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Where did summer go? Sitting down today just kinda sorta wiped right out, this sunny season has been a blur. It's hard to believe my girls are starting school again next week for it seemed like just yesterday I watched on as the youngest graduated into Junior High. Spring into summer fishing has flown by too, and having been away up north the past couple months for work, it's only really now there is this one short window to begin catching up on reports. Lagging furthest behind is the annual gar write-up. The pics had been uploaded to PhotoBucket for weeks with an intent to type away sometime soon but, some days soon kept bleeding into one another and now the barren trees in a few of the below pictures just won't quite fit with the changing reds beginning to brush upon our maples. Initially, I had wondered if there might be one or two later than usual fishing opps for these toothy dinosaurs, but travels and time wouldn't permit anything more after June. What could have been? This summer it has also been sung through the local gar gospel that a new Ontario Record has been caught close to home here in the valley. I'll be looking quite forward to reading about that. Since one of my earliest days in the Lund chasing these beasts, I have always considered past records and even my own PB's as merely stepping stones to bigger fish I knew to be swimming out there. Now I am left wondering just how big this new record will be? Life is not slowing down anytime soon. Been missing much while away, often without reliable internet and even phone. Some big choices this past year have lead to a life sorta changed, and in a coming report there might be time to elaborate more on that. For now, best get this going, for two more reports are waiting in the wings, one of them absolutely mammoth. Enjoy the read and pics. First outing this year the gar were found absolutely jam-pack-stacked in one area. The river level lower than I had ever seen for that early in a season, alongside the gar were largemouth, pike, carp, bullhead and panfish, pretty well everything already staging at prespawn. Swimming lethargically through these same frigid waters, schools of gar spread out and around as the boat crept slowly over the shallows. Spotting bigger fish was the goal. Many, many gar found were mid and up to high 40-inch range, though not among these main schools were the really big 50+ females which lurked outside and deeper. The hunt began. Breaking in a Terrova with a new-to-me pedal and remote, this first day was spent fumbling around too much. Overshooting good casting positions, over-steering, over-thinking, over and over opportunities were lost. Ten feet left off the bow an enormous gar appeared out of nowhere and I got it to snap on the lure before almost running it over. Couple headshakes, it gave my offering right back. But, this fish seemingly oblivious to the moment, staying on it with casts it snapped and took the lure again. Crazy mad fight, it jumped several times from the water, rolling on the line and reel-peeling away before again managing to free itself from the clutch. It sucked. The fish was PB range or better, hooked first day too, but from the time of first spotting it the boat never really had what felt like the optimal position for the best cast. Plenty of gar still around the day continued. For kicks I was planning on later piecing together a short report that would highlight my new gar fishing sponsor, "Duff Beer." Well, by days end six gar over 50-inches came aboard and another two came off, not including the giant. Could have been a nine over fifty day all before an early departure at 3:00pm, and that would have been better than pretty well anything ever heard of around here....... Stupid Terrova!!! But thanks to Duff Beer it still all went down smooth and easy, with a good buzz finish too. Sometime after that first day the dams must have been released on the Ottawa River. Water temps which had almost approached low to mid 70's plummeted into the 50's, reaching up to low 60's at best in the afternoons. The areas where fish could be found prespawn were totally vacant upon return, the level must have come up two or more feet, and plenty spots were real blown out. It was like someone hit the reset button on the gar game and a whole new season began. They surely are a uniquely pretty fish. Pictures like this remind me each time I look at them that despite their overall hardiness to being caught, they do have some weak spots always worth protecting. Gar will thrash in the boat but more often than not they remain docile. Treat them gently and it's found they often respond that way as well. When laying on the deck, this warm water specie with its durable armored skin protection and an ability to breathe a little out of water, gar can sustain a slightly greater length of time in handling. This said, it's most susceptible parts to damage are the eyes, tail and fins, so consider with care. For those eyes, if for any reason they're expected a delayed return or they are acting ornery, try placing a light wet cloth over their head. It's odd, but more often than not this also helps to solve any gar temper tantrums. The tails and fins of gar are softer than other fish. Under a blazing sun, on a hot carpeted deck, a fish lying too long can actually have it's rubbery fins fast dry and stick to the surfaced floor. It will happen once in a season that when you raise a fish up for a photo or lift to return it to the water, it will leave a small piece of itself behind. Best laid right on their belly seems to avoid this, a wet cloth under the fins could even help, but otherwise, just being aware and careful when lifting saves missing limbs. Lastly is the use of nets. This year over any other I caught more bigger gar missing big pieces of their tail and a number with entirely missing fins. Recent publications advocate for the use of a big net, but I don't. After the 2012 season I stopped; although still will only if unable to grab the fish safely. Said before, my recommendation is a thick pair of gloves or two doubled into one, a strong arm, a quick hand and a set of balls. At the gunnel be ready, reach fast and grasp the snout tight. Hold on firm. The fish may thrash two or three kicks but always knows quick that escape isn't happening. When ready, lift onto the deck. Tools always handy and measuring tape out, now you're already holding and controlling the gar as it lays. Remove hook, measure and prepare to photograph. Had this fish been netted, you could still very well be dealing with the snout and teeth stuck through the mesh, or fins and lures tangled up. When gar thrash in a net like any fish does, they will often roll, slice and injure. This doesn't happen hand-landing gar. My buddy Paul and I had been into the crappies when about a week later he finally came out for gar. Having never fished these beasts the hope was I'd find them grouped up some place... It wasn't going to happen like that. During the morning almost nothing was spotted and so we ended up running all over only to settle in on an area of decent numbers by afternoon. Paul lit into a first but it was his second and biggest fish that had him really fired up. A day later Brenda joined me. The morning started cool but by afternoon it was a scorching. She and I moved plenty, both to find fish and cool down. The river glass and the gar rising to the sun, we had a great time to ourselves. Bren wasn't sure she was really all that into gar after two outings the previous seasons. They're a hard fish to cast to, harder to hook and devils to keep on the line. She had only managed a few for herself those other tries as she's not one to EVER take handouts! Hells bent and determined she plucked a real easy fish on about her third or fourth cast into the morn. After that she slayed. Myself... not so much. When Bren's around she usually out-fishes me, probably because I get distracted. These are longnose gar that are caught, yet, every now and then a really spotty looking fish gets hooked. Well, most all actually have rounded spots on their heads and snouts but oftentimes those spots are faded. Although not a big fish, I thought this gar was a looker above most others, and he was "spotted" a mile away too and long-bombed in. Handsome fella! Shooting various different photos of gar makes any day a little more interesting. There have been times I stop fishing awhile and do only that. Pictures like these have built up quite an archive, and this past spring I thought it pretty cool to see two of my photos grace the pages of an Outdoor Canada article about gar. Continued....