My own 2008 recap...

[kemper]

Well I'm laid up in bed, strep throat got me good this time. I should be studying for finals but I find it difficult (read : impossible) to focus on anything in this condition so I thought I would join the cool kids and post a recap of the 2008 season, and it was a good one!.

 

Things started off with this cute little brown, my first ever centerpin catch! I cheated a little as this was actually December 30th, but close enough to 2008!

 

Didnt get out much after that due to the fact that the tribs were froze shut, and drifting was impossible so I decided to hibernate until february 24th when I had a banner day steelheading putting up good numbers and landing some truly beautiful fish.

 

 

 

 

The last bow came home for egg restocking and dinner, yes it came from lake O and yes it tasted wonderful!

 

It was another short wait for open water again until early march when my home river really comes into its own. These pics are a sampling of the steel that I got into in march, with a monster buck and some beautiful freshies mixed in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a size reference here, the big buck above was dwarfed by the fish posted below.

 

 

I learned to tie rabbit jigs, and many of these steelies came on my jigs.

 

 

Opening weekend 2008 was a blast, faced tough conditions with low clear water but managed to put up some good numbers and beat the crowds by using a different technique. Many of the roe slingers in the big pools were not catching, but I hit the shallow fast water with pink worms unweighted and floatless and managed to grab quite a few bonus fish in the early morning low light time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I swear, I do catch fish other than trout....speaking of trout this doesnt look like your average steelie?

 

 

 

I went prom camping, brought the rods of course and drank some...cola while fishing for walleyes. This fish came out of the water 5 minutes after I told my buddy I was gonna catch an eye... in a 4 foot deep river. Go figure.

 

 

Then I caught his buddy

 

 

A pike fishing trip down to a lake ontario harbour brought me these fine catches...

 

 

 

Off the dock at simcoe for pike...again I caught something else.

 

 

 

This carp slammed a white grub on a jighead...

 

 

 

 

Summertime Bassin' and a week on my favourite water, Buckhorn!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favourite picture of 2008

 

 

Other species at Buckhorn

 

 

 

 

 

A big smallie taken on a live minnow under a float while I was float fishing for browns in the harbour

 

 

Flyfishing on the Birkenhead, Whistler BC

 

 

and a big summer run salmon, which was a blast to battle

 

 

I fear this post has gotten far too large, so I will leave out all the fall fishing as most of it has been reported lately and I am sure you have seen the pictures.

 

After looking at this, 2008 has sure been a great season and its not over yet!

 

See you all on the water!

[ccmtcanada]

Hey Kemper....great recap. I do have to say, for your age, you show a great amount of maturity in your fishing practices and reports. I always enjoy reading them...you've shown me that there are great fishing opportunities close by...and just when I think nothing is swimming around, I see a report from you!

 

Great year...looking forward to seeing you walking the creeks until they are all locked up!

[bigugli]

Wonderful report. It just keeps getting better year after year.

[Whitespinnerbait]

Congrats on a Awesome year ,, well put together

 

[ccmtcanada]

Oh yeah...hope you get better soon...people are getting sick like crazy at the office and at local schools here...

[Mike the Pike]

Excellent recap of the year man thanks for taking some time to put it all together.

 

Beautiful

[Leecher]

Great report and pics kemper

 

You sure had a great year and caught a good mix bag of fish, congratulation

Them jigs you make looks real nice

Thanks for sharing

Leechman

[silvio]

Great post bud like you said the year isn't over just yet.

[Victor]

Congrats on a great year Kemper, looking through all your picture, I think I have followed all your reports throughout the year lol, I sure do enjoy reading them. And wow ... you only started pinning late last year? This winter will be my first and I'll be happy if I'm half as successful as you

 

Hope you feel better soon, get those finals outta the way and slam some steel!

[kemper]

Congrats on a great year Kemper, looking through all your picture, I think I have followed all your reports throughout the year lol, I sure do enjoy reading them. And wow ... you only started pinning late last year? This winter will be my first and I'll be happy if I'm half as successful as you

 

Hope you feel better soon, get those finals outta the way and slam some steel!

 

 

Yep, im a relative nOOb with the pin, but it is definatlely an effective tool for fishin the rivers. ALTHOUGH I must say that I probably caught the same amount of steel the year before on the spinning reel...cough cough.

 

and I see Cliff and Carole putting up some great numbers on the spinner too

 

 

thanks all

[Moosebunk]

That's some great fishing in the 08 right there young man. Good stuff.

 

Good luck with 09.

[kennyman]

Nice year. That's some pretty chrome there Kemper.

[limeyangler]

Great year ya had there Kemper...some really nice fish.

 

Get well soon.

[GBW]

Wow, great recap there kemper.

Great year with pic's too.

Feel better soon so you can PM me when you are back in Durham so you can teach me some tricks! HAHA

[super dave]

Hey Kemper.

I fished the birkenhead as well. The section I was fishing had bear tracks all over the place. I was ringing my bear bell like crazy! Did the Whistler fly shop recommend that river?

[kemper]

Hey Kemper.

I fished the birkenhead as well. The section I was fishing had bear tracks all over the place. I was ringing my bear bell like crazy! Did the Whistler fly shop recommend that river?

 

 

Yes, and I went with a guide.

 

This city boy is way too soft to wander around the real bush without a buddy. Black bears dont scare me, grizzlys on the other hand...

 

Did you fish the section where you had to cross a railroad track and walk the bush to get in?

[tbayboy]

Nice recap Kemper, you had a great year on the rivers and the lakes, looking forward to many more reports from you in the new year (or earlier - looks like this weekend might be ok)

[super dave]

Hey Kemper.

Yup. drove across the river and parked on the side of the road. We had to go through some really thick bush and cross the tracks. I got talking with another angler at the fly shop and we decided to venture out together. I could tell he was getting annoyed with my bear bell but I didn't care. Yeah, no way I was going myself. I'm a city boy myself. Got two pretty bows on a size 4 stone fly pattern. Also saw a handful of kings pushing their way up.

[blaque]

Nice mixed bag O'Fish.

 

Pin. vs. Spin....i still bring my spinning gear with me every once in a while on smaller flows just to feel the steel on a drag system once in a while. I still enjoy going back to it now and again.

 

And yes, the sickness is spreading with a quickness in my area as well. Stomach flu AND now alot of coughin and sore throats making the rounds. Your gonna get it sometime during the season, might as well get it over with lol. Get better

[fishnpro]

Those are some nice fish bud! I bet with the weather we`ve been having this week the creeks should be good for the weekend. Let me know if your going to be heading out and maybe we can meet up....who knows maybe the pool that we spent an hour breaking ice in last weekend might be good lol.

[kemper]

Hey Kemper.

Yup. drove across the river and parked on the side of the road. We had to go through some really thick bush and cross the tracks. I got talking with another angler at the fly shop and we decided to venture out together. I could tell he was getting annoyed with my bear bell but I didn't care. Yeah, no way I was going myself. I'm a city boy myself. Got two pretty bows on a size 4 stone fly pattern. Also saw a handful of kings pushing their way up.

 

 

We probably fished the same section.

 

I lost a really nice Dolly right before the guide grabbed it. Not being used to barbless I let the pressure off right as he was grabbing it so that if the hook pulled I wouldnt gouge his eye out and bye bye fish.

 

Beautiful river, I got some great scenery shots

[Pachone]

Awesome recap bud

[The Urban Fisherman]

thanks kemper - great review....Enjoy it as much as you can while in school brother...it was only a few years ago that I was going to school in london and livin' it up. Once you start a career and family the outings tend to thin out a little....Unless your name is Solopaddler! lol

 

Keep 'em comin' dude,

UF

[kemper]

thanks kemper - great review....Enjoy it as much as you can while in school brother...it was only a few years ago that I was going to school in london and livin' it up. Once you start a career and family the outings tend to thin out a little....Unless your name is Solopaddler! lol

 

Keep 'em comin' dude,

UF

 

Sure doesnt feel like Im livin it up at the moment. Finals are comin hard and heavy, and steelhead have taken a back seat... I HATE when that happens haha

 

 

Thanks all

[Greencoachdog]

Great recap and some very beautiful fish in there Kemp!!!

 

I did kinda miss those recent Hugh Jass brown troots though.