Spiel

Virus linked to carp deaths May 9, 2008 JAMES NEELEY / thepeterboroughexaminer.com A fish virus new to Ontario has been identified as one cause of the carp die-off that littered area lakes with 12,000 to 24,000 fish last summer. John Cooper, of the Lake Erie fisheries management unit for the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), said extensive testing by the University of Guelph and the federal fish health labs confirmed finding a new fish virus to Ontario - the koi herpesvirus. The MNR previously identified a bacteria, columnaris, as the cause of the fish kill, but now say the new virus also killed fish. The koi herpesvirus, first found in North America in 1999, was discovered in two fish collected from Scugog and Pigeon lakes last year, Cooper said. It only affects carp, goldfish and koi, he said, and is not a danger to humans "because it can't live in a body as warm as a human." Carp infected with koi herpesvirus are safe to eat and handle, he said. Last year's die-off also will not threaten carp counts for this season, Cooper said. "Carp are a prolific fish that can quickly bounce back from a die-off," he said. There is no evidence the 2007 carp die-off was caused by a contaminant spill, Cooper said. Trying to determine what caused last summer's carp kill took extensive testing, he said, noting one of the difficulties was, unlike humans, autopsies don't work on fish. "Once they are dead the natural process may mask the cause," Cooper said. "We have to get the fish alive and transport to the lab as quickly as possible." The MNR released a new formalized protocol yesterday to better handle fish kills in the future. To speed the research to determine causes of die-offs, Cooper said the MNR will collect fish themselves instead of taking samples from the public. Cause of a koi herpesvirus disease outbreak: - The koi herpesvirus virus causes disease and death when water temperatures are between 18 to 28 C. Disease outbreaks are rare when water temperatures are lower than 13 C. - Fish are most susceptible when stressed as a result of fluctuating high water temperatures, crowding and spawning. - The virus is highly contagious and has been linked to large mortalities of carp and koi. - The virus is most likely passed from fish to fish in close contact, entering the body through the gills or possibly through the intestine. - The virus lives in fish, in water for short periods of time (possibly for at least four hours, probably less than a day), in feces, and possibly in the mud bottoms of lakes and rivers. - Fish infected with koi herpesvirus may survive a disease outbreak and become carriers of the virus, passing the virus to other fish.

SWISS GOVERNMENT TO BAN ‘CATCH AND RELEASE’ FISHING eftta.com Catch and Release fishing will be banned in Switzerland from next year, it was revealed this week. And anglers in the country will have to demonstrate their expertise by taking a course on humane methods of catching fish, under new legislation outlined by the Bundesrat - the Swiss Federal Parliament. The new legislation states that fish caught should be killed immediately following their capture, with a sharp blow to the head from a blunt instrument. Under the new regulations, the use of livebait and barbed hooks is also prohibited except in certain situations. The laws come into effect in 2009 but while the Swiss government does not mention Catch and Release specifically, it does say that "it is not permitted to go fishing with the 'intention' to release the fish." EFTTA lobbyist Jan Kappel has been in contact with Martin Peter, Vice President of the Swiss Angling Federation, to see whether a joint approach to the Swiss government could persuade them to amend the legislation - which forms part of a much wider animal welfare programme. The law on the protection of animals was passed by the Swiss parliament in 2005 and officials have spent three years refining the details, taking into account the comments of interested parties. Said Jan: "Catch and Release is one of the most difficult issues we have to deal with, and one of the most important in my opinion. “The new Swiss law doesn't make use of the term 'Catch and Release', which is the same as in Germany – but I don't see how governments can enforce legislation which makes 'intent' illegal. “And demanding that people kill the fish they catch gives no thought to the conservation benefits from releasing them." Angling Codes of Conduct with regards to proper handling and releases can be found for practically any fish species caught by anglers in Switzerland and the rest of the world. The new Swiss law makes it obligatory for anglers to take lessons before being granted a fishing license. So there is absolutely no need for an outright ban on the release of fish in Switzerland.” It’s believed that the legislation could affect as many as 275,000 anglers in Switzerland, who generate around 30 million Euros in annual tackle sales. EFTTA acting president, Pierangelo Zanetta, said: "EFTTA does not believe that forcing anglers to kill their catches is either good for nature or for recreational sport fishing - which makes a significant financial contribution to the EU economy. “Making the killing of fish obligatory will simply reduce fish population and, at the same time, run the risk of having a negative impact on sport fishing. "Anglers and the sport of angling invest time and money to improve water quality and create larger and healthier fish populations. We believe is it far better for the fish if the fisherman decides, according to the situation, whether to keep and eat the fish or to release it."

Dixon's legendary big bass bites bullet May 9, 2008 Angela Lau / UNION-TRIBUNE JOHN GASTALDO / Union-Tribune / A ranger checks the frozen remains. The fish with a worldwide reputation as one of the heaviest ever hooked was found floating Friday morning on the Lake by an angler who turned it over to a city ranger. Jed Dickerson of Oceanside and Mac Weakley of Carlsbad, who caught the bass two years ago, were called to the ranger's office to identify the renowned fish. The Florida strain largemouth bass found floating across from the boat dock had the same distinctive black birthmark below its jawline as the one the men released in 2006. “That's it, that's THE fish,” Weakley said Friday afternoon. “The fish has lived out its life cycle.” The bass is now in a freezer at the Dixon Lake ranger's office, waiting for California Fish and Game officials to come by Monday and take tissue samples to determine its age. The fish, christened Dottie by the City of Escondido, is estimated to be 15- to 17-years-old. The bass had apparently been dead for at least one day when it was found. Dottie measured 29½ inches long and weighed about 19 pounds, said Dickerson. That was a far cry from the hefty 25 pounds 1 ounce it weighed in 2006 when Weakley caught it – well above the 1932 world record of 22 pounds, 4 ounces. But then it was fat with eggs; this time it apparently died shortly after spawning. Instead of submitting it for the record in 2006, Weakley released the bass because he had foul-hooked it on its side. Hooking a fish somewhere other than in the mouth is not allowed if done intentionally. The fish – and an accompanying photo – was an Internet sensation, attracting attention from around the world and luring many anglers to Dixon Lake in futile efforts to catch it again. A contract crew hired by National Geographic was on the lake this week filming a story about the fish and the people trying to capture it. In the world of bass fishing, holding the size title could bring lucrative endorsements. Since letting Dottie go, Weakley and Dickerson had spent lots of time trying to find the fish and hook it by the rules. As of Friday, Dickerson said he had been fishing on Dixon Lake for 70 straight days.

Bush veto bad news for Great Lakes 05/11/08 / COMMENTARY Eric Sharp - DETROIT FREE PRESS President George W. Bush has threatened to veto a House-passed bill that would make saltwater ships install systems that kill all living organisms in their tanks before dumping ballast in U. S. waters, including the Great Lakes. There’s no question this administration has one of the worst environmental records in history, drawing fire from conservative hunting and fishing groups as well as the usual ecological lefties, and that the bill the president threatens to veto is no more than a step in the right direction. Yet anyone who fishes or goes boating in the region should contact both of their senators and tell them that the Senate needs to adopt the House bill quickly and send it to the White House with a veto-proof majority, because if nothing else, it’s a start. Jordan Lubetkin, a spokesman for the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office in Ann Arbor, Mich., said this bill is “a step in the right direction to stop what has been a plague on the Great Lakes. We really need to get the Senate to pass this. We can’t let the momentum stop or we’ll be back to square one.” The administration’s objections to the bill center on provisions that would require the Coast Guard to provide security for natural gas terminals and ships and make changes in the organization’s top command structure. The validity of those objections is belied by the fact that the bill passed the House, 395-7, with nearly unanimous bipartisan support. The White House has also floated a specious argument that the new law would force recreational boats to meet the same standards as commercial ships. But that would require a ludicrously narrow interpretation of the law, and even if that were remotely possible, Congress already is working on legislation that would clearly exempt small boats. The provision to protect the Great Lakes and other waters from continued invasions by damaging exotic species is included in a U. S. Coast Guard reauthorization bill. Zebra mussels alone have cost the United States several hundred million dollars in damages since they arrived from the Baltic Sea about 25 years ago. When you add up the damage caused by other species, such as the sea lampreys that have decimated lake trout and other game fish, viral hemorrhagic septicemia that has infected the three lower Great Lakes, and algae blooms caused by the invaders, the total cost has to be in the billions of dollars. But that’s small potatoes compared with what the Bush administration has borrowed for the war in Iraq; many economists project that the total war costs will exceed $1 trillion. This is the administration that in 2004 announced a major initiative to protect the Great Lakes and then failed to finance that program. Mary Gade, the Midwest administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, recently told the Chicago Tribune that the Bush administration forced her to resign because she was aggressively investigating Dow Corp.’s role in dioxin pollution of the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers and Saginaw Bay, all of which feed into the Great Lakes. And dozens of scientists in the EPA have said they have been pressured by superiors to water down data that might be detrimental to friends of the administration or have had their scientific findings ignored by administration rule makers. This is an administration that doesn’t think that protecting an ecosystem that holds 95 percent of the surface water in North America is as important as protecting the profits of its powerful friends in industries such as oil and chemicals. But if you hunt or fish, you know better, and there should be little that’s more important to you than protecting our lands and waters.

Perch haul on Lake Erie is cat’s meow 05/11/08 Will Elliott / buffalonews.com Perch measuring 12 inches can be caught on Lake Erie as a rule. Lake Erie may not be the perch factory it was 25 to 50 years ago, but some days on Erie can still be bountiful and beautiful. Native Americans named Erie “The Cat,” which aptly describes what often goes on while anglers strive to bring in buckets of larger-sized ringbacks. Like a cat, this fishery can be sneaky, disappearing and then showing up when and where least expected. Erie’s erratic perch production would make T. S. Eliot proud. That’s what fishing partner Ken “Mach” Maciejewski and I faced one afternoon in late April when we headed out from Cattaraugus Creek in search of perch schools that Rick Miller at Miller’s Bait & Tackle told us were hitting out in deep waters off Evangola State Park. Years ago, say some time in the 1950s to ’80s, we would have been cruising the shoreline as pre-spawn perch gathered in 5-to 10-foot shallows as they cruised around to feed and find good spawning beds. Today, in waters much more clear, the perch school in deeper waters, making the search more widespread, and much more challenging. Our search continued for more than two hours before we happened upon a white-knight good guy in a camo-colored boat. Perch anglers tend to be a bit reluctant to share on-the- water hot spots, especially when they are over the fish and steadily hauling in hefty numbers. But Eden angler Bruce Curvin not only told us he was into them, he suggested that we anchor closer to the center of the school to get more and better hits. Curvin, a Southtowns Walleye Association member and regular on the Erie perch circuit, had logged seven boat trips before this Friday afternoon outing. He was approaching his 50-fish limit and stayed in the area for about another hour to finish the count. Biting and catching action such as this was the norm some 30 to 50 years ago, and this afternoon outing brought back memories of some of those fruitful days of fishing — with a few techno alterations. Perch, as with all other desirable game fish species, move to various depths throughout the year. Predominantly a bottom-relating fish, the chase is mainly to get over the right depths at the right time of the year to maximize the catch count. Typically, boaters got out to a desired depth, one where schools were gathered, anchored their boat and soon, if not immediately, perch schools would move under their boat and the fun would begin. While that approach still works today, a highly successful perch pursuer moves more like a fly rodder or a bass boater in finding and hooking into good sizes and numbers of ringbacks. Mach and I had a bucket of fathead minnows and a pack of emerald shiners Ricky Miller suggested as best baits. Live emeralds were not available from bait dealers, because a bait restriction requires certification before these shiners can be sold. Anglers can net their own emeralds and use them on site without transporting them via motor vehicle. That means the bait has to be there and available for netting just before each outing. As is the plight of most other anglers, we didn’t have time to find or access to these “native” Lake Erie baits. Ricky mentioned that the salted emeralds often work as well or better than the hearty fatheads. He was right. But the presentation out there became even more crucial than the bait offerings. Curvin was running, basically back trolling on this dead-calm afternoon, with a rear-mounted electric trolling motor. My rear-mount, safely stored in the pole barn, could have been useful, because it became clear that Curvin was not only continually placing his transom directly over the fish school that would scatter with the sound of a powerful outboard motor, he also was offering a slightly moving target for these perch. Other boaters saw us reeling in fat perch and began anchoring nearby, dropping their rigs to the bottom. Few had steady hits; fishing was just so-so. The trick? Movement. Every time I would cast as far as possible and let the sinker and two hooks hit bottom and then begin a slow lift-and- drop, a perch or two would hit, immediately upon hitting bottom or on one of the lifts or drops. It took less than two hours for Mach and me to boat close to 50 perch and keep about 35 in the 10-to 13-inch range. It’s not the 200-300 daily perch pile that we often cleaned decades ago. Baits, boats, gas, tackle, and all other angling essentials cost so much more than we spent a year ago, but the pure fun of both catching and eating these feisty food fish make fishing for yellow perch golden.

....Ah man if I'd only known sooner I'd have........................On second thought I probably wouldn't have. Happy Birthday Art.

....Ah, you are but a young lass Joey. All the best on your big day.

....Doh, my bad Tigerfish it is. Jamie wins.

....I'm glad to hear it's all good Lew. Nothing better than having Mom there for Mother's day.

Payara! ....What I win?

.....Good on you ranger520vx, I need a whitie fix myself. Hoping Friday will be good for me and Fishfarmer to go. Glad you made it back BigChev, with fish no less. I've canceled my last two outings due to those nasty easterlies!

....Five posts , one thread and I'm thinking.... But you knew that didn't Wayne.

....Let me guess.........You work there? Of course I may be wrong.

....Well done Steve.

....I'd love to be out there, somewhere. But alas yesterday was a working day, the one that pays the bills. Today I'm assembling rod handles and wrapping rod guides (pays for my fishing gear & trips, sort'a). Three more shifts and I'll be on holidays, should be able to get out fishing then.

....Been brewing my own in the basement on and off for 20 plus years. At the height of things I was brewing as many as a dozen different types. Usually had two double batches going at a time and a cold room stuffed full of beer. Many friends would have chosen to by from me over the brewers retail generic tasteless swill because they favored mine. Problem was I was drinking it as fast as I could make it! So I gave it up and the consumption of beer for the most part (had to) and I'm giving all my equipment to some young fella that keeps asking when I'll deliver it.

Walleye season opens Saturday; Are you ready? May 07, 2008 Wil Wegman / yorkregion.com The second Saturday in May is always a big day for Lake Simcoe anglers. Not only does walleye season start, but so too does the even more plentiful northern pike, whitefish and lake trout seasons. Furthermore, it is quite likely more anglers will actually fish for any of those latter three species than the former despite the notion walleye are the most popular fish in the province. If you feel like being a bit of a rebel this weekend on Lake Simcoe by being one of the few anglers out there targeting walleye instead of those other three, then continue reading. The reason for the lack of effort that Simcoe walleye receive is definitely not related to a lack in size of the walleye. In fact, Simcoe walleye have a reputation for being some of the biggest found anywhere in Ontario. For those who have been fortunate enough to catch a few precious Simcoe eyes, they will know 10-pounders are fairly common and trophy sized specimens in the 15-pound class are not rare. The challenge, however, is in finding those darned big walleye in the first place because, for the most part, Simcoe just doesn’t have a huge population. More are caught by accident when anglers are fishing for something else. For those who are up to the challenge of trying to locate a walleye or two in Lake Simcoe on opening weekend you should be prepared for a couple of things: • Your quest could be like looking for a needle in a haystack and; • There are new limits and size restrictions in place for 2008. Let's deal with the easier second point first. Walleye limit with a sport licence is now four instead of six. No big deal because it’s unlikely you, me or the mighty Al Lindner himself could count on catching the old six-fish limit. The size restriction is something to pay careful attention to, however, as now you can only keep up to one walleye (within your four fish limit) more than 18.1 inches. In most places, this isn’t an issue because most places don’t have an extraordinarily high percentage of their walleye population exceeding 18 inches. Then again, Simcoe isn’t most lakes. It might make you feel better, however, when you’re releasing those precious walleye bigger than 18.1 inches, that quite often those bigger fish are the females which are valuable to the future of the fishery. Besides, the smaller walleye will just taste better anyway. Now, point one. That needle may be hard to find in a big haystack, but if you know it will be tough work yet you equip yourself with a powerful magnet – you’ll at least have a better chance of finding that little needle in the first place. In other words, go out on Simcoe fully aware it’s going to be very difficult to find Mr. Marble Eyes in that big old lake. But because you have your homework and are prepared with the right tools and the right attitude for the task at hand – well you might just locate that elusive Lake Simcoe walleye. Basic help with your homework: Location, location, location. Anglers don’t need a real estate agent to tell them how important it is to be fishing in the right spots if they want to get bites. With a relatively small population of walleye in the 745-square-mile Lake Simcoe, though, this might be easier said than done – especially when existing walleye catches often appear to be coming from so many different areas of the lake. For what it’s worth, I’ll pass on three of those very general areas that you can try opening weekend. • Mouth of the Talbot River: Recognized as the lakes’ primary walleye spawning river, walleye typically retreat back to the lake once this annual ritual in the river is complete. With a late ice out and cool water temps, it could be that several are still holding near the mouth; • Cooks Bay: Although the Holland River, which empties into the very south end of this southernmost bay of the lake, once had a decent walleye run in the spring, it has reportedly been several decades since that has occurred. Curiously enough, for some reason, there still appears to be several nice walleye caught not just at its mouth but throughout the bay, each spring and; • Mouth of the Pefferlaw River: Some Focus on Fishing readers may have noticed that in the new 2008/09 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary, the longstanding fish sanctuary in the Pefferlaw that lasted until the opening of bass season (fourth Saturday in June) has now be changed and shortened to coincide with the walleye opener instead. With this in mind the mouth of the Pefferlaw might very well be worth a look opening weekend. If you do head out to one of these areas you might up your odds even further if you long-line troll with a slow working crankbait like a perch colored Shad Rap in water ranging from 10 to 18 feet. The long line is required because you don’t want to spook the weary walleye in Simcoe’s gin-clear water, the slow retrieve because the water is still cold and the fish aren’t that active, the perch colored crank because perch are a primary forage for Simcoe’s walleyes and that water depth because it’s unlikely they’ll be much deeper so early in the season. However, if you’re like me and can’t stand to spend too much of your time trolling, you could do worse than throwing a one-quarter ounce ball head jig hooked with either a live shiner or one of the Berkley Gulp! Alive! biodegradable minnow baits. So there you have it, a quick run-down on the Lake Simcoe walleye opener. Tight lines everyone.

Sheesh, you best drop by Lakair, I always have a spot for you in my boat. That aside, I hope you both have a great summer. Praps I'll get a chance to drop in on my return from Nipigon.

....Nice to meet you Pete.

Waterway opening in doubt; High water level could make boating unsafe May 7, 2008 Colin McKim / orilliapacket.com High water and dangerous currents may delay the opening of the Trent-Severn Waterway between Lake Couchiching and Port Severn. The system, which experienced severe flooding during the spring runoff, is scheduled to open to boaters May 16. But the water level on Lake Simcoe is still 15 centimetres above where it should be this time of year, said Mike Jamieson, assistant director of canal operations. The excess water pouring over dams and surging through valves in the locks is causing hazardous currents and submerging docking platforms below some locks, said Jamieson. If water levels don't drop enough to slow currents, the system will have to be closed to boaters until navigation is safe, said Jamieson. "On Monday, we'll take a long, hard look at the system." System operators have been trying to reduce levels in Lake Simcoe since January, when record-high temperatures and the resulting thaw resulted in elevated water levels. Normally, Lake Simcoe is drawn down in the fall to accommodate the spring runoff, but all that capacity was lost this year and there was major flooding, particularly when the Black River crested. With rivers and lakes still high, further flooding remains a possibility, said Jamieson, adding a key factor is the amount of rainfall in the next few weeks. Things looked good until this past weekend, when some parts of the watershed received 35 millimetres of rain, said Jamieson. When currents are excessive, boats, especially in the hands of inexperienced operators, can be hard to control, said Jamieson. There is the risk of damage from collisions with other boats or docking facilities, he said.

Elliot Lake has great fly-fishing opportunities SHANNON QUESNEL / elliotlakestandard.ca There are some misconceptions about fly-fishing, says Ron Alexander. The president of the All-Anglers Fishing Club says some believe fly-fishing is too difficult and some longtime Elliot Lake residents believe this sport is pointless in this part of Northern Ontario. Alexander and the 14 other club members want people to know that is not true. Fly-fishing is fun, for everyone and can be done almost anywhere, be it in a stream or a lake. There are many benefits to fly-fishing, says Alexander. In fact, the sports’ pros are being recognized around the world. It is being welcomed with open arms in many European nations. Issuing licences for fly-fishing is making more financial sense in countries such as the United Kingdom and Ireland says Alexander. Instead of making money issuing licences to commercial fishing crews, these nations are seeing more financial benefits from tourists coming to spend money in their country while they fly-fish. Another thing that makes the sport so appealing, especially to the government, are many fly-fishers are conservationists. Instead of filling up the freezer with fish the reward is in the challenge. Like chess, the sport is easy to learn, but can take a lifetime to master. Fly-fishing has many elements from line casting to learning what artificial fly to use. Advertisement Sport needs to grow The local club might have more humble aspirations than the British government, but it is serious about increasing the sport’s profile. From casting lessons to showing how flies are made, the club is happy to explain the sport to anyone. “What I always tell people is come try it one time and you will be hooked,” says Alexander. Since many people in Northern Ontario have gone fishing at least once, fly-fishing will not seem that different. A person flicks the rod to cast the line forward and uses bait to catch the fish. The differences begin with the gear. Fly-fishing rods tend to be much longer and the reels simpler. Instead of boats, these anglers walk out into streams and rivers or into shallow water wearing hip waders and boots. Some even use special single-seat pontoon crafts. Other gear, such as nets, tends to be worn or clipped onto the fly angler. Casting is also different. Fly-fishing lines are much heavier and brighter in colour than the pale blue or green lines used by other anglers. The biggest difference is the bait. The artificial lures used by most spin-casters tend to be rigid and/or segmented pieces with little flexibility. Often, they resemble small fish, such as minnows and almost always are bought, not made by the fishers themselves. Flies weigh much less than spin-casting lures and can be as tiny as mosquitoes. In the Elliot Lake area anglers use different techniques and equipment when fishing in either still water or streams. Still water is in lakes and ponds with little current. Of the two, stream fly-fishing is the hardest as the wild and rough Elliot Lake landscape makes it tough just to get to the water. Alexander says he was spoiled in southern Ontario. Down there a fly-fisher can park his car so close to a river he could fish out the window. “I am embarrassed to admit to that. Up here, you are going to have to work for it, but when you do the rewards are wonderful.” Alexander and past-president Erik Russel are working to bring fly-fishing and its rewards to as many people as possible. To this end, the group is doing its best to promote this area of Algoma as a fishing destination. Fish story The club is fighting two misconceptions, however. One is fly-fishing is only for catching brown trout. This is not true, as fly fishers go after all sorts of fish, from trout to bass to salmon. In fact, every year a fly fisher is setting a new world record in largest fish caught with a fly rod. The other misconception is that Elliot Lake is no good for fly-fishing. “We have heard of at least two or three instances of people not moving here because they were told there was no decent fishing,” says Alexander. That has not been the case for him and others. They know timing can play a big part in a successful fishing trip. Some local rivers will be teeming with fish but only for a certain part of the year, sometimes for two weeks or a month. This knowledge is something the club wants everyone to know. Instead of hoarding the secrets of great fishing spots, the club wants to share information. Alexander and his friends have spent hours in trucks and on ATVs travelling down roads and trails to find good fishing spots. “If we find a good place we tell the world, we publish it. “One of the planks of our constitution is to promote Elliot Lake. We want city hall and the powers that be to view us as an asset. “I don’t want anyone else leaving town because they thought the fishing was no good.” Cheaper than you think Sometimes all a person needs to start a hobby is knowing where to buy gear. Unfortunately, there are few places selling fly-fishing equipment in this area. That is why Alexander has been filling item orders for those interested in the sport. “It can be an expensive sport. One of those magazines will show you a fly-rod in the $800 range.” However, a beginner’s set can cost much less than that. Newcomers will need a rod, reel, fly-line, leaders, tippets and, of course, flies. Fly-line is more expensive than spin-casting line, but will last much longer, claims Alexander. And as club members do not want new or potential members discouraged from the high costs members have been donating new and old equipment, such as indoor practice rods. These popular devices are used to train people to cast. “These are custom-made and they are in such hot demand I am in back orders for them.” This all comes at a cost for the veteran members, but Alexander says someone had to step up. “You have to do that to get it going. Somebody has to be a hero. It’s just (to show) how much we care about it.” Alexander loves the sport. He and Russel have worked hard to recruit new members. After forming the club Alexander was surprised the problem with getting new people was not the cost of gear. The issue holding some people back is the difficulty or the unfamiliarity of fly-fishing. “When you are spin-casting you've got a weight on a thin-line. You can feel it. But with a fly line you are making this line go through the air. It is much more technical.” Fly-fishers do not have to cast the way it is seen on television or in the movies, such as in A River Runs Through It starring Brad Pitt. “If you see a demonstration the guy is showing off and he is doing 70 feet (of cast).” He says that is unnecessary. The average trout is caught at a distance under 15 feet. “I can teach you to do that in 10 minutes…, none of this fancy waving in the air.” For those interested in becoming a club member, the cost is $30 a year. Meetings are every Monday at St. Peter the Apostle Church on the corner of Hillside Drive and Roman Avenue. For more information, call Alexander at 461-8939. Check a future edition of The Standard for more on the fly tying aspect of fly-fishing.

Annual derby has lowest yield ever May 02, 2008 Craig Campbell / dundasstarnews.com The organizer of Dundas' annual Sucker Sunday fishing derby wonders what happened to cause the less than impressive results at this year's event. While 49 kids and 34 adults had a great time at the 32nd running of the derby on Spencer Creek last Sunday, Marty Zuliniak found the fish counts a little concerning. A record low of only three Suckers were caught during the nine hour derby. And for the first time in the event's three-decades, a Carp was caught - in fact, a total of 6 were brought in, to actually outnumber the Suckers. "That goes to show you that the Carp are still in Cootes," Mr. Zuliniak said. He noted this Carp majority, including one weighing 17 lbs., was found despite ongoing efforts by the Royal Botanical Gardens to keep that fish out of the Cootes Paradise watershed. In total, 38 fish were caught in Spencer Creek last week, compared to the 79 fish caught last year. Royal Botanical Gardens aquatic ecologist Tys Theysmeyer suggested, in response to Mr. Zuliniak's information, the Carp may have been drawn into Spencer Creek because of weather, while Suckers may have already been on their return trip to the lake. But Mr. Zuliniak, who believes this year's record low totals came on a better day for fishing than last year's event, figures the Suckers must feel something is wrong in their Spencer Creek spawning grounds leading them to shy away from bait there. He suggested "industrial disease" is responsible for the lower fish catch this year. Still, the 83 anglers - more than half of which were kids, didn't let that ruin their fun. The overall derby winner was Tom Charman for biggest fish caught, followed by Buck Callandar for the most caught, and Liam Walsh who picked up the Rick Carson Memorial with the longest fish caught.. Mr. Zuliniak thanked volunteer Marty Gilmour for handing out door prizes to the kids, all the Dundas merchants who donated prizes, and the staff at Winchester Arms for the use of their facility.

Lake Wolsey perch live a relative cormorant-free life May 7, 2008 Expositor Staff / manitoulin.ca SKY PATROL: A pair of Gore Bay and District Fish and Game Club volunteers take legal aim at cormorants threatening the rainbow trout at Meeker's Aquaculture operations on Lake Wolsey. Local perch reap collateral benefits. / photo by Tom Sasvari LAKE WOLSEY-People in the know from all over Manitoulin - and beyond - go to Lake Wolsey, 15 miles west of Gore Bay, to fish perch. That's summer and winter, and that's because, if one is in a mood for a feed of perch, Lake Wolsey is the only place where there is a fair certainty that a fisherman will be successful. That's not to say there aren't perch in other Island lakes and in the North Channel. There are. But these tend to be caught by talented anglers who know exactly where and when to fish. Lake Wolsey is much more forgiving to ordinary anglers and regularly gives up the limit of this tasty species to patient people who are prepared to move around the lake and bait their hooks with standard perch fare. Like the perch who school there, Mike Meeker, proprietor of Meeker's Aquaculture, is a denizen of Lake Wolsey where he moved 25 years ago to establish Manitoulin's first aquaculture operation. Mr. Meeker says that because of this willingness and encouragement to have Meeker Aquaculture included in a variety of scientific studies, "Lake Wolsey is one of the most studied lakes in Northern Ontario." He knows his lake is a productive habitat for perch, and for other species too. And he knows why: it's a symbiotic relationship between his fish cages (where he rears rainbow trout for the commercial market) and the wild fish species, like the yellow perch native to virtually all of the lakes on Manitoulin but now found in abundance only in Lake Wolsey. This information about Meeker Aquaculture's relationship with a particular wild species of fish is imparted to the newspaper last Sunday afternoon at the fish farm. The hour-long conversation is punctuated with the regular sound of shotgun blasts coming from near Meeker Aquaculture's cages on the lake below Mr. Meeker's storage buildings and home. Mr. Meeker, a man of calm demeanor who has about him the same air of any farmer who knows his territory and livestock intimately, says with authority that: "Lake Wolsey has the only sustainable levels of yellow perch on Manitoulin in all year classes." "And that," he continues, "is because our cages are there (the perch have lately come to take refuge from the predator cormorants in the 50-60 foot depths of water beneath the Meeker Aquaculture fish cages) and because those guys (he gestures in the direction where the shotgun blasts are coming from) are here protecting them." The perch population is viable in Lake Wolsey, Mr. Meeker knows, simply because as a licensed aquaculture operator, Meeker Aquaculture has been issued a permit that allows him (or his designates) to shoot the nuisance cormorants that would otherwise attack the rainbow trout being reared in the large net cages that comprise Mr. Meeker's "farm" in Lake Wolsey. This shooting of nuisance cormorants became a necessity for Meeker Aquaculture about five years ago when the fish farm suffered a significant financial loss of about 6,000 rainbow trout... to cormorants. "What they (cormorants) do - and I've watched them doing it when I've been on an underwater dive, the cormorants strike through the cages' webbing, striking the fish inside the cages just behind their gills (at their heart and liver, where the fish is most vulnerable) and then slash the fish downwards to finish the kill. Then they try to pull the fish through the netting to eat it." Shooting the birds isn't usually an issue until after ice break-up, when the open tops of the giant cages give easy access to cormorant predation. "But this year, when our cages were still submerged (during ice movement) I had double top nets on the cages. And we had to repair a lot of large holes in these top nets that definitely weren't there when the nets went on." And, because the fish cages and Mr. Meeker's crop of rainbow trout are being protected by the shotgun blasts that keep the birds away from the area (and kill some of them as well) that provides a place of refuge for the perch, under the cages. "The huge number of perch around our cages are there because of our protection of the cages," Mr. Meeker stated with authority, "but also because there's food at the cages: bugs and algae the perch pick off the side of the rainbow trout cages...and there's not much food left (for the perch to feed on) elsewhere in Lake Wolsey. It's a kind of 'artificial reef' situation that's been created here that the perch are taking advantage of." Mr. Meeker has lived and worked on Lake Wolsey for a quarter century and, like any farmer, he's watchful of the natural elements like weather and pests that may come to plague his crop. And for half of the that time that he's had an aquaculture business on the lake, he's observed that the cormorants have become a risk to the fish he harvests and, by extension, to virtually all other species in Lake Wolsey. By necessity of protecting his own fish farm, Mr. Meeker believes he's inadvertently given refuge (and food) to enough perch to maintain a stable population of that once-popular game species, across all year classes, in Lake Wolsey. But in the course of seeking shelter in the deep water beneath the Meeker Aquaculture cages, Lake Wolsey's yellow perch population is also radically altering hard-wired patterns in an effort to survive the onslaught of the cormorants, Mr. Meeker has observed. Perch habitually spawn in shallow, near-shore environments, Mr. Meeker says. The spawn clings to shallow water plants. That's what has worked for the species for, probably, thousands of years. But not now. The fish are spawning in 50 or 60 foot depths of water (beneath the fish cages which are legally protected from cormorants by those shotgun blasts), "and the ministry (MNR) people agree that the perch are drastically changing their spawning behaviour throughout the Great Lakes in recent years in response to cormorant pressure," Mr. Meeker says. But in spite of all the efforts by Meeker Aquaculture to protect their crop of rainbow trout (and coincidentally keeping the perch population at sustainable numbers) the cormorants keep coming. "The numbers of cormorants I've seen this year are the most I've seen in four years," the veteran fish farmer says. "The cormorants are back... in big numbers." This observation appears to be supported by a recent devastating onslaught of cormorants directed precisely at the perch population swimming and getting ready to spawn beneath the Meeker Aquaculture fish cages. That was early last week. Monday, April 28 to be precise. Cormorant communities organize to find food and that afternoon, Stuart Burns of Gordon, a volunteer helper at Meeker Aquaculture, said a flight of birds he estimates numbered 2,000, "came on to the cage area in a big V formation," striking at the perch beneath the rainbow trout cages. "The ones in the front ate first, then moved to the back and the others moved up." Mr. Meeker says the cormorants formed what he terms a "skirmish line," spreading out and driving the perch out from beneath the cages by frightening them into moving out to where other members of the flock are waiting to eat them. Cormorants are versatile divers and swimmers in their hunting mode. "I've watched these birds, in their skirmish line formation, lunge at our cages from one side and the fish move to the other side of the enclosure. Then other birds do the same thing from the other side and the fish quickly move back across the cage." "That's the same process these birds use with fish like the perch, that are unprotected by cages. They simply push them towards the shore," Mr. Meeker says. Last week's attack by the birds on the perch stock ended with many dead fish floating on the surface of Lake Wolsey. "When the fish go deeper to spawn and they're herded by the cormorants (who are deep divers by nature) the water literally looks like it's boiling as the fish swim upwards to try to escape the birds. The smaller ones (usually smaller males) get caught up and are pushed quickly to the surface so fast that their swim bladders don't have time to adjust to the changing pressure and they burst, killing the fish and providing an impromptu meal for the seagull population," Mr. Meeker observes. Mr. Meeker feels that the yellow perch population in Lake Wolsey, that has only hung on there in spite of the best efforts of the cormorants to devastate it (as he, Mr. Burns and others observed last week) and only because he feeds and protects his own farmed fish from the birds and so has created this serendipitous perch sanctuary, that the perch population in this lake can be the basis for rehabilitating the perch fishery in the North Channel and other Manitoulin lakes. But he also feels strongly that all of this will only be possible if the cormorant population is brought under control by political will and with the force and support of the government of Ontario. And this is where Mr. Meeker, a law abiding pioneer in the Manitoulin aquaculture industry and the charter president of the Northern Ontario Aquaculture Association, becomes critical of what he feels are ineffective and inefficient government policies on the cormorant issue. He is also critical of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) for ignoring its own mandate. "They're supposed to protect species for future generations," he says flatly. "The cormorants are an issue that should be taken care of now because the species they're decimating (like the yellow perch) just won't be there for future generations." His real criticism is with the political nature of the MNR. "They have good people in the districts and regions, like this one, who know what the problem is and what should be done about it. The problem is that the bureaucrats in Toronto and Peterborough (where the MNR's ministry office is located) don't listen to them." "If the ministry listened to their own local people, the (cormorant) problem would be solved quickly," he continues. "I'm afraid it's mismanagement of talent," he says flatly. "The district biologist in a given area should be able to act according to the needs in their own zones." He referred to his own case where Meeker Acquaculture, working with the MNR, has been able to be legally empowered to shoot cormorants to protect the fish farm's rainbow trout, and the wild perch thrive as a consquence. "The MNR always says it wants community input. What generally happens is that you go to a meeting and the outcomes are often preset so you leave the meeting with a strong feeling that what you've suggested won't be acted on," Mr. Meeker says. "But this is a perfect example of what is needed all over the province where local expertise and willingness to do what is required to help solve a problem is available and just needs to be tapped into. That's the model we're using at our farm successfully and the MNR is an important partner in that, and so are the volunteers from the Gore Bay and District Fish and Game Club, and other people too, who come to our cages and shoot the cormorants. These guys have the expertise and incentive and realize the scope of the problem. If these people were legally allowed to expand their efforts beyond our cage area, they'd get on with it and the problem would be quickly solved," Mr. Meeker stresses. "I think the model would be several small projects, like this one, that would be easily managed in their own areas and designed to meet a stated objective in a stated time frame," he adds. "If you have a successful little project like the one here, it should be easier to do the next one and the next one and the one after that too, in terms of funding and volunteers" Mr. Meeker says. "I think a few successful micro projects, again like this one, would make it easier for a district manager or a district biologist to stickhandle through the internal bureaucracy they have to manage," he adds. "Success will breed success and the mistrust and cynicism that many people have right now for the MNR in terms of responding to local needs will begin to change. And I believe that it will change quite quickly." Meanwhile, the shotguns protecting both Mr. Meeker's livelihood and the residual yellow perch population in lake Wolsey continue to legally blast away. Over 70 of the birds were shot Sunday morning, their carcasses plucked out of the water by Mr. Meeker in accordance with one of the conditions that allows him to protect his investment.

....Okay so I'm planning on heading to Lake Erie for some perch in the morning. My problem is two fold. One, how do I get to the boat launch in Crystal Beach? Two, is it possible to get minnows in that area or along the way in the wee hours (7'ish) of the morning?

'Shocking' bird cull underway Thursday, May 01, 2008 Sharon Hill / Windsor Star The shooting of double-crested cormorants on Middle Island began Wednesday afternoon. The cull began one day after a federal court decision denied an injunction requested by two animal protection groups. The cull is expected to last until early next week. "They're shooting right now," Julie Woodyer of Zoocheck Canada Inc. and Cormorant Defenders International said via cellphone Wednesday as she watched the cull from a boat. The level of disturbance is absolutely shocking." Woodyer said she could see thousands of egrets, great blue herons and cormorants flying above the island. She was concerned the startled birds could lose their nests and eggs to other birds. Woodyer said the shooting started at about 2 p.m. and she was still hearing shots by 4 p.m. She said she couldn't see the birds being shot or dead cormorants from her location. She described the scene of startled birds as "mass chaos" and she sounded upset each time she saw the birds, including those not being culled, take off from the trees. "It's disturbing." Point Pelee National Park superintendent Marian Stranak said the park has five to seven days to hold the cull. Trained park staff will be aiming at adult breeding cormorants that don't have chicks or eggs that are more than two weeks old. NO TARGET NUMBER Trees have been marked so shooters can avoid cormorants resting on well-developed eggs. Stranak said there is no target number of cormorants for this year's cull. Each day's activity depends on the weather, the nesting season and the availability of the OPP officers, who are needed to alert boaters to stay out of a 1.6-kilometre perimeter around the island. Stranak said the cull may continue today, since Wednesday was not a full cull day. After that, the plan is to conduct the cull every other day. This is the first year of a multi-year program to reduce the population by thousands of breeding cormorants. Parks Canada wants to reduce the colony from 4,026 nests to between 438 and 876 nests in five years. Stranak said the cormorants killed Wednesday will be collected and sent to the Canadian Wildlife Service for toxicology research. Other cormorants will be left where they fall because picking up all the dead birds, weighing five to seven pounds each, would damage the vegetation the cull is trying to protect, she said. Boaters were warned by the radio marine channel to stay away from the island that is south of Pelee Island in Lake Erie. The OPP has a boat in the area and could lay charges of trespassing in the zone, obstructing police or mischief if someone tries to interfere with the cull, said OPP spokeswoman Const. Janet Hayes. The media is not be allowed to observe the shooting. Parks Canada said it needed to cull some of the cormorants because their guano is killing vegetation and hurting the Carolinian ecosystem. BOYCOTT URGED A grassroots organization is asking visitors to stop going to Point Pelee National Park in an attempt to get Parks Canada to reconsider shooting cormorants next year. The Peaceful Parks Coalition based in Toronto will be outside the park gates May 10 and May 18 telling people about the cull on Middle Island and asking people to boycott the park. The park manages the Lake Erie island. May is the park's peak spring birdwatching season and coalition campaigner AnnaMaria Valastro said she's hoping hitting the park's finances will get Parks Canada to reconsider future culls. Valastro said during the peaceful protests, the group will suggest birdwatchers visit other sites in Essex County or wear black arm bands if they go in the park. "We don't think they deserve public support."