Spiel

....Did you happen to see this one? Certainly one of the nicest smokers I've ever seen.

....Good to see you out enjoying yourself Doug whilst I be stuck here at home....

....Lakair Lodge....on the West Arm of Lake Nipissing.

....Well shucks, I didn't think anyone would notice....LOL and a Merry Christmas to you and your's....

ANGLERS ENCOURAGED TO STAY SAFE ON THE ICE For Immediate Release December 19, 2008 McGuinty Government Wants All Winter Anglers To Check Ice Hut Regulations NEWS With colder months ahead, anglers are reminded to play it safe on the ice. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, anglers should: - Advise others where they plan to fish and when they plan to return - Wear appropriate clothing, such as a floater suit - Carry appropriate equipment, like a set of ice picks - Register ice huts where required, except tent-style huts with a base area of less than seven square metres - Check ice thickness regularly with a spud bar or auger as they move further out on the ice. QUOTES “Ice fishing is a popular winter activity for thousands, but people need to play it safe and stay off the ice unless they’re sure about ice conditions,” said Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield. “Anglers should also be familiar with the regulations about registering ice huts.” QUICK FACTS - Ice does not freeze at a uniform thickness across most lakes and rivers, particularly at the start of the winter season when near-shore ice is often much thicker and safer than ice further out. - Ice that forms over flowing water, springs, pressure cracks, old ice holes or around the mouths of rivers and streams can be weaker than surrounding ice. - The strongest ice is clear blue in colour. White or opaque ice is much weaker, and ice with a honeycombed look should be avoided. - Added precautions must be taken when travelling on frozen lakes or rivers. Snowmobiles require at least 20 centimetres of clear blue ice and most light vehicles require 30 centimetres or more. Double these amounts if the ice is white or opaque. - A layer of heavy snow on a frozen lake or river can insulate the ice below and slow down freezing. LEARN MORE Read more about the registration of ice fishing huts. Find out more about fishing licences and laws - (ontario.ca/fishing). Check regulation changes in the upcoming winter fishing season. (PDF) For More Information Ivan Langrish, Minister’s Office, 416-314-2212 Barry Radford, Communications Services Branch, 416-314-2123 General EnquiriesNatural Resources Information Centre 1-800-667-1940 TTY 1-866-686-6072 (Hearing Impaired)

Madoc mine companies face numerous environmental charges December 23rd, 2008 Jeremy Ashley / Belleville Intelligencer One of North America’s oldest mining operations is facing a number of environmental charges, including three counts of lying to Ministry of Environment officials regarding discharges pumped into area river systems. Six environmental charges were laid against two parent companies and the former manager of the Canada Talc mine that operates just outside this Centre Hastings town. The charges were sworn against Highwood Resources Ltd., Sherritt International and the company’s employee Elvis Regular under the Ontario Water Resource Act and the Environmental Protection Act on Nov. 4. “The charges relate to improper sampling of mine dewatering discharge and providing false or misleading information to the ministry,” said Ministry of Environment spokeswoman Kate Jordan. In most underground mining operations, a system is in set up to pump water out of the ground where mining is taking place. Under current provincial environmental guidelines, that water must be treated before being pumped back into natural waterways above ground. According to court documents, environmental investigators allege that several times between 2001 and 2006 the Canada Talc mine’s dewatering system breached those regulations while water discharge was pumped directly into Moira Lake and the nearby natural environment, and falsified records to cover up the discrepancy when checked by ministry officials. Sherritt International Corporation is a natural resource company that produces nickel, cobalt, thermal coal, oil, gas and electricity and has combined assets of close to $9 billion. Highwood Resources Ltd. has mining and processing facilities in North America and southeast Asia and markets barite, silica, gypsum, talc, dolomite and zeolite products worldwide. Locally, both organizations not only run the Madoc operation at 166 Talc Mine Road — which was first established as a mine in 1896 — but also have offices and a treatment facility located on the grounds of the former Marmoraton mines, in nearby Marmora. The case will next appear before Belleville’s Provincial Offences Act court on Feb.

New tapeworm found in Great Lakes fish December 23rd, 2008 Jeff Alexander / Muskegon Chronicle An outbreak of tapeworms in Lake Huron walleye has Michigan officials urging people to avoid eating sushi made with freshwater fish caught in the Great Lakes region. The warning came as a Canadian researcher reported the first documented case of Asian fish tapeworms in Great Lakes fish. David Marcogliese, a research scientist at Environment Canada’s research station in Montreal, reported the discovery of Asian tapeworms in Lake Huron walleye in the most recent issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research. The foreign tapeworm, the 186th invasive species documented in the Great Lakes, likely was imported to the region with infected bait fish, Marcogliese said in the article. “This parasite is known to cause weight loss, anemia and mortality in young fishes,” Marcogliese said. Numerous anglers began reporting finding tapeworms in walleye caught in Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, according to a Michigan Department of Natural Resources memo. Fish from some inland Michigan lakes also were infected with tapeworms, according to the DNR memo. Some species of tapeworms are native to the Great Lakes fish. The discovery and proliferation of Asian fish tapeworms is a recent phenomenon that could harm walleye and other fish species, according to DNR officials and Marcogliese’s research.Researchers indicated the Asian fish tapeworm, one of the world’s most pernicious invaders, will likely spread across the Great Lakes region. The tapeworm can grow to one-foot-long in large fish, such as carp, Marcogliese said. DNR officials said it is safe to eat fish that have tapeworms, provided the fish are thoroughly cooked, smoked or pickled using normal food preparation techniques. “We do not recommend making sushi from any species of freshwater fish as the risk to humans is not known,” according to the DNR memo. “It is a very bad idea to eat any freshwater fish raw or poorly cooked as fish parasites use fish-eating mammals and birds as hosts and it is not known if humans can also be hosts.” Tapeworms are ubiquitous in waters where fish live, but the incidence of the parasites infecting fish has surged in the past two years, according to DNR officials. State officials said the problem may be due to changes at the base of the Great Lakes food chain caused by zebra and quagga mussels, two other invasive species. Asian fish tapeworms were carried into the U.S. in the 1960s by federal officials who imported Asian carp to control algae in Arkansas fish ponds. The invader has since spread to lakes and rivers across much of North America, according to federal records. The invasive tapeworms enter the fish food chain when zooplankton ingest the creatures and become hosts for the parasite. The tapeworms move up the food chain as zooplankton are eaten by small fish; the pests mature and produce eggs once in the intestinal tracts of walleye and other fish species. Fish excrete tapeworm eggs in their feces. The eggs settle on lake bottoms, where zooplankton eat them and give rise to a new generation of the pests. The mere sight of tapeworms can tarnish a fishing trip — the creatures are known to slither out of the mouths and gills of dead fish. To avoid finding a tapeworm in your fish cooler, DNR officials recommend gutting fish immediately after catching them and disposing of the entrails after returning to land. It is illegal to discard fish guts in Michigan waters.

FLOOD WARNING (ADVISORY) MESSAGE December 24, 2008 / www.grandriver.ca Snowfall and cold temperatures over the past 24 hours have affected river conditions throughout the Grand River watershed. Rainfall and above freezing temperatures over the course of the day are expected to consolidate the snow pack across the watershed. Overnight temperatures are expected to fall back below freezing. Warmer weather and rainfall are predicted for Saturday, December 26. It is expected that this rainfall would result in some snow melting, and localized runoff. Ice conditions on the river and lakes are uncertain, and stream banks are slippery. Parents are reminded to keep children away from watercourses. Grand River @ West Montrose Heavy frazil ice has formed in the Grand River through the Village of West Montrose, causing elevated river levels. Emergency officials have contacted adjacent residents. The ice jam appears to have stabilized and river levels are holding steady at the present time. GRCA staff will be monitoring conditions over the Christmas period and will issue additional warnings as necessary. For more information on river flows, see the River Data of the GRCA web site. Download a copy of a river safety pamphlet for children.

Erie, Ontario and the Lower Niagara December 25, 2008 Will Elliott / buffalonews.com To test out all those fishing toys Santa delivered today, it might be best to plan a feeder stream run on Friday. Larger feeders on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie stained heavily by midweek, and the promised thaw of Saturday may send waders and shore casters to higher, muddied waters for a while. Ice-anglers are in the same boat — or at least need one — to get to ice floes right now on many lakes. Thawing between freezes, plus hefty winds to wash ice surfaces ashore, make lake shores from Simcoe to the larger inland lakes look like something that could tear through the Titanic. Lower Niagara/Lake Ontario “Chocolate milk” is the best way Capt. Frank Campbell had to describe lower Niagara River waters since Saturday’s rain and Sunday’s high winds. “The fish are out there, and things will pick up again as soon as the water settles out,” Campbell said of the fantastic steelhead trout fishing charter boat and recreational anglers have seen throughout the fall. Along with the steelie run, drifters have seen fair numbers of brown trout and some lakers. Lake trout season reopens in U. S. waters Jan. 1. Perch numbers hold inside the Irondequoit Bay shoreline, but pier walking at Olcott and ice access at Irondequoit has been downright dangerous. The Wednesday thaw and the meltdown promised for Saturday should cancel any chance for perch except from firm, ice-free shore access points. Oak Orchard Creek, near the mouth, has been regaled with ringbacks since early fall. Casters continue to use light jigs as well as live and salted minnows for sizable perch catches there. As with all winter-wary fishing sites, the fishing should pick up after these weather extremes move through. Lake Erie Cattaraugus Creek should remain muddy until well after the weekend. Eighteen Mile Creek saw some lighter stain up stream and fair numbers of trout earlier this week. Buffalo Creek has been most productive during this wintry blast of snow and ice-floe formation. Weekend rains could dampen prospects, but up to Wednesday waders have been hooking into nice trout around the state launch ramp on Harlem Road. Check it out on the way to feeders west of Buffalo.

....Hand augers do work well if you have a good one. For me that means sharp, sharp blades and it must have offset handles! Two arms turning with little downward pressure makes an easy day on the ice.

....I have six skin mounts of which three are over thirty years old and they look as good as the day they were done. If the taxidermist is good skin mounts are good. Mind you when I had four of my mounts done Advance Taxidermy was not around. Now I like the work I've seen from Advance and would consider it in the future but I kind of like the idea of having the origional fish on the wall.

....I'm impressed! Your daughter has done an amazing jod Wayne, it looks absolutely beautiful.

....Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all have a wonderful day in the company of family and friends. Be well, be safe.

...Nah, I couldn't do that to you Raf. You're one of my most valued (consistant) customers.

....Very nice Raf, looks like a good year (again). I guess you you could consider it a perfect year if none of your rods end up in my shop. oh, when you duck, yeah it'd better be low.....real low.

Yeah, what Wayne said. Neighbours laugh at first but I stayed dry and they didn't. Don't over dress underneath one though.

Thanks Cliff. Good advice, I can honestly say I did most of that when I stored it after last season.

....Well I wasn't going tp post anything here as I don't often search youtube/google for videos of anything. But last night my GF's son wanted to search for music to play on his new guitar. Asked to see videos of "good" guitarists, so here's some of my faves new and old. This is of course old but still no less important in my music files. I saw these guys at the Gardens in "79", awesome stuff and I still thoroughly enjoy listening to them. Howe and Squire, amazing! Siberian Khatru Close to the Edge - part 1 And You and I Todays listening would include.... Jesus Christ Pose Angry Chair

Whoa, now you got me worried Cliff. Good thing I can fix just bout anything and if I can't, do you make house calls.

....I'd say this post best reflects my thoughts on this. Nicely put JWL.

....I bought this one a year ago. It's had several good work outs and has given me no grief. Starts easy and performs well. Only issue is the chute deflector nuts occasionally need tightening. I should have applied lock tight on them but procrastinating is one thing I do well.

I could help you fill 'em.

....I'm okay in that regard Raf, no musky rods....yet. ....You're welcome, I'll have to drop by someday and see what you fill 'em up with. ....Thanks Brian and your right I could build them and it was my intention but that'd take time away from rod building and I'm sooooo busy. ....This is not about displaying them as it is about having somewhere to safely store my rods. I don't like leaning them in the corner(s), too many rods so few corners....LOL I have racks I built that sit along the wall for in line storage but they take up a lot of room. These round (rotating) ones should help me reduce the amount of space required thus giving me room for other things, hopefully!

Hmmmmm, and I thought I was the only one....

....I was online looking for some ideas for rod racks. I figured I'd save some $'s and build them myself. Well I came across this one (Pecan finish) at Cabelas for $60.00 off the regular price. Had my sweety take a look and now I have two on the way. Price for shipping the pair was a paltry $12.00. I couldn't buy the lumber for that price!