barges or ice breakers cause that? Another popular myth circulating among angling circles these days is that fishermen already pay their own way for search and rescue because $2 of every fishing license is designated for that. That is nothing but a six-pack fairy tale. Public safety agencies are funded by general taxes, not fishing licenses. In the end we dodged a bullet here and perhaps those who need to learn something from the experience will have learned something. To think before acting. To have a backup plan. And not venture onto Erie ice with 40 mph winds at their backs on a warm Saturday.

I got called away early so I was wondering what the concensus was on "Tiger Mucksie, do they taste as good as they look?"

Okay, so I've changed the default skin to the "Driftwood" and when Rick gets back to his ole self we'll get him to look at the script fot the "OFC Club" skin. I'm sure this will upset somebody.

Getting busy in there.

Very nice Lew. For and aft casting decks, how perfect is that.

In a word...."Beautiful!"

Fish porn!

It does say a lot for the state of the Grand River, doesn't it....LOL

If you really like the "skin" you are using there's always the "GO" button lower right corner. It takes you back to "general discussion" or any other forum on the site using the drop down.

I was on the list Dan but unfortunately things are not well enough for me to go. Have a great time guys.

The stinkin' truth on the lake February 15, 2009 Matt Crawford / burlingtonfreepress.com If you missed it last week, noted travel writer Peter Greenberg did a little dissin' on Lake Champlain. Greenberg put the entire lake on his "must-miss" list of travel destinations in his best-selling book, "Don't Go There!: The Travel Detective's Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World." Of our big lake he advised travelers to "bring a haz-mat suit along" if they came a-visiting Lake Champlain. You're free, of course, to characterize Greenberg and his claim any way you want, but Greenberg in no fool. He is the travel editor for NBC's "Today Show," CNBC and MSNBC, a best-selling author and host of the nationally syndicated "Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show." He is also a contributing editor to Men's Health and Forbes. OK, maybe his comments are a little over-the-top, perhaps designed to garner some attention for his book rather than to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but you have to admit, Lake Champlain seems more like a cesspool than a pristine place these days, and the chance for improvements coming on any front seem slim to none. Greenberg wrote, "The water often looks cloudy and green and smells foul, due to algae blooms, and the depletion of the lake oxygen has affected fish." If you've ever spent time fishing on Lake Champlain, you know he hit that nail square on the head. Environmental groups and the governor's office have used Greenberg's comments to kindle an entertaining war of words about Lake Champlain's health. The Governor's Office seemed insulted and shocked (shocked!) by Greenberg's observations even though they are almost entirely in line with what we heard from Quebec's environmental minister a few years ago when he declared Missisquoi Bay an environmental "disaster." If asked, I'm betting those of us who ply the big lake's waters for fish would be more than willing to attest that severe, dramatic environmental changes have occurred and the well-being of the big lake seems much more precarious than it did even a decade ago. And if you really pressured average Lake Champlain anglers for a response, they'd probably tell you that the entire lot of government entities, environmental groups, citizen coalitions and well-intentioned souls who have tried to "fix" the ills of the big lake haven't amounted to a bucket of bullpout slime. Is Champlain a disaster? Well, maybe not yet, but if we use Champlain's fish populations as our litmus test, something is surely amiss. And it does seem to be getting worse. When we fish Lake Champlain these days we don't wear haz-mat suits, that'd just be silly. We have, however, adjusted how we fish -- learning to look for largemouths in the big weeds of milfoil, learning what super lines are available to resist abrasion when we're casting in among the zebra mussels. We know now where to look for white perch (an invasive) and know how salmon and other fish are turning on to (invasive) alewives. We are all far too familiar with nuisance species such as lamprey, which are affecting virtually every fish population in the big lake and we've seen massive fish die-offs that come from oxygen grabs. We catch pike with these huge, ugly growths (lymphosarcoma) and we're bracing for the arrival of the fish-killing VHS disease, which, we've been glumly assured, will be here before you know it. The fishing can be good -- no doubt about it -- but there's a strange feel on Lake Champlain these days, as if nature is seriously whacked and careening in the wrong direction from which there will be no return. I have no idea whether Greenberg is a fisherman, but as far a truth-sayer? Well, he ain't far off. Matt Crawford is the former Free Press outdoors editor.

Top left corner where it says "Logged in as:" then your name and beside that in brackets ( Log Out ).

ohhhhhhh TARPON!

I found some news on that this morning, posted here.

Two major expos cover all the angles 02/15/09 Will Elliott / www.buffalonews.com Anglers will have a variety of sources for fishing information during the next two weekends. Professional experts will discuss fishery management programs and share tips on how to find and bring on the best bites. Two seminar and socializing events deserve anglers’ attention during the next two weekends: A LOTSA Flea Market/Expo and Seminar is set for next Sunday at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Lockport and USF&WS Catch the Fishing Frenzy Fish and Wildlife Day 2009 at LaSalle Sportsmen’s Club on Feb. 28. LOTSA Expo Each year, lots of work goes into the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association (LOTSA) pen rearing project, and many other worthwhile club efforts. “Events such as this flea market and seminars help fund our volunteer efforts,” Curt Meddaugh, pen project coordinator, said of the program. LOTSA planned a full weekend of seminars for Feb. 21 and 22, but the Saturday seminars are sold out. Great Lakes Angler (GLA) Magazine editor Dave Mull and GLA field editor Dan Keating will present a day-long Salmon School on Saturday at Cornell Cooperative, 4487 Lake Ave. (Route 78) in Lockport. Mull and Keating will be on hand throughout the LOTSA flea market and seminars on Sunday at the same site. Meddaugh has lined up a solid slate of seminar speakers, field and agency experts who will add to anglers’ understanding and enjoyment of their sport. The Flea Market starts at 10 a. m. Capt. Bob Songin, of Reel Excitement Charters, begins the seminar sequence at 10:30 a. m. with a talk titled “Wilson Harbor Spring Kings.” At noon, Capt. Dan Keating, with Blue Horizon Sport Fishing Charters, tells anglers how to apply “Lake Michigan Gear for Lake Ontario Salmon.” Colleague Dave Mull will be on hand to chat on Great Lakes fishing. Capt. Chris Lopresti, of Maverick Sport Fishing, presents a program at 1:30 p. m. called “Oak Orchard Creek Summer kings.” Senior aquatic fisheries biologist Mike Wilkinson will complete the seminar circuit at 3 p. m. with a summary of pen-rearing programs in Western New York and an update on the current project at Olcott Harbor. Wilkinson has supervised pen-rearing efforts in the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. All proceeds from this Expo go to LOTSA and other club pen-rearing projects. For details on the Saturday program, including directions to the seminars site, and the Olcott project, go to lotsa.org. Fishing frenzy Folks frenzied about fishing, and with interests in waterfowl hunting as well, have a fact-filled day planned during the Friends of WNY Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Day 2009, at LaSalle Sportsmen’s Club in Niagara Falls. Jim Lorentz, former Buffalo Sabre and avid fly angler and author, heads a list of distinguished speakers offering presentations from 9 a. m. to 2 p. m. at the LaSalle clubhouse, 2445 Tuscarora Road. Lorentz, when not fishing area trout and salmon waters, devotes much time in search of hard-fighting Atlantic salmon. His knowledge of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario feeder streams and experiences on other famed salmonid streams places him up there with Lefty Kreh when it comes to sharing on-trout-waters tips and tales. Jim Hanley, most recognized for more than two decades of producing his popular “Northeast Outdoors” series, will offer his expertise on bass fishing, and other popular area fish species. Dave Tosetto, waterfowl expert, will discuss ducks. From habitat to identifying Western New York’s frequent fliers, Tosetto can familiarize hunters and birdwatcher alike with what to watch for during waterfowl flights. Dr. John Casselman of Queens University in Ontario will present powerful arguments supporting the effect global warming has on fish in the Great Lakes. Anglers can learn adaptive methods to cope with climate change affecting cold-water fish species. U. S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Ray Li can put stream fishermen onto water conditions and possibly better approaches when he discusses stream and river obstructions and how they affect fish movements and overall life cycles. A $20 registration fee ($10 for students) for Fish and Wildlife Day includes a continental breakfast, lunch and an annual membership to Friends of the WNY Great Lakes. For more details, check with Dave Whitt (754-2133) or to download a registration form, go to friendsofthelowergreatlakes. org.

January 15, 2009 Dunnville public meeting on fish plan postponed. The public meeting scheduled for Feb. 16 in Dunnville regarding the Grand River Fisheries Management Plan has been postponed due to flooding in the town. It will be rescheduled for March.

Ice breaker arrives to help flooded towns February 14, 2009 Dana Brown / The Hamilton Spectator PORT MAITLAND – A Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker has arrived in Port Maitland to help chop up ice in the Grand River and release a jam causing massive flooding between Dunnville and Port Maitland. Dave Schultz, manager of communications with the Grand River Conservation Authority, said the ship began pulling into the harbour around 1:45 p.m. Saturday. “It spent two hours just trying to clear some space out in the lake so that ... when this ice starts to move out there’s a place for it to go,” he said. The GRCA is requesting people stay away from Port Maitland, which has been evacuated and had power to the town cut off as a precaution. About 100 homes in Dunnville, where water levels remain steady, have also had power shut off, Schultz said. The flooding has submerged streets and forced people to flee their homes in search of higher ground. The GRCA said the situation poses a “serious threat” to public safety as another ice jam could form instantaneously in Port Maitland as the current one moves down river. “There’s a very minor amount of flooding around (Port Maitland) but the concern is that if the ice jam moves and reestablishes, that some water could spill over the bank,” Schultz said. He had no idea how long the ice breaker might take to release the jam. Ontario Provincial Police are also monitoring the situation, which at one time also included flooding in Cayuga. Water levels are expected to continue until at least around 6 p.m. Saturday, OPP said. “Residents that have been affected by high water will now require inspections of the electricity and natural gas systems within their homes to ensure that they have not been affected by water,” said Constable Mark Foster. In Wallaceburg, officials have lifted a state of emergency declaration after the small southwestern Ontario town between Sarnia and Chatham was hit by Sydenham River overflow, which flooded several streets and threatened the hospital. Officials said an ice breaker called in to break up the ice jam there worked six hours and did the trick, allowing the water to recede enough for the emergency to be called off.

Big derby nets big win Febraury 12, 2009 / Mid-North Monitor An Espanola club is up for a provincial award following a stellar year in 2008. The Espanola Game & Fish Protective Association, commonly called the fish and game club, has come out on top at a zone level and is in the running for recognition at the provincial level. The Ontario Association of Anglers and Hunters presents an award every year for the ‘best’ club in Ontario, and Espanola could claim the honour as its own next month. Espanola Club President Leonard Houle proudly received the OFAH Zone D award, which honours the club that does the most for conservation each year, at the zone meeting held just over a week ago. “The Espanola club, whose territory stretches from Batchewana Bay to Mattawa and Honey Harbour to Chapleau, has won the district award three times,” said Houle. “The victory puts the club in contention for the provincial version of the award. “Espanola won that one about 15 years ago and I would love to see us win it once again. We won’t know until the provincial conference in March, but we are excited to be in contention.” He added the club’s biggest projects in 2008 included a revamp of the shooting range, the Marble Eyes fishing derby in May and the First Annual Children’s Fishing Derby, which attracted enough kids and adults to be recognized as the largest kids ice fishing tournament in Ontario. The Second Annual Children’s Fishing Derby is all set to go this Saturday at the Anishinabe Centre on Anderson Lake, according to chair Rosalind Raby. “The volunteers have really come together well and everything is falling into place,” said Raby. “I’m just thrilled to hear about the district award, and especially the news that we hosted the largest children’s fishing derby in the province last year. That’s fantastic. “We certainly hope to repeat this Saturday, February 14.” Raby co-chaired the derby last year. This year, she is co-chairing once again with Jean Gauvin. Leland Morley also sits on the committee, but Raby emphasizes there are plenty of other helping hands. Several club members are assisting in so many ways; parking, setup, cooking, you name it, we have someone to help. And, the volunteers from the larger community have also come forward, so the enthusiasm is definitely there to repeat our success of last year, but this time, not cleaning out the town of every hotdog and hamburger to be found,” chuckled Raby. “All kidding aside, we couldn’t do this without them.” Local businesses are also helping out in a big way. Several of the food chains are donating the food items, while other businesses, big and small, donate to the prize board for the children. “We can’t say enough about all the business support, it’s awesome.” There are some nice prizes this year, including a grand prize, a ‘Friday Family Sleepover’ at the Espanola Mill House Bed & Breakfast, for up to six people, thanks to B&B owner, Jewel Hobbs. Parking will be available along the road, but participants will be encouraged to only park on one side, as recommended by the volunteers, to ensure safety. Snowmobilers can bring their snow machines, but only to get on the ice, added Raby. “We want people to be able to access the derby. For some, driving a vehicle is out of the question, but they can bring their machine down. The only thing we’re asking is that it be parked during the derby in order to ensure the safety of the youngsters. Trail wardens will also be on site.” The parking lot near the main lodge will be barricaded with only volunteers and people accessing the lodge being allowed through. Volunteers will be wearing bright, orange safety vests and be equipped with walkie-talkies to assist the public. Registration opens at 10:00 pm with the derby running from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm. Prizes will be distributed on site. Hotdogs, hamburgers and drinks will be available. The children (16 and older is considered an adult) will receive a free hotdog or hamburger, drink and loot bag. For adults, hotdogs and drinks will sell for $1, hamburger for $2 with the money raised (after costs) going towards fish planting programs in the local area. “I hope to literally see hundreds of families come out and take part in Ontario’s Family Fishing Weekend. You don’t need a licence to fish throughout the weekend, so why not come out, drop a line and maybe you will be the one catching that elusive ‘big one’, added Raby. For more information or to volunteer, call Raby at 862-0805.

Couple fishes together on Valentine's Day February 14, 2009 Henry Bury / www.intelligencer.ca TWEED – Newlyweds Laura and Ken Daniels spent their first Valentine’s Day as a couple sitting over an ice fishing hole on Stoco Lake near here. “It’s not too often you’re allowed to go fishing on Valentine’s Day,” Ken Daniels said with a big grin Saturday afternoon. “It’s very romantic,” Laura Daniels quickly added with a laugh. The Courtice, Ont. couple was among the 50 anglers competing in a charity fishing derby Saturday at Cozy Cove on Stoco Lake. The annual February event was organized by Larry and Bonnie Jones, whose year-round home backs onto Cozy Cove. The Jones hold various fundraising activities every year to raise money for research into multiple sclerosis and cancer and to support local community projects. This was the Daniels’ second consecutive year competing in the fishing derby and they had no qualms that Saturday was Valentine’s Day. Laura’s uncle, Bob Spicher, helped plan the event and he fished as well. “We’re just lucky my uncle lives right beside the lake and we get some time to spend with family as well,” said the 35-year-old who got married Dec. 6, 2008. Laura said she enjoyed the hours spent outdoors watching fishing lines in three different holes. “It’s a nice day, not that cold,” she said. "Besides, we want to win a prize for the biggest fish.” Ken Daniels, 36, said he couldn’t think of a better way of spending Valentine’s Day. “I have my two favourite things right here, my wife and fishing,” he said. “We’re just lucky Laura has family here.” Larry Jones said the fishing derby has become a popular February event with many couples coming from as far away as Bowmanville and Peterborough. The 8th annual event, however, drew less than the 80 anglers from last year’s event and Jones said he believes it may be due to Valentine’s Day falling on the Family Day holiday weekend. Many participants fished from inside the comfort of ice fishing huts while others, like the Courtice couple, sat in chairs on the frozen lake. Each angler paid $10 to compete and there were prizes for the largest pike and pickerel. “This is Family Day weekend and no fishing licences are required to fish, so we’re getting lots of kids out here and they just think it’s great,” Jones said. The derby also featured a barbecue and an evening chili cook-off among six contestants at the Jones’ residence. Larry and Bonnie Jones began holding annual charity events a decade ago. They manage to raise between $8,000 and $10,000 each year. “We’re community-minded people,” she said. “We love doing stuff for people and getting together with friends and neighbours,” she said. “And today’s even more special because it’s Valentine’s Day.” They held the first fishing derby eight years ago, Larry Jones explained, to raise money for the multiple sclerosis and cancer societies. “Our daughter was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was 20 years old. She’s 36 now and has to take medication for her condition. We just wanted to raise money so that researchers can find a cure for multiple sclerosis,” he said. Two years ago, the couple founded the Friends of Stoco Lake Association and some of the proceeds from the fishing derby goes to support its work in improving the quality of the lake. “We’ve already used some of the money to run our weed harvesting operation in the summer months on the lake,” he said. The association, in partnership with the environment ministry, also conducts regular tests of the lake water. “I think anything we can do to help the environment to make this a better place for our children and grandchildren, we will all reap the benefits,” he said.