smerchly

Took my son into northern algonquin for a loop trip. All in we did 30 kms in portages. Fishing was awesome for specks in some of those back lakes. No monsters but good numbers. Proud of the boy, tough as nails.

Best time to go fishing is whenever you can.

Wind game is a whole different ball game in the kayak. I was thankful to have the motor or it would have been a painful paddle back. Luckily ticks aren't an issue on the kayak. Have to watch myself on some hikes though. Maybe when I go to the vets to pick up the next dose of Bravecto for the pooch in June, I ask for a dose for me too? 
 
Did you mean rust remover because I'm a bit rusty on the Pike catching? If thats the case, well shoot... Might have to get some before I head out again lol

It was very windy here this afternoon , very strong SW wind . Some shore spots are good with a SW wind behind you for long casts . Yesterday I stopped to check a small stream for baitfish for about 3 minutes and found my first tick on my arm , looks like we need to careful again . I think he mild winters are helping them to multiply.
Honeyv , there is rust remover at Princess Auto .......

When I had my boat and had some line twist I would open the bail and let out 100 yards or so of line at trolling speed and reel in slowly . It helped take most of the twist out .
I have also dropped a spool of line in a bucket of water and reeled it up quickly . When the line began to twist the spool would flip over and take most of the twist out . I do odd ball things sometimes , some work and some don't .

Good only for casting reels, not spinning.
For a spinning reel, line needs to come off the spool in loops the same direction its being wound on a spinning reel, or you end up with line twist.
I always drop the spool in a boot, lying flat,  and mount a spinning reel on a butt section of a rod with the top butt guide held above the boot to reel on line, and hold the line section in front of the reel wrapped tightly in a rag to create tension as I wind it on.

Just got back from Walmart to get some eats and garden seeds . When I got there , 4 police cruisers were parked in front of the door and one had some store items on the hood . I said to the greeter guy , "looks like lots of action going on out there " He said they had to take down a female as she was pretty wild" . Shoplifting !
I've seen the cops there a few times but never with 4 cruisers . 
Sad state of our society when it happens so often these days . 
And oh yes , I have seen the empty fishing lure boxes hanging on the rack !   😯

Yes Smerchly that is the pattern. Pine Squirrel Zonker strips aren't the most common material to find. So I substituted in a Olive Rabbit zonker strip trimmed thinner.I use a huge amount of Rabbit strips for Trout,Bass,Steelhead,Snook,and Bonefish...Its the material that catches everything..
 
If you are keen on hatch fishing I would make sure you have some Tan Caddis patterns..There's always Caddis on the water... There is also a good chance a fish will take a Caddis pattern even in a May Fly hatch..Just sayin

I have never seen one in Niagara but heard they were in the Niagara gorge years ago , maybe a few in there now ? I knew they are in the bog.
I saw a one at the French River near Hartley Bay 30+ years ago . It was hard to spot in the leaves at a camp spot on the Wanapitei River and one that was killed by the owner of rental cottages. Parry sound was known for rattle snakes and people were warned to be wary when picking blueberries. 
When we were teens while fishing the upper 12 we heard a high pitched scream coming from the stream . We saw this snake with a wide head and thought it was a cobra ! It was a big garter and had a frogs legs in it's mouth and the frog was screaming very loudly . We felt sorry for the frog and took dinner away from the snake . We are part of nature too , yes ?   🙃

NICE ONE !! That is what I call a pristine specimen carp . I always liked using pack bait with a corn puff directly on the hook , very quick an easy to 'reload' , can't wait to do battle with a brute like that one . Congrats !    

The Lance Egan Poacher has been working really well for me lately....Tied on size #8 Jig Hook with a 4 mm. tungsten bead...I fish it on my 4wt.  with about 6ft of straight 4X tippet.....Pop it into tight pockets or float it on an Indicator in slow pools....

Spent Saturday morning until Sunday at noon on the bank. It's been really tough the last few years to afford time to get out fishing. This was only the third time in 2024 I have been able to get out. Although the weather made it impossible to fish through the night on Saturday, both mornings were very productive. This pristine pre-spawn fish was the biggest of the session. 28.8 lbs. Fantastic battle. No baiting was necessary for these fish. Lots of fish came to a single pop up or with some pack - bait around the lead. Next adventure I hope to be able to take my kids out. 

Same size for the trout in the upper 12 .One guy carried a wicker type basket with a lid and he gutted the brook trout and stuffed  wet grass into the gut cavity . I guess it helped keep them fresh for a while .( like keeping dew worms fresh in wet grass )
Nothing like frying brookies  rolled in flour, fried in butter with skin on and as Surf and Turf said  they make a great breakfast meal with eggs or with fries with dinner .
I'm drooling cliff .....   🤤

Same size for the trout in the upper 12 .One guy carried a wicker type basket with a lid and he gutted the brook trout and stuffed  wet grass into the gut cavity . I guess it helped keep them fresh for a while .( like keeping dew worms fresh in wet grass )
Nothing like frying brookies  rolled in flour, fried in butter with skin on and as Surf and Turf said  they make a great breakfast meal with eggs or with fries with dinner .
I'm drooling cliff .....   🤤

Same size for the trout in the upper 12 .One guy carried a wicker type basket with a lid and he gutted the brook trout and stuffed  wet grass into the gut cavity . I guess it helped keep them fresh for a while .( like keeping dew worms fresh in wet grass )
Nothing like frying brookies  rolled in flour, fried in butter with skin on and as Surf and Turf said  they make a great breakfast meal with eggs or with fries with dinner .
I'm drooling cliff .....   🤤

Never fished the Saugeen proper, those ones are beasts!
 
We used to fish around Chatsworth area back in the 80's, most of the streams you could almost jump across, and most of the trout would be 7 or 8 inches, too small to filet, just gut them and fry up in butter. Good with a side of eggs for breakfast.
 
We would fish in the morning then drive around and shoot ground hogs in the afternoon, good times!
 
 

Farm run off leads to algae blooms and warmer water. 
Brook trout NEED cold and clean waters to thrive.
Brown trout are most tolerant of lower water quality and temperature ranges.

We fished for brook trout at the upper most part of the 12 Mile Creek from the Scout Camp (Wetaskiwin) to the hamlet of Effingham where cold springs fed the streams. 
There was a 6' waterfall there and we got kicked out by a mad lady wielding a broom !
Some of the trout made their way to "Jackson's Flats" and the old dam near Power Glen . Maybe things like farm runoff,  and structure changes slowly caused the demise of the trout numbers. There is quite an interesting history about Effingham and the grist mills , one which was owned by a relative of Laura Secord . 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effingham,_Ontario

You were born about 60 years too late

This street gets busier every year as they build new houses and more business at 4th Ave. and plenty of speed demons driving their sporty cars .
 
I've heard living close to high tension wires can affect your health , not much info about it but it may also affect electronic devises ?
There's a house on Rykert St. with a tower right in their front yard .
 

Gotta try fishing with a 3’ worm. 

They have big runs of white perch at Quinte and one could have a blast catching them with a fly rod . 
The same goes for silver bass . There were heavy runs of them at the River and Port  Dal. Harbour . We used a Shyster with a yellow fly. 
And ....a lonnnng time ago we used small flies to catch gills and crappies in the St. Catharines  Water Treatment  Reservoir .  (memories) 🥰

Finally got a turkey this morning after 3 days.
18.77 pounds, 10.1/2” beard, and short spurs - 15/16” & 7/8”.
However, it was the easiest turkey I’ve got in a long time.
I set up along a wheat field edge along a woods where I thought they might be roosting.
After it started getting light a bird started gobbling over my right shoulder less than 50 yds away.
After gobbling for over 20 minutes or so he flew down just 30 yards in front if me….game over!!

Enemy #1 is fishing line .Some anglers don't realize that birds and animals get caught up in it and die a slow death , like the hawk I saw hanging from a tree at Rooker's Road at P. Dalhousie. And people who walk their dogs don't appreciate having to take Fido to the vets to remove a roe bag and hook for $500+. 

Headed to the saugeen to fish with my pal John. 
limits were too quick. We spent 3 days camping. Although we got a whack ton of rain. We dealt with it. These fish were all from the saugeen river. All wild fish.