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Long time passing... I'm sure the MNR stocked Wynn Lake with aurora trout last year, in preparation for this year's short season for the unspeckled speckled trout, but they're not in there anymore. Or if they are, they're hiding, but not from me... I'd heard that three years ago guys were pulling pike out of the lake, so I wasn't going to try this year. But then I also heard that the MNR "checked it out" and found no pike. So, let's go for a couple hour drive and try our hand at the elusive trout once again... A few hours on the lake, I've tried a few presentations, casting, trolling, some slip-floating.. Nothing. Then I put on a perch-pattern shallow shad Rap that I can remember buying 20 years ago. Figured I'd troll it fairly shallow over downed trees and such. I made one pass. Nothing. Shortly after reaching the end of the lake, I turned around and started off again when the lure got snagged. Then it started pulling, and for a brief second I had visions of me posting a real picture of myself on here with a fish that doesn't even exist. Then it started pulling. I thought I must've hooked the world-record aurora, since there's no pike in this lake. Then I saw it... An old, nasty, dark, enormous pike. It was fat. Fat. Very clearly its belly was full of every last aurora trout the MNR dumped in there. I haven't seen a pike that big in person before. The biggest I landed was about 34" (maybe 35", I can't remember off the top of my head), and I lost one when fishing with Rod Caster that was probably about the same. This one was bigger. I'm not sure how much bigger, since I didn't land it. I tried to tire him out, and I thought he was played right out. He wasn't fighting anymore. But alas, I had no net large enough for a fish that big, and as I reached down to lift him out, he took another run and cut through my 8lb leaderless fluoro. There goes my lure... And my swivel snap. If I *had* landed him, I would have cut him up and gifted him to my brother. And I'd probably have pulled an aurora outta the gut and snapped a pic. After all, I would have finally caught one, right? Here's a vid, though it doesn't really give much of an indication of how big the pike was - at least you can see it. Heed my warning - don't bother trying for auroras here. I'm never trying this lake again. Wynn? More like Fayll, AMIRITE? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzQHHGWIK0A After losing the battle, it was now approaching 11am, and I headed back to shore. I tried to find access into a couple rainbow trout lakes. One has no roads leading into it that I could find, and the other was filled with private cottages, and no way to access it for poor folks. Good thing the MNR stocks these private lakes for the ten families that can afford to live there in the warm months. I found my way back to a different rainbow lake, closer to home. Fished it until after sunset, having only briefly tussled with a small bow, which shook lose my hooks after a jump. Shortly afterwards I landed a sucker, which seemed to attack one of the trebles with the top of its head, and the other with the side of its face... At the end of the day, I went home with no trout, cold hands, and a realization that I was indeed the sucker. I'm packing away the leaky Sportspal tonight. This year has frankly sucked for me, and I miss my kid when I'm out. He'll be coming with soon enough; if not next season, then the one after. At least with him with me, the sting of the skunk won't hurt so bad.

Never met my mother's father, the man who passed on his bum chin. In fact, other than a faded picture in memory and some sentimental genetics, sitting here today I can't even think what his name is. A soldier in WWII he left this earth 20 plus years before my time, and nothing has ever been said. However, until this past April my step-grandfather was there my entire life, and although it seems as if I only knew Norm just a little more, until his long struggles with lung disease took his last, hard breath, he was there. The spring came in angry. After our family laid Norm to rest on the 2nd, the first few weeks of April life kinda sang off like some lousy country song. The 3rd I picked up a bug which really zapped the energy for about 2 1/2 weeks. The truck engine done died, just after having a front-end diff installed, and the wife's car went in twice too leaving me without a vehicle for nearly two weeks. My buddy Kev lost his best friend, at far too young an age. Too much winter augering, I picked up a stubborn epicondylitis for the first time which still doesn't want to go away. While transferring a critically injured patient to Ottawa in the ambulance, a triple IV pump broke off it's pole landing on my knee, this leading to a week of no good. And come May things didn't improve either, for I was left no choice but to cancel out on a fly-in fishing trip to the Attawapiskat, and then later in the month I received word that friends and past co-workers lost Dustin and others when an ORNGE helicopter went down in Moosonee...... On the work front I had one of those remarkably trying days. Male in 20's, small car smoked from behind at high-speed, basically detached his head or rattled his brain to bleed. Impossible to describe all of what three of us needed to do to keep him alive long enough for me to transfer with him and the Medics to the city. The toll on this one was exhausting... How was the weather, did it suck? Hardly noticed. Been awhile it seems since writing anything, so maybe best to prepare for a long-winded one. Been stock-piling spring photos too and like always, rather than post weekly, when finding a long days downtime I'd rather just pick out some best pics and package it all up. This here be the spring recap. 　 Before all the woes, fishing was off to a great start. Spring steelheading was something new, and of all the fishing this past while, it's those days with friends Mike and Luke, and some great bows caught, that could very well be a highlight of the season. Walking the river, placing the cast, controlling the drift and seeing that float drop is definitely an all encompassing, different kind of cool fishing experience. Time this year was the most rewarding yet, and the hope is to build on that with trips ahead. Really quite appreciated these fish and days fishing, and considering the horror stories of "loogans" and lined banks of anglers, on our trips we found more than enough free space to ourselves. Some favorite fish... 　 During the down and out weeks after steelie fishing it got into my head that it was time to sell the WarCanoe. Pulling off the winter tarps there was some first wood rot in spots and work to be done. Summer sun is hard on a wooden boat, trailering not much easier, and the waters down here are full of strange fungi spores which get into the wood and expand. It came to mind that up in the northern cold, running rivers like it used to, is the best place for a longer life and it's end of days. So, up on Kijiji she went... and I waited... and waited. A few fellas showed interest but, not really, and some were just too far away to come and get it. Again the hope was it would go north, and one guy from Waskaganish seemed to really want it. No sale once May arrived, when it was almost time to start hitting the walleye I couldn't take it. Keel and splash guard rot got routed or cut out, repaired or replaced, a couple dry trouble spots on the gunnels took some touch-ups and a gouge in the canvas was filled with some fiberglass. Honda slapped on the back and the WarCanoe was ready to go another year, and in most respects now I'm quite happy with that. No pavement, no cell service, no guides, no luxuries along the way, we've got some amazing history exploring the WarCanoe and I, traveling and fishing the northern rivers of James Bay. 　 It was about a week before May when fishing resumed. Kicked off those days with lakers. When the weather forecast looked alright, my buddy Pat and I took off for Lady O to try our luck on some big pan greasers. The previous year with my father we came up empty during an insane midge hatch, well low and behold we timed it again perfectly to fish this years even more insane midge hatch. Wind saved us from digesting swarming bugs with our eyes, but the fishing was tough again. However, did manage to make it worth the trip with one tank. Won't be the last time fishing lakers on that stage. 　 Trollin' and riggin' is always great, but with some summer plans for that, it's nice to take advantage of ice-out casting opportunities when available. Sight fishing and chucking lures to shallow cruising laketrout, it's really quite a rush to have your offering creamed by a charging fish. Having some fun playing them out on light gear and seeing them swim away unscathed (except the odd BBQ'er) into their frigid waters is hard to beat. The numbers of fish can be awesome too. This window always closes fast, yet with a couple friends along it's definitely worth peering in for a look. This spring Huddy and Patty joined me in the Lund and the company was surely welcome. 　 What would be spring without a little crappie fishing. Table fare they're great. Sociability they're perfect. Fun factor is high. There has to be no easier fish to catch during the month after ice out than crappies so, why not hit 'em up? This spring took off on tour several times to have my father, my oldest friend Fraser, usual suspect Patty and new buddy Doug join along. A solo trip with perfect timing actually turned out to be the banner day of all though, for during four hours one afternoon, anchored, another boat circling, I had the chance to experience the best crappie numbers in my life. If it wasn't every cast, it was every second cast a fish came over the gunnel. When I called a buddy up on the way home to tell him about it, we just had to meet on the road so he could raid the well a little and steal enough of a meal for himself. Some new spots, some old, it'll be filling to revisit these spring grocery stores in the future. Strange story before crappie fishing with Doug is we both showed up at the launch with our boats. A gentleman, being closer to home he returned his while I took the hour and a half wait to come good on a promise with an old friend. At a nearby school Caroline teaches Kindergarten, and she asked me to stop in and speak with the kids about nursing, healthcare and the North. It was a remarkably feel-good morning. I had been reluctant to do this for some odd reason, but kids are little people that I often see at work by the 100's each year, so upon arriving at school I found my cool. This class though, thirty of them at once, all energetic, inquisitive, individual, wild and coming right at me with hands raised, questions to ask, stories to tell and things to show, it is exhausting stuff and my hat goes off to teachers who do this day in and day out for our children. During our visit the kids learned some Cree words, heard some northern and nursing stories, and were taught a little about CPR. Then it was off to meet Doug and that was equally great. An exceptionally nice dood. Two walleye openers this year, division 18 and 15 are a week apart. Plans to hang out for a day with friends up in 15, for the 18 opener I just slipped out a short while to get a fix. This spring the eye fishing is a little off-keel. Wonky weather and water temps could be to blame? Maybe it's water snakes eating up the supply? But seriously, of all the fishing in the past month, the eyes have needed the most work to get results. No skunks but an almost happened... and so even though the fishing has been tough, rather than quit and sell the gear it'll just require more time and fine tuning. Gotta respect the eyes around here, they're often a serious challenge. 　 In preparation for summer trips I usually hit the vice on a couple rainy days each spring. This year so far, about 30 smaller 1/4-ounce bucktail jigs have been tied, a couple big 5-inch & 1-ounce laker jigs have proved tasty, and more inline bucktails will need to be finished. Sniffing laquer to dizzy, sneezing from fur and feathers, and this season swatting skitters in the garage, it'd almost make more sense to maybe try and jump on some wagon to a couple ProStaff deals rather than suffer the work hazards of producing things for myself. That said, when I peg giant speckles, pike, or lakers on one of these hand-tied creations, it'll be worth it. Continued...

I had the pleasure of having Greg Klatt and his son Mitch out on Lake Ontario yesterday. It was a beautiful day out to enjoy some trolling. Mitch had never caught a salmon before, so my goal was to get him into a nice king or two. We started in 50 fow and marked very little until we got into 75 fow, but not much to hold us there. We ended up in 150 fow quickly, as the picture on the sonar looked best. We got a lake trout right away down deep on a Coyote flasher and fly off the rigger 140 feet down. I believe Greg has that photo. We then got another hit shortly after. This time it was a king down deep on the same set-up and same depth and Greg got to tangle with it. It got slow after that as we got out a bit late for Lake Ontario kings, but we kept at it and got rewarded. We got several cohos up higher, but I don't think we got any or many photos of them. If we did, Greg has those as well. We marked a lot of hooks 40 to 80 feet down over the deeper water, but for some reason they had lock jaw. The bait balls were deep hugging bottom but very few hooks down deep. Even though the picture looked good, we moved shallower as we were not hitting kings. When we got into about 83 fow we marked some great bait balls, and not all hugging bottom. Shortly after trolling by this bait ball, the 300 copper reel starting singing as the in-line board got rocked back. This time an SD fly did the trick and Mitch boated his first ever king! Mitch was happy with this bad boy We got into some more cohos without photos, then we had to take a photo of Greg and this fish. It also hit the same set-up off 300 copper. I was so busy on the boat, I didn't notice it was such a nice bow until I saw the photo lol. The same copper set-up fired again with a crazy king cart-wheeling far behind the boat taking Mitch to task. It proved to get the better of him though as he did a long-line release lol. Unfortunately, we only got another coho after that to wrap it up off a 400 copper in over 100 fow. We called it a day late afternoon. We didn't tag a lot of kings, but we had some fun on the water with some cohos and a nice bow to keep our interest. I was a pleasure to have the guys out for something they don't normally get to do. Great company on the boat, and I'm sure Mitch was happy to boat the biggest king. It was a nice first king We found white and black green to be our best colours. All flashers and flies. Spoons and meat didn't fire once. The fish seem to be really scattered in the west end of the lake. Hopefully that changes soon and we light them up! Hopefully Greg has a few photos to add. Good fishing! Aaron

I got out to Lake Simcoe recently with some TonyB and friends for a good group of six of us. One of the nice things about ice fishing is the social aspect of being able to get out in larger groups, and sometimes meet new people. You can't do this in most fishing boats. We headed out slowly just as it was getting light out, making sure to check ice conditions as we went. We got to an area that looked good in 100 feet of water and set up without a soul around. Before we knew it we were completely surrounded by hundreds of anglers and our sonars had a lot of interference. The fish must have been in the area recently with the amount of anglers there. We tried all kinds of things with only a couple bites and lazy looks on sonar to show for our efforts after a couple hours of daylight. We had to move... but where? Everywhere we looked around us had quiet anglers not getting much. Without any clues as to depth or location, we had to make a big decision. We thought about two things; moving shallow or deep away from everyone. Nobody wanted to make the call in our group at first, but we eventually decided as a group to make the trek out to deeper water well away from any anglers. We moved out to 123 feet of water and looked on sonar. We immediately saw several fish on sonar at once and we spread out and set up. It didn't take long and Johnny got into a nice laker. Once we were all set up and jigging, the action was fast and furious. It was non-stop action one after another! My tip-up line with an emerald shiner and jigs were both taking shots, although jigging was by far the best approach. It is so much fun watching fish teased into biting on sonar. It never gets old! A jig and pause worked well at times, as did reeling up a foot or two and pausing, then reeling up again and pausing. They hit on the pause and you can totally read their behavior on sonar to realize which approach would work best on individual fish. We lost a few absolute beasts that pulled almost all our lines out at times making for an even more exciting time. These are the days that we live for. Pure adrenaline action-packed fun where everyone in your group is hammering fish!!! Sadly, I had to leave midday, even though the action was still hot. That was a very tough thing to walk away from, but I am a man of my word and family comes first. It was ok, I got more fish in a couple hours than many full days spent on the ice at times. I was content, and we all had an absolute blast. The heavy snow and mild weather this week will spoil the ice. We only had approximately 3.5- to 4-inches of black ice on the weekend, so it will not be safe for a while. Make sure you take all precautions when you think it is safe enough to venture out. Wearing a flotation suit and carrying ice pics is a good idea. So is a buddy system and a floating rope. Enjoy the photos These are from my phone. My wife broiled the whitefish I brought home for something different, and it was great! Much healthier than frying it in oil as well Good fishing! Aaron