Spiel

....The "Rocky" is strictly specks and browns with lots and lots of posted land. I'm very familiar with the Markdale area and if you get land owner permission you should find the fishing fairly good.

Fishermen on both sides of Lake Erie fret over livelihood TOM HENRY / toledoblade.com WHEATLEY, Ont. - Commercial fishing is a dying industry on the U.S. side of Lake Erie, but it remains big in Canada, with an annual harvest of 36 million pounds. But for how long? Peter Meisenheimer, Ontario Commercial Fisheries' Association executive director, wondered that as he stood on a dock in Wheatley, Ont., the world's largest freshwater fishing port, in the shadow of a Canadian fishing vessel returning with its morning catch. Fuel costs are rising. But that's not what bothers Mr. Meisenheimer the most. The big-picture issue to him is the inherent power of the American sport-fishing indus-try, and the degree to which it may influence management decisions on both sides of the border. Is North America's most productive freshwater lake being managed with a bias toward the recreation and tourism industries? Or can those who fish for a living still thrive? Such questions have lingered for years. But they loom larger as costs rise, the economy worsens, and more restrictions are imposed. In January, a new group called Great Lakes Commercial Fishermen LLC filed a lawsuit against the state of Ohio in U.S. District Court in Toledo, alleging the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is conspiring to dismantle what's left of Ohio's commercial fishing industry by regulating it to death. That action was preceded in Canada by a lawsuit commercial fishermen filed last fall against the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, alleging the province simply rubber-stamps recommendations it gets on catch limits from a binational advisory committee. "It's not like everything is skittles and beer up here," Mr. Meisenheimer said, comparing Ontario's commercial fishing industry to Ohio's. "We're suing the government ourselves." Though his association sued Canada's largest province, its real beef is with American fish managers who represent their states on the Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Mr. Meishenheimer's group claims that committee "has morphed into a politically driven management agency with no legal mandate and no accountability," an accusation that committee members dispute. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission of Ann Arbor was founded by the United States and Canada in 1955 to combat the dreaded sea lamprey's assault on lake trout and other fish. It also was created for networking information about exotic species and general fishing issues. Now operating on a $20 million annual budget, its five lake committees have made recommendations on management issues since 1965. It was accused of acting beyond its constitutional scope in formal complaints filed in 1997 and 2005. Both were dismissed. Frank Reynolds, a commercial fisherman from Oregon involved in the 1997 challenge, has accused lake committees of becoming "the absolute power" through the policy consensus they deliver to state and provincial governments. Similar allegations were raised in 2005 by Wolf-Dieter Busch, a Maryland consultant and longtime U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientist with years of fisheries management experience along the gulf coast, the Great Lakes, and the Atlantic seaboard. He said the committees wield great influence, whether it's tinkering with the ratio of predators to prey or relying too heavily on hatchery-produced fish. Mr. Busch also challenged the commission's scope in a 2003 peer-reviewed article for a scholarly journal published by the University of Toledo's Legal Institute of the Great Lakes, and wrote a 1998 paper on the topic. But as commission spokesman Marc Gaden has noted, the lakes - shared by eight states, two provinces, two nations, and Native American tribes - are unique in that no significant part of them is deemed federal waters. The opposite is true for the oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. The issue of quotas One of the most important jobs for the fishery commission's five lake committees is to recommend catch limits. They're based on what officials believe must be done to at least maintain, if not rebuild, the region's fish population. This year, the Lake Erie Committee has called for a more restrictive quota on yellow perch, which is walleye's equal as a prized catch. Ultimately, decisions on catch limits have been complicated by the cultures and traditions of the United States and Canada, plus those of tribal nations. Mr. Meisenheimer said the two countries have different fishing priorities because of an "accident of geography" which has resulted in lopsided populations of near-shoreline residents. Canada's Lake Erie shoreline is dotted by quaint villages such as Port Burwell, Port Stanley, Kingsville, New Glasgow, Eatonville, and Cedar Springs. Big U.S. cities nearby Compare that to the U.S. side. There are several cities with populations of 100,000 or more people along the lake, including Toledo, Cleveland, Erie, Pa., and Buffalo, plus more - such as Detroit, Ann Arbor and Akron - that are a short drive away. And there are a number of midsized American cities along or near Lake Erie, such as Sandusky, Port Clinton, and Monroe. Ontario has few natural harbors and few boat launches along Canada's Lake Erie shoreline. It also has 250,000 inland lakes for anglers to choose from, said Mike Morencie, chief of Ontario's Lake Erie management unit. He's also a member of the Lake Erie Committee. Roger Knight, the Ohio DNR's Lake Erie fisheries program administrator, is Ohio's representative on the committee. "We treat quotas like caps, not goals," he said. "The fact of the matter is our fish supplies have been compromised by a lot of environmental factors." Quotas can be controversial, depending on the perspective. Mr. Knight said people often forget how productive the lakes once were and accept current populations as the norm. He said officials are fair to both the commercial and sportfishing industries - yet acknowledged the sportfishing industry's $800 million economic impact on Ohio. It overshadows the estimated $10 million in benefits the state receives from its commercial fishing industry. Forty percent of Ohio's catch is taken by the commercial fishing industry, even though the state issues only 18 licenses for trap nets and 30 licenses for seine nets, he said. Ohio licensed 400,000 anglers and 796 charter boat captains last year. "We're not aware of anybody in Ohio who's gone out of business for economic reasons," Mr. Knight said. Ontario issues 514 commercial fishing licenses. More than 85 percent of the fish netted by commercial fishermen in Ontario is exported to the United States, Mr. Morencie said. Ohio cracked down on commercial fishing in 2005. Most charges related to illegal marketing of yellow perch. "The violations were serious and extensive," Mr. Knight said.

This is true, Frontiers are not a Loomis product.

Holiday weekend walleye spree also costs men $4,600 in restitution Thursday, June 5, 2008 Darren Toms / wtam.com (Sandusky) - Ohio isn’t messing around when it comes to fish filching. Seven Wisconsin men paid more than $4,600 in fines and restitution this week, while two of the men spent three days in jail. Why? They took more than the legal limit of walleyes from Lake Erie during the recent holiday weekend. Acting on an anonymous tip to the Turn-In-a-Poacher hotline prior to the Memorial Day weekend, investigators with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife conducted surveillance on South Bass Island where the illegal activity was said to be taking place. During the four-day holiday weekend, investigators observed a group of anglers "double tripping" – that means taking multiple daily limits of walleyes during the same 24-hour period. Investigators detained the men when they returned to the mainland and determined that the group possessed 67 walleyes over the legal limit. Investigators also confiscated camera equipment, photos and videotape that reportedly document the over bagging activity. "We have been consistent with our message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in Ohio," said Kevin Ramsey, supervisor for the Division of Wildlife's Lake Erie Law Enforcement Unit. "We welcome all to participate in this outstanding fishery on Lake Erie, but in order for everyone to benefit from it, and in order for us to maintain it, the bag limits must be observed at all times." On Tuesday, Ottawa County Municipal Court Judge Frederick Haney found the seven men guilty of multiple counts of poaching walleyes. They were ordered to pay $50 in restitution for each walleye taken over the legal limit in accordance with new legislation that increased the value of wild animals that are unlawfully held, taken, bought, sold, or possessed. The new law reflects the present-day value of Ohio's wildlife, which can range anywhere from $20 to nearly $2,500 per animal. Thad B. Burkette, 32, of Hartford, Wisconsin, Travis J. Sonnentag, 29, of Ripon, Wisconsin and Jeff Steinman, 32, of Slinger, Wisconsin were each convicted of double tripping for two days on walleye and possessing 12 walleyes over the legal limit. Each was fined $350 plus court costs and ordered to pay $600 in restitution for the illegally taken fish ($50 per fish). In addition, their fishing licenses were revoked for 2.5 years. Burkette and Sonnentag also received 40-day jail sentences with 37 days suspended. Steinman was ordered to serve 50 hours of community service. Patrick J. Mann, 50, of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Carey T. Slater, 33, of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Thomas A. Slater, 60, of Eden, Wisconsin and Chad Meinberg, 33, of Oakfield, Wisconsin were each convicted of double tripping on walleyes for one day and taking six fish over the limit. They were each fined $150 plus court costs and ordered to pay $300 in restitution for the illegally taken fish ($50 per fish). Ten-day jail sentences for each man were suspended. Their fishing licenses were revoked for one year. Meinberg entered not guilty pleas to additional charges of double tripping on a second day and taking seven fish over the legal limit. Judge Haney set his trial date for June 25.

....LOL, well all I can tell you is that for the money Frontier are good rods, I own a few myself. But if money is no object then Loomis is the route I'd go. As for being lighter well the key to any long rod and fatigue is balance.

....You'll also find that Sheldon Hatch and Bob Devine post here.

....You'll need to know ring size in mm (5mm sounds correct) and the tube size measured I believe in 64ths of an inch.

"ITS OVER" and the hockey posts will soon follow?

....Wow, wait I think that's been said cause like "WOW" seems appropriate.

...Oh no no no, don't cut it! Gently heat and remove.

"BLACKJACK" I mean 21

....A small lathe for curing the epoxy winding finish is essential in my opinion. An old BBQ rotisserie motor works well. I'd also be more than happy to help you at all or any stage of the building process via PM's.

I'm sure you're the man that can do it Glen?

A Great Lakes mystery: The case of the disappearing species May 29, 2008 sciencecentric.com An up-close photo of an adult Diporeia, a rice grain-sized crustacean in the same biological class as krill and shrimp. They have served as an important food source for a variety of fish throughout the Great Lakes. © Tomas Hook Throughout the overlooked depths of Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes, a small but important animal is rapidly disappearing. Until recently, the animal - a shrimplike, energy-dense creature called Diporeia - was a major food source for commercially important species like lake whitefish and many prey fish upon which salmon, trout and walleye rely. Scientists are employing new research methods in a quest to explain their population freefall, which threatens to negatively affect the Lakes' ecosystems and $4 billion sport fishing industry, said Purdue University researcher Marisol Sepulveda. 'We want to narrow down likely causes for this decline,' said Sepulveda, an assistant professor of forestry and natural resources. 'It may help us halt the animal's further disappearance.' Sepulveda has begun to identify substances involved in Diporeia metabolism, the set of chemical reactions that maintain life and allow organisms to respond to stress. Differences in levels of these metabolites between individuals and populations in various regions of the lakes may point toward the stressor or stressors responsible for their decline, she said. In the same biological class as krill and shrimp, these rice grain-sized crustaceans dwell on lake bottoms and feed on descending algal plankton. Their bodies contain 30 percent to 40 percent lipids like fats and oils, making them a vital energy and nutrient source for the entire food web. They are already gone from many large areas of lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, said collaborating researcher Tom Nalepa. In Lake Michigan, there are almost no Diporeia found at depths shallower than 90 metres. Just 15 years ago, their density often exceeded 10,000 animals per square metre at such depths, said Nalepa, a research biologist with the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. The spread of invasive zebra and quagga mussels - voracious filter feeders with an overlapping diet - largely coincides with Diporeia's decline and is widely believed to be at least partially responsible. But research cannot yet explain the link, Nalepa said. 'We don't know why Diporeia are responding so negatively to the mussels,' he said. Sepulveda is looking into another possible contributor to Diporeia's decline: water pollutants like pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), flame retardants or others. Detailed in a study to be published in print and online next month in the journal Aquatic Toxicology, Sepulveda measured Diporeia's response to a common pollutant and also began to identify differences between declining populations in Lake Michigan and those native to Lake Superior, the only Great Lake where populations remain stable. The latter comparison found the groups shared only 5 percent of their total metabolites, suggesting that animals from the two lakes are biologically quite different, Sepulveda said. 'The answer to Diporeia decline may be found in these variations,' she said. Sepulveda and University of Michigan researcher Tomas Hook were awarded a four-year, $560,000 grant by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust in January of this year to further investigate possible causes for Diporeia's decline. Both researchers are co-principal investigators of the project. 'We are casting a wide net to basically address a number of hypotheses at the same time,' said Hook, a fisheries ecologist hired by Purdue who will begin work there this July. In Sepulveda's study, she and her team contrasted levels of metabolites between a group of control animals and that of an atrazine-exposed population of laboratory-reared Diporeia. They found that animals subjected to atrazine, a commonly used pesticide present in minute levels in Lake Michigan, significantly increased or decreased bodily production of five identifiable chemicals. These included an insect pheromone, a fatty acid, an amino acid and a hydrocarbon, she said. 'We are just beginning to interpret these data, but they give us a better idea of how pollutants affect them,' Sepulveda said. 'If nothing else, our results suggest that seemingly insignificant levels of pollution could significantly harm animals like Diporeia.' The project should help address suggestions by some researchers that Diporeia and/or invasive zebra and quagga mussels may be capable of bioaccumulating or affecting levels of pollutants in a way that might intensify their harmful effects, Sepulveda said. The project also should deepen understanding of exactly how the invasive mussels hurt Diporeia, Hook said. Researchers have looked into, but have yet to determine, the extent to which the mussels outcompete the crustaceans for food, contaminate their surroundings with their effusive waste material, or influence the transmission and spread of diseases. Regardless of the reason, Diporeia's decline has already had some measurable negative effects on various fish species. Alewives, an important prey fish that provides Chinook salmon well over 80 percent of its food, have declined in growth rates, condition - measured as the ratio of weight to length - and caloric density since Diporeia populations began declining, said Charles Madenjian, research fishery biologist with the United States Geologic Survey. 'Alewives used to regularly reach 10 inches in length,' Madenjian said. 'Now we're lucky to find one that breaks 8 inches.' Diporeia previously supplied 50 percent of the food source for the commercially important lake whitefish and now supply only about 5 percent. Since the crustacean's decline began in the 1990s, growth rates and the condition of lake whitefish have substantially fallen off, Madenjian said. If Diporeia's decline proves to have similar negative consequences upon other species and continues to worsen, the most severe effects may be forthcoming, although it is difficult to predict such outcomes with any certainty, Nalepa said. Hook said he believes the initial step in taking action is to pinpoint causes. 'The first thing we can do is find out more precisely why they are declining,' he said. 'If we guess, any management decision we make could be counterproductive.' Zebra and quagga mussels were almost certainly spread to the Great Lakes from Europe or East Asia in the fresh water ballasts of ocean-going vessels, beginning in the late 1980s, Nalepa said. People need to be aware of the risks of spreading harmful invasive species and such ballasts should be more tightly regulated or possibly banned, he said. In one simple preventive measure, boats exchange their freshwater ballast for salt water ballast in the open ocean, thereby killing any freshwater species present. The study by Sepulveda used a process called gas chromatography to separate metabolites and matched them with known chemicals on a national database. Researchers identified 76 metabolites among lake-dwelling animals and 302 among the control and atrazine laboratory populations. Results from the two comparative analyses suggest that fatty acids and hydrocarbons are important to the animal's survival or may be interfered with by particular stressors. Diporeia put on much of their weight during the spring bloom of diatoms, algal plankton they feed upon, during which energy capture and storage are particularly paramount. This leaves them vulnerable to disruptions in food or their ability to store it, a process in which fatty acids play a key role, Sepulveda said. The four-year grant includes researchers from three major universities - Purdue, University of Michigan and the State University of New York - as well as two federal institutions, Hook said. The published study was funded by a grant from Purdue's Centre for the Environment. Co-authors include Sepulveda 's doctoral student Kimberly Ralston-Hopper as well as Jiri Adamec, Amber Hopf and Cheolhwan Oh, scientists at Purdue's Bindley Bioscience Centre.

Briton hailed as world's greatest fisherman May 31, 2008 FRANK URQUHART / scotsman.com A BRITISH angler has been hailed the world's greatest fisherman after spending 18 years travelling 150,000 miles to achieve sport angling's Holy Grail for the first time in history. See a colourful slideshow from some of Zyg Gregorek's memorable fishing expeditions. Zyg Gregorek, 65, is the first recreational fisherman anywhere to catch all 27 species in the three so-called "royal slams" set by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) – hooking nine species of shark, including the great white, ten of billfish and eight of tuna. His journey has taken him to some of the most remote corners of the world: from South Africa to Australia, Mauritius and the Galapagos Islands, and from America, Madeira and Ascension Island to Mozambique. Mr Gregorek, who caught his first shark, a 40lb blue, off the coast at Padstow in Cornwall, completed his royal slams when he landed a 200lb thresher shark off San Diego – a species he had been trying to catch since 2004. Rob Kramer, president of Florida-based IGFA, described Mr Gregorek's achievement as "totally unique". He said: "To achieve one royal slam is impressive but to get all three is unheard of. He is the first and maybe the last. These awards are considered the big one – the Holy Grail. They are spectacular – travelling to exotic places and chasing a specific species of fish." Mr Kramer stressed: "It is not about luck – you have to research, to know exactly where to go and when. Zyg is, by definition, the world's greatest fisherman." Mr Gregorek, of Halwill in Devon, admitted: "It's cost a bomb but was worth it in the end. To complete all three slams is the culmination of many years' work and the end of a personal journey. "I've had a fair few scrapes to get there. I've had many a run-in with the authorities. I've had guns pointed at me and had a scrape with a poisonous snake on more than one occasion. "In Australia, I cracked ribs after an altercation with branches, resulting in an impromptu swim in crocodile-infested waters. "I caught a black marlin in Mozambique and when I jumped in to celebrate, I cut my leg on the propeller." The biggest fish he caught was a 1,300lb great white shark off South Africa in 2000. He explained: "Some sharks you catch by accident while fishing for other things but some were more targeted. The great white was a specific target in South Africa." He added: "It has been very humbling at times. Some of the crews who helped me have been very poor. In Mozambique, the crew asked me if they could keep my catches because they were big enough to feed their entire village." Barry Scholes, of the Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers, said: "It is a fantastic achievement. Anybody who pursues record fish and dedicates their time to doing that is involved in one of the purest forms of the sport." The shark royal slam consists of the blue, hammerhead, mako, thresher, tiger, white, tope, whaler and porbeagle. The billfish royal slam consists of the Atlantic and Pacific sailfish, Atlantic and Pacific blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin, white marlin, swordfish and spearfish. The tuna royal slam comprises the Atlantic and Pacific bigeye, blackfin, bluefin, dogtooth, longtail, skipjack, southern bluefin and yellowfin. PROFILE HE IS well known in angling circles but eccentric "shark hunter" Zyg Gregorek came to national attention last year when he pledged to catch a great white shark that had been pictured off the coast of Cornwall at the height of the tourist season. "I've been fishing for these monsters off Cornwall for ten years because I know they are there," he told one newspaper. "It's only a matter of time before I catch this fish." His enthusiasm may have been dampened when it turned out the picture was a fake – the shark had actually been photographed off the coast of South Africa. Mr Gregorek, variously described as a Polish fisherman, angling club owner and winemaker, also claims to speak three languages. Basking shark boom makes waves around Hebrides THE number of basking sharks around the Hebrides has more than doubled in the past five years, research has shown. The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust's research suggests their numbers have risen from fewer than 100 in 2003 to 250 last year. Particular hot spots are the west coast of Mull, the sea around the islands of Tiree and Coll and the Small Isles. The season for spotting basking sharks usually runs from about May until autumn and they have already been spotted this year. Susannah Calderan, biodiversity officer for the trust, thinks it could be due to an increase in food supply, or due to greater protection afforded the animals in recent years. "We have a good population of basking sharks that seem to be thriving and this is a really good time to be seeing them. "We think they are on the increase but it's difficult to say if it's a long-term trend or a blip. "There is clearly good food around here for them. Also, until recently they were fished for. They are protected now, so some population recovery may be going on." They are world's second largest fish after the whale shark, growing to 36ft long. Interview with Zyg Gregorek

Black bear attacks and kills grandmother, 70, on fishing trip June 2, 2008 KATE HAMMER / Globe and Mail The husband of a 70-year-old grandmother who was killed by a bear in northern Quebec fearlessly chased the wild animal off his wife's battered body, according to family members. Conservation experts set traps after Friday evening's attack, but according to police, as of last night, the bear was still at large in the wilds of northern Quebec. Cecile Lavoie and Alexandre Lavoie, 73, were in remote country nearly 600 kilometres northwest of Ottawa, where the retirees often spent the weekend fishing or hunting deer. According to her daughter, Ms. Lavoie felt at home in the woods and on the banks of the Theo River, where the bear attacked. As she scouted a fishing hole for walleye, Ms. Lavoie became separated from her husband. Barely 10 minutes later, Mr. Lavoie felt something was amiss and went searching for his wife of 51 years. Metres away he came upon the nightmarish scene of her body being dragged into the forest by a bear. Mr. Lavoie chased the predator for nearly 200 metres and managed very briefly to scare it away from his wife. He tried but was unable to carry her limp and bleeding body back through the dense spring foliage. He left her and went for help. When he arrived with police, the bear had returned and was combative. "The bear was still around and the bear was aggressive," said Sergeant Gregory Gomez del Prado, a spokesman for the Quebec provincial police. "It was dark so it was hard to find the woman's body." The bear was so aggressive, police were forced to delay attempts to retrieve Ms. Lavoie's remains until early Saturday morning, after it retreated into the deep woods north of the small community of La Sarre. Yesterday Ms. Lavoie's family gathered at her Beaucanton home. Mr. Lavoie, the retired owner of a logging machinery business his wife helped him build, is still in shock according to his daughter, Christine Lavoie. "She was an angel," Christine said yesterday in a telephone interview. "Fishing and hunting were her favourite activities, she was in her paradise." According to the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Fauna website, black bears are the species most commonly found in Quebec. This species rarely attacks humans and only four people have been killed by black bears in that province over the past 25 years. In 1991, a black bear killed a Toronto couple in Algonquin Park, baffling wildlife experts as it left the campers' food stores untouched. In 2001, a high-school student was attacked and partly eaten by a black bear 25 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife. In 2007, a Calgary woman, who was cycling on a trail near a British Columbia resort, was stalked and killed by a black bear. Attacks sometimes occur in the spring when bears awake from hibernation and are hungry. According to wildlife experts, a long winter and large amounts of snow meant this year's hibernation season stretched a few weeks longer than usual. In the event that one is approached by a black bear, the ministry website recommends moving slowly and avoiding eye contact in order to evade being identified as prey by the bear. Climbing a tree can be an effective way to escape attack. According to her family, the attack on Ms. Lavoie happened so quickly she didn't even have time to scream, let alone reach for the bear spray she carried with her. As accomplished hunters and campers who were born and raised in northern Canada, the Lavoies were well-versed in the recommended tools for avoiding and dealing with bear attacks. It remains unclear why the bear attacked Ms. Lavoie. In addition to her husband, she leaves behind five children and 11 grandchildren.

May 27, 2008 HIGHWAY 400 ENFORCEMENT CHECK FINDS 90 PER CENT OF ANGLERS OBEYING RULES Most anglers checked at the southbound Highway 400 Service Centre in the city of Vaughn, York Region, were obeying Ontario's fishing regulations. The Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Transportation and the Ontario Provincial Police conducted the joint enforcement blitz on May 19, 2008. Officers checked for compliance with both provincial and federal fish and game regulations and paid special attention to Ontario's fishing regulations, out of season bass and proper transportation of fish. Conservation officers checked approximately 300 anglers during the ten-hour operation and issued 25 charges for fish and wildlife related offences including: - possessing bass out-of-season - transporting fish whose species cannot be identified, and - failing to produce a licence. They also issued 11 warnings and took the opportunity to educate the public about over limits, seasons and proper transport techniques. Conservation officers occasionally use roadside check stations to enforce fish and wildlife regulations. 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). More violations here. www.ocoa.ca

....Great pictures, put a big smile on my face.

....Some useful tips posted here a few weeks back.

....You didn't know Dan? You oughta check in here more often, it's how I stay informed.

....If the rules were followed in regards to political, religious threads there'd be no problem. The board will remain as is. Also PM'ing these issues directly to a mod(s) is also in the rules! and for the record bias had nothing to do with it.

....Camera work? I believe what has happened is first a small pike was tied to the end of a small rope and tossed over the side of the boat. A second larger pike subsequently followed then dragged around in the water beside the boat, the force causing it to slide down over the head of the smaller pike. Admittedly though this does show up frequently.

A home for Giant Mudcat May 27, 2008 KAREN BEST / dunnvillechronicle.com An outstanding landmark may tower at the western entrance to Dunnville in Centennial Park if an agreement is signed with the Big Mudcat project committee. On Monday, Haldimand County council members unanimously agreed to locating the giant mudcat statue in the park near Grandview Lodge. According to a report by leisure services manager Rick Lane, the project committee was in favour of this location because of issues with other sites including Wingfield Park. First proposed in October 2006, the huge statue may finally have a place to call home. The giant mudcat will be 50 feet (15 metres) long and will rise 27 feet (eight metres) in the air. It will be set upon a support structure so it will appear to float six feet (two metres) off the ground. Lighting and rocks will simulate a river atmosphere. The anticipated arrival of the big fish has changed county plans for the one-and-a-half-acre park at the corner of Highway 3 and Robinson Road. Naturalization will be set aside for a passive park with manicured grass, trees, fountain improvements, flower gardens and more decorative lights. In Lane's report, he suggested locating the fish about 125 feet off the road. Trees will be moved to another part of the park to make room for the statue. Coun. Lorne Boyko was elated that this location was selected because this is where the community initially thought it should go. The Big Mudcat project committee and the Rotary Club of Dunnville have agreed to the terms of the lease agreement as prepared by county corporate services, said Lane. As well as welcoming council's support, project committee chair Jack Hooghiem wanted to review details. "At this stage, we have to see the agreement and discuss it with committee members," he said. "It will be standing a year from today if all goes well," he stated. Originally estimated at a $60,000 project with the statue and a parade float, the big mudcat will become a reality with the support of the Rotary Club, Kinsmen Club of Dunnville, Lioness Club of Dunnville, Lions Club of Dunnville and Optimist Club of Dunnville. Private donations and an anticipated Trillium grant will round out fundraising efforts. At first, the committee wanted to mount the fish on the site of the old library at Wingfield Park. Several proposals popped up for the building with the last being restoration of the house. Council advised the Big Mudcat committee that no decision about the park would be made until the Dunnville Culture and Heritage Foundation business plan was received. At that time, council suggested Centennial Park which was recently accepted by the Big Mudcat committee. John McKay of the culture and heritage foundation said the group, which wants to preserve the 140-year-old Braund House and keep it in Wingfield Park, presented its business plan to county staff. At the June 16 council committee meeting, staff will table a report reviewing the plan. To gather more support and promote their project, the Dunnville Culture and Heritage Foundation will have a booth at the Mudcat Festival's Community Lane in Central Park on June 7. The group will sell memberships and take pledges toward restoration of the Georgian home of tin smith William Braund. McKay said a show of support from the community will give them a say in protecting this heritage building.

Control crews attack lamprey in Big Otter May 30, 2008 Jeff Helsdon / tillsonburgnews.com Big Otter Creek has been flowing green and mean the last couple of days if you are a sea lamprey. Department of Fisheries and Oceans crews were in town to treat the Otter with TFM, a lamprey control chemical. The application of TFM turned the creek green. Sea lamprey is an invasive species that colonized the upper Great Lakes over 50 years ago when the Welland Canal was deepened. The creatures attack fish, sucking blood and juices from them, which often is fatal. During the creature’s 12 to 18-month parasitic phase, one lamprey can destroy over 40 pounds of fish. The sea lamprey control program is a joint effort between Canada and the United States. Typically Lake Erie tributaries are treated every three years to keep lamprey numbers in check. Since lamprey numbers in Lake Erie are increasing, treatment in back-to-back years is being undertaken on all lamprey-producing tributaries. That list includes both Big Creek and the Big Otter. Treatment in the Otter started Monday at midnight and needs to continue for 14 hours to be effective. TFM will kill lamprey larvae and adults. It is not fatal to fish as fish have an enzyme that allows them to metabolize chemical. “If there is diseased fish in the river, or other compromised fish, there will be some kill, but it will be light,” said Brian Stephens, treatment supervising biologist with the Sea Lamprey Control Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. He said there would be some kill of invertebrates, but these creatures drift with the current and will repopulate from populations above the treated area. During treatment, the crew of 28 people takes water samples to ensure the concentration is at the required level. Samples are processed at a portable laboratory based at Covey’s Super 8. In addition, crew members in canoes ensure the TFM is effective and is killing the lamprey. “They’re our eyes on the stream and can tell us we’re getting the level of kill we want,” Stephens said. The technicians in canoes also use portable sprayers to treat backwater areas the main chemical flow misses. Stephens explained if the entire stream were not treated, the lamprey would swim to the untreated area to escape the chemical. When sea lamprey hatch, the young are filter feeders and live in streams until they are three years old. After that age, the lamprey develops eyes and a mouth, become parasitic and migrates into the lake. As part of the stepped-up effort, crews will treat all lamprey-producing tributaries again in fall 2009. Stephens explained by that time, any larvae from eggs laid in 2009 would be hatched and vulnerable to TFM. In addition to TFM application, barrier dams also limit lamprey spawning. In this area, dams are located on the Little Otter, Normandale Creek and Clear Creek. Other local creeks being treated are Young’s Creek, south of Simcoe and Silver Creek, between Port Burwell and Port Bruce.

One hundred years of selling worms in Muskoka May 28, 2008 Amberly McAteer / .muskokan.com Photo by Amberly McAteer / BALA LANDMARK. The owner of Purk’s Place, Bill Purkis stands in his store in Bala. The famous slogan ‘boats and bait since 1908’ is a bit of a fib, as the building has been there since 1905, but that year did not rhyme with bait. Purk’s Place, a bait and boat shop, has been a landmark in Bala for decades but it faces an uncertain future The small wooden house stands perched on the shore of the Moon River sandwiched between the north bridge and the CPR railway tracks. The building shakes and business comes to a standstill dozens of times a day as the train trundles through Bala. “After this many years, you definitely get used to it,” says owner Bill Purkis, his tiny eyes lighting up from behind round metal glasses. “It’s sort of a ritual now.” In a plaid shirt and green rubber boots, you’d never guess that Bill was a systems analyst for IBM, living the bustling city life 20 years ago. His leathered skin and infectious, crooked smile lead you to believe he’s been selling bait and boats here his whole life. But it was just two decades ago when he and his family left their Lawrence Park home and went in search of a simpler life. They settled on a 20-acre farm in Huron County, where neighbours nicknamed Bill “Old McDonald”. But they didn’t stay for long. When Bill’s father and longtime owner of Purk’s, Tom Purkis became ill and passed away, Bill knew he had to take over. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid,” he says, his voice deep and sprightly. “I came in here every week when I was going to Camp Pinecrest as a little boy. This was the place to buy our bait for our day out on the water and maybe a treat or two.” At that time, the store was W.D Cunningham’s boat livery, and the Purkis family was Toronto-based and coming to Bala every summer to enjoy their cottage on Moon River. Tom Purkis was a wildly successful ad salesman for the Globe and Mail for years, but when the Toronto Telegram offered him a higher wage, he jumped at the chance. With his higher pay, he took off for a celebratory vacation to England with his wife. But when he returned, he learned the paper had gone under and he was out of a job. “Dad needed a new job and had the opportunity to do something completely different,” says Bill. Plus, Tom’s lungs were damaged from a heavy cigarette addiction and from serving in the navy during the Second World War. “The doctor told him he had to change,” recalls Bill. “But instead of quitting smoking, he just moved up here for the fresh air.” He looked after his customers and was always giving people deals. Bill recalls the company accountant paying Tom a visit to tell him he had to stop, if he wanted to make money. “But before the accountant left, he asked for a deal on a canoe. No word of a lie,” Bill exclaims, bending over with his hearty laughter. He slaps his knee. “And, of course, dad gave it to him half price.” It wasn’t the money Tom was interested in, but the opportunity to get to know Bala locals and cottagers. Owning a bait and boat shop on the water seemed like the perfect answer. For Bill, too, the shop provides an easygoing life. “There’s not too many worries or stress out here,” he says from the dock, squinting his eyes in the sun. But the future of the shop is uncertain, as the Ontario government plans to build a hydropower plant near the shore that Purk’s Place currently uses to dock its boats — although the area is legally Crown land and belongs to the province. The exact location of the plant is still in the works, so Purkis is unsure about what it will mean for his business. “I just hope I can keep doing what I do, for many more years,” he says. “I love the water. I love the rocks. I just love Bala and this is where I’m meant to be in life, in my opinion.”