Spiel

....Oh I'll be there, but not soon enough. Getting things together today and tomorrow and leaving Wednesday morning.

....and my condolences as well.

....Welcome Newf, hope you have a great season in your new ride.

....Good to have you on board Jeff.

....Actually your "current avatar" is still a jumping largemouth bass.

MUDCAT FESTIVAL '08 WAS A BLAST June 11, 2008 KAREN BEST / www.dunnvillechronicle.com How can a festival with wanted posters, bull rides, horse barrel races, great country and western music and fun in the streets be anything but memorable? Well that's exactly what Mudcat Festival coordinator Carolyn Chymko heard. People stopped her on the streets of Dunnville and emailed and called to tell her the 34th annual festival was the "best ever". Based on the crowd at the street dance and people lined up on the parade route and those enjoying country music from the beer gardens, Chymko's prediction of 50,000 in attendance was probably correct. On Wednesday, a sold-out fashion show thrilled the audience who viewed outfits from Dee Ann's, Phase II, Giant Tiger and J & R Sports. Later in the week, Dunnville Secondary School student Scott Rollo was named Dunnville Idol. On Friday, a full house on the Dunnville fire station parking lot partied to Stonewall Rocks. At 11 a. m. on Saturday, the parade began. Royal Canadian Legion Branch 142 members proudly led the procession. The 611 Harvard Squadron cadets followed. Not long after, Larry Josie drove up with his Remembrance Rig, sponsored by the Dunnville Chamber of Commerce. On the trailer, artist Chris McGregor had painted a huge flowing Canadian flag and silhouettes of Canadian Armed Forces members over an orange and red background. Special honour was also paid to parade marshal Ron Speers who, after decades of participation in Dunnville, is moving out of town later this year. Ontario Minor Hockey Association champions, Dunnville's Peewee rep team, were recognized for their achievement. Sandy Passmore, the town's citizen of the year, was treated to a buggy ride. Across from Mac's, her parents, Dick, who is 82, and May watched with pride. Years ago, he marched with the town fire department and then in the Legion colour party. Not far away, three-month-old babies, Jordyn Chapman and Irelynd Fries enjoyed the parade from their mothers' arms. Crystal Chapman said her other two children enjoyed the fire trucks, midway rides, food and fireworks. Lindsey Fries reminisced about watching floats while perched on her father's shoulders. Creativity won honours for the best floats. Rosa Flora's flowered-covered wagon caught the eye of the judges' panel who declared it the best commercial entry. In the noncommercial category, the Dunnville Hospital Healthcare Foundation won with a float announcing new doctors for the Dunnville primary health-care centre. For Anne VanDerstelt picking a favourite float was not possible. "They're all so great. How can you choose?" she said. Debra Weasner, 7, of Dunnville said the parade was her favourite part of the festival. "We get lots of candy. And I like the fireworks. They're awesome," she added. Every year, seven-year- old Sierra Smith of Welland attends the festival with her grandmother. Kitchener's Dutch Boy Drum and Bugle Corps was the best band in the parade and the 1955 black Chevy owned by Peter Dallas took away the honour of best historic vehicle. The Dunnville Veterinary Clinic was declared the best float depicting the country and western theme. Their winning entry was a black pick-up truck transformed into an angry, Holstein bull. The colourful and animated display created by the Youth Impact Centre earned the title of best overall float. Long before politicians were driving along Lock Street, Braiden Leney, 6, Devon Leney, 9, and Aidan Gifford and Jessica Jones, both 3, were taking shelter in a tent set up on a sidewalk near Lam's Shoes. For Carrie-Lynn Leney, who was born in Dunnville and lives in Welland, Mudcat Festival was a time to visit parents and to hang out with friends from high school. For more than a decade, Patricia Jones has met with friends during the festival. Owen Gifford of South Cayuga attended the festival since he was a kid. For four years, he has returned as a parent and taken his boy to the carnival and children's entertainment in Central Park. After the parade, Aaron Lam enjoyed a stroll through the shady park. Since he graduated from DSS 15 years ago, he has not missed a Mudcat Festival. "It's a great chance to see family and friends and it's been a tradition as long as I can remember and is one of my favourite things," he said. In the Strong Man Contest, Glen McCharles placed first in the light weight division. In the middleweight class, Dunnville's Kevin Schuit placed second. Luke Kilts of Dunnville came in first and was the overall contest point winner. In the heavyweight division, Shawn Haines of Dunnville took first and Ed Stefani of Rochester scored second. At the fire station, people enjoyed a barbecue, beer garden and car show. Lions Park was busy with vendors, mini tractor pull, food concession and chicken barbecue. During the afternoon, lots of people gathered to watch the Fox Lair Stables presentation of team ranch cattle sorting and barrel racing. Fox Lair wants do it all again next year. Many skateboarders participated in the Dark Side skateboard competition in the Lions Park tennis courts. In the beginner division, Donald Blake placed first, Mike Rujak second and Dave Crysler third. Martin Gordyn was first in the intermediate group followed by James Jarrett in second and Steve Ranger in third. In a skate-off, Andrew Wenchstern placed first and Eric Smith earned second. Eric Lundquist came in third. At Wingfield Park, the beer garden opened at noon. Nearby, Ryan Maarhuis of Dunnville joined in the Mudcat Olympic Games saying it was impossible to find them anything but fun. He added, "The bull riding was a lot of fun." Later The Bareback Riders performed for a couple of hours drawing dancers like Julie Cotter and her four-year- old granddaughter, Callie. Dunnville Idol Scott Rollo performed one number with the band. Then Steel County got people up and dancing too. Chymko said members of the bands wowed the crowds and wanted to return next year. DSS students helped set the scene by building The Mudcat Saloon front for the tractor trailer stage. Chymko was thrilled with participation in the Dunnville Idol contest, which is her favourite festival event. She also greatly appreciated the crew of students who dismantled the fence on Monday. Dunnville Chamber of Commerce volunteers added more western flair to the event by creating wanted posters. Chymko was wanted for pulling off the best festival, Coun. Lorne Boyko was wanted for jogging in the middle of winter and Karen Waltham was wanted for hosting Richard Gere and not telling anyone. In this setting, Trainer declared Saturday a perfect day and asked the audience to thank volunteers for putting on the festival. Then she pulled Tina Jurik's winning 50/50 draw ticket. With her $1,806.97 prize, the mother of two 14-year-old boys was thrilled to tears because she could afford to take them to visit their grandfather in Newfoundland. When darkness fell on Saturday night, a welcome cool breeze swept in off the Grand River. Kerr-Boom Pyrotechnics set off a blazing fireworks show on an island in the river. The finale was a breathtaking spectacle. For Chris Kerr, the Grand River venue was best in southern Ontario. Chymko said he was able to use pyrotechnics that he could not use elsewhere and was able to set some off straight out of the water. On Sunday afternoon, 121 kids were casting lines in the Canadian Tire Fishing Derby. All anglers, who were between three and 13, received a gift bag and either a soccer ball or a frisbee. With her 88.5 centimetre catch, Morgan Hann won first place. She took home the derby trophy and a new mountain bike. Dalton Powell reeled in an 80.5 cm fish and toted away a tackle box and fishing rod. In third place with a 51 cm fish, Jason Huitema received a smaller tackle box and a fishing rod. Five-year-old Zachary Empey was two centimetres shy of a tie for third place. Fourteen-year-old Andrew Jurik helped bring the fish to shore. Music in Central Park wound down the festival. Chymko made her rounds and then took a well earned rest. On Monday, she was doing paperwork and thinking about next year. After a break in July, she will begin to plan the 2009 Mudcat Festival. While booking bands and floats for the Santa Claus parade, she will seek entries for the festival parade. Overwhelmed due to a shortage of help this year, she is asking anyone who wants to volunteer for the 35th festival to contact her or the Chamber office. T-shirts are still available at the office but the cowboy hats are all gone.

Ditto

....I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that you caught the fish.

....Thanks Gerritt, you can't begin to imagine how the knowledge of this has already begun to improve my life.

....Ah, not exactly but you'll learn quick.

....I think a "crying towel" should bout cover it.

....Well we're going in cirlces now and my heads spinning. Lesson learned, don't leave marker buoys unattended it may be costly in more ways than one!

....You spoiled rotten son of a gun!

....Good on you Tony.

....I wasn't laughing......honest I wasn't. You got one of them jennies running da beer fridge?

....Thanks for the heads up, ahhh Chuck. If'n I was in the area I'd certainly swing by for a cold one but I'll be using the time to get rady for Lakair.

Ugly Stick lives up to its name June 8th, 2008 Ray Sasser - DALLAS MORNING NEWS DALLAS — Southwick Associates released survey results recently on preferred brands of fishing tackle. The survey tabulated the preferences of 16,258 people who logged onto AnglerSurvey.com in 2007. What does it mean? I’m not sure. I own more than half of the products mentioned as favorites but only four are products I’d list as my personal favorites. Take the Shakespeare Ugly Stick, for example. It was named as the favorite rod by 16.7 percent of the Internet survey. As far as I’m concerned, the Ugly Stick has three things going for it. It has the most appropriate name ever given a fishing product. The Ugly Stick is seriously ugly. It’s tougher than the stainless steel fishing rods of my father’s era, and it doesn’t cost much, as fishing rods go. To tell the truth, I haven’t handled an Ugly Stick in many years. The last one I tried had the action of a hickory stave without the sensitivity. Everything else has changed so maybe the Ugly Stick has, too, but I’m betting Ugly Sticks are popular because they sell for $29.95 in most models and few are ever broken. Ugly Stick also has the top television ad for a fishing rod. Maybe you’ve seen it. A frustrated housewife finds her husband eating breakfast with his fishing rod propped in the corner. She tells him he’s not going fishing today and proceeds to whack his fishing rod (an Ugly Stick) against the tile floor. There’s something to be said for a tough fishing rod, but I’m not that hard on tackle, and I much prefer a rod that has a superb action, extreme sensitivity, pinpoint casting ability and doesn’t look like it should be called an Ugly Stick. Fishermen are a funny bunch, however. They build up confidence in a product, then stick with that product. Ask my wife to name her favorite topwater lure and she won’t pause long before she names a Smithwick Devil’s Horse. Emilie has caught a lot of good bass on a Devil’s Horse (she prefers yellow with black stripes) but that’s partly because she reaches for that lure whenever she thinks bass may hit a topwater plug. I seem to catch more topwater fish on a Pop-R or a Woodchopper, probably because I fish those lures more often. Does a Pop-R catch more fish for me because it’s a better lure than other chuggers, or does it catch more fish because my confidence in the Pop-R prompts me to use it more often? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which came first, confidence or performance? I know people who never go fishing without consulting the solunar tables, a peak feeding period prediction based on moon phase. I don’t study solunar tables myself, because there are too many other variables that affect fish activity. Fishing with confidence is a big factor in fishing success, however. If it makes you feel more confident, read your horoscope, research the solunar tables, then use your Ugly Stick to stir up some tea leaves.

Lakair

....Ah, Great report though I think I'll plan to do all my angling on this side of the pond.

....They always do. I also have terms of employment and failure to follow them will result in my immediate discharge.

....I'll certainly be adding something to the prize table.

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1065754

....Now that is some serious water! Anyone try to cross? Oh and good job on the fish.

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1065754

Does this mean I'll have to join you in your boat for some musky fish'n in order to see that infamous smile.