Fishing this past weekend

[alexthegrrr8]

Hey Gang:

Upon finding out that my "Mini-me" was invited for a sleepover Friday and birthday party Saturday with the eldest of our two not being home either the Mrs. and I tried to figure out what to do. Something that she has talked about this summer was returning to somewhere up north and taking some pics of fall foliage. So after waking up at 2:30 a.m it came to me. So I gathered the wife, the Coleman stove, some food and we headed out the door to our truck and drove. At 3 we were on the 420 on our way to Algonquin. I figured while she got some clicks on the camera I'd throw some flies at some late season smallies. In previous trips there in July and August I found some great smallie spots.

Now I realize that this board is for Niagara fishing but I digress. At around 7:30 we arrived at the West Gate and decided to not wait for the office to open so we travelled down the 60 to Whitney. I decided to fish well below the dam there where I had phenomenal success back at the end of August on swung flies. I found a nice pool and run where the short time I had there was prolific. I'll cut this short and just say that I got skunked. So I whipped us up some coffee, hash browns, and sausages for us. We ate and packed up and headed back into the park.

We were told by a park warden that for some odd reason down Opeongo Road there were a lot of moose and bears recently. So of course being the nature/wildlife lovers that we are we wanted to have a gander. Well, we never did see anything and kept on heading towards Lake Opeongo where I decided to cast a few flies. Again I had no luck there or by the bridge on the way in. But, my wife got some great pics. So again, we head to the truck and decided to visit the Visitor Centre. LOL.. upon arrival we were greeted by the girls at the desk who said "now there's a fashion statement that we don't see here often... or at all". Yeah, I was still in all of my wading gear. BTW.. the view from there is gorgeous. So we left there and stopped at Smoke Creek. LOL..yep you guessed it I got skunked again. So before we left the park for the year I told her that I wanted to fish one last place. Prior to me fishing I asked her what the over/under was on the total fish caught. She said two and I said "I think you over estimate me a bit". Especially after the first spot didn't pan out.

So we arrive at the last location. Again this was a place that I got smallies one after another... but in July. For a while I watched another angler casting lures. He wasn't producing so I started to think that this was looking bleak. Not that it mattered I was just enjoying the day out... without the kidlets for a change. So I decided to head down to the waters edge and change flies... yet again. This said I saw some rises and I figured that the smallies were doing their thing like July. So after some unsuccessful attempts wth streamers I decided to go dry. Unfortunately, I never did find let alone entice a smallie. What's worse is that I got into some "incidentals" that I had no intentions of catching. After 30 minutes of nothing but fly changes (to find something they wouldn't pursue) and "incidentals" and no smallie action I packed it in. It got to the point that I was no longer trying to set the hook as I didn't want to take the chance and catch more. All that I can say is that the last Sat in April 2010 I think I know where I'm headed. I saw one "incidental" rise that went about 3 lbs. Any caught will be released as always (I've only kept one fish thus far in my life... except when my father and I would go to Buckhorn).

So after a day that lasted approximately 18 hours we were home. It was a great day with some nice pics taken so overall mission accomplished. The only problem is that I'm on the shelf right now as I am sicker than a dog with some sort of illness. I'll be missing a little time on the water it looks like.

Alex

[Spooner]

Good way to spend a day

[basskicker09]

at least you had a nice relaxing trip up north for the day

[alexthegrrr8]

at least you had a nice relaxing trip up north for the day

Yeah it was great. It really offered a chance to unwind the proverbial coils for a bit. LOL..we drove through a nice little storm on the way home. Man.. wish I would've stopped at Weber's... I gotta try that place.

Alex

[bigugli]

Yeah it was great. It really offered a chance to unwind the proverbial coils for a bit. LOL..we drove through a nice little storm on the way home. Man.. wish I would've stopped at Weber's... I gotta try that place.

Alex

Any day outdoors is a bonus, regardless of the fishing. As for Webers... overpriced and nothing special. Spend the money in a local "Mom and Pop" diner.

[alexthegrrr8]

Any day outdoors is a bonus, regardless of the fishing. As for Webers... overpriced and nothing special. Spend the money in a local "Mom and Pop" diner.

Agreed. We do it often where e'll just go out to the car and see where it takes us. One day thi year we ended up Midland... another time Elora. But we'll do that locally as well. We really are an outdoorsy family. As far as Weber's goes... I'm surprised. Every thime we go by there are mass line-ups. I was wondering if they were overpriced catering to the Torontonian type cottage goers (no offence intended). I always love mom and pop "greasy spoons" much like small pizza shops vs corporate pies (ick!)

Alex

[Luvevolution]

Agreed. We do it often where e'll just go out to the car and see where it takes us. One day thi year we ended up Midland... another time Elora. But we'll do that locally as well. We really are an outdoorsy family. As far as Weber's goes... I'm surprised. Every thime we go by there are mass line-ups. I was wondering if they were overpriced catering to the Torontonian type cottage goers (no offence intended). I always love mom and pop "greasy spoons" much like small pizza shops vs corporate pies (ick!)

Alex

I agree..............Webers just aint what it used to be. I was right disappointed last time I was there. next time I get a brainiac idea like that, I'll just stay in town, go to the local supermarket and pick up a box of Webers burgers and cook em on my BBQ. sounds like a lot less hassle to me. I still miss Dobey's fires in Little Lake Park, downtown Midland though. MMMMMMMMMMMM. the bear burgers were good too. yum yum. LOL.

you guys sound like my wife and I............if we get it in our head, we'll just get in the car and drive till we find a spot to fish. nuthin wrong with that at all. found quite a few good spots that way. usually it's me getting skunked cause she catches them all. LOL.

[marth11]

hey who cares if you got incidentals as long as you werent purposely snagging them its alright and at least you got outdoors and you released them as a bonus.

[alexthegrrr8]

hey who cares if you got incidentals as long as you werent purposely snagging them its alright and at least you got outdoors and you released them as a bonus.

LOL.. would you believe that I cared about getting the incidentals. I actually stopped at the West Gate and talked to a park warden about it and he said not to sweat it (he laughed and said "man, you are too honest") then I got home and checked the MNR website just to make sure that I had not anything wrong. I was fishing in open waters as well so I figured I was more or less okay. The first one that I caught I thought was a fluke but then I got another. Man.. if they were in season the pics that I would've taken. Believe me there definitely was no snagging going on here... everyone of them top of the mouth. I imagine it's tough to line/snag fish when the water is tea stained (couldn't penetrate with polarized), fast and using small/fly hooks.

I always release the fish (except smelt and goby which dare I say I have not caught on a fly) but I admit that lately I've been tempted. I even release the one I get through the ice. In the past guys have just shakin' their heads at me as I release jumbos through the hole. Nothing beats a day in heaven.

Alex