Ice Fishing

On Saturday I took the cubs out ice fishing.  A special thank you to Stan and Brian at WOFGPA for making us feel welcome and for being our guide for the day.  Although we didn't catch anything, the weather was great (sunny and -4) all of the cubs had a great time.

What's down that hole?

Toronto Sportsman Show

The Toronto Sportsman Show begins today.  Derek and I will be there on Sunday.

Ice Fishing

I go ice fishing for my first time ever on Saturday.  The Western Ontario Fish and Game Protective Association invited me and our cub group to an ice fishing derby on their private trout pond.  I'm looking forward to the experience and will hopefully have pictures of the event.

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act

Have you every had someone give you a hard time about fishing? Luckily I haven't, but if you do, the law is on your side.  A woman outside of Ridgetown was charged with obstructing hunting. The rule pertaining to this are as follows (on the date of this post):

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 

Section 13.1 
A person shall not interfere with lawful hunting, trapping or fishing by,

1. tampering with traps, nets, bait, firearms or any other thing used for hunting, trapping or fishing;
2. placing himself or herself in a position, for the purpose of interfering, that hinders or prevents hunting, trapping or fishing; or 
3. engaging in an activity, for the purpose of interfering, that disturbs or is likely to disturb wildlife or fish. 

Section 13.2 Notice without authority
A person shall not purport to give notice that entry to premises is prohibited for the purpose of hunting or fishing or that hunting or fishing is prohibited on premises unless the person has authority to give the notice. 1997, c. 41, s. 13.

Fish hard!

Why Do I Fish?

When they go fishing, it is not really fish they are after.

~Henry David Thoreau

Why do I fish? Some people fish for the competition, the thrill of the hunt.  Some people I know are not happy unless they are catching fish.  While I prefer to catch fish, if I don't I'm usually not disappointed. So why do I fish.

• To be close to my children
  I fish often with my son and daughter.  We laugh, we have fun, I teach them skills, we spend time together outside. I get to see their little victories and the little failures. I see them grow as people, in their confidence and there abilities. My daughter who used to be afraid to touch a worm will now jump off a dock and unhook a good sized catfish with pliers now. My son can now do everything that I can do fishing, I have seen him pass those skills and knowledge on to random kids that are fishing by us. From year to year I watch my children grow.


• To be close to my father
  When I was a kid I used to fish with my dad. We would get up early Saturday or Sunday mornings and go to a local pond, river or creek.  I never did catch anything too big, but I remember what I did catch. Like most kids I was back then all about the fish. I didn't appreciate at the time my dad getting up early on his days off, the company we had together or the lessons he taught me. I stopped fishing with him by the time I became a teenager and didn't pick it back up until my 30's, but I still remember the places, the sounds and the fish. My dad has moved on to different hobbies, but I have been back out with him a couple of times. I still fish with one of his old rods.
• To be by myself
  Sometimes you just need some time alone. Fishing can be a wonderful solitary experience.  I like to sit riverside after dark with some catfish bait. I listen to the city, or the outdoors depending on where I am. Once in a while I'll drift off in my chair waiting for a fish that may or may not come. Other times I'll close my eyes and try and sense everything around me.  Just being alone with my thoughts, relaxing, doing something I love is very therapeutic. I joke with my wife and say women have emotions, men have hobbies.
• For peace in my life
  I find fishing very relaxing, until you hook into a 15 pound carp. (Which is big for my area) It allows me to recharge. I disconnect temporarily from my responsibilities. Fishing allows me to be a better person.
• To be outside
  I like the outdoors. I am involved in Scouting, we hike, we camp, we occasionally fish. I camp with my family as well. I like being outside. I like the smells, the sounds, the unexpected finds. The outdoors feel like untapped opportunity. Fishing is an outdoor sport it and gives me another excuse to be outside, weather in the city or the woods.
  
• To acquire a skill
  Fishing is a series of skills. In my work life I look at data, analyze it, find patterns and develop systems to produce the best results for the lease amount of work. Fishing can be a lot like that. On a hot summer afternoon you feel the heat, see the sun and observe the river, you analyze the temperature and water levels, you know from previous experience that fish prefer cooler water during the day so you look for deeper water with shade.  After enough time, it becomes second nature to look over a body of water and start making guesses about the best spots to start fishing. I've learned a few different knots fishing. I've learned how to cast a lure and now I have enough practice to make that lure go where I want it to go. (most of the time) Skill acquisition can be fun and fishing has afforded me the opportunity to get new skills.

Why do I fish? There are a lot of reasons and most of them don't include the fish.

New 2013 Regulations

The new recreational fishing regulations are out.  Click here for the full document. There are no changes in zones 16 or 19. (The two closest to me)  There is some good news, Bass season opens on the 3rd Saturday of June for zones 17, 18 and 20.  Sounds like a road trip to me.

Fishing Fury Win

I won a photo caption contest on FishingFury.com and received a Water Gremlin t-shirt.  Thanks to the guys at fishingfury.com.

Toronto Sportsman Show

I haven't been to the Toronto Sportsman Show in a while for a couple of reasons. 1. I didn't like their new location at the convention center and 2. There were always on the March Break week and I've been doing Scout camps on the weekend of the show. So I normally go to the Spring Fishing and Boat Show.

This year things have changed with the Sportsman Show. The new dates are February 7 - 10, 2013 and they are back at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place. It looks like I'll be attending this year. In addition the have a new web site.

Ice Fishing with the Cubs

This winter the Western Ontario Fish and Game Protective Association has graciously invited our cub group to go ice fishing on their private stocked pond in London, Ontario.  This is a great opportunity for the kids and me, since I've never been ice fishing before. I'm really looking forward to the chance. Hopefully we'll catch a few and are able to field dress and cook up some trout. I'd like to thank the WOFGPA for giving us this wonderful opportunity.

Let hope for a decent winter so we have some ice.

Professional Fishing

Professional Fishing
By M.D. Slutsky

Sports stars aren’t like you and me. They make millions of dollars. They have extensive entourages attending to their every need. They’re represented by armies of agents, managers and lawyers, experts on extracting the best deals for their clients from teams and sponsors. When they travel, they take private jets or ride in swagged-out tour buses.

Well, most sports stars. There’s another breed of pro athlete -- guys who are renowned for their prowess, followed by adoring fans and are generally considered legends in their field -- but for whom none of that applies. I’m talking about pro anglers, and having spent a weekend with some of the top fishermen alive, I walked away amazed at how down-to-earth they were and just how admirably DIY their operations were.

Read more: http://ca.askmen.com/money/career/professional-fishing.html

 

Thames River does a vanishing act

Thames River does a vanishing act
By Randy Richmond, The London Free Press


It’s one of only 42 Canadian Heritage Rivers, and — at 273 km long — one of Southwestern Ontario’s biggest.

More than 500,000 people live in the seven counties and 54 municipalities in the area it drains.

But to the federal government, the Thames River ain’t no Scugog, Pigeon, Otonabee or Rosedale River — not even a Stevens Creek or Kemptville Creek.

Those smaller and lesser known waterways — none of them Heritage Rivers — will remain on Ottawa’s list of navigable waters, and under its protection if proposed amendments to federal legislation go ahead.

The Thames will be dropped.
Read more...

Fishing Report August 29th, 2012

Headed down to the Forks of the Thames for some lazy evening action.  I took my daughter and we were fishing with worms. We got there at about 7 and there were some girls who caught a couple of rock bass.  I caught a 2 lbs sucker quickly and followed it up with a 6 inch perch. My daughter was playing with her line in and around some rocks.  She kept say she saw fish there, I told her it was her imagination. Then in rapid secession she pulled up, but not all the way in a couple of rock bass and some perch.  Her hook was too big and they dangled on the worm until they hit about 4 feet out of the water.  I'm going to have to trust her eye sight (but not her judgement on what constitutes a reasonable fish) in the future. After that excitement I pulled in a 1 lbs sucker. After dark I got a couple of big bites, but the fish was gone and they didn't reoccur so we called it a night.

As a side note it has been nice to see a lot of fishermen using the Forks of the Thames this summer. Past years it seemed like it was just me most of the time.

PM and TO Mayor Go Fishing

Stephen Harper lures Rob Ford to Harrington Lake
By Don Peat, City Hall Bureau Chief

Prime Minister Stephen Harper had Toronto Mayor Rob Ford up to Harrington Lake Monday for a summer fishing trip, QMI Agency has learned.

Ford had a private meeting with Harper at the prime minister's official country retreat, according to a source.

Read More...

Fishing Report August 12th, 2012

I decided to hit the Forks of the Thames on Sunday afternoon. It was the middle of a sunny day so I didn't expect to hit too much, but my Fantasy Football draft was in the evening, so daytime it was.

I was using worms on a perch rig. Instead of catching a lot of fish I talked to a lot of people and took a brief nap on the dock.  The water was up and flowing well from the rain on Saturday. I fished from 3:30 until 6.  My first bite and fish came at 5:55.  I caught a nice little (14") Redhorse sucker.  Not much of a fight, but I was grateful for not getting skunked.

I'm hoping to get down to Hamilton on the weekend to fish.

Fishing Report July 8th, 2012

My friend from Burlington came down today and wanted to do some urban fishing. What place is more urban than Labatt's Dam.  I cast in with a perch rig and worm and right away land a small rock bass. My friend is using a hook and weight on the bottom and is getting nothing but snags. I throw in again and get a nice 2lbs channel cat.  Across the river there are some guys starting to smoke crack, so it's time to move on.

We go to the Forks of the Thames next. Over the next couple of hours shooting the breeze my friend snags 2 little bass. About 8 inches. These are the first bass I've seen in this area in a long time. Needless to say they were put back with care.  I manage a small turtle that was let go with harm or trouble.

Not an awesome afternoon fishing but it was good seeing my friend.

Lack of Fishing

Well, it is that time of year again where the Scout programs wind down, so of course there is tonnes to do. Camping, camping, meetings, awards etc. So fishing will have to take a back seat until Bass opener, the third holiest day of the year behind Easter and Christmas. It was been over a week since I last fished and I'm starting to get withdrawal symptoms. My prospects for fishing this weekend are almost none. Another meeting on Monday and busy with Scouts for the rest of the week. Maybe next weekend.

Secret Carp Bait

I like to fish for carp. I've caught them on a lot of different baits, but the one that always brings them in is bread. I work a small dough ball in my hand until it is a little sticky. Just use the white parts, the crust isn't as good. Cover the hook completely, or you can use a hair rig.

The secret ingredient I use on my bread is vanilla extract. A few drops in a sandwich bag with the bread will make the bread smell irresistible to the carp.

I like to use a perch rig with two hooks covered in bread. It takes a little while until the carp zero in on the bait.

Happy Carping

Long Weekend Report

I fished a lot this weekend, in a bunch of different places.

Saturday night I fished Black Creek while visiting, a couple small sunfish. We did get a boat ride on the Niagara River, which was very cool.

Sunday I fished Hamilton harbour for a bit, lots of gobies and a nice sized bullhead.

Monday I hit the Thames and pulled in a nice 10 pound carp. I've never fought with a fish for so long. It took me 10 hard minutes to land it and my arms were like rubber. Awesome fish though. Carp are definately heating up in the warm water.

Weekend Report - May 10-11

I only got out once this weekend. I was supposed to meet up with Derek on Saturday morning, but I couldn't get out of bed after a late night Friday. My daughter and I hit the forks at Ivey Park in the afternoon.  After some nibbles, I did manage a Redhorse sucker and she fed the ducks. The weather was great and it's fun to get out for the afternoon.

I discovered a new bass hole last week and can't wait to try it.

A... Trout Hole?

So, we get an insider tip that there could be some good trout fishing inside Komoka, close to the bridge. This is potentially amazing news, as we'd heard there was some limiting factors on them getting that far up the river.

Anyway, needless to say we're taking the information we've got and heading out Saturday morning.

One concerning suggestion was to have a fishing buddy tag along. Generally, this isn't a big deal, but Mark and I don't always get out together, and if this hole pans out to be good for trout, I'm going to be keen to get there often. The advice suggested that while the fishing buddy probably couldn't directly save your ass if it starts going down river, at least they can call for help. What?! I guess if it's not difficult, it's not fishing!

Finally, it'll be a bit of a sore point if this advice turns out to be true. We've been fishing that bridge for cats going on 4 or 5 years now! It always delivers fiesty cat fish once the sun goes down. If there's trout in the same neighbourhood, think of all the times we could have been sporting the evening away, and then slumming it with cats after dark!