Spiel

....I'd always hoped that somehow, some way young Chris would beat this Rob, alas it was not to be. Forever he will be in my thoughts.

Muskoka’s lakes face new environmental threat: report December 10, 2008 Karen Longwell / bracebridgeexaminer.com An emerging threat to Muskoka’s lakes and forests is part of a new report published in the international journal Science. The effect of declining levels of calcium on aquatic creatures in soft water boreal lakes was reported for the first time in the Science article this November. “This is not a small issue,” said Norman Yan, a York University professor and limnologist (lake scientist) who lives in Bracebridge. Yan was one of the authors of the report. According to the study, long-term consequences of calcium decline could result in areas where forests won’t grow back well. Lakes could also start to lose calcium-rich organisms. A type of water flea, Daphnia, was the aquatic creature studied in the report, said Yan. The water flea is a crustacean, like little tiny shrimp, not an insect, he said. While all animals, including humans, need calcium, the water flea is a calcium-rich creature. Despite its small size, about two millimetres long, the water flea is an important part of our ecosystem and is responsible for eating the algae in our lakes, he reported. “The entire volume of Lake Muskoka is passed through the stomachs of these water fleas twice a month,” said Yan. “So these guys are really working hard on our behalf to keep the water clean.” Typically there are 50 Daphnia in every litre of lake water, he said. Yan has been studying lakes in Haliburton and Muskoka for about 38 years. He noticed calcium levels starting to fall and along with the other authors of the report, wanted to study the life forms affected by the decline. They chose the water flea because it is easy to get a large sample of them and they need lots of calcium. The study found that water fleas do poorly when calcium levels are low in a lake. “It turns out if calcium is below one and a half milligrams per litre, these animals do very badly,” said Yan. About 40 per cent of Muskoka’s lakes have less than one and a half milligrams of calcium per litre, he said. “We are kind of likening these water fleas to canaries in the coal mine,” Yan explained. “So if one calcium-rich animal is in trouble, then we darn well better find out about all the other calcium-rich animals, like crayfish and snails.” Calcium in the lakes comes from minerals in the soil, but the soil in many parts of Muskoka is thin. Unlike other types of rocks, the rock under the soil, granite, does not have many nutrients, said Yan. In the industrial age, minerals in the soil were leached through acid rain and logging. “What takes the minerals away is six decades of acid rain and then logging, followed by forest regrowth,” said Yan. In many areas of Muskoka where the soil is thin, forests can regrow about three times, but then there aren’t enough nutrients to regrow the trees, he said. The study included about 40 lakes across Muskoka and Haliburton and also lakes in Nova Scotia and the Adirondacks. The study finds acid rain is still playing a role in our ecosystem. “Tragically the acid rain story is not yet over . . . but it is much better than it was,” said Yan. The rain is 50 per cent less acidic than it was 25 years ago due to reduced sulphur emissions, he said. But it is still too acidic for about 25 per cent of the land, and a lot more acidic than 100 years ago, he said. “We have to keep working to reduce sulphur emissions,” said Yan. Yan hopes other scientists will help in the study of calcium decline, and that Canada and the United States will take further action on sulphur emissions regulations. “What we hope we have done is open the door on a new, or at least not well understood environmental threat that we can quickly learn more about,” said Yan. Yan will continue to work on calcium decline in a different study with two professors from Trent University and another from York University. This study aims to find the effect of logging and forest fires on calcium levels. It will also try to find out how many of Muskoka’s 1,600 lakes have a problem with calcium. The District of Muskoka, Ministry of the Environment and the above universities are collaborating on this project.

WINTER: Installation of Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom begins. December 7, 2008 Staff Reports / Lockport Union-Sun & Journal Lake Erie’s temperature at Buffalo has reached 39 degrees, meaning it’s cold enough to begin installing the spans of the Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom, according to the International Joint Commission’s International Niagara Board of Control. The ice boom has been installed each winter since 1964 near the outlet of Lake Erie to reduce the amount of ice entering the Niagara River. It minimizes ice jams in the river, which could damage shoreline property, while maintaining the water flow that supports hydro-electric power. The strings of spans have been removed from their onshore storage area and placed inside the Buffalo Harbor breakwall. Next, the junction plates the spans are attached to will be raised from the lakebed and secured to the surface using flotation barrels. After that, the boom’s 22 spans will be attached to the junction plates. Installation of the barrels and boom spans typically takes six to seven days, unless there are high winds. Placement of the spans may begin when the Lake Erie water temperature at Buffalo reaches 39 degrees or Dec. 16, whichever comes first. Lake Erie hit 39 degrees Dec. 9 last year. Stretching 1.7 miles from Buffalo Harbor to near the Canadian shore, the ice boom strengthens the natural ice arch that forms almost every year. The boom has substantially reduced the severity, number and duration of ice runs from Lake Erie into the Niagara River. Severe storms with westerly winds may overcome the stability of the ice arch and force large masses of ice against the boom. The boom is designed so that when this occurs, the boom submerges and allows the ice to override it until the pressure is relieved. Once the storm subsides, the boom resurfaces and restrains ice that would otherwise flow down the river. The boom does not hamper the flow of water out of the lake into the Niagara River. Each of the boom’s 22 spans consists of a series of up to 11 floating steel pontoons anchored to the lake bottom at 400-foot intervals by 2.5 inch steel cables. Each pontoon is 30 inches in diameter and 30 feet long.

Ultimate catch-and-release Raleigh woman reels in a huge black drum on Topsail Island -- and then puts it back into the sea Dec 11, 2008 Mike Zlotnicki / www.newsobserver.com Catching a state-record fish is the dream of some anglers. Catching world-record fish, an improbable feat, is the pinnacle of sport fishing achievement in the eyes of many. Gwen Frazier may have done both recently, but we'll never know, because she let the fish go. And she's glad she did. On Nov. 23, Frazier was surf-fishing on the south end of Topsail Island when she hooked a huge black drum. What ensued will have some anglers shaking their heads and some anglers shaking her hand. "I have a place at Topsail, and I surf-fish in the fall for red drum, black [drum] and flounder," Frazier said Thursday from her Raleigh home. "I probably got there around 10 a.m." Frazier was relaxing with friend Kim France of Raleigh on the beach with her rod in a surf spike (a tubular rod holder) when France saw the rod bend and told Frazier she might have something. "It was heavy, and I thought it was a skate," said Frazier, referring to a raylike fish common to anglers this time of the year. "It wasn't moving fast; a smaller fish would have zipped out to the sea." Frazier is not an avid surf angler, but she's no Jennie-come-lately to fishing, either. She has an 18-foot Grady-White boat that she uses to fish for dolphin (mahi-mahi) and king mackerel beyond sight of the beach. Many anglers cut their lines if they suspect a skate or ray is on the other end, but Frazier, a marketing director for The Redwoods Group, played the unknown adversary as other anglers passed, assuring her it was a skate or ray. Frazier wanted to see for herself, so she patiently played the fish. Then, she got a glimpse. " 'Kim, I think a saw a fin,' " Frazier, 49, recalled saying. " 'Kim, I think it's a fish.' " France then left to secure a cell phone and a camera, and in the meantime, Frazier was able to ease the huge drum into the surf wash after 45 minutes. The receding water caused the heavy fish to get stuck in the sand. Two spectators helped free it. By then, France had returned and friends she had called started showing up. One, Dennis Fronk of Wilmington, said, "That's the biggest fish I've ever seen." It might have been the biggest black drum anyone has ever seen. "I'm 5 foot 4 [inches]," Frazier said, "and the fish was exactly my height." If that's accurate -- and we'll never know for sure -- the fish probably would have been a state record and perhaps a world record, said Randy Gregory, a fisheries biologist with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. "In 1980, the state record was 84 pounds, and the length 53 inches and the girth 42," said Gregory, who also serves as the weighmaster at many saltwater fishing tournaments. "In 1990, it was broken again at 87 pounds and the length was 54 and the girth was 38 3/4." The current state record is a 100-pound, 1-ounce behemoth caught by Charles R. Dycus of Sanford in 1998. Gregory said that fish was 56 inches long, with a girth of 46. The world record is 113 pounds, 1 ounce. Gregory also had a caveat about fish measurements. "You have to take all of these with a grain of salt," he said. "I don't know how they were measured. Most of the time anglers do a very poor job of measuring fish. They take curved measurements or not at the fork of the tail. If it is indeed a 64-inch fish, she likely released the state record and world record. We will never know for sure. It's well over 100 pounds." Not knowing, though, doesn't bother Gregory. He's glad the fish wasn't available for him to examine. "The lady should be commended for releasing this fish," he said. "She should be applauded. There are very few of these really big fish. They're incredibly important to the stock. That fish is probably 60 to 75 years old." Frazier said she downloaded a picture of the fish (which she named Black Beauty) into her computer, measured the reel seat (where the reel attaches) on her surf rod and used a computer program to estimate the length of the fish. That, and her height comparison, is how she derived the estimated length. It's a moot point. After landing the fish and taking pictures, Frazier got help moving the fish back to the cold surf, and then spent 20 minutes in the cold water stroking the fish, reviving it and helping it back to deeper water. "After I got out, people asked me, 'Aren't you freezing,' but it hadn't occurred to me how cold the water was until then," she said. "The guys helping wouldn't go in the water, but Dennis did." Looking back, Frazier said she wished she would have measured the girth and taken better video, but she happy with the outcome, records or not. "It was a real adrenaline rush," she said. "In hindsight, I would have done a lot of things differently, but that's OK, the fish is still alive. It was a very, very cool fish." Pictures @ http://www.newsobserver.com/859/v-pop_gall...1329444-t4.html

Winston Rod lays off workers Twin Bridges rod maker cuts production staff December 9, 2008 Nick Gevock / The Montana Standard The R.L. Winston Rod Co. has laid off production workers to deal with lower projected sales of its fly fishing rods worldwide, a company executive said Monday. Woody Woodard, chief executive officer, said in a telephone interview from his office in Twin Bridges that the company regrets the layoffs, but that they are necessary to deal with the worldwide economic slump. He would not say how many people were let go, but said they are production workers. "It was a very difficult decision because we care for these people," he said. "Hopefully it's a short-term deal and we can rehire these people as soon as possible." Winston is a major employer in Twin Bridges and the surrounding area. The company makes high-end fly rods that are sold throughout the world. A Montana Standard story in 2005 reported that the company employed just under 100 people at that time. Woodard said projections for sales next year show they should drop, based on economic data. Winston dealers are not ordering as many rods as the recession in the United States and the ripple effect throughout the global economy have slowed consumer spending. The company does not expect to need to produce as many fly rods in the coming year. "The uncertainty is so great that people just aren't going into fly shops," Woodard said. "That's all the indications we're getting and we have to reduce personnel accordingly." The layoffs took effect last week. Winston Rod moved to Twin Bridges in 1976, and sells bamboo rods, which retail for around $3,000 each, and less expensive graphite fly rods. Winston's job cuts are reflective of the national economic slowdown, said David Schulz, Madison County commissioner. With the economy souring, discretionary spending such as fly fishing gear and trips are among the first things to be cut back. Schulz said the layoffs are painful for Twin Bridges. "Our little town of Twin Bridges has been struggling the last couple years, especially on Main Street," he said. "Any loss of jobs will certainly have a long-term impact."

JOINT PATROL ON CREDIT RIVER RESULTS IN CHARGES December 2, 2008 Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers and the Peel Regional police marine unit issued tickets for about $6,500 in fines and made one arrest during joint patrols of the Credit River in Mississauga, Brampton and Streetsville late November. Officers checked approximately 700 anglers during the 2008 fall salmon migration. Officers found violations of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, as well as the Ontario Fishery Regulations. The following charges were laid: - Fishing during a specified closed time in a fish sanctuary - Fishing other than by angling without the appropriate licence - Angling without the appropriate licence - Fishing without possessing the licence for verification of an officer - Making a false statement to a conservation officer - Transporting fish unlawfully taken or possessed - Failing to produce a licence for a conservation officer For more information on hunting regulations, please consult the Hunting Regulations Summary 2008-2009 available from licence issuers, ServiceOntario/Government Information Centres and on the ministry’s website at ontario.ca/hunting. To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). www.ocoa.ca Additional News @ 2008 News - **BUSTED**-at OCOA

Fewer male pike in fish habitat Chemical outflow on the hook December 10th, 2008 Rob Faulkner / Hamilton Spectator Cootes Paradise is famous for a habitat restoration effort that includes barring carp from this 250-hectare wetland at the west end of Hamilton Harbour. But also for vanishing male pike. In a disturbing echo of recent news about gender-bending chemicals, a Royal Botanical Gardens aquatic biologist says male northern pike are hard to find. At the fishway, a carp barrier at the mouth of the harbour credited with saving the marshland, only 27 pike per year pass through. (About 500 pike live in a cleaner system called Hendrie Valley.) But at the fishway, crews found that about 77 per cent of the pike are female. “We do know we have a serious problem,” said acting head of conservation Tys Theysmeyer. Also, in 2003, he took females and males to a clean pond and they failed to produce baby pike. “We did it a second year and it didn’t work. So we said, ‘OK, they look like males but aren’t behaving like males,’” adds a man jokingly called a pike matchmaker. The observations come amid news that chemicals in food wrapping, makeup and baby powders are feminizing males, in wildlife and in human populations. Communities polluted with the chemicals are reportedly giving birth to twice as many girls as boys. Theysmeyer says a serious source of chemical outflow into Cootes is the Dundas wastewater treatment plant, which he says pumps out so much nitrogen fish eggs can’t hatch near the sewage-outflow pipe into Desjardins Canal. At times, treated sewage is nearly the only water in the canal squeezed between Cootes Drive and King Street East. A key scientific paper on local fish and gender effects from chemicals was by a graduate student at Trent University, Theysmeyer said. A 2003 masters of science thesis by Richard Kavanagh found male white perch from Cootes Paradise had a high prevalence (83 per cent) of intersexualism (male and female traits). This trend, called “gonadal intersex,” has been observed in wild fish in areas with domestic and industrial effluent. The rate in Cootes was much higher than in male white perch in in eastern Ontario’s Bay of Quinte (22 to 44 per cent) and the Windsor area’s Lake St. Clair (45 per cent). Cootes perch were exposed to high levels of endocrine-disrupting substances, which may be responsible for gonadal intersex, the Kavanagh paper concluded. Theysmeyer said likely solutions to the dearth of male northern pike will include upgrades to the Dundas water treatment plant, or better treating the water. But stopping the sewage plant’s outflow isn’t wise when it provides a steady stream into the canal, where mature fish return to spawn. “In the summer, when it rains, all we are left with (in the canal running to the Dundas marsh) is parking lot runoff,” he says, highlighting the need of water from the plant.

....Yeah, seems like a good deal. Think I'll go check 'em out tomorrow as a Christmas present to meself.

....Don't know if this would be handy for all my plastics and power baits but I think I may go and check it out. Anyone familiar with these? WORM BINDER $ 4.99 7" x 8" x 2-1/2" worm binder made by Storm. Features high density thermal insulation, 20 zippered clear storage compartments with reinforced grommets, belt loop and carrying handle. Has many other uses. SORRY, NO RAINCHECKS

Valens ice fishing season 2008-2009 December 5, 2008 Valens Conservation Area Fishery Management Plan – Ice Fishing Open Valens Conservation Area will open its ice fishing season on a limited basis for the winter of 2008-2009. Although the bluegill sunfish and black crappie numbers are considered to be recovering, it is important to maintain the fish population and to help prevent an over harvest. Therefore the park will only be open to ice fishing on selected days as well as impose a voluntary limit. Ice fishing will reopen beginning on December 21 and 28, 2008. Hamilton Conservation Authority staff feel that with voluntary limits on the ice fishing activities in winter 2008-09, the current bluegill sunfish and black crappie populations will not be negatively affected. These limits are being placed on the lake to help ensure the sustainability of bluegill sunfish and black crappie. 2008-09 Ice Fishing Limits: For this season, ice fishing will ONLY be open: - Sunday, December 21 and 28, 2008 - Sunday, January 18 and 25, 2009 - Sunday, February 1 and 8, 2009 - Sunday, March 1 and 8, 2009 The IceFest Ice Fishing Derby will be returning to Valens. It is set for Sunday February 15, 2009. Great prizes and activities for the whole weekend. More details will be posted on www.conservationhamilton.ca when available. A voluntary limit has been set at 15 bluegill sunfish and black crappie total per day. The HCA asks all anglers to practice Catch and Release to help maintain a healthy fish population. The ice fishing huts will be available for rent as well as maggots for bait and a small amount of tackle The vitality of the fishery is a very important aspect of the lake. Without a sustainable fishery both summer and winter fishing activities would not be possible. HCA staff will continue their bi-annual summer assessments at Valens to record population trends as well as assess the health of the fishery. The HCA would like to thank all of our customers in advance for co-operating with our suggested restrictions. Your assistance will be a great benefit. As a reminder Valens' lake will remain closed to fishing from April 1st until the 4th Saturday in June 2009. Summer 2009 fishing opportunities will remain open as usual. For additional information about the Valens fishery plan, please contact Valens Conservation Area at 905-525-2183 or by email: [email protected]. For ice fishing opportunities and ice conditions at the Fifty Point Conservation Area Marina, please call 905-643-2103.

....Service information may be found here.... http://www.therecord.com/news/obituaries/o...20_5288404.html http://www.therecord.com/news/obituaries/o...20_5288405.html

....Nicely done. I have several ice fishing rods made from so called "garbage".

....We have lots of members here that post on many other forums for what ever reason, to each their own. I do feel however that singling someone out on this forum to bring negative light upon them is not warranted nor condusive to our community spirit. So in that regard this subject is closed.

....Terrible, terrible news. Please accept my deepest condolences Rob and Nicole.

....Spectacular as always Dan.

Awesome shots. It's been far to long since I was in the Elliot Lake area.

Scientists say they've found bacteria that will fight invasive mussels But germ can't be used on wide scale, so its utility is limited, they warn November 29, 2008 James Janega / chicagotribune.com Researchers seeking to slow the spread of invasive zebra and quagga mussels in American lakes and rivers have found a bacterium that appears to be fatal to the problematic species without affecting native mussels or freshwater fish. The bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, offers some hope for controlling the troublesome bivalves that are wreaking ecological and economic havoc in North American waters from the Colorado River to Vermont, and especially in the Great Lakes. But more testing remains to be done, and the bacteria could be used effectively only on a limited scale, said Daniel Molloy, the New York State Museum researcher who discovered the possible new use for P. fluorescens. It would be impossible to use the bacteria to wipe out all the invasive mussels in a Great Lake because they would be quickly replenished, he said. "It's too big," Molloy said of the mussel invasion. More realistic is the hope of using the bacteria to free water intakes and power plant pipes of clogs caused by mussel infestations. Currently heavy doses of chlorine and other toxins are used to control the mussels—not ideal because of the potential impact on human health. Researchers have tested hundreds of strains of commonly found bacteria in hopes of finding something that can kill zebra and quagga mussels safely. P. fluorescens, a species crucial in preventing rot in the roots of certain plants, proved deadly to the mussels in laboratory tanks. The bacteria act on the cells of the mussels' digestive gland, the equivalent of the human small intestine, where food is absorbed. Killing those cells causes massive hemorrhaging and system collapse. Within days, entire mussel colonies die. So far, biologists have tested the bacteria on native mussels, brown trout, fathead minnows and sunfish and found no adverse effects. Other tests are planned. P. fluorescens apparently is deadly to the invasive mussels even when cultures of the bacteria are dead, said Fred Nibling Jr., a research biologist with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, who, in August, observed a test of the bacteria with samples of water and zebra mussels taken from Lake Mojave near Laughlin, Nev. Researchers and a commercial company are seeking permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to test the method in Western streams. "That was a bench-top test," Nibling said of the Lake Mojave experiment. "We want to see it on a larger scale."

ATLANTIC SALMON RETURN TO SPAWN IN THE CREDIT RIVER McGuinty Government Works With Partners To Restore Salmon December 04, 2008 After a 150-year absence, Atlantic salmon are once again spawning in the Credit River. Since mid-summer, adult Atlantic salmon introduced into Lake Ontario’s tributaries as part of the Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program have been returning to the Credit River. The ministry has worked with the Credit River Anglers Association to ensure the adult salmon are transported to high-quality spawning habitat. Spawning activity was confirmed in early November. Atlantic salmon have also been returning to Cobourg Creek and Duffins Creek, the two other streams targeted for restoration. Full Story & Video

Indeed. My 17' Lund with a 75 tiller will do between 35 and 40 depending on the load.

....I have the second one pictured (Lund) and love it.

....I do. But I don't currently have any blanks for ice rods and I'm up to my eyeballs in musky rods right now. I'd be willing to bet your not wanting them for next winter!

....Received this (petition) from a fellow OFC member this morning.

Lake Simcoe legislation passes Georgina December 02, 2008 / yorkregion.com Protection for Lake Simcoe took a major step forward with the passage of the Lake Simcoe Protection Act by the province. Under the new law, the province will be required to develop a plan to protect and restore the lake as well as address the issue of phosphorus levels in the water. The plan the government is developing would: • Take an innovative, science-based, watershed approach to ensure that development and activities around the lake are environmentally sustainable; • Help address emerging problems that affect the lake, such as climate change and invasive species and; • Be supported by a $20-million investment, targeting protection measures, scientific research and on-farm stewardship activities. The legislation builds on the work of the Lake Simcoe Science Advisory Committee and reflects public comment on a discussion paper released this spring. “This is an historic day. Lake Simcoe has faced ongoing and growing ecological threats. Now, we are well on our way to developing a gold standard of sustainability that will restore and protect Lake Simcoe not only for our benefit and enjoyment but for future generations,” said Environment Minister John Gerretsen. • More than 350,000 people live in the Lake Simcoe watershed. • Lake Simcoe provides drinking water for eight communities. • Agricultural production in the Lake Simcoe watershed generated close to $300 million in 2006 and recreational activities generate more than $200 million a year for the local economy.

....I've used that technique succesfully on several occasions, including a dog's paw once. A word of caution though, it can tear out blood vessels and or nerves if the hook is in a bad location!

....Should of lopped it's damn head off! It's clearly been dining on steelhead.