OUTDOOR CANADA MAGAZINE JULY AUGUST 2023

YETI Ambassador Raphael Bruhwiler Tofino BC, Canada

FEATURES

32

THE SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS

Fishing phenom Jeff Gustafson reveals how he became the first Canadian to win the prestigious Bassmaster Classic, the world championship of bass fishing

BY GORD PYZER

40

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT

Missing too many birds lately? Let our wingshooting primer get you back in the game

BY KEN BAILEY

46

KEEP CALM AND FISH ON

No chop? No worries. The summer walleye bite can still be super hot when the water is silky smooth

BY MIKE HUNGLE

53

BEYOND TROUT

Venture into an exciting new world of fly fishing with these must-have patterns for largemouth and smallmouth bass

BY SCOTT GARDNER

60

THE ZOMBIE EFFECT

Wait, don’t toss out those dead minnows! Here’s how to give floaters a second life

BY STEPHAN LUKACIC

62

PICTURE PERFECT!

Winning images reflecting the best of fishing, hunting, family adventure, wildlife and wild places in Canada

BY THE EDITORS

69

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Community, hunting tradition and fine firearms in the land of the Finns

BY T.J. SCHWANKY

www.outdoorcanada.ca

Hot summer secrets

Do you sometimes struggle to find and catch fish during the so-called doldrums of the hot summer months? Make those dreaded slowdowns a thing of the past with these detailed tips for catching more summertime walleye, bass, northern pike and muskies. Once you understand how fish behaviours change during the dog days of summer—and learn how to change your strategies accordingly—you’ll discover that hot weather also means hot fishing. This how-to feature explains it all. outdoorcanada.ca/hotsummersecrets

FISHING

MOUSE FLIES

If you’re looking for a fly to excite the biggest fish in the river, summer is the perfect time to try a mouse pattern. These tips reveal how mouse flies are both easy to fish and exciting.

outdoorcanada.ca/mouseflies

WINDY WALLEYE

The walleye bite often picks up when it gets windy, but only if you know how the fish behave in these changing conditions. Here’s how to take advantage of the wind when trolling, drifting or jigging.

outdoorcanada.ca/windywalleye

ON THE WATER ONLINE

Outdoor Canada fishing editor Gord Pyzer regularly posts fishing tips, gear reviews and much more on his blog, “On the water online.” Check in often to stay on top of the exciting world of angling.

outdoorcanada.ca/blogs

HUNTING

DANGEROUS HUNT

Somewhere in the dense brush of the harsh Namibian landscape, a wounded leopard lurks. Danger, drama and excitement ensue in this this wild true tale of a dream African hunt.

CONNECT WITH US

Follow editor-in-chief Patrick Walsh on Twitter & Instagram @OutdoorWalsh

Follow associate editor Scott Gardner on Twitter @OutdoorGardner

outdoorcanada.ca/dangeroushunt

HUNTING FITNESS

Hunting often entails strenuous activity, and staying fit both improves your shooting and helps you avoid injury. These pointers will boost your fitness level, and lead to more success afield.

outdoorcanada.ca/huntingfitness

BOW CAMERAS

A bow-mounted camera can capture exciting footage, as well as help you become a better hunter. Our primer on cameras, mounts and techniques shows how to start recording your hunts.

outdoorcanada.ca/bowcameras

PEEVED ABOUT POILIEVRE

I’ve been a subscriber for more than 20 years and I’ve always respected the professionalism of the content. What I read on page 22 has left me stunned, disgusted and very disappointed (“Firearms fiasco,” May/June). What in God’s name possessed your editors to allow an opposition party MP, Pierre Poilievre, to write an incredibly politically biased article attacking our government? The content is complete BS. For the first time, your magazine has become tabloid-quality fire starter. Do better.

RICHARD LYON

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, ONTARIO

As a long-time subscriber, I generally look forward to reading the articles on

gun control that I strongly believe is not in the best interest of hunters. With growing crime, the calls for gun control will continue to grow, and likely have sufficient momentum to make real changes. Not everyone will like this, but it is almost certainly a reality. The position pushed by Mr. Poilievre and many contributors to your magazine lumps responsible hunters in with those who wish to possess guns catering to macho egos that are absolutely not necessary for hunting. More and more people recognize this, and they’re looking for some form of control so we don’t get completely out of hand like the U.S. Responsible hunters and media promoting hunting should recognize this, and work to promote laws that will appease these concerns.

and border control, there will be a real and noticeable reduction. Hopefully, hunting will still be around when that happens, but it will likely only be the case if we soften our position and distance ourselves from those who don’t want any form of gun control. Your decision to print this has pushed me too far. I’ve cancelled my subscription.

CHARLIE FRASER VIA E-MAIL

Editor’s note: We received a few more letters (and social media comments) criticizing us for publishing the guest opinion column by Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre. We make no apologies for presenting divergent viewpoints from across Canada’s broad political spectrum on matters of importance to anglers and hunters. You

Well known for integrating powerful rangefinders into optics, Burris introduces the Signature 10x42 LRF binocular for fast and precise ranging from 5 to 2600 yards. Ultrasharp HD glass & an easy-to-read display offer comfortable glassing & blazing fast ranging for both hunters & shooters.

when I was very young. Trying to identify the different songs, chirps, squeals and howls is important when learning how wildlife communicate. Like Ken, I’ve also watched a brazen red squirrel chipping at me, then suddenly get picked up by an owl. I’ve also watched a chipmunk bury acorns, only to then see a red squirrel come along, dig them up and take them away. Everyone should engage youth in hunting, angling or trapping, and share their fondest memories with them.

BLAKE CORBIN KANATA, ONTARIO

of my big cats. Also, note my Outdoor Canada hat!

BRIAN BURRIDGE WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

RED RIVER PRIDE

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the 38 trophy hot spots (“Go big!” Fishing Special). I was also happy and proud to see the Red River included for its trophy cats. When I launch at Selkirk Park, Manitoba, I see cars that have brought anglers from all over the U.S. to fish the river in the hopes of catching a monster. I appreciate how lucky I am to be less than an hour’s drive from this fabulous

STRETCHED THIN

The article “Manitoba: More Enforcement” (January/February, West edition) reveals that Manitoba’s total number of natural resource officers (NROs) is currently less than 70. A full complement should be in the range of 126. In April 2016, there were approximately 91 NROs in Manitoba. During that year’s provincial election campaign, Brian Pallister, then leader of the official opposition, promised he would downsize the civil service by some 30 per cent if elected. That would translate to the loss of some 27 NRO positions. It appears Pallister’s commitment was met after he became premier.

In 2016, Manitoba NRO salaries averaged $4 per hour less than those of Saskatchewan NROs. The gap widened

dramatically as the Pallister government then froze public employee salaries. Now comes the announcement that Manitoba has earmarked $300,000 to deploy helicopters to combat night hunting. This is not new money—it is money taken directly from Manitoba NRO salaries over the past six years. To add further insult to injury, I recently became aware of a government proposal to expand NRO mandates to include general law enforcement duties—that’s fewer people doing more work for less pay.

FRED TAIT

ROSSENDALE, MANITOBA VISITATION REQUESTS

Further to our feature on Ontario’s Middle Island (“Gangster getaway,” January/February), the Lake Erie bird sanctuary may only be visited these days with the written permission of Point Pelee National Park. The park’s visitor centre also offers information about the island. OC

PLEASE E-MAIL YOUR COMMENTS TO EDITORIAL@OUTDOORCANADA.CA. ALSO CONNECT WITH US ON INSTAGRAM (@OUTDOORCANADAMAGAZINE), TWITTER (@OUTDOORCANADA AND @OUTDOORCANADAW) AND FACEBOOK (FACEBOOK.COM/OUTDOORCANADA).

BY PATRICK WALSH

A great loss OUTLOOK

THERE’S A STORY I like to tell about Wil Wegman that to me succinctly sums up his character. It was around 2005, and I was driving with my then young son when I got into some car trouble. Since we weren’t far from the local Ministry of Natural Resources office where Wil worked, I called him to ask if he could give us a lift back home, which was also in Aurora at the time, while I sorted things out. Wil was there in mere minutes—he didn’t even think twice. I’d only known him for a few years at the time, but I knew he’d be only too happy to help.

It was that very mindset that, in large part, made Wil such an important and cherished member of the Canadian sportfishing community, and why that same community was so devastated when Wil passed away from cancer on May 21 at age 63. As our fishing editor, Gord Pyzer, remarked, “He was such a gentleman, such a kind and thoughtful person. If we all had friends the calibre of Wil, the world would be such a better place.” Not surprisingly, similar words of praise were echoed endless times across social media by his many friends and colleagues.

Perhaps more important than Wil’s wonderful disposition, though, were his immense contributions to sportfishing and fisheries conservation. For those of you who didn’t know Wil, he worked for more than 30 years for the Ontario government on a wide variety of fish and wildlife conservation programs, among them Lake Simcoe’s muskie restoration project. He also liaised with the media, and organized numerous outreach initiatives aimed at getting families and kids engaged in fishing.

His day job aside, Wil was also one of the volunteer co-founders of the Aurora Bassmasters, where he was the long-serving conservation director working on everything from habitat restoration to fish-tagging research to combatting invasive species. He also served for 15 years as the conservation director of the Ontario BASS Nation. Plus, Wil wrote about fishing and conservation for various publications, this one included, and conducted countless workshops to help others become better anglers. The list of his contributions goes on and on.

Of course, Wil was also a rabid recreational angler himself, and a longtime fixture on Ontario’s competitive bass tournament circuit. And when he wasn’t fishing? One of his favourite non-angling pursuits was to join in the annual “Swim with the Fishes” event, front-crawling across Lake Couchiching to help raise money for the Child Advocacy Centre of Simcoe/Muskoka. Remember what I said about the kind of guy he was?

In 2017, it was my great privilege to introduce Wil when he was inducted into the Canadian Angler Hall Fame, one of the many accolades he so richly deserved. That same year, Wil also received the National Recreational Fisheries Award from Fisheries and Oceans Canada for his tireless conservation efforts, as well as the Rick Morgan Professional Conservation Award from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. One can only wonder what more he would have gone on to accomplish if not for this cruel disease. As Wil’s good friend and fellow Lake Simcoe champion John Whyte wrote in his touching tribute to Wil on Facebook, “There will always be a void in our angling community.” OC

ESTABLISHED 1972

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & BRAND MANAGER Patrick Walsh

MANAGING EDITOR Bob Sexton

ASSOCIATE EDITOR & WEB EDITOR Scott Gardner

ART DIRECTOR Sandra Cheung

FISHING EDITOR Gord Pyzer

HUNTING EDITOR Ken Bailey

PUBLISHER Mark Yelic

NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Rosemary Bubanovich, Dave Harkley

RETAIL AND CLASSIFIED ACCOUNT MANAGER Chris Holmes

MARKETING MANAGER Desiree Miller

DIRECTOR OF RETAIL MARKETING Craig Sweetman

AD TRAFFIC COORDINATOR Michaela Ludwig

DIGITAL COORDINATOR Lauren Novak

CIRCULATION & CUSTOMER SERVICE: Marissa Miller and Lauren Novak

CONTROLLER Anthea Williams

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WIL WEGMAN LEAVES BEHIND HIS WIFE, TWO SONS AND LEGIONS OF CLOSE FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

FISHING

DEPICTING ANY ASPECT OF SPORTFISHING IN CANADA

1ST PLACE: 13 Fishing Rod, Reel & Gear Prize Pack (MSRP $500)

13 Fishing Tackle Prize Pack (MSRP $250)

13 Fishing Tackle (MSRP $100)

ENTRY DEADLINE: JANUARY 2, 2024

THIS CONTEST IS only open to residents of Canada (except Quebec). No purchase is necessary. Professional photographers are not eligible. Photographs must have been taken in Canada on or after January 1, 2023. Entries must include details of when and where the photos were taken. Please enter your high-resolution digital images online at: WWW.OUTDOORCANADA.CA/OCPHOTOCONTEST

HUNTING FAMILY

www.zeiss.ca

1ST PLACE: Zeiss 10x42 Conquest HD Binoculars (MSRP $1,649.99)

2ND PLACE: Zeiss 3-12x44 Conquest V4 Riflescope (MSRP $1,449.99)

3RD PLACE: Zeiss Terra 10x25 Compact Binoculars (MSRP $599.99) www.berkley-fishing.com

YOU MAY ALSO submit original prints or slides, or discs or thumb drives with high-resolution images, to: Outdoor Canada Photo Contest, 9 Billings Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M4L 2S1. Please specify the category you are entering, and include your name, address, phone number and when and where the photograph was taken.

1ST PLACE: Berkley Fishing Tackle Prize Pack (MSRP $750)

2ND PLACE: Berkley Fishing Tackle Prize Pack (MSRP $500)

3RD PLACE: Berkley Fishing Tackle Prize Pack (MSRP $250)

WILDLIFE & WILD PLACES

PHOTOS DEPICTING WILDLIFE AND/OR NATURAL LANDSCAPES IN CANADA

1ST PLACE: VSSL JAVA portable hand coffee grinder (MSRP $200)

2ND PLACE: VSSL Camp Supplies (MSRP $185)

3RD PLACE: VSSL Mini Stash Speaker (MSRP $130)

www.vsslgear.ca

PHOTOS

SCENE

As a harbinger of things to come, wildfires in B.C.’s Tweedsmuir Park back in August 2018 sent ash and smoke downstream along the Dean River, creating an eerie, blood-red midday sky. That year saw a record 2,117 wildfires in the province. At press time, 2023 was shaping up to be an equally scorching year, if not worse, across both B.C. and Alberta.

PHOTO BY ADAM TAVENDER

NUMBERS GAME

10 Days in jail to which two men were sentenced for stuffing their catches with lead weights at a Lake Erie walleye tournament in Cleveland, Ohio, last September. They also lost their fishing licences for three years and were fined $2,500 each. As well, one of the men forfeited his $100,000 bass boat.

73

Endangered resident killer whales roaming the waters off B.C. and the U.S. northwest. To help protect the dwindling population, Ottawa has banned commercial and recreational salmon fisheries this summer and fall throughout the southern Gulf Islands.

$5,500

Total fines imposed on Lakefield, Ontario, duck hunter Cody Atkinson for firing his 12-gauge shotgun across a pond last fall toward two other hunters he’d accused of trespassing, striking one of them. The pond was on Crown land. Atkinson was also handed a five-year hunting ban.

46,000

Estimated wild birds that have died in Canada from a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza since monitoring began in December 2021. Scientists believe dabbling ducks such as mallards are spreading the disease. To date, 200 million birds have died worldwide.

ON THE RECORD

—Biologist Daniel Pincheira-Donoso sounds the alarm over research he copublished in May in the scientific journal Biological Reviews. His team concluded that 48 per cent of the 70,000 worldwide animal species in their study have declining populations. They pin the blame on human activity.

“What we are experiencing right now is the beginning of what we call a mass extinction.”

GIMME SHELTER

KEEP THE ELEMENTS AT BAY WITH A WELL-PLACED QUALITY TARP

BY LOWELL STRAUSS

WHEN IT COMES to providing shelter from the rain, wind, sun and cold, a tarp is an essential piece of outdoor gear—it could even save your life in an emergency. Here’s what to look for in a tarp, along with tips on how best to set it up.

THE BASICS First, ditch that bulky blue plastic tarp in favour of a modern, lightweight, packable version. Made from synthetic fibres such as polyester and siliconized nylon, today’s camping tarps are strong and lightweight, and they conveniently fold down into a small package—some are no bigger than a onelitre water bottle. Quality tarps are waterproofed using silicon or polyurethane, with typical hydrostatic pressure ratings of 1,000 to 20,000 mm. The higher the number the better—a 20,000 mm rating, for example, means the fabric can withstand the pressure from a 20,000-mm (20-metre) column of water.

A seven by 10-foot tarp is adequate for one person, but for a group you need to go up to 20 by 15 feet, or larger. Most tarps are square or rectangular, and work well for most set-ups. For a hasty shelter, I prefer a catenary curve design, which is lighter and more aerodynamic; it also flaps less in the wind. Go with a bright colour, which will attract attention in case of an emergency. If you want to be more discreet, however, go with earth tones or camo. As for durability, the higher the denier rating, the thicker and heavier the fibres will be.

PREPARATION To create a proper shelter, you’ll need five metres of rope or paracord for a ridge line, six two-metre lengths for guy lines if needed, and six stakes. To make the set up easier, learn or brush up on the bowline, trucker’s hitch, taut-line hitch and Prusik knot (see link below for instructions).

SET-UP There are many ways to set up a tarp, but I recommend the A-frame, lean-to, diamond fly and pyramid, which are easy to make. For the A-frame, drape the tarp evenly over a ridge line tied between two trees, then stake down the four corners. If there are no suitable trees, tie the ridge line to paddles, trekking poles or cut branches instead. For the lean-to, attach one edge of the tarp to the ridge line, and stake the opposite edge to the ground.

To erect a diamond fly, secure one tarp corner to a tree or a single guyed pole at chest height, then stake down the other corners for three-sided protection. Finally, make a pyramid shelter by propping up the middle of the tarp with a pole and staking down the four sides. OC

IN SEASON

LAKE TROUT

Whether you’re trolling or vertically jigging for lakers, always keep your bait just above the fish—and that’s much higher in the water column than you might think. Not that long ago, if we spotted trout on our sonar screen in 45 feet of water, we’d place our baits a few feet above them, at around 42 feet. Forward-facing sonar now tells us, however, that lake trout dive down at least 15 to 20 feet when your boat initially spooks them, then swim back up after things have calmed down. That means those lakers we’d see in 48 feet of water were only down there temporarily, and that our baits would be too deep once they swam back up. With that in mind, always keep your baits much higher in the water column than where you think the trout are. The same applies to walleye, by the way.

—GORD PYZER

BIG-WATER SALMON

When the summer Pacific salmon bite gets tough due to fishing pressure or hot, sunny, calm conditions, it’s time to experiment with the size and placement of your flasher or dodger. Attached to the line ahead of the bait to simulate a slashing salmon or school of baitfish, these flashy attractors are typically large, but I like to go much smaller when things get tough. One of my favourite tricks, for example, is to use a Silver and Gold NuWrinkle Williams Whitefish spoon, with the hook removed. If that doesn’t produce, I instead attach it to my cannonball as a “dummy flasher” so it’s farther away from the bait. On the flipside, if the salmon want nothing else in the water but my bait, I remove the attractor altogether.

—GORD PYZER

(TARP); TRENT GORDON (TROUT); CHRISSY FOBERT (SALMON)

SEE THESE FOUR TARP SET-UPS AND MORE AT WWW.OUTDOORCANADA.CA/TARPS.

TROPHY WALL

HOT SHOTS

PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES OF FUN DAYS AFIELD AND ON THE WATER

WE ENJOY SEEING pictures of your fishing and hunting accomplishments—and learning the stories behind them. Please e-mail us your images, along with any relevant details (who, what, where and when), and we’ll post them on Instagram and publish our favourites here.

Victoria, B.C.’s Mike Smith and his son, Declan, were all smiles catching and releasing brawny smallmouth bass on Lac Seul in northwestern Ontario late last June. “This was a bucket-list trip for me, and we had a blast,” says Mike. “The fish were big and strong and super-fun to catch!”

Anola, Manitoba’s Dyana Cyncora was on a fishing road trip last September when she caught this white sturgeon on the Fraser River near Maple Ridge, B.C., with Golden Ears Fishing Adventures. “I thought I was getting pulled overboard!” she says of the 60inch catch. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Three generations of the Nichol family were on hand when 10-year-old Taevin of Smiths Falls, Ontario, caught his very first largemouth bass early last August. Watching it all happen on Ontario’s Rideau Lake were Taevin’s father, Bryan, and his grandfather, Dave.

Ever since she caught this perch last summer on Saskatchewan’s Round Lake, four-year-old Courtlynn Hudacek has been asking when she can go fishing again with “Grumpa,” family friend Doug Trowell. It looks like the Tantallon, Saskatchewan, youngster is another lifelong angler in the making! OC

PHOTO FI N ISH

IS THAT FISH PIC LEGAL? ONTARIO REVISITS ITS LIVE-RELEASE REGS

BY ROBERT PYE

MY YOUNGEST SON’S first walleye was, certainly to him, a wall hanger—the kind of fish that gets photographed, printed and framed. It also lived to swim another day because it ended up being a jig’s length over the legal slot size.

When you can’t eyeball a walleye’s slot size from the net, as was the case

with my son’s fish, you have no choice but to keep temporary possession to quickly take a measurement. The same goes for quickly taking a photo before releasing a fish. As brief as those delays may be, however, they are technically offside according to Ontario’s fishing regulations.

Under the current rules, anglers must immediately release any fish where the retention or possession is not allowed, and that applies equally to both out-of-season fish and inseason fish that are over your possession limit or don’t meet the legal size requirements. So as it stands, both the moment for careful measure and the delay in snapping a phone gallery memory of a legally caught fish could lead to self-incrimination, especially if the image appears on social media.

If there were any fears about those delays being photo-bombed by an approaching conservation officer, however, Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has—to its full credit—come up with some sensible new wording that will hope-

DELAYS IN RELEASING CERTAIN FISH MAY SOON BE ALLOWED

SCOTT GARDNER

fully spawn an official new fishing regulation as of January 1, 2025. During a survey period now closed, the MNRF went fishing earlier this year for anglers’ thoughts on a potential regulation change that would “allow anglers to delay the release of a fish caught during the open season for that species only long enough to photograph, measure and weigh, if the fish is of a restricted size or over daily catch and possession limits.”

To be clear, a fish caught out of season needs to go back in the water straightaway; it’s just a matter of common conservation sense. So the proposed new regulation would also “require the immediate release of fish that are out of season, are species at risk or are otherwise prohibited under the existing recreational fishing rules.”

BIGGER FISH TO FRY

A CO pulling up to the side of your boat doesn’t happen every outing, but when it does, it’s in the interest of enforcing fishing seasons, limits and proper licensing. Most importantly,

in my mind, it is about having those olive-green uniforms watching over the lakes and rivers we all want protected. We need more of that.

Have you ever heard of a CO splitting bucktail hairs over the minute or so it takes an angler to release a fish that was legally caught in the first place? In such situations, I’m sure our natural resources professionals are unlikely to fine licensed anglers fishing in season, who are aware of their daily catch limit. But it could happen. The proposed new regulation allowing the delay of release fixes that, providing the legal clarity both anglers and conservation officers deserve.

The MNRF rightly states the current law is “a barrier to some fishing activities,” such as catch-photo-release tournaments and the overall enjoyment of the angling experience by photographing catches. It also stands to hinder anglers from recording fish data for their angler diaries, which can be valuable fisheries management tools. So in a way, the proposed change also stands to recruit even more fisheries stewards to contrib-

ute to citizen science with their creel data—without the worry of crossing any regulation lines.

The potential new delay-of-release regulation also demonstrates we don’t need stricter rules tightening the drag on fishing opportunities in order to achieve angler compliance for the greater conservation good. And kudos to the MNRF for listening to anglers and its own resource managers with respect to the Catch-22 the current regulation puts them all in.

Conscientious anglers will always be the first to agree that a regulation change doesn’t let common sense off the hook. Good fish resuscitation techniques and proper handling are always the priority over a photo opportunity, even if such a delay is allowed. As famed conservationist Aldo Leopold put it, “Ethical behaviour is doing the right thing when no one is watching, even when doing the wrong thing is legal.” OC

EASTERN VIEW IS AN OPINION COLUMN. WE INVITE CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION OF THE VARIOUS ISSUES RAISED HERE.

LIFE LESSONS

BACKCOUNTRY SURVIVAL TIPS FROM A WILDERNESS REALITY-TV STAR

BY BOB SEXTON

ONE OF TWO Canadians competing on season nine of the reality-TV show Alone, which aired last May, Teimojin Tan knew his survival skills would be tested to the limit. He and nine other contestants were dropped off in separate locations in the remote wilds of Labrador, each equipped with only 10 pieces of gear they’d chosen themselves, plus a camera to record the experience. Tan, 33, selected a multi-tool, axe, sleeping bag, ferro rod, cooking pot, bow and arrows, paracord, trapping wire, fishing line and hooks, and emergency rations. The goal? See who could survive the longest to win the $500,000 prize. An emergency room doctor, wilderness survival educator and former Canadian Army Reserve soldier, Tan ended up lasting 63 days and finishing in third place, making him an ideal candidate to share his proven survival tips.

GEAR Whether you’re heading out for the day or an extended adventure, always carry a cell phone, satellite phone or satellite messenger to call for help should an emergency arise, advises Tan. Also bring at least a few survival essentials, he says, including a mylar blanket (which can double as a tarp for shelter), a multi-tool, at least three fire starters (ferro rod-magnesium combo, windproof lighter and waterproof matches), a way to purify water and a first-aid kit.

PLANNING Before you leave, share your precise itinerary and route with someone back home to make it easier to find you in an emergency, says Tan. Include instructions on what to do if you have not returned or made contact by a certain date and time.

MINDSET Should you get injured or become lost, it’s crucial not to panic, which can result in poor decisions and make the situation even worse, warns Tan. So, the first thing to do after making a call for help is to ground yourself. “Take a breather and evaluate the situation to try to figure out what you need to do next,” he says. “Taking in all that surrounds you—both the dangers and the resources—is super-important.”

PRIORITIES Once you’ve calmly assessed the situation, the next important thing is to protect yourself from the elements. While every scenario is different, that typically means finding or creating a shelter, then securing clean water and making a fire. Rather than erect an elaborate bushcraft shelter, Tan recommends finding a natural formation in the lee of the wind that you can sit under or crawl into. In a survival situation, he says, the more energy you can save, the better. OC

HEAT SHIELD

On a hot summer day, intense training can be potentially fatal if your four-legged hunting buddy has a hereditary condition known as exercise-induced collapse (EIC). Here’s what you should know about this malady, and what to do if your dog has it.

SYMPTOMS This nervous system disorder can occur during strenuous exercise, such as retrieving drills, when an otherwise fit and healthy dog becomes weak in the hindquarters and stumbles awkwardly. In some dogs, the weakness also moves into the forelimbs. Exciting or stressful activities lasting more than five minutes can also be triggers, especially in hot weather. EIC-related collapse often occurs without warning, though excessive panting is an early symptom. The condition is not painful, and it typically resolves within 25 minutes. It may take longer for the dog to regain the use of its legs, however, and rushing the recovery can cause muscle damage. In extreme cases, EIC can be fatal.

BREEDS While any dog can inherit EIC, it’s prevalent in several sporting breeds. That includes retrievers (especially Labs), German wirehaired pointers and some spaniels. Genetic testing can determine if your dog has the gene that causes EIC. For breeders, such testing is even more critical, as some dogs can be carriers without being affected. That means there’s a 50 per cent likelihood they will pass on the condition to their offspring

FIRST AID & TREATMENT

If your dog is diagnosed with EIC, avoid intensive activities in the first place, especially in hot weather. If an EIC episode occurs, the treatment is similar to that of other heatrelated health emergencies. For starters, stop the activity at the first sign of the dog wobbling, then move it to a shady spot where it can cool down and rest. In some cases, the dog may need to be carried; a dog sling, such as the emergency model in Ruffwear’s Backtrak Dog Evacuation Kit (pictured above), makes the job easier with large breeds. —LOWELL STRAUSS FOR THE

TAN (TAN); RUFFWEAR (DOG SLING); FISH’N CANADA (WALLEYE); KEN BAILEY (BLACKSTONE RIVER); TRAVIS GOULDIE (BOWER LAKE); AARON KYLIE (LAKE ST. JOSEPH)

ALONE’S TEIMOJIN TAN SAYS TO ALWAYS CARRY THREE FIRE STARTERS

K ABY WALLEYE

HITTING THE WATER WITH TV’S FISH’N CANADA SHOW

BY ANGELO VIOLA & PETE BOWMAN

IF YOU’RE TALKING about waterbodies with a ridiculous number of walleye of all sizes, then Kabinakagami Lake has to be a part of the discussion. Perhaps better known as Kaby, this lake in the upper reaches of Ontario’s Algoma region has produced more keeper-sized walleye for us than most other fishing destinations we’ve ventured to.

Although there are also some big northern pike in Kaby—along with whitefish and jumbo perch—it’s the walleye that rule here. This is one of those rare lakes where you can literally drop a jig-and-minnow combo directly below your boat in seven feet of water, with your outboard still running, and catch shorelunch. We kid you not. We’ve done it, and the fish were delicious.

While staying at Pine Portage Lodge during our visit last year, we decided to change things up. Instead of jigging this time, we trolled large, walleye-specific Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows off of deep structure and caught some better than average fish. That’s a pattern we’ll definitely use again on our next visit.

Although we didn’t catch any giant northerns last year, we’ve pulled some beauties out of Kaby during previous trips. The potential is always there for tackling a 40-inch-plus pike of a lifetime.

There’s plenty of fish-holding water to explore, too. Part of the James Bay drainage on the like-named Kabinakagami River, Kaby is 26 kilometres long and 12 kilometres wide, with an average depth of three metres (the deepest point is 15 metres) and more than 200 kilometres of shoreline.

To watch our latest shoot at Pine Portage Lodge, look for “Episode 539: Dredging Kaby Lake for Summer Walleye” on our website listed below, or search for “Trolling and Jigging for Deep Summer Walleye” on our YouTube page. You can also hear all about it on our Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast (“Episode 32: Fall Fishing Preview”) via our website.

When it comes to walleye fishing, Kaby won’t let you down. OC

LEARN MORE ABOUT KABY LAKE AT WWW.ALGOMACOUNTRY.COM AND WWW.PINEPORTAGE.CA. ALSO, VISIT US AT WWW.FISHNCANADA.COM, WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/FISHNCANADA, YOUTUBE.COM/@FISHNCANADA AND WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/FISHNCANADAOFFICIAL.

GETAWAYS

BLACKSTONE RIVER

Alberta’s Blackstone is a beautiful river with a healthy population of cutthroat trout and decent numbers of bulls. The best vehicle access is where the river crosses the Forestry Trunk Road northwest of Nordegg, but if you’re willing to walk, there are tons of access points above and below that point. Chungo Creek Outfitters rents cabins and campsites, and offers guided trips. www.chungocreekoutfitters.com

—KEN BAILEY

BOWER LAKE

Easily accessible Bower Lake in Manitoba’s Turtle Mountain Provincial Park is modest in size, making it ideal for fishing from a kayak, canoe or car topper. Brimming with big rainbows and browns, the 52-hectare lake is part of the Pembina Valley Fish Enhancement program. Turtle Mountain Provincial Park has both electrical and basic campsites. www.outdoorcanada.ca/turtlemtn

—GORD PYZER

LAKE ST. JOSEPH

Northern Ontario’s Lake St. Joseph near Pickle Lake features spectacular wilderness-calibre fishing for walleye and pike without the need to fly in. For walleye, cast half- and 3⁄4-ounce bullet jigs dressed with five- and six-inch soft-plastic swimbaits. Use the same lures for giant pike, as well as big, gaudy spinnerbaits. The Old Post Lodge offers accommodation and guided fishing. www.oldpost.com

—GORD PYZER

BOWMAN WITH ONE OF COUNTLESS KABY ’EYES

DREAM GUN

UPLAND BIRD HUNTERS WILL LOVE BENELLI’S SEMI-AUTO ULTRA LIGHT

BY MARK HOFFMAN

THOSE OF US addicted to the flush of upland game birds tend to wear out a lot of shoe leather. While a great pair of boots sits high on my list of upland hunting gear, a lightweight, quick-on-point shotgun trumps everything. It’s all about weight. After an exhausting day of traversing everything from weedy fencerows to brier-infested creek bottoms, an eight-pound shotgun can feel and swing like a bazooka by sundown. So, light and fast is where it’s at. Even better is a shotgun that can double as a run-and-gun turkey gun. Enter Benelli’s Ultra Light, touted as the “upland hunter’s dream.”

Benelli says the Ultra Light is the world’s lightest semi-auto shotgun, and they just might be right—the 26-inch barrelled 12-gauge model weighs just 6.1 pounds, thanks to several modifications. The most notable is the receiver, which utilizes a featherlight alloy instead of steel. Benelli also shortened the forearm, added a carbon-fibre ventilated rib rather than a steel one, and reduced the size of the magazine from the standard unplugged four-plus-one to two-plus-one.

While these features keep the weight to a minimum, Benelli did not otherwise skimp on the guts of the gun. The Ultra Light is powered by the very reliable Inertia Driven operating system, which consists of just three main parts: the bolt body, an inertia spring, and a rotating bolt head. This system runs cleaner than gas-operated guns, as it pushes all the gases, smoke and burnt powder down the barrel instead of venting it back onto the body of the gun.

The Ultra Light also doesn’t forgo strength, with steel locking lugs that lock directly into the barrel. This creates a steel-to-steel lock that becomes even tighter when firing. Other notable features include the Crio-treated barrel and chokes, a shim kit offering both drop and cast adjustability, a WeatherCoatfinished walnut stock, and a red bar front sight. Finally, the Ultra Light comes complete with a standard hard case and three chokes.

TEST RESULTS

From my perspective, an upland bird gun requires a wood stock, and the higher the grade of wood, the better. My test model’s wooden stock was decent, but I wouldn’t consider it outstanding. The WeatherCoat finish may have contributed to its less than showy finish, but it was still very attractive. The checkering, as expected, was flawless, as was the anodized black and gloss-blue finish on the receiver and barrel, respectively. The gold trigger also

added a bit of flare, offset against the dark receiver.

When shouldering the gun, I first noted just how light it felt in my hands. Indeed, on my postal scale it weighed in at just a couple of ounces more than its advertised factory weight of 6.1 pounds. When combined with the perfect fit, this made for effortless quick-on-point target acquisition. When you have a 12-gauge with an inertia action, however, there is inevitably a price to pay in the form of increased recoil.

I first tested the Ultra Light on the trap range using a modified choke, shooting at 20 clays with target loads and five clays with standard upland loads. I hit 19 of the first 20 clays, with a few only broken, not smoked. After refocussing, I pulverized the last five clays with the upland loads.

Next, I patterned four full-choked premium turkey loads at 40 yards using Birchwood Casey turkey splatter targets. While all four loads delivered lethal 40-yard performance, I could hardly believe the devastation left behind by the Winchester Long Beard XR—the target (below) looked as though it had been hit by a load of #8 shot at 20 yards, rather than #5 at 40 yards. I counted 114 hits, with 103 in the upper body and 11 in the head and neck. With a well-placed shot, no turkey would be able to escape this load out to 50 yards, and even beyond. Unquestionably, this lightweight shotgun can do it all, yet still feel light and nimble in the hand. OC

THE SPECS

Gauge: 12

Chamber: 2¾" to 3"

Barrel length: 26"

Weight: 6.1 lb

Length of pull: 143⁄8 "

Magazine capacity: 2+1

Drop at heel: 2¼"

Drop at comb: 1½"

(SHOOTER, TARGET); BENELLI (SHOTGUN)

FIREARMS REVIEW

FOUR TESTED TURKEY LOADS WERE DEADLY

ARTICHOKE PERCH BAKE

A FRESHWATER FISH TWIST ON A CLASSIC COMFORT FOOD DISH

RECIPE & PHOTO BY CAMERON TAIT

EVERYONE LOVES COMFORT food, and nothing warms the heart and soul quite like a classic artichoke and spinach bake with crab or lobster. But why not substitute the shellfish with your next catch of yellow perch?

Don’t let the simplicity of this one-pan dish fool you—it’s almost guaranteed to have your guests pleading for more.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz cream cheese

• ½ cup mayonnaise

• 14 oz tin canned artichokes, cut in quarters

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 1 tbsp diced jalapeno, seeds removed

• 3 green onions, chopped

• 6 oz white cheddar cheese, grated

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 cup frozen spinach, drained well

• 6 perch fillets, cut into thin slices

• 2 tbsp flour

• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• Zest of ½ lemon

• 2 oz grated Swiss cheese

• Toasted baguette slices

1] Pre-heat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and mayonnaise, stirring well.

2] Add the artichokes, red pepper, jalapeno, green onions, cheddar, Parmesan and spinach, and stir well. Then add the perch strips, flour, salt, pepper and lemon zest, combining gently.

3] Place the entire mixture in a 12-inch oven-proof dish, sprinkle with the Swiss cheese and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until it’s lightly bubbling. Serve with the baguette slices. OC

FOR THE GLASS

Served well-chilled, Ontario’s Trius Sauvignon Blanc VQA makes a crisp accompaniment for this fish and cheese dish with its refreshing floral notes of gooseberry and passion fruit, and hints of herbs and nuts.

TO WATCH CAMERON TAIT PREPARE HIS VARIOUS DISHES, GO TO WWW.OUTDOORCANADA.CA/FOOD.

KID ST UF F

NEW TACKLE, APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF SERIOUS ANGLERS

BY THE EDITORS

WITH ITS WARM weather and bright skies, summer is certainly a pleasant time to wet a line—and that makes it the perfect opportunity to introduce young people to the joys of angling. To truly ensure youngsters catch the fishing bug, though, it’s important they are properly outfitted for safety, comfort and success. These new products promise to help do just that.

FIN (US$18.95)

Flying Fisherman, www.flyingfisherman.com

Key features: Wrap-around design to block sun and wind; impact- and scratch-resistant polarized lenses; total UVA and UVB protection. The promise: “Perfect polarized protection for smaller faces.”

YOUTH MINNOW COMBO (US$189.99)

Redington, www.redington.com

Key features: Eight-foot, four-piece, 5-weight fly rod with easy-casting medium action; Crosswater reel spooled with Rio Mainstream weight-forward line; cordura rod tube. The promise: “Easier for casters of smaller stature.”

3500 TACKLE BAG FOR KIDS (US$19.99)

Bass Pro Shops; www.basspro.ca

Key features: Holds two 3500-size utility boxes; front zip pocket; adjustable shoulder strap; tough polyester construction. The promise: “Get your youngest anglers organized, excited and geared up.”

KIDS’ EMERGER

FISHING VEST ($115)

L.L. Bean, www.llbean.com

Key features: Made of light, durable ripstop nylon; generous fit for extra clothing layers; four front pockets; large rear pocket; comes in four sizes. The promise: “Help kids get started fishing.”

SPINCAST DOCK COMBO ($39.99)

Kid Casters, www.profishiency.com

Key features: Includes 34-inch fibreglass rod with cork grip, 4.1:1 ratio spincast reel spooled with six-pound line, practice plug, bobber and two mini jigs. The promise: “Comes ready to fish.”

RAPALA GIRL SPINNING COMBO ($49.99) Rapala, www.rapala.ca

Key features: Two-piece, 5' 6" medium-action graphite-composite rod with cork handle; 2000 pink reel with 5.2:1 gear ratio and ball-bearing drive. The promise: “Serious fishing equipment just for her.”

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

CHIRP+ 2

Weighing just 90 grams, the CHIRP+ 2 (US$349.99) provides an impressively clear underwater picture of veg etation, structure, fish locations and bottom contours. Designed to be cast out, trolled or used as a flasher when ice fishing, the sonar unit relays information, including water depth and temperature, back to the angler via a smartphone app. It also features a builtin GPS. Deeper, www.deepersonar.com

LANDING NETS

KID’S VIRASANA PERFORMANCE GAITER ($30) Coolibar, www.coolibar.com

Key features: Made of cooling, stretchy, moisture-wicking fabric; treated with antimicrobial protection; comes in five colours. The promise: “Fits comfortably, breathes well and keeps them sun safe.”

THE SPORTSMAN – YOUTH SIZE (US$49.99) Bluestorm, www.bluestormgear. com

Key features: Keeps 50- to 90-pound kids afloat; large armholes for ease of movement; breathable mesh shoulders; three secure buck les; two pockets. The promise: “All the features needed for angling.”

KIDS’ SUN SUN GO AWAY HAT Outdoor Research, www.outdoorresearch.ca

Key features: Three-inch brim, with 6½-inch cape; breathable, wicking, quick-dry fabric; UPF 40+ rating; elastic panel for secure fit; comes in two size ranges. The promise: “Protects little ones from the sun.”

YOUTH ICON X HOODIE (US$55) Huk, www.hukgear.com

Key features: Made of lightweight, breathable polyester; mesh sides for ventilation; UPF 50+ rating; comes in five sizes and five colours. The promise: “Uniquely designed for the young angler.” OC

Cleverly handcrafted from recycled hockey sticks, Michigan-made Broken Twig Landing Nets (US$137 to US$187) come in a variety of styles, all with rubber baskets, carbon-fibre handles and hockey pucks integrated into the design. Also available are bait nets, gaffs and ice-fishing scoops made from recycled sticks. Broken Twig Landing Nets, www.brokentwiglandingnets.com

EL55

Powered by a recharge able lithium-ion battery that lasts up to nine hours, Thermacell’s EL55 mosquito repeller ($84.99) promises to create a six-metre zone of protection against biting bugs. Featuring a dimmable light, the portable compact unit vaporizes unscented liquid-repellent via cartridges designed to last 12 to 36 hours. Thermacell, www.thermacell.com

GOBOX 60

The latest addition to YETI’s Loadout col lection, the GoBox 60 Gear Case ($400) is made to keep your es sentials protected and well organized. Waterproof, dustproof and pretty much unbreakable, the case comes with a removable cargo tray, divider and handy zipper pouch. It’s available in four colours, including vibrant new King Crab Orange (pictured). YETI, www.yeti.com

FAIR GAME

BY GEORGE GRUENEFELD

BY MIKE HUNGLE

BY GEORGE GRUENEFELD

For the fish

WHY ANGLERS SHOULD LIMIT THEIR CATCH, NOT CATCH THEIR LIMIT

HOW DO YOU define a successful day on the water? Is it catching and keeping a limit of fish every outing, or is it catching enough fish for an occasional meal and letting the rest go? When I first started fishing 55 years ago, it was all about bringing home limits of fish to to eat. That was the way my dad grew up, and how he taught me. In his era, anglers fished for food, not for entertainment or relaxation—success was measured by limiting out, and by how long it took to do so.

Over the years, my views on fishing have evolved, and I know I’m not alone. According to the most recent Survey of Recreational Fishing conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the average number of fish kept per angler in Canada dropped from 45 in 1990 to 20 in 2015. Even though the average number of fishing days stayed consistent over that time, the percentage of kept fish dropped from 56 per cent to 34 per cent. With more than three million anglers in Canada, however, that still represents a lot of retained fish nationwide.

Fish can only be a renewable resource if populations are properly managed; if they’re overharvested in a particular waterbody, population levels will fall dramatically. Unless fisheries managers step in and implement reduced harvest limits, or start stocking efforts, the fishing in such waterbodies will never improve. At the same time, angler attitudes need to change to help avoid problems in the first place.

FISHING ISN’T JUST FOR FOOD

While I still really enjoy a fish fry from time to time, I no longer fish just to eat. Rather, I fish for the sights, sounds and fresh air. I enjoy the camaraderie and conversations with fishing partners, and the thrill of trying to figure out where the fish are biting. Throw in the excitement of a fish smashing my offering and the ensuing fight, and I’ll go fishing whenever I can.

With all the advancements in fishing gear and electronics—and my collective knowledge of fish habits and habitats—I also catch more fish these days than

ever before. And by spending much of the open-water season at my lakeside cabin, I have more opportunities to go fishing. If I kept a limit every time out, I could jeopardize future fish populations.

What’s more, I’d never be able to eat or store all those fish before they went bad. Besides, health authorities tell us many of our native fish species contain mercury, and we should therefore limit our consumption in the first place to avoid becoming ill.

These days, I’m happy to limit my keep, and I’m never disappointed when I come off the lake without a full livewell to prove my efforts. On most outings, in fact, I practise catch-and-release, only bringing home memories of the day and some photos.

SET YOUR OWN LIMITS

On those days I do keep fish to eat, I only retain those that fall within a certain size limit, even though the regulations in my home province of Saskatchewan allow me to harvest larger fish. Walleye are among my favourite fish to eat, for example, but I only keep those that are between 14 and 18 inches in length, despite the rules allowing me one fish over 22½ inches. I release any fish on either side of my self-imposed size range.

I practise this selective harvest for two reasons. First, smaller fish just taste better than bigger fish. But more importantly, I know that releasing larger fish is good for the resource—studies show that the bigger the fish, the more eggs they will produce. As well, bigger fish produce larger eggs than smaller fish, and those larger eggs result in bigger fry, which have a higher survival rate than smaller fry.

I choose to limit my keep and not always keep my limit because I feel doing so will help ensure there are healthy fish populations for years to come. If you haven’t thought about your own reasons for fishing in a while, start with this critical question: Just because the law says you can keep a limit of fish, should you? You might just come up with the same answer as me. OC

GUEST OPINION WRITER MIKE HUNGLE FISHES AS MANY AS 60 DAYS A YEAR.

LIVE-RELEASE IS GOOD FOR OUR FISHERIES

Shady moves

WHERE TO FIND HOT ACTION ALL SUMMER LONG FOR SLAB CRAPPIES

CATCHING A CRAPPIE the size of a dinner plate is fun at any time of the year, but perhaps never more so than during the heat of summer. Strangely, though, most Canadian anglers don’t target summertime crappies. Instead, they’ll flock to springtime shallows when crappies come up to spawn, then count the days until the fish bunch up in deep pockets during the fall. Some anglers even wait for winter so they can drop a jig down a hole in the ice. But summer? That’s when crappies are too hard to find and catch, they say. Fortunately, that’s just not the case—if you know where to look and what tackle and techniques to use.

WEED WATCHING

I enjoyed my best crappie fishing ever with lure designer Mitch Looper in Arkansas some 19 years ago. You think it gets hot in Canada during the summer? Head to western Arkansas in July. The sweat was already beading off my nose when we launched the boat at 4:30 in the morning, and it poured off even faster a few hours later when the crappie action heated up. That experience was a clear reminder that crappies are a warm-water fish. And contrary to what many people think, they don’t slow down in the heat of summer—they become more active.

Crappies do love shade, however, especially when it’s provided by weed cover. I learned that back home after fishing with Looper, pitching a stick worm into thick cabbage for largemouth bass. I kept feeling ticks that I thought were picky bass, but every time I reeled down and set the hook, I watched my bait fly out of the water. Then a crappie with eyes even bigger than its stomach eventually engulfed my six-inch worm and solved the puzzle.

Since then, I’ve learned that crappies love soup-warm weedy water so much that trying to fish for them with a small jig in the jungle-like cover is pretty much pointless—I typically don’t even try. Instead, I launch early in the morning or stay late into the evening and pick off the slabs as they emerge from the grass.

For this, I use a 6' 8" to 7' 4"

medium- or medium-light-action rod and a reel spooled with sixor eight-pound micro-braid. Using a Crazy Alberto knot (see link below), I also tie on a five-foot leader of fourpound mono. Summer crappies are rarely lure specific—it’s always about the location—so use your favourite small swimbait or jig and soft-plastic trailer. My go-to is a 1⁄10-ounce Z-Man Pro ShroomZ jig head tipped with a 1¾-inch Shad FryZ or 2¼-inch Mister Twister Sassy Stingum.

There’s no need for a fancy retrieve. Just cast to the edge of the grass, let the lure fall to the bottom and slowly retrieve it back to the boat while you lightly shake it and occasionally pause.

THERMOCLINE TIME

If your favourite crappie lake doesn’t have weed cover, you can still find fish-attracting shade. Simply increase the gain on your sonar and look for the thermocline, which will appear as an inky band in 20 to 30 feet of water, regardless of the overall depth (see inset photo). This band is made up of plankton that break up or block light from the surface, creating shade underneath. Follow the top of the thermocline toward shore and note the depth that it disappears and merges into the bottom. Crappies will travel along this edge, retreating into the shadows during the day, and emerging from them at low light.

I love trolling along these distinct, warm shadowy edges during the day, staying parallel to shore and never too far into the twilight zone. When I first tried this with Mitch Looper, we pulled crankbaits suited for walleye, but I’ve since discovered that small, 1½- to three-inch cranks produce far better in Canadian waters.

Here I stick with the same rod, reel and main line set-up I use for casting to the weed-edge fish, but instead tie the main line to a three-way rig or finesse bottom bouncer (3⁄4- to one-ounce) using a four-foot leader of four-pound mono. Then once I get down to the right depth, it’s just a matter of time before I feel that familiar tug on the line. OC

GORD PYZER ’S INTERVIEW WITH BASSMASTER CHAMP JEFF GUSTAFSON.

TARGET WEED EDGES AND THE THERMOCLINE

LEARN TO TIE THE CRAZY ALBERTO KNOT AT WWW.OUTDOORCANADA.CA/ALBERTO.

BY SCOTT GARDNER

BY SCOTT GARDNER

Lake logic

TRIED-AND-TRUE TACTICS FOR CATCHING STILLWATER FISH ON THE FLY

THIS COUNTRY IS home to a series of magical fishing realms that are rarely touched by fly anglers. In these places, called “lakes,” the fish are large and plentiful, and they eagerly bite flies. And while Canada has better lake fishing than almost anywhere else in the world, most fly anglers avoid stillwater. That’s understandable. Fly fishing evolved on rivers, after all, but on lakes—waterbodies at least a kilometre or two across—fly fishing usually isn’t the most efficient way to catch fish.

It’s often reasonably effective, however, and enjoyable, especially during summer. For many of us, lakes are also closer to home and less crowded than popular rivers. For the last decade, I’ve primarily fly fished on stillwater, and the quality and variety of action across the country has been a revelation. So, if you’re looking for more chances to use your fly gear, here’s a primer on fly fishing in lakes.

USE A BOAT

From time to time, you’ll happen upon a spot with good fly fishing from shore, but that’s the exception. Stillwater fish move around more than river fish, and you usually need a boat to find them. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, though. You can fly fish from any vessel, paddled or powered, that’s stable and safe for the waterbody at hand. You need to make a few adjustments when fly fishing from a boat, but nothing very difficult (follow the link below for more on this). Boats also make it easy to follow the first rule of lake fishing: If you’re not catching fish, change your location, not your fly.

READ THE WATER

To the trained eye, rivers give up their secrets easily. On flowing water, fish are quite predicably found near current breaks, in pocket water and so on. By comparison, lakes seem huge and inscrutable, but big water is really just a bunch of many small and distinct sections. Lake fish still need safety and food; they just seek it out in different places, such as weedbeds, drop-offs and reefs. With practice, you can learn to read these places and carefully cast to the most promising spots, just as you’d do in a river. Lakes also have

subtle wind-generated currents that strongly influence fish locations. These are obvious to our experienced river eyes, but often less so to conventional lake anglers.

SINK YOUR FLY

A standard floating fly line is fine when the fish are shallow. To get your fly waist deep, you can just use weighted patterns or put splitshot on your leader. If the water is deeper than six feet, however, a sinking line will get your fly in front of a lot more fish. Add a longish cast and a heavily weighted fly, and you can handily fish as deep as 12 to 15 feet. Fishing this way is noticeably slower than using conventional gear, but if you pick your spots well, it’s still effective. Plus, battling large fish down deep on fly gear is an exciting challenge.

MIND YOUR RETRIEVE

In a river, the current animates your fly and moves it along. That means stripping back line is mostly just a task to complete before your next cast. In stillwater, however, the retrieve is everything. It’s your job to make the fly look alive, vulnerable and edible.

Some fly anglers believe a stillwater retrieve should imitate the natural world. I disagree. Instead, I imitate time-tested conventional lures, such as spoons and crankbaits, which dart and wobble like injured prey. To do that, I move my streamers fairly quickly and erratically, and I always pause between strips. On the pause, subsurface flies suspend, undulate and come alive unlike any other lure, and that’s when you’ll get two-thirds of your hits. For common lake species such as bass, walleye and pike, my go-to patterns are two- to four-inch long baitfish and crayfish imitations.

If your goal is to hit the lake, limit out and return home in time for the game, fly fishing probably isn’t the way to go. But if you’re eager to air out your fly rod, lakes open up a lot of new fishing opportunities. Just keep your fly in the water and play to your strengths, and you’ll be able to hold your head high among the hardware chuckers at the dock. OC

SEE PAGE 53, FOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR SCOTT GARDNER ’S GO-TO BASS FLIES.

GARDNER

SCOTT

FOR MORE LAKE TIPS FOR FLY ANGLERS, VISIT WWW.OUTDOORCANADA.CA/STILLWATERSKILLS.

IMPARTING ACTION IS KEY TO CATCHING

BY BRAD FENSON

Canada’s own

SIX HOMEGROWN ARCHERY COMPANIES ON THE CUTTING EDGE

BOWHUNTERS LOOKING FOR new archery gear have more options today than ever before, and that includes innovative products developed or made here in Canada. Lower shipping costs and no duty fees are just two benefits of buying Canadian-made archery products. They also potentially perform better in northern climates because they were conceived here in the first place. Excalibur Crossbows is probably the best-known Canadian archery company—it’s been producing industry-leading bows for 40 years now—but these other Canuck outfits are also hitting the mark in the archery world.

APA ARCHERY

Located in Biggar, Saskatchewan—home of Milo Hanson’s worldrecord white-tailed buck—this bow builder defines ingenuity. Surf through the company website and you’ll see built-in accessories that just make sense. I noticed 25 unique technologies that archers may have never thought of, but would certainly appreciate. Some of the innovations built into APA’s bows include a camera mount, a riser fang for hanging the bow, an integrated bow winch for treestand safety, a broadhead wrench and a sharpener. These bows are lightweight, easy to draw, accurate, consistent and intuitive. Learn more at www.apaarchery.com.

BLACK WIDOW INNOVATIONS

Founded by engineers who are also hunters, Peace River, Alberta’s Black Widow Innovations makes high-quality broadheads at affordable prices. Founded in 2017, the company’s first product was a tough, sixblade broadhead for big game that was designed to maximize the total cutting area without compromising durability. In 2018, Black Widow purchased PX2 Archery, another Canadian company, bringing a solid two-blade head to the brand. In total, it now sells five fixed-blade broadheads to cover any hunting scenario; a new mechanical broadhead with a single bevel and moulded fixed blades is in development. Learn more at www.blackwidowinnovations.com.

BULLDOG TARGETS

Winnipeg, Manitoba’s Bulldog Targets is so confident in its products that many of its models are guaranteed for life. Buy one of the targets in the Lifetime Series, for example, and you can “shoot the heck out of it,” says Bulldog. “If you wear out the face, the inside, or any other part of the target by shooting at it, we will replace it for the rest of its life.” The company makes a variety of target styles and sizes, from bigger units suitable for the range to portable models you can carry into the field. All of the targets are made for field points, while the XL models have extra stopping power and promise easy “two finger” arrow removal. Learn more at www.bulldogtargets.com.

CUSTOM ARCHERY SUPPLIES LTD.

Several bowyers across the country are making custom longbows, recurves and strings, but most are not commercially available. These are the little gems known in smaller circles, but worth seeking out by inquiring at your local fish and game club, archery range or bow shop. One of Canada’s most renowned bowyers is Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Jack Kempf, who builds custom traditional bows (pictured, left) from his home workshop. These days, most of his work is donated to archery organizations or programs for fundraisers, so if you want one of his creations, you have to win a raffle or bid the highest at an auction. Learn more at jackkempf.peteward.com.

GRIZZ TARGETS & ARCHERY INC.

Renowned for the durability of its targets, Forestburg, Alberta-based Grizz Targets & Archery makes its products on-site and ships across Canada. Ranging from blocks to large wood-framed units with replaceable layers, these targets are made with dense or compressed foam to stop standard or micro-diameter arrows, or both. There’s even an indoor target designed for low-poundage bows, so shooters can practise year-round. Customers can also order targets with custom logos and designs. Learn more at www.grizztargetsarchery.ca.

KILLIN’ STIX

Archery addicts who grew up in the outdoors, Alberta’s Jason Acorn and Calvin Buckler wanted premium arrows at a competitive price, so they started Killin’ Stix nine years ago to make their own. Today, there are 10 carbon arrows in their catalogue, including target and tournament arrows, crossbow bolts, micro-diameter options, and value-driven hunting arrows. The pair’s commitment to premium quality, precision shooting and value prices makes Killin’ Stix another great Canadian archery brand. Learn more at www.killnstix.com. OC

BRAD FENSON OFTEN BUYS NEW GEAR FROM CANUCK ARCHERY COMPANIES.

A COVETED CUSTOM JACK KEMPF BOW

IN THE FIELD

BY KEN BAILEY

Bino basics

A CLOSE UP LOOK AT WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING FIELD GLASSES

NO MATTER WHAT , where or how you hunt, binoculars should definitely be on your list of must-have gear. With so many options to choose from, however, finding the right model to suit your needs and budget can be tricky. Here are the most important features to consider.

POWER

Most binoculars in your local hunting store will have a magnification within the 8x to 15x range, although it’s certainly possible to find magnifications as low as 6x and as high as 25x or more. Is a higher magnification better? For some applications it is, but not always, as there are compromises with greater power.

For starters, a higher magnification means you’ll have a narrower field of view, which limits your glassing effectiveness in some situations. As well, hand movements are amplified with higher magnifications, making for an unsteady view (anything higher than 10x typically requires a tripod or window mount). Greater power also means the objective, or front, lens will usually have a larger diameter, adding weight and bulk.

BRIGHTNESS

Binoculars don’t gather light, they transmit it. And you always lose some light to reflection, either externally or inside as the light passes through prisms and bounces off mirrors. While it may seem that objects in dim light appear brighter when viewed through binoculars, that’s merely a result of the magnification.

A large objective lens lets in more light than a smaller one, but much of that light can be lost to internal reflection. Manufacturers apply specialized coatings to reduce reflection, but not all are the same. Coated glass is not as effective as multi-coated, and neither performs as well as fully multi-coated, where more of the internal surfaces are covered.

Be aware, too, of the power-objective lens ratio, as that determines the size of what’s known as the “exit pupil,” the amount of light that passes through to your eyes. The exit pupil size is calculated by dividing the size of the objective lens (in mm) by the power. For example, 10x50 binoculars have 5mm exit pupils (50 divided by 10), which is sufficient for Canada’s legal hunting hours. I recommend shopping for binoculars in the evening, and testing them outdoors before you decide what to buy.

PROTECTION

Most modern binoculars are touted as being fog-, dust- and waterproof. This is accomplished by purging the interior of the binoculars with nitrogen or argon gas before they’re sealed to remove any internal moisture. This eliminates the problem of lenses fogging up on the inside, while rubber O-ring seals keep out

any dust or moisture. I wouldn’t recommend any binoculars that don’t have this protection.

Likewise, armour coating is pretty standard these days, helping to cushion the internal components from damage if the binoculars are dropped or banged. Check before you buy, but virtually all brand-name hunting binoculars come with this protection.

PRISMS

Prisms are pieces of glass cut at precise angles to reflect light. In binoculars, they are used to correct the orientation of the image you see (when the image is first captured, it appears upside down; prisms turn the image right side up).

The other function of prisms is to bend the light path so that binoculars can be more compact in their design; otherwise, they would be much larger.

There are two prism styles in binoculars, porro and roof. Porro prism binoculars feature a dogleg-style design, making for a sharp and bright image. While they’re typically more economical to construct—and therefore cheaper to buy—the trade-off is they’re generally bulkier and heavier. Roof prism binoculars, meanwhile, are typically more compact and robust, but they lose more light than comparable porro prism models. They are also more costly.

DECISION TIME

Consider all the variables when deciding what’s best for your needs. Will you be hunting forested landscapes, or open country? Will you be walking considerable distances, or remaining more stationary? Do you plan to travel to hunt? How much can you afford to spend?

The most popular hunting binoculars today are 8x42 roof prism models, and perhaps 10x42 versions for the West's wide-open country. It’s easy to default to a higher magnification, but remember you’ll be sacrificing field of view, as well as adding bulk and weight. Whatever you choose, there’s no substitute for selecting a pair that feels good to you—and offers a clear view. OC

MATCH YOUR CHOICE TO YOUR STYLE OF HUNTING

HUNTING EDITOR KEN BAILEY NEVER HEADS AFIELD WITH OUT HIS BINOS. KEN BAILEY

BY GORD PYZER

SECRET SUCCESS THE OF HIS

FISHING PHENOM JEFF GUSTAFSON REVEALS HOW HE BECAME THE FIRST CANADIAN TO WIN THE PRESTIGIOUS BASSMASTER CLASSIC, THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF BASS FISHING

JJEFF “GUSSY” GUSTAFSON has dreamed about winning the Bassmaster Classic since he was a little kid. I can attest to that because I’ve known him for more than 30 years. I remember him as a skinny eight-year-old with glasses and an infectious smile, arriving at my house in Kenora, Ontario, after school to take piano lessons from my daughter. He would stay for dinner, help me feed the bass, walleye and crappies I kept in an aquarium in my basement, then rummage through my tackleboxes well into the evening.

It wasn’t long before we began fishing together and I started calling him Roland, after U.S. bassfishing legend Roland Martin, because he insisted on

WORLD CHAMP (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT): THE PODIUM FINISH; THE CHAMP IN HIS EARLY YEARS; SHARING THE GLORY WITH GORD PYZER

JAMES OVERSTREET/B.A.S.S. (PODIUM FINISH); GORD PYZER (PYZER AND GUSTAFSON, YOUNG GUSTAFSON)

flipping every fish he caught into the boat, just like the pros he watched on television. When he dropped by my house many years later to tell me he was embarking on a pro fishing career in the U.S., I never doubted that one day he would become the Bassmaster Classic Champion.

So, imagine how I felt when I heard a knock at my back door early this past April and saw him smiling through the window, holding aloft the Bassmaster Classic’s coveted Ray Scott Trophy, the grandest prize in all of competitive bass fishing. Just a week earlier in Knoxville, Tennessee, he’d bested the Classic’s field of 55 anglers, catching 42 pounds seven ounces of fish over three days on the Tennessee River— one pound nine ounces ahead of second-place Bryan Schmitt.

Along with the prized trophy, the massive win earned him $300,000, plus $7,000 for weighing the tournament’s heaviest one-day bag of fish. After Japan’s Takahiro Omori, who took home the Classic trophy in 2004, Jeff is now only the second non-American to win the televised event since it began in 1971. In his own words, here’s how he did it.

GORD: WINNING A TOURNAMENT IS NEVER EASY, LET ALONE THE BASSMASTER CLASSIC, SO TELL US ABOUT WHAT LED UP TO THIS IMPRESSIVE WIN ON THE TENNESSEE RIVER.

JEFF: When I won an Elite tournament there in 2021, I caught all my fish in the canal between Fort Loudoun and Tellico, the two lakes that make up that section of the Tennessee River. For our regular league events, we get three

days to practise before the tournament starts. It’s a pretty quick week, and I like that because anything you find is still going to be relevant a couple of days later.

With the Classic it’s a bit different. We practise on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday the week before the tournament. We’re off Monday and Tuesday, then get an official day of practice on Wednesday, when they do a mock take-off and check in. It’s kind of a shorter day. Then we’re off the water Thursday, and the tournament starts Friday. So, it’s a long week. There’s a lot of activities, a lot of distractions.

Anyway, on my first day of practice, I went back to the canal where I caught all my fish the last time. Obviously, that’s my starting point, and there’s still lots of fish. But after a day or two, it was getting a lot of pressure, and not only from our guys. There was also a local tournament on the Saturday, our second day of practice, with a dozen boats fishing in there. At that point, I realized I might be able to take a couple

of fish, but no one’s going to win the tournament where I caught them all last time. They were just too hard to catch. There was too much pressure. So, I started searching farther down into Tellico. It’s known to have a good smallmouth population, but you don’t hear about people catching them very often. It’s not a wellknown thing.

GORD: DID YOU THINK AT THAT POINT ABOUT GOING TO THE BANK AND CATCHING THE MORE PLENTIFUL LARGEMOUTH, OR WAS IT SMALLMOUTH OR BUST?

JEFF: If it had been a regular Elite event, I probably would have gone for largemouths, which is traditionally what most anglers are catching there. It’s cliche to say it, but you fish the Classic to win. I just knew from the last time that the smallmouth thing existed, and there were a lot more bigger ones than most people thought. There was a population that likes to be in deep water

and I had the bait they like, a jerk shad, and the moping technique (see “The winning technique”).

On the third day of practice, I started working my way down into Tellico, a lot of the time just idling around. There’s not a lot of rock or structure out there, and I went a few hours and didn’t find anything. I stood up and fished a couple of times, then I’d go up near the bank for half an hour and not catch anything up there. Then I’d say to myself, you got to get back out there to find one school, or something unique, that you can go back to and catch fish.

Around lunch, I was idling around a chunk of main-river ledge and I saw a little bit of rock on my side-imaging. I hadn’t fished in an hour or so. I threw a waypoint down where I saw the rock, turned the boat around, went up to the front, dropped the trolling motor, grabbed my bait and started dropping it down. I was in about 28 feet of water. When my bait got to 20 feet, the bottom just erupted. It was like a volcano of fish.

I stopped my bait and caught a 17-incher. The smallmouth have to be 18 inches to keep in East Tennessee—that’s a rule they have on a lot of different waterbodies there. So, it wasn’t a keeper. I dropped my bait back down and it’s the same thing—I couldn’t have gotten it to the bottom if I’d wanted to. I caught a big beautiful four-pounder. The rock extended for about 30 yards and I went to where it stopped, dropped my bait down again and the same thing. It was another big school, and they weren’t even the same fish. I caught another big one, then thought, why did I even drop my bait down there again? So I left.

GORD: YOU HAD TO BE SUPEREXCITED AT THAT POINT, NO?

JEFF: I called [my wife] Shelby—we check in once or twice a day—and said, “I think I just found something special.” But the tournament’s not for five days and you just never know »

THE WINNING TECHNIQUE

SO, WHAT EXACTLY is moping, the tactic that helped Jeff Gustafson win the 2023 Bassmaster Classic? Named by legendary Minnesota angler Ron Lindner, moping is when you hang a soft-plastic jerk shad on a jig head two or three feet above the fish, causing them to swim up for it. You don’t work the bait, you just let it sit there, or mope. In the southern U.S., anglers refer to this set-up as a Damiki rig. The key, Gustafon says, is to closely watch your sonar to see how the fish react. It’s also important to ensure the bait remains completely horizontal. For the record, Gustafson’s winning moping rig was a four-inch Scented Jerk Shadz from Z-Man, pinned to 3⁄8ounce Canadian-made Smeltinator jig (above).

SEIGO SAITO/B.A.S.S. (GUSTAFSON FISHING); ANDY CRAWFORD/B.A.S.S. (MOPING RIG)

JEFF GUSTAFSON FIGHTS

A FISH AT THE CLASSIC

LISTEN IN AS JEFF GUSTAFSON EXPLAINS HOW TO MOPE: WWW. OUTDOORCANADA.CA/MOPING.

if the fish are still going to be there. But, okay, I have a chance now. And I just kept doing it and doing it, and about three or four hours later I found a second spot. It was very similar—a lot of fish, easy to catch, and big ones.

Then on Wednesday, the last day of practice, I just continued to do that. I didn’t find any big schools, but I caught a few fish. I found a couple of places with a little bit of rock that had maybe the potential to kick out a few fish. But that was it, I had just the two main spots. From Sunday to Friday, the whole week went by so fast and there were lots of fun events and activities. But I didn’t sleep that well on a couple of nights. I was excited for the tournament to start.

GORD: THEN THE CLASSIC BEGINS AND YOU QUICKLY DISCOVER THE SMALLMOUTHS HAVE

STAYED ON YOUR FIRST SPOT. THAT MUST HAVE GIVEN YOU PLENTY OF CONFIDENCE.

JEFF: Within half an hour of arriving at the first place I’d found, I had five keeper smallmouths. It was a dream start to the Classic. That ended up being the biggest bag limit of the tournament. On the second day, I caught five of them again, but I had to use both of my main spots. I could also tell they were getting harder to catch, and I knew that the third day was going to be tough. I had other places where I could maybe catch one, and as it turned out, I didn’t take any keepers off any of those other spots. I really only had those two highend places.

The other thing was that if it were a regular tournament, you don’t have as many spectators. But there were a lot of people out there watching. The first day, I

didn’t have to go to the second spot. But on the second day, I had to go there. A lot of these spectators have good intentions—they just want to watch and cheer you on. But I have to leave at 1:30 to weigh in, so there was a lot of time for some of these guys wanting to go check the place out. That was the sensitive thing that I had. Once you catch a few of these fish out of the schools, it breaks them up. They smarten up and get a lot harder to catch. And so they were a lot harder to catch on the final day.

GORD: EARLIER, YOU SAID YOU FELT YOU HAD THE JERK SHAD THE FISH WANTED, AS WELL AS THE MOPING TECHNIQUE, TO WIN THE CLASSIC. SO, WHAT’S THE KEY TO MOPING?

JEFF: There are two things that are very important with this tech-

(GUSTAFSON AND FISH); COURTESY JIM MCLAUGHLIN (GUSTAFSON AND MCLAUGHLIN)

JEFF GUSTAFSON’S LAST TWO FISH CLINCHED THE CLASSIC WIN FOR HIM

nique. You always want to keep the bait hanging above the fish. It’s tempting when you see them on your sonar to just drop your bait right in their face. But if you can keep it above them, make them look up, make them swim up and work for it, it seems to be a big trigger to make more of them bite.

The other thing is that every time my bait comes out of the water, I’m looking to see where the knot is. I want that knot to be 90 degrees off the eye of the jig. That’s going to help it stay horizontal and natural-looking in the water.

I’ve used a lot of different jerk shads over the years—every jerk shad that’s out there—and I like the Z-Man baits with the buoyant ElaZtech material. I really think that helps keep the bait hanging horizontally in the water. It’s not sitting pointing up or down. Adding a dab of superglue on the bait is mandatory with any of the ElaZtech stuff. When you do that, unless a fish bites your line or you snag, you never lose a bait. I

THE CANADIAN CONTINGENT

didn’t have to change my baits at all on the days of the tournament. I’d rig up five or six new ones every morning, just so they had a little bit of fresh scent on them. That material, for a lot of finesse tactics, is the best.

GORD: YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT HOW USING THE RIGHT ROD, REEL AND LINE ALLOWS YOU TO MOPE PROPERLY. GIVE US THE DETAILS.

JEFF: You want a mediumaction spinning rod—something that’s not too stiff—because a lot of the bites happen fairly close to the boat. I use a 7' 3" mediumaction G. Loomis NRX+ 872. I’m spoiled because I get to use the best equipment you can for this technique. I’ve used a Shimano Stella reel and 10-pound Power Pro for years. It’s a bulletproof braided line. I was also using a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. Shimano has some new fluorocarbon coming out this summer called Mastiff, and I got some samples at the start of the year.

It’s been really good, passing all my tests.

GORD: IT’S EXTREMELY RARE TO WIN ANY TOURNAMENT WITH JUST ONE PRESENTATION, BUT YOU’VE MOPED YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS TWICE NOW, ONCE ON THE ELITE CIRCUIT, THEN AT THE BASSMASTER CLASSIC. THAT HAS TO BE PRETTY SPECIAL.

JEFF: Yeah, that’s two events that all of my fish have been caught on one presentation. It is hard to believe. I said earlier about how it was hard from Sunday to Friday. You just didn’t know if those fish would be there, because it was cold when we started practice, then a big heat wave came through in the tournament. It got warm. It’s just the time of year those fish were getting ready to leave. So, if the tournament had been a few days later, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do what I was going to do. On the other side of that, if it was a few days earlier, I probably

JEFF GUSTAFSON WAS not the only Canadian pro angler who made the highly competitive cut to compete in this year’s Bassmaster Classic, often referred to as the “Superbowl of Bass Fishing.” Peterborough, Ontario’s Chris Johnston finished in 11th place, a very respectable showing that earned him a purse of $15,000. He qualified via his performance in the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series, as did his brother, Cory, of Cavan, Ontario. He ended up in 31st place, garnering a cheque for $10,000. Also taking home $10,000 was Bowmanville, Ontario’s Cooper Gallant, who placed 52nd. He qualified by winning the 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Southern Open at Cherokee Lake, Tennessee.

Adding a further Canadian dimension to this year’s Classic in Knoxville, Tennessee, was the weigh-in ceremony’s energetic emcee, long-time Bassmaster tournament fixture and TV’s Facts of Fishing host Dave Mercer, of Oshawa, Ontario. As well, popular Ontario

fishing personality “Big” Jim McLaughlin was honoured during the Classic’s sponsor reception party, when he was awarded the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s special Meritorious Service Award.

The first Canadian to receive the honour, McLaughlin himself has a storied history as a competitive bass angler, with 28 tournament wins to his credit, including two CFT Canadian Classic Championships. He also produces the free fishing publication Just Fishing, emcees fishing industry events and tournaments, and promotes sportfishing across Ontario, particularly among youth.

When the honour was first announced, the president of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame board of directors, John Mazurkiewicz, was effusive in his praise. “We can’t thank Big Jim enough for what he has done for bass fishing and the tournament scene throughout Ontario over the years,” he said. “It’s a pleasure recognizing him for what he does to celebrate, promote and preserve the sport of bass fishing.”

JEFF GUSTAFSON CONGRATULATES JIM MCLAUGLIN ON HIS AWARD

would have caught 20 pounds every day. That’s how many fish were on my two main spots.

Moping is a technique I have the ultimate confidence in. I have caught thousands of fish with it, so it’s easy for me. We’re not allowed to use nets on the tour, and I don’t like messing around or babying fish. The longer you play and fight with them, bad things are going to happen. That’s the reason I like that Smeltinator jig so much. It has a 604 Gamakatsu hook in it. It’s 2X heavier gauge wire, so you’re not going to open that up with 10-pound braid. If you’re using a lesser-quality hook that’s softer, you can’t pull on it as much.

On the third day, when things got really tough, I later had a lot of people ask me, “Did you think about trying this or that?” I had 20 rods in my rod locker with a variety of different things tied on, and I did try a few of them. But in my limited experience on that body of water, even when I

was around really big fish that were biting really good, I never found another bait they liked even remotely close to that jerk shad. So, I just felt that if I could keep it in the water on the third day, especially when it got really tough, I might put it on top of a fish that hadn’t seen it yet—a fish that didn’t know my boat was there. That was my best chance to do what I needed to do.

GORD : WHEN YOU WON THE ELITE EVENT LAST YEAR BY MOPING ON THE TENNESSEE RIVER, YOU DID IT WITH TRADITIONAL 2D SONAR. THIS TIME AT THE CLASSIC, YOU HAD BOTH HUMMINBIRD 360 IMAGING AND MEGA LIVE. HOW IMPORTANT WERE THEY?

JEFF: The 360, particularly for practice, was huge because I could see and map out where the rock and the hard spots were located on the couple of places that I had. So, I had really good

waypoints where I wanted to have my boat. In the tournament, I actually turned the 360 off just to have less sonar running up there, because I didn’t really need it. I had the Mega Live to show me where the little high spots were in relation to my waypoints. And I could see my bait and the fish, so the Mega Live was really key in the tournament.

I want to get on top of the fish when I’m moping. For that, 2D sonar works great. I can watch my bait like I’m ice fishing. But what ended up happening, particularly on day three when I caught both of my fish, was that it got flat calm, really bright and quiet. Twenty feet of water isn’t that deep—that’s the length of your boat—so when you’re on top of fish at that depth, they 100 per cent know you’re there. If they haven’t been fished for a lot, haven’t been pressured, it’s probably not a big deal. But I could tell by the way they reacted to my bait and the boat that they didn’t like it.

So once the fish started to get pressured a little bit, especially on the third day, the forward-facing sonar allowed me to look in front of the boat, so I could put my bait on top of the fish without getting the boat on top of them and alerting them. When I could see some fish out in front of me. I’d pitch out my bait and swim it over top of them, three or four feet off the bottom, and they’d come up and bite it. I otherwise just couldn’t get on top of them and do what I wanted to do, so it certainly helped me out for that. On the last day, I probably had 70 to 100 bass look at my bait that I could see out there, but they would not bite anything. So, just because you can see them, it doesn’t mean those fish are going to end up in your boat.

GORD: THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE ON DAY THREE, AS YOU WERE HEADING BACK TO THE WEIGHIN WITH ONLY TWO FISH IN THE LIVEWELL, WASN’T GOOD. WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND?

JEFF: Obviously, I wasn’t happy. I wanted to go out that day and catch five smallmouth again, and get the boat back to Knoxville as soon as I could. But I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. I fished hard. Riding back wasn’t a fun boat ride. I felt like I’d blown this amazing opportunity. Some-

body’s always the hero on day three of the Classic, and I felt like it wasn’t going to be me. It was tough, but at the same time, I didn’t have any regrets. The last few hours that I fished, I thought, what can I do? What should I do? But it wasn’t like it was a ghost town and there were no fish around where I was spending my time. So, I didn’t have any regrets. But, yeah, I didn’t think that I did what I needed to do. I felt like if I had got three fish, then I’d have a pretty fair chance to win.

GORD: LAST QUESTION. YOU’RE NOW THE WORLD BASS-FISHING CHAMPION. HOW DOES IT FEEL?

JEFF: Winning that tournament is the biggest dream pro anglers have. Anyone who fishes bass tournaments and likes competitive fishing, that’s our big Super Bowl event. It’s just hard to believe. I mean, you’ve been around me since I was a little kid, so you know how much I love bass fishing and competitive fishing. It’s crazy. I know how hard it is to win, so that makes it special. I mean, this is the Stanley Cup for me. You get to do a lap in the arena and they make you feel pretty special. I’m very lucky to have been on that stage. OC

SEE PAGE 24 FOR FISHING EDITOR GORD PYZER’ S REGULAR COLUMN.

JEFF GUSTAFSON AND GORD PYZER HAVE OFTEN FISHED TOGETHER ON LAKE OF THE WOODS

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT

BY KEN BAILEY

Missing too many birds lately? Let our wingshooting primer get you back in the game

E

EVEN DURING HIS prime, Tiger Woods had the occasional bad day when the ball just didn’t go where he wanted it to go. On those rare instances, his response was always the same—get back to basics. That’s the approach hunters need to take with wingshooting. We all go through periodic slumps when we just can’t hit the target, and when that happens, the surest way to get back on track is to focus on the fundamentals of proper shooting form. Here’s what you need to consider to start putting more birds in the game bag again.

FINDING THE STANCE

AS WITH GOLF, the prospects of making a successful shot are pretty slim if your stance isn’t sound and balanced. You should stand so that your lead foot (the left foot for righthanded shooters) is placed slightly ahead of your other foot, pointing just ahead of where you expect to hit the bird. This foot holds most of your body weight and provides balance, encouraging a smooth swing and followthrough; if you don’t have your lead foot positioned correctly, you also risk running out of room to swing or follow-through. Once you’ve positioned your feet properly, swivel your head and torso back towards the bird and prepare to mount your shotgun.

KEN BAILEY

The proper stance is key to making a successful shot

MOUNTING THE GUN

RESIST THE TEMPTATION to mount your shotgun too early, instead allowing your eyes to focus on the bird before you start your mount. As you lock in on the bird, swing with the target and begin mounting your gun with the muzzle parallel to the bird’s path. Mounting should be one smooth movement, using both hands equally as you stand straight and lift the gun to your shoulder. Don’t lower or tilt your head to the stock; the gun should come up to your cheek and be fully mounted as you determine the appropriate lead.

Focus on your target bird before starting to mount your shotgun

LEADING THE BIRDS

THERE ARE THREE main options for obtaining the correct lead on your target bird. The “sustained lead” method requires swinging the muzzle in front of the bird and maintaining a calculated distance ahead of it, both when you pull the trigger and, importantly, after you make the shot.

The “swing-through” method, on the other hand, entails starting with the muzzle behind the bird, then pushing it toward the front of the bird and pulling the trigger just as the muzzle swings past the target. You then continue with the followthrough swing at the same speed.

“Spot-shooting,” meanwhile, is simply pointing your shotgun to a stationary point ahead of the bird and pulling the trigger. This requires accurately judging the speed and distance of the bird, which takes a

lot of experience, but it’s the fastest of these three primary techniques. Which is best method? The fact is, one approach isn’t inherently better than the others, and many experienced shotgunners use all three, depending on what the situation calls for. That said, most top wingshooters prefer the sustained lead, which is the method generally taught at shooting schools.

Still other competent shooters actually prefer a version of the sustained lead that incorporates aspects of the swing-through method. That is, they start with their muzzle behind the bird, push it out ahead, then find and hold a sustained lead, continuing with it after they’ve pulled the trigger. To find which lead works best for you, experiment and practise at a clays range whenever you can.

As for determining how much lead is required, you can do the math for yourself. For example, if your shot travels at 1,400 feet per second and the mallard you’re trying to shoot is 40 yards away flying at 35 miles an hour in a crossing pattern, you need to lead it by about four and a half feet. A mallard is only about 18 inches long, so you don’t have to under-lead it by much to suffer a complete miss or to see a waft of tail feathers floating down. And remember, that four-and-ahalf-foot lead only holds true if you maintain the lead through the follow-through; if you stop your barrel movement as you squeeze the trigger, four and a half feet won’t be enough. The math may be a little confusing, but the shooting fundamentals are decidedly not. They just take practice.

Determining the best way to lead a bird comes with practice

MAKING THE SHOT

WHEN SHOOTING, KEEP both eyes open and focus on the bird, not on your barrel or bead. Remember, this an exercise in pointing, not aiming. When you feel you have the correct lead, pull the trigger and concentrate on following through by continuing to swing. Not enough follow-through is one of the main reasons hunters shoot behind targets, even when their lead was perfect. Insufficient followthrough can also contribute to a host of other problems when, after successive misses, you start adjusting your form.

Length of pull

FINDING THE FIT

GENERALLY SPEAKING, YOU can pick up any scoped rifle and shoot it reasonably well if it’s properly sightedin, but the same can’t be said for shotguns. If a shotgun doesn’t fit well, it simply won’t point where you’re looking. Many international hunters will tell you that when they

travel to a foreign destination to hunt big game, they’ll borrow a rifle from the outfitter. When they travel to wingshoot, however, they say the benefits of taking their own shotgun outweigh the headaches of travelling with firearms. The reason? Fit.

In his 1949 classic The Shotgun

Book, renowned American outdoor writer Jack O’Connor sums it up best: “A well-fitting gun doesn’t make a crack shot out of a dub, a poor fit doesn’t make a dub out of a slicker, but everyone does his best shooting with a gun stock that fits.” In short, fit is all about ensuring your shotgun shoots where you’re looking, with the buttstock functioning to keep your eyes in the proper position.

To determine if your gun fits you well, go to a range and shoot at a paper target from about 30 metres with the choke/load combination you most frequently use. Shoot first from a solid rest, then snap-shoot as you would in an actual hunting situation. What you discover may surprise you. Even from a dead rest, your shotgun may not shoot where you’re looking, something that’s often exacerbated when you quickly shoot off-hand. This can be a gun problem, but most often it’s a fit issue.

There are three primary measurements to consider when assessing a proper stock fit. First there’s length of pull (LOP), which is the distance from the middle of the butt pad to the middle of the trigger. If it’s too long, you’ll catch your

FINE TUNING CONSISTENT

SHOOTING IN the field is a learned skill requiring preparation and practice. Here are some little things to keep in mind to help overcome the big problems.

» FOCUS ON THE bird’s head when shooting. If you look at the entire bird, you’ll invariably shoot with insufficient lead. The more precise your target, the better you’ll shoot—every time.

» DON’T PEEK! AFTER shooting behind birds, shooting over top of them is the most common problem. It’s a result of not keeping your head down on the stock until you’ve finished following through.

» KEEP BOTH EYES open. Many shotgunners have a tendency to close one eye, as when aiming a

gun under your armpit or on your clothing; if it’s too short, you’ll often experience greater felt recoil, with your hand bumping your nose when you touch off.

Next is drop at comb (DAC), which is the distance from the line of sight, or rib, down to the comb of the stock. Too much DAC and your eye will be too low when you mount the gun, resulting in your shot charge flying below the target; if there’s too little, your charge will be above the target.

Finally, drop at heel (DAH) is the distance from the line of sight to the heel of the buttstock. This is less important than DAC, as most of us can comfortably accommodate a wide range of DAH, but too much can lead to increased felt recoil.

Another factor that influences fit is what’s known as “cast,” which is a lateral bend in the stock designed to centre your dominant eye over the rib or barrel. Right-handed shooters need “cast off,” a bend to the right; southpaws require “cast on,” a bend to the left. Most American-designed shotguns are manufactured with little or no cast, while European shotguns often have notable cast. With no cast, it’s common for a right-handed shooter’s pattern to

be centred to the left of where he or she is looking.

So, what should your LOP, DAC, DAH and cast measurements be? There’s no easy answer. Modern manufacturers have addressed the problem by designing today’s smoothbores with stock dimensions designed for the average shooter. Unfortunately, the manufacturers have different opinions as to what constitutes average, and few of us are built average in any case.

Fortunately, minor adjustments to LOP, DAC, DAH can be made with the shims conveniently provided with many of today’s shotguns. If you can afford it, you can also have a shotgun customfitted for you, with stock alterations designed to bring out the best in your shooting. My best advice on achieving the proper fit, however, is to shoot as many shotguns as you can until you find the one that feels—and shoots—best for you. OC

ALSO SEE PAGE 30 FOR HUNTING EDI-

rifle. Aiming a shotgun leads to stopping your swing, however, mak ing you shoot behind your target.

» PICK OUT A single bird from the flock and shoot it. Whether you’re hunting ducks or Hungarian partridge, don’t shoot into the flock, as there’s typically a lot more open space there than you’d think. The only path to a double starts with dropping the first bird.

» CAN’T FIGURE OUT the proper lead? Start by lengthening your lead, especially with crossing birds, which are difficult to over-lead.

» PRACTISE! WINGSHOOTING SKILLS improve with time spent at the sporting clays, skeet or trap range. Even hand-thrown clays at camp can help you improve.

KEEP CALM AND FISH ON

No chop? No worries. The summer walleye bite can still be super hot when the water is silky smooth

BY MIKE HUNGLE

MENTION THE WORDS “walleye chop” to a group of anglers and they’ll immediately grin and start chattering about how good the fishing gets when the wind churns up the lake. Then say “calm waters,” and most of those same anglers will stop talking. To them, calm waters can only mean one thing: slow walleye fishing. But it doesn’t have to be that way. While there’s no doubt walleye will bite when conditions are choppy, it’s also true they’ll bite when the conditions are calm.

I actually enjoy fishing for walleye when the water is like glass, or it has just a slight ripple. According to my fishing journal, in fact, I’ve had some of my best walleye fishing when the conditions were calm. I’ve also had some of my biggest walleye of the season come topside on such days.

I think there are several reasons for this. First, I can better control my boat and easily hover over top of fish or structure without the wind pushing me off the spot. That also lets me focus more on fishing than on operating the boat. And when the wind isn’t playing havoc with my tackle, I’m more in tune with my presentations. That in turn allows me to feel more strikes, resulting in better hooksets and more fish in the boat. The most important key to success on calm days, though, is to understand that you need to fish a little differently than you would when the conditions are rough—and that starts with targeting the right locations.

THE AUTHOR HAS FLAT-WATER WALLEYE DIALED IN

DEEP WATER

AS MOST ANGLERS know, walleye have light-sensitive eyes and therefore avoid bright sunlight by holding in deeper water. So when the conditions are both calm and sunny, the fish will move into slightly deeper water than usual. Under wavy conditions, for example, you might catch walleye along a sandbar, submerged island or ledge in 15 to 18 feet of water. But when the water is flat and it’s sunny out, you typically need to slide out deeper into the 25-foot range at those same locations. As you move deeper, be sure to watch your sonar to locate fish and bait fish relating to the structure.

When the fish are deeper like this on calm days, one of my favou rite tactics is to anchor above them and drop down a small, leechtipped jig. The jig should have just enough weight to get the leech down to the bottom without impeding its action, letting it wiggle freely. If you don’t have leeches, tip your jigs with min nows; if the walleye keep stealing your bait, use half minnows.

There are two ways to present your bait when jigging vertically. First, you can smoothly lift and drop your offering, all while main taining a tight line. This keeps you in full contact with your jig, and lets you set the hook the moment you feel any resistance. When maintaining a tight line like this, you can also lift then pause, suspending the jig off the bottom to trigger strikes. This presentation works well when you know there are fish directly below you.

The second jigging option is to sharply flip your jig upwards in the water column, then let it free fall. This lively presentation can attract

upswing motion.

With both techniques, hold your rod with the tip pointing downwards. This helps you detect strikes, as well as give you plenty of room to set the hook. If you find it awkward to do this while sitting, try using a raised pedestal seat or fish while standing up. When standing, I find it easier to position myself right up against the gunnel in order to get my fishing rod on

DEPTH DANGER

WHEN FISHING DEEPER water than usual, remember that walleye are susceptible to deadly barotrauma due to the rapid pressure change. Fish caught below approximately 35 feet have a low survival rate if released, so be prepared to keep all the fish you catch—up to your limit, of course. Either that, or find a shallower spot to fish (see “Shallow water,” page 50).

the downward angle.

Also, keep in mind that not all walleye jigs are created equal. For vertical jigging, you want a longshanked jig, with the line tie at 90-degrees from the shank (as pictured). This tie-on position helps your jig sit horizontally, which is ideal. The longer shank, the further the hook enters the fish’s mouth when it takes your bait. That in turn gives you a better hookset when you’re pulling straight up. If you find you’re still missing fish with a long-shank because they’re biting short, try adding a stinger hook.

For this deep jigging, I like to use a six-foot medium-action rod with a fast tip. The shorter rod makes it easier to fish with the tip down, while the fast tip helps detect light bites. The medium-action, meanwhile, makes for solid hooksets and provides enough back bone to pull fish straight up from the bottom.

JIG IN THE SHADOWS OF DEEPER STRUCTURE ON BRIGHT DAYS WITH GLASSY WATER

ON CALM, SUNNY days, walleye may also move into weedy areas, seeking shade for their light-sensitive eyes. They also use the shadows and weed cover to hunt, darting out to grab a quick meal as baitfish and other aquatic creatures swim through the openings or along the edges.

The key to fishing weedbeds, therefore, is to run your offering over the tops or along the edges. As much as I’ve tried to fish over weedbeds, I still seem to find myself fishing too deep and getting snagged. To avoid that, I now use a slipbobber rig to suspend my lure and bait just above the bed, where it’s visible to fish but doesn’t get fouled.

When fishing slip bobbers, I hook my liveliest leeches on either a 1⁄16ounce jig or a size 6 octopus hook with a couple of small splitshot just above it. The key is to add enough weight so that the slip bobber remains neutrally buoyant, with most of it submerged. That way, the fish won’t feel resistance when taking the bait, but you’ll still see the bobber move.

When your bobber does go down, reel in the slack and set the hook. The same goes if your bobber simply falls over on its side. Why? When walleye take a leech over a weedbed, they’ll often grab it and continue swimming upwards for a moment. When that happens, the slip bobber falls over before the fish eventually pulls it under. So if you see that happen, it’s also time to set the hook.

THE WEEDS MAKING WAVES

As for fishing along the edge of weeds, I run bottom bouncers. Spinner rigs work fine here, but slow-death rigs often work even better—a slowly rotating piece of nightcrawler seems to really trigger walleye to dart out of the weeds and attack. Fishing slow-death rigs along weed edges is essentially the same as fishing them in open water. Simply use your usual setup, maintain a speed of 0.5 to 0.8 miles per hour, and closely watch your rod tip for strikes.

CALM DAYS MAY seem like the safest possible time to be out fishing, but they do carry a risk: far more recreational boat traffic than on a windy day. That means you must pay very close attention to what others are doing around you as you fish or move from spot to spot. The wakes alone from passing boats can be hazardous. When it’s rough, big wakes get dispersed by all the waves, becoming relatively harmless by the time they reach your boat. On calm days, however, those same wakes can travel much further. If you’re not watching out, they can catch you off guard when they hit your boat, causing a sudden and violent lurch.

A SLIP BOBBER, SOME SLIPSHOT AND AN OCTOPUS HOOK WILL KEEP YOUR BAIT IN THE ZONE ABOVE THE WEEDS

RUN BAIT-TIPPED SPINNER RIGS ON BOTTOM BOUNCERS IN THE SHALLOWS (BELOW) AFTER DAYS OF BIG WIND

prime feeding opportunity, hungry walleye will move in, resulting in some incredible fishing action.

Under this scenario, try bottom bouncers with spinner rigs tipped with minnows, leeches or crawlers; I like to use silver, gold, brass or copper blades to imitate the local baitfish. Also, remember the general rule of thumb when running bottom bouncers in shallower water: use one ounce of weight for every 10 feet of water depth. With that in mind, you may need to use less weight than usual to fish efficiently.

waypoint on your fishfinder. Keep working your waypoints as the day unfolds, and you’ll soon develop a path that keeps you on the fish.

Once the action slows down, it’s likely the baitfish have started to move out of the shallows. Instead of abandoning your waypoints, however, just move out a little deeper from them. This simple adjustment often puts you back over top of the fish—and back in action. OC

SASKATCHEWAN’S MIKE HUNGLE WILL FISH FOR WALLEYE IN ALMOST ANY TYPE OF WEATHER.

catching them is too easy. For pure fly-fishing enjoyment, few experiences compare to a smallmouth tail-walking across a pool, or a largemouth obliterating your topwater fly.

Fly fishing for bass is also relatively uncomplicated, perfect for honing your skills and building confidence. Even better, bass thrive in almost any kind of waterbody, even in urban environments, and they range from Victoria Island eastward,

less-conventional patterns. Each one fills a niche that serious bass anglers should be prepared for, and they all catch fish. Both bronzebacks and bucketmouths will hit any of these flies, although the smaller, buggier patterns lean toward smallmouths, while the bigger offerings lean largemouth. And feel free to experiment with the colours, sizes and materials. After all, that’s where new ideas come from.

HOOK: STRAIGHT-EYED WET FLY OR SALTWATER, SIZES 2/0 TO 8 WEIGHT: LEAD DUMBBELL BELLY: YELLOW BUCKTAIL

BY SCOTT GARDNER

VENTURE INTO AN EXCITING NEW WORLD OF FLY FISHING WITH THESE MUST-HAVE PATTERNS FOR LARGEMOUTH AND SMALLMOUTH BASS

Clouser Deep Minnow

the world as simply a “Clouser,“ this pattern shows up in almost every list of must-have flies for a good reason: it’s the first truly effective fly for fishing deeper water. When drifted or swung in current or retrieved in still water, the dumbbell weight makes the Clouser quickly sink while creating a unique darting, jigging motion. At the same time, the bucktail flows and breathes while maintaining its profile.

The Clouser can catch dozens of fresh- and saltwater species, but it was specifically created to catch smallmouth bass in Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River. Four decades later, it’s still a hall-of-fame bass pattern. I have Clousers in colours ranging from pink to black, but for northern bass, especially smallies, I love the crayfish-gobysculpin colour scheme of the one pictured here. It’s also tied bushy for use in rivers, where the flowing water animates the bucktail. For still water, I tie mine 50 per cent sparser, so the fibres move more. If I had to pick just one bass pattern, I’d take a handful of twoinch brown Clousers, plus some bigger ones, in chartreuse/white or grey/white, and be confident of catching fish anywhere in Canada.

WING: NATURAL BROWN OR DYED BUCKTAIL, OVER 6 TO 8 STRANDS OF KRYSTAL FLASH »

Diver

TRADITIONAL TROUT FLIES don’t do much other than drift like an insect caught in the current. In slow water, most look about as edible as a paper clip. Invented in the 1970s, the Dahlberg Diver was designed to actually move. More than that, it’s the first—and arguably still the best—diving fly. At rest, it floats. When it’s tugged sharply, however, the flared collar of deer hair drives it underwater, where it wiggles crazily as the buoyant body fights against the downward thrust. Then between tugs, it floats back up. Basically, it’s a diving jerkbait for the fly rod, as lethal and versatile as a plastic-lipped hard bait. The Diver is excellent in both lakes and slower rivers, including deeper water over structure or weeds.

HOOK: WIDE-GAP, SIZES 2 TO 6 TAIL: 4 SADDLE HACKLES, AROUND A LARGE TUFT OF MARABOU FLASH (OPTIONAL): FLASHABOU OVER TAIL

SKIRT: PALMERED SADDLE OR HEN HACKLE

HEAD: SPUN DEER HAIR, TRIMMED TO SHAPE WEEDGUARD (OPTIONAL): 20-POUND MONO

Ehlers’ Foam Tail Superworm

There’s a lot going on with this fly, but if you take it step by step, none of the individual parts are difficult to tie. You can also leave out some of the tail elements to slim it down, or substitute in synthetic materials to make it slinkier or flashier. Just be mindful when trimming the spun deer hair into the collar shape, since it’s easy to take off too much.

HOOK: EWG SIZE 1/0 OR 2/0

TAIL: RABBIT-FUR ZONKER STRIP, 2 TO 4 TIMES LONGER THAN THE HOOK

BODY: PALMERED ZONKER STRIP (PICTURED), SADDLE HACKLE OR SIMILAR

FLASH: 2 TO 10 STRANDS OF FLASHABOU

LEGS: RUBBER STRANDS

WEIGHT: LEAD DUMBBELL

FLOTATION: CRAFT FOAM

FOR DECADES, I envied Bassmasterstyle soft-plastics and flipping jigs. In particular, I longed for a largemouth fly to hop along a weedy bottom with its extremities waving seductively to trigger a bite. The Superworm finally does that, with a strip of foam seductively floating the rabbit strip tail as the other bits sparkle and wiggle. And the dumbbell sinks the extra-wide-gap (EWG) hook point up, while the rabbit fur stretched across the gap makes it fairly weedless. Unlike a flipping jig, the Superworm won’t plunge through heavy cover. It sinks quickly in moderate weeds, however, and you can fearlessly bounce, drag or swim it along the bottom. Honestly, this thing casts like a chicken thigh, but it’s tolerable on a short line. As they’ll do with small soft-plastics, bass tend to gently slurp it in, so keep your line tight, and strip-set if you feel anything. With its weird hook and odd use of materials, the Superworm is confusing to tie at first, but online videos will get you through it. A drop of gel superglue works well for the tiny piece of foam on the tail. I also usually omit the weedguard, which simplifies things a lot.

Game Changer

INVENTED BY GUIDE and fly designer Blane Chocklett, the Game Changer is well named. I’ve rarely seen bass (or pike or walleye) chase anything with the ruinous abandon they show when attacking this fly. Another wildly unconventional pattern, the Game Changer is made with a series of short segments tied behind the hook. This creates a serpentine ripple that perfectly mimics the movement of a swimming baitfish. The classic GC is about 3½ inches long, but the synthetic material doesn’t absorb water, so it casts easily and lands very lightly. This makes it an excellent choice in clear, skinny water.

HOOK: SHORT-SHANK, WIDE GAP, SIZE 2 TO 2/0

TAIL: MARABOU

SHANKS: 3 TO 6 FISH-SKULL ARTICULATED SPINES OR SIMILAR

BODY: CHOCKLETT’S GAMECHANGER CHENILLE OR SIMILAR

EYES: 3-D

CONTRASTING COLOUR: WATERPROOF MARKER

You don’t tie the GC so much as construct it, as you would a model airplane. Basically, you wrap bushy chenille around each shank before looping it to the next one, then lash the whole chain to the hook with wire. The result resembles a caterpillar, which you then trim into a baitfish shape with fine, sharp scissors. The contrasting pattern comes from colouring the top half with a maker. I also like it in white, with a chartreuse or red back, but this fly is so snaky, the colour is more for you than for the fish.

I LOVE THE contrast between this fly’s gawky, tacky appearance and how well it fishes. If a robot, possessing only a vague understanding of fish and fishing, tried to construct a streamer fly out of junk laying around a space station, it might look like the Murdich Minnow. On closer inspection, though, every element has a purpose. Supported by the bucktail, the long tail shimmies and shines. The collar keeps the tinsel in place, while also lending a subtle swimming action, like the front face of a crankbait. The result is a minnow imitation that’s cheap and easy to tie, easy to cast, easy to fish and virtually indestructible.

The Murdich is fairly buoyant, but unlike most streamers, it doesn’t seem to perform quite right on a sinking line. But it’s a go-to in lakes and rivers when you want a sleek, shallow-running fly to dart around structure or over weeds, or swingdrift across current. It will also have more action if you tie it on with a loop knot. I have seen the Murdich in various colours, but it’s hard to improve on the white-andsilver space-robot motif, tinted with a touch of black, blue or green

Popper

WITH A BLUNT or concave face that makes a little splash when it’s tugged, this venerable topwater fly has been fooling fish, and delighting anglers, for more than a century. In quiet water, poppers work best when fished slowly, with long pauses between strips. This lets the feather and rubber appendages float seductively, which often seals the deal. Largemouth are especially notorious for staring at poppers from short range, taking their time before finally engulfing them. Many fly anglers are surprised to learn this fly is also deadly in rivers, where a drift-pop retrieve can provoke slashing hits.

HOOK: WIDE-GAP, 2XL TO 4XL, SIZES 4 TO 2/0 TAIL: 2 TO 6 SADDLE HACKLES

COLLAR: A FEW WRAPS OF SADDLE HACKLE

BODY: FOAM, CORK OR SPUN DEER HAIR

LEGS: RUBBER STRANDS

EYE: 3-D, GOOGLY OR PRISM TAPE

WEEDGUARD (OPTIONAL): 20-POUND MONO

Slumpbuster

Traditional poppers are made of deer hair, but pre-shaped foam or cork bodies fish just as well, and they’re easy to work with. Just make sure the entire body is positioned forward of the hook point. Many poppers are incorrectly made with the body too far back, bocking the point and preventing hook-ups. Weedguards are optional, but I always bring a few weedless ones for throwing into lily pads and grass. Honestly, every part of this fly other than the body and tail is optional. It’s basically a platform you can experiment with, creating sleeker or bushier versions as needed.

ANOTHER NEWER CREATION, the Slumpbuster is known for tempting plus-sized river trout from their lairs. Such a fly is also usually good for bass (of any size), which this one very much is. The Slumpbuster tantalizingly fills the important—and often overlooked—food category of “small, meaty and not too flashy.” Bass might prefer a big meal, but they still have to eat when their ideal prey isn’t available. If you’ve ever looked at their stomach contents, bass in both rivers and lakes do eat a lot of bugs, small crustaceans and other less-glamourous food.

The crucial element of the Slumpbuster is its pine squirrel wing and collar, and there really is no substitute. Pine squirrel fur is shorter and thicker than other common fly-tying furs, such as rabbit, giving this smallish fly an extra-dense profile. Pine squirrel also looks beautifully alive in the water as it undulates. The result is a versatile fly for dead-drifting or swinging in current, while in slack water it swims with a subtle jigging wobble. You can’t go wrong with the classic creepy-crawly colours of rust, black, olive or the mottled grey-brown of the natural fur.

Sneaky Pete

SOMETIMES AGGRESSIVE TOPWATER flies actually turn off fish, which is when you need a slider, which creates a wake rather than a splash. My layman’s theory is that excessive popping makes the fly appear too formidable when a fish is only looking for an easy meal. Either way, the Sneaky Pete is the classic slider. It works everywhere, and on all kinds of bass. As it burbles along, the bushy little tail and trailing legs give it a slightly frantic wiggle, but at 1½ to 2½ inches in length, it’s still easy pickings. And surprisingly large fish will hit it.

HOOK: 2XL STREAMER, SIZE 4 TO 8 TAIL: RUBBER STRANDS ON EITHER SIDE OF A CLUMP OF SYNTHETIC FIBRES (SHOWN) OR MARABOU COLLAR: SADDLE HACKLE LEGS: RUBBER STRANDS HEAD: FOAM, CORK OR SPUN DEER HAIR EYES (OPTIONAL): 3D OR PRISM TAPE

I bought my first—and only—Sneaky Pete in 1986, and it landed so many bass and sunfish at my local pond that their sandpapery mouths eventually ground off the colour and feathers. Since then, I’ve made my own, first out of spun deer hair, and later from pre-shaped foam bodies. By the way, you don’t need a special “slider” body; you can just install a popper body backwards. I think the colour of your hat is more important than the colour of this pattern, but I like them in easy-to-see chartreuse or yellow.

THE TEQUEELY IS both futuristic and a throwback. It looks like something that fell out of a busted circuit board, but it also reminds me of gaudy, old-timey “attractor” flies created before the match-the-hatch ethos took over fly fishing. It also raises the question: How much can you change a Woolly Bugger before it needs a new name? The answer, it seems, is when it has rubber legs, a shiny copper body and a clashing two-tone tail. The TeQueely obviously doesn’t resemble anything in nature, yet the combination of the colour, flash and movement make it look alive and extremely edible to bass (and, again, to big trout) all over North America.

You can swim it like a streamer, swing it like a wet fly or drift it like a nymph. I also like it on a double-fly rig, trailing 18 inches behind a topwater. It’s also easy and inexpensive to tie. This is one of those loopy flies that you tie, then let languish in your fly box because it’s just too goofy looking. But have a little faith, and you’ll discover it’s just as exciting to fish as it is to look at. OC

FOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR SCOTT GARDNER’S FLY FISHING COLUMN, TURN TO PAGE 26.

THE ZOMBIE THE ZOMBIE

FLICKING LINE

MMY FIRST INTRODUCTION to using expired baitfish was decades ago, sitting in a tin boat on a weedy back bay with my great-grandfather. He first started chasing muskies long before the sportfishing industry began producing specialized tackle specifically designed for the species. He used the heaviest rod and line he had, with a big single hook hanging under a red-andwhite spring bobber. His bait of choice? A hefty sucker minnow, dead or alive. In fact, he’d boated more muskies than he could count on dead bait. That blew my 10-year-old mind! If you could fool the king of our freshwater lakes and rivers with a dead minnow, I wondered, what other fish could you catch with them? I’ve been finding out ever since.

Most freshwater anglers know that soaking large dead baits such as ciscoes and suckers can be an effective static presentation

for pike and muskies, or when targeting large bottom-feeders such as channel cats or sturgeon. Once you downsize your dead minnow offerings, however, you can also catch a wide variety of other sportfish, including bass, walleye and trout. After all, those dead shiners in your bait bucket already have an enticing scent and profile—they just need a little help in the action department to catch fish consistently. Here’s how to put those pesky (and expensive) floaters to good use.

IHEADS OR TAILS

IF YOU HAVEN’T tried it, it’s hard to believe how little action you need to impart on a dead minnow to elicit a strike. With just a few flicks of your finger against the taut line between your reel and the first eye of the rod, you can make those boring floaters jump to life in a vertical presentation. Short, fast tugs on the line with your trigger finger produce the same effect. Hooking a minnow through the lip on a standard jig, for example, allows it to move freely and respond to even the lightest flick of the line.

I’ve used this technique to great effect jigging for walleye, sauger, perch, panfish and all species of stocked trout. It’s even worked for deepwater summer lakers when the trusty old white tube jig wasn’t producing over marked fish. Similarly, the flick trick works gangbusters with a dead floater hooked through the lip when drop-shotting for smallmouth bass and other species. Pick a flick pattern, repeat it, then change it up from time to time, just as you would when normally jigging.

ICE ANGLERS OFTEN skewer severed minnow heads or tails to Jigging Rap-style baits and small spoons for added scent. Heads and tails are also great for open-water presentations, so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty hooking them onto any number of baits for jigging, trolling or chucking.

THE AUTHOR’S SALTED MINNOWS DID THE TRICK ON THIS NICE WALLEYE

EFFECT EFFECT

BY STEPHAN LUKACIC

POUNDING BOTTOM

BANGING THE LAKE bottom with a dead minnow on a heavy jig or specialty lure is one of the most reliable ways to catch burbot through the ice. With some downsizing and a little more finesse, however, the tactic can be just as effective with other species throughout the year. The next time you’re jigging for walleye or bass, try subtly hitting the bottom with an 1⁄8-ounce jig tipped with a single floater. You may be surprised at how much interest you drum up by mimicking a baitfish foraging in the muck. As with standard jigging, don’t overdo it, and add long pauses between thumping sequences.

ANEEDS SALT

HOPPING & CASTING

DEAD MINNOWS ROCK on Texas and Carolina rigs, as well as on drop-shot rigs, even when you’re throwing them. They also excel when you’re hopping, swimming or skipping a jig horizontally. There’s a good case for using soft-plastics in those scenarios, but if you have a few floaters in the bucket, why crack into a pack of the expensive stuff ? Unlike live minnows that need to be hooked where it won’t kill them, you can push a hook right through a floater’s skull so it holds on better. You’ll still lose more dead minnows than you would lose tougher plastics, though, so check your bait often.

AN EFFECTIVE AND inexpensive way to preserve leftover dead minnows for later use is to cure them with salt. Drenched in salt and stored in small containers, minnows can potentially last for months if you keep them refrigerated. Just be mindful that they’ll count towards your legal possession limit of minnows. Also be sure to check all other bait regulations in your area. If you’re fishing outside of your home Bait Management Zone in Ontario, for example, minnows need to be discarded after two weeks. As well, both dead and live minnows (and leeches) cannot be transported out of the BMZ where they were purchased or captured. For links to all fishing regs across Canada, go to www.outdoorcanada.ca/fishingregs.

TROLLING

DEAD MINNOWS REALLY shine when trolled in conjunction with spinning harnesses and spoons. Here, my go-to walleye technique is to lip-rig a dead floater on each hook of a standard worm harness and troll it at low speeds, just as you would with a crawler. The difference is the minnows will swim and sway independently, adding plenty of erratic action to the presentation. I’ve caught loads of walleye over the years on this set-up, including some of my personal best fish. Dead minnows also work exceptionally well on singlehook harnesses.

If the fish aren’t hitting a doublehook rig, I dial down the action using a single-hook spinning lure enhanced with a stinky floater. For example, I catch piles of trout and walleye trolling at depth with a Lucky Strike Victor Spoon Spinner and a dead minnow. An undulating Williams Wabler is also a beautiful thing with a floater lip-hooked on one barb of the treblehook. This deadly combo has been just the ticket on many occasions when lethargic suspended lakers needed a little extra incentive. OC

HALIBURTON, ONTARIO, FISHING GUIDE STEPHAN LUKACIC NEVER LETS DEAD MINNOWS GO TO WASTE.

Wait, don’t toss out those dead minnows! Here’s how to give floaters a second life

PICTURE PERFECT!

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR THE 13TH ANNUAL OUTDOOR CANADA PHOTO CONTEST! PLEASE SEE PAGE 9 FOR ALL THE DETAILS

PRIZE SPONSORS

A hearty thank you to VSSL, Rapala Canada, Zeiss and Coleman for generously providing the awesome prizes.

WILDLIFE & WILD PLACES

FISHING

HUNTING

FAMILY

WINNING IMAGES REFLECTING THE BEST OF FISHING, HUNTING, FAMILY ADVENTURE, WILDLIFE AND WILD PLACES IN CANADA

A LARGE PART of the appeal of fishing and hunting is the quality time we enjoy in the great outdoors with family and friends. And photos of those experiences can often mean as much as, or even more than, coming home with something for the dinner table. Judging by all the great submissions in our 12th annual photo contest, our readers clearly agree. With so many excellent entries, however, it’s always a challenge to choose the first-, second- and third-place winners in each of the four categories, but it’s a job we look forward to. Thank you to everyone who shared their photographs and outdoor memories, and congratulations to the winners. Keep having fun out there, everyone—and don’t forget to bring your cameras! THE EDITORS

WILDLIFE & WILDPLACES

1ST PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Rose

WHERE: North Bay area, Ontario

WHEN: January 2022

DETAILS: An amateur photographer with the keen eye of a pro, Steven Rose says taking wildlife photos is his passion. He braved -29°C temperatures and deep snow to capture this striking shot of a lynx on the prowl for rabbits. “The lynx was able to walk over the three feet of snow while we were flailing around,” he says. “It was awesome to watch her so at home in her environment.”

PRIZE: VSSL JAVA portable hand coffee grinder

2 ND PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Adam Pauls

WHERE: North Knife Lake, Manitoba

WHEN: August 2022

DETAILS: Avid bowhunter and angler Adam Pauls was working as a fishing guide in the north of his home province of Manitoba when he clicked the shutter on this ethereal vista.

“I was getting my boat ready in the morning and this beautiful scene took place,” he says. “I did not even edit the photo. It was unreal fog with the sun shining through that lasted all of three minutes.”

PRIZE: VSSL Camp Supplies

3RD PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Monica Dahl

WHERE: Edmonton area, Alberta

WHEN: June 2022

DETAILS: Monica Dahl was driving through Alberta’s Westlock County when she spotted this great blue heron fishing for frogs. “I pulled over and watched it as it methodically worked its way across the pond in search of prey,” she says. “I took several photos, but this was my favourite.” The Island Lake, Alberta, woman says she spends much of her free time photographing wildlife.

PRIZE: VSSL Ready Kit

SPONSORED BY

PHOTOS DEPICTING WILDLIFE OR NATURAL LANDSCAPES IN CANADA

3RD

1ST PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Tom Stimson

WHERE: Birch Lake, Ontario

WHEN: July 2022

DETAILS: On a hot day last July, Jay Harrison was sight-fishing for fat, hungry perch at a cabin on northwestern Ontario’s Birch Lake when his buddy Tom Stimson launched a camera-equipped drone to get this remarkable bird’s eye shot. “There were storms in every direction, but this sunny spot broke and the light was incredible,” says Stimson, who hails from Winnipeg.

“The bite was on!”

PRIZE: $500 Rapala Prize Package

2 ND PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Neil Drysdale

WHERE: Sibbald Pond, Alberta

WHEN: September 2022

DETAILS: Neil Drysdale and his son, Fin, were fly fishing on Sibbald Pond in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains when Fin landed his personal-best rainbow trout on the fly. “We had spent the morning walking the small creeks for rainbows and brook trout, then stopped at the pond for a few casts,” Drysdale says. “It didn’t take long before Fin hooked into this one, out-fishing me again!”

PRIZE: $250 Rapala Prize Package

SPONSORED BY

1ST PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Darren Burdeniuk

WHERE: Brandon area, Manitoba WHEN: December 2022

DETAILS: Darren Burdeniuk was hunting with his son, Cooper, when the then 12-year-old shot his first whitetail. “This was his first deer-hunting season holding the rifle and doing the shooting,” Burdeniuk says, noting the pair had previously returned home many times empty-handed and halffrozen. “This buck was shot in the last hour of the last day of our hunting season.”

PRIZE: Coleman Peak1 two-person tent, 62-quart wheeled Atlas cooler, 800lumen LED lantern

3RD PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Rob Dewar

WHERE: Winnipeg River, Ontario

WHEN: August 2022

DETAILS: When avid angler Eric Berglund landed a muskie alongside his then eight-year-old son, Klaus, his father-in-law Rob Dewar photographed the classic father-son moment. “This was the first muskie that Klaus and my father-in-law had been in the boat for,” Berglund says, noting it was their final outing after a week of fishing. “The excitement was real, and Klaus helped to net and release the fish.”

PRIZE: $100 Rapala Prize Package

SPONSORED BY

FAMILY

1ST

FAMILY

2 ND PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Brian Prieur

WHERE: Colchester, Ontario

WHEN: April 2022

DETAILS: Brian Prieur was shed hunting with his wife and four children on his uncles’ 100-acre farm in Colchester, Ontario, last spring when he photographed this creative portrait. “My uncles, cousin and I hunt whitetails on the property every fall,” says Prieur. “We didn’t find any sheds—only a family photo op in a hollow tree.” Pictured from left to right are his kids Sam, George, Ruby and John.

PRIZE: 55-Quart Convoy Cooler, 10x10 Skylodge Instant Shelter

HUNTING

1ST PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kylie Bolton

WHERE: Vauxhall area, Alberta

WHEN: April 2022

DETAILS: At the end of a successful day of shed hunting, Kylie Bolton took this photo of her boyfriend, Matt Simard, as he walked into the sunset. “It was my first time looking for mule deer sheds, as I am originally from Manitoba and the mule deer population is very low where I grew up,” Simard says. “When I moved out to Alberta for school, mule deer shed hunting was on my bucket list.”

PRIZE: Zeiss 10×42 Conquest HD Binoculars

PHOTOS DEPICTING ANY ASPECT OF SPORT HUNTING IN CANADA

SPONSORED BY

PHOTOS DEPICTING YOUNG CANADIANS ENJOYING FISHING AND/OR HUNTING 2ND 1ST

3RD PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Alexandra Tremblay

WHERE: Carson-Pegasus

Provincial Park, Alberta

WHEN: June 2022

DETAILS: Alexandra Tremblay took this photo of her husband, Justin, showing their daughter Hayden, then six, how to fillet a fish at their lakeside campsite. “Our daughters loved that they could fish at any given time, so you can imagine it was pretty exciting to have caught some lunch,” says Alexandra. “When it was time to clean the fish, Hayden had all the questions! Teach them young.”

PRIZE: 11-quart 1900 Wine Cooler

2 ND PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Adam Hearn

WHERE: Angus area, Ontario

WHEN: November 2022

DETAILS: Lucas Kennedy was with his wife, Taylor, on her first-ever duck hunt when his friend and outfitter Adam Hearn took this shot of the happy couple. “My wife just got her hunting and firearms licences, and I was determined to get her on some birds,” Kennedy says. “Needless to say, we left with a couple of smiles, our limit of mallards, and a memory that will last forever.”

PRIZE: Zeiss 3-12×144 Conquest V4 Scope

3RD PLACE

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kevin McNeil

WHERE: Aylmer Lake, N.W.T.

WHEN: August 2022

DETAILS: Outfitter Kevin McNeil took this iconic photograph of hunter Enrique Señkowski of Mexico paying respect to the barren-ground muskox he’d just shot in the N.W.T.’s vast Unit U. “Last year was the first year the N.W.T. government allowed nonresident hunting in the unit, and the first time ever for muskox hunting there,” says McNeil, who runs the area’s Aylmer Lake Lodge.

PRIZE: Zeiss Terra 10x25 Compact Binoculars OC

ALSO SEE THE HONOURABLE MENTIONS, AT WWW.OUTDOORCANADA.CA/2023RUNNERSUP.

2ND

3RD

3RD

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

COMMUNITY, HUNTING TRADITION AND FINE FIREARMS IN THE LAND OF THE FINNS

BY T.J. SCHWANKY

IF YOU’VE NEVER travelled abroad to hunt, it’s pretty easy to believe what you see and read on social media about hunting in different parts of the world. Once you’ve visited several different countries, though, you realize how rarely such perceptions turn out to be true.

When I hunted in England a couple of years ago, for example, I expected there to be widespread anti-hunting »

FINNISH AND FOREIGN HUNTERS GATHER TO PAY HOMAGE TO THEIR HARVESTED GAME

sentiment, given the outcry over the country’s traditional fox hunts. Once I left London’s city limits, however, I was surprised at how deeply rooted the gun and hunting culture remained. I also once believed hunting in Europe was only for the ultra-rich, and that the average person had no chance of taking part. I’ve since seen that proven wrong, time and time again. And when I first hunted in South

Africa, I was under the impression all hunting was conducted behind high fences. I was shocked when we were able to go hunting on sheep and cattle ranches with low wire fences, similar to what we have here in Canada.

At the same time, it’s also pretty easy for us to assume the hunting opportunities we enjoy here in Canada are superior to those in most other countries. To some extent

they are, but in many cases, they are just different.

So when I was invited to Finland last fall to test the new Sako 90 line, I was as eager to try out the rifles as I was to experience the country’s hunting culture. And Finland certainly is an interesting place. It’s basically a country of preppers, which is no surprise considering it shares a border with Russia. Military service is mandatory and, as a

A

FINE LINE

IF YOU ARE a fan of Sako rifles, you’ll have noticed the Finnish company quietly stopped manufacturing the 85 series in early 2022, focusing its marketing efforts instead on the Sako 20 and the then new Sako 100. But there was a definite gap between those two models that the 85 once filled, and Sako was pretty tight-lipped about whether there would be a replacement. The answer arrived this past May when the company officially launched the new Sako 90 line of rifles.

The first thing you’ll notice is these rifles are very similar in appearance to the 85 series, but with several refine-

ments. For starters, the receiver has been stiffened to increase accuracy, and the ejection port has been enlarged to help prevent ejection problems that seemed to affect a small number of the 85s. The trigger has also been upgraded with a positive click-style pull weight adjustment; it can also now be moved forward or backward to accommodate different finger lengths. As well, the addition of a Picatinny rail on some models adds more scope mounting options.

In terms of specific Sako 90 models, the Peak replaces the Carbonlight 85 and uses the same carbon-fibre stock. It weighs in at a scant 2.6 kilograms for the

MOST HUNTING IN FINLAND TAKES PLACE THROUGH THE 2,500-PLUS HUNT CLUBS

short action, making it one of the lightest production rifles now on the market. The Peak is sure to be a hit with Canadian mountain hunters in search of a lightweight rifle.

The Quest, meanwhile, replaces the Carbon Wolf, and it’s available with a stainless steel or carbon-fibre barrel (the model with the carbon-fibre barrel is called the Quest Ultra). Rather than use carbon barrels from other manufacturers—as most North American firearms makers do—Sako has now designed and is making its own. Watch for it on other models in the future.

Next is the Adventure, which replaces

the Finnlight II. It features the same adjustable composite stock, but with an upgraded coating that is more durable and impervious to chemicals (all composite stocks in the Sako 90 line will also have this coating). There is no replacement for the original Finnlight.

Rounding out the line are the Bavarian, Hunter and Varmint, all with wooden stocks. As with the previous 85 line-up, five action lengths are available, with a similar variety of chamberings. A lefthanded version of the Sako 90 and a wider variety of chamberings will also be reportedly available in the future.

When I first heard Sako was launch-

result, the Finnish people are not only familiar with firearms, they’re also avid shooters.

Per capita, in fact, Finland has more licensed gun owners than Canada—11 per cent of their population versus our eight per cent. The difference is even more significant when you compare hunter numbers. In Canada, roughly 3.4 per cent of the population buys a hunting licence each year, while in Finland that number jumps to more than six per cent. That definitely shoots holes in the theory that hunting across Europe is only for the rich.

In Canada, hunting is still largely an individual pursuit, with small informal groups occasionally hunting together, usually family members or a few close friends. In Finland, however, the bulk of hunting takes place through more than 2,500 hunting clubs. Membership typically includes the use of a shooting

ing this new line of rifles, I was worried it would abandon the 85 completely, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got my first look at the new Sako 90s. And you can tell the Finnish company clearly had North American hunters in its sights with the Adventure (pictured above) and Peak—both rifles will be right at home in the Canadian woods and mountains. For those who prefer a wood stock, meanwhile, there’s the Hunter model.

Having now shot the 90, I would simply say that Sako took a great rifle—the 85—and made it even better.

—T.J. SCHWANKY

THE AUTHOR KEEPS WATCH CRADLING A SAKO 90 ADVENTURE

GETTING POSTED ON A STAND FOR A DRIVEN HUNT WAS A FIRST FOR THE AUTHOR

range and, more importantly, access to private land, where the clubs manage both the hunting and the wildlife. When I hunted in Poland, it was a very similar system. With access to private land being one of the biggest challenges facing Canadian hunters, it’s easy for us to understand the popularity of these clubs.

ON THIS TRIP , I was joined by several other outdoor writers from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia to test the new Sako 90 rifles at one of the hunting

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THE T I P O F T H E SPEA R I SN ’ T A SPEA R A T AL L

I had practised extensively before leaving for Finland, I had to take the test with a new Sako 90, a rifle model I’d never seen before, let alone fired. As it turned out, I was actually fairly familiar with the rifle, as it is essentially a refinement of the discontinued Sako 85 series (see “A fine line” on page 70).

When it was finally time to prepare for the hunt, we all excitedly formed a line in front of the club house, where the hunt master went over the rules. For many of us, me included, this was our first driven hunt. We would be placed in various stands on the club property, and a group of drivers would then push the game in our direction. We were to have three drives in the morning and two in the afternoon. White-tailed bucks, lone does and fawns were all fair game, as were bull moose, lone cows and calves. Females accompanied by young were off limits.

We were all fitted with headsets

progress of the drivers, and to let us know once the moose quota had been reached and they could no longer be hunted. We then toasted the hunt, and in the bottom of our shot glasses were the numbers of the stands each of us were assigned to.

The first two drives were uneventful for me, but the chatter over the radio indicated some of the others had been lucky. My third stand offered a much greater view than the first two, and about 15 minutes into the drive, a whitetail doe and fawn crossed a trail just below me. The fawn was fair game, but I elected not to take the shot hoping something else would come my way.

A few minutes later, there was a flurry of shots to the north and two excited hunters announced over the radio that two moose were down. A short time later, the hunt master declared no more moose could be taken. Less than two minutes later, a fat cow sauntered into sight and stopped, standing broadside

I could do was laugh at my misfortune and watch as she melted back into the forest.

The day ended without me firing a shot, but being part of the driven hunt was an amazing experience. That evening, we celebrated with a big feast, paying homage to the hunt and the harvested animals. You could tell this was a deep-rooted tradition with the Finnish hunters joining us, and we were honoured to have shared it with them.

It was also easy to see why hunting remains so popular in Finland, with the tradition, camaraderie and ease of access ensuring high hunter participation well into the future. We Canadians could learn a few lessons from the Finns, but travelling to hunt once again also made me appreciate just how blessed we are with the opportunities we enjoy here at home. OC

ALBERTA-BASED CONTRIBUTOR

T.J. SCHWANKY TRAVELLED TO FIN-

BY ROBERT PYE

Old fishing boats

FILLED TO THE GUNWALES WITH GREAT MEMORIES OF ADVENTURES ON THE WATER

THE ROYAL CANADIAN Mint had just introduced the dollar coin the year my old boat was born, and by the time I paid 3,500 loonies for it in 1999, it had already fished a dozen bass openers. This fishing season marks my 24th year at the helm of my old Springbok, and all 14 and a half feet of it, including the original 30-horse outboard, are still making waves on dozens of lakes close to my home.

My old boat has competed in a few fun tournaments over the years, but it’s never won a purse. More importantly, though, it has also played a volunteer role in teaching hundreds of children, including my own, about fishing at summer camps. The old livewell has opened its lid to a variety of species, taking care of impressive fins until we could also catch countless proud smiles for the camera.

Making it through just one more season is the annual goal anglers such as me set for their old boats, even when a budget plan for a new boat is anchored down. Pump the

ball, hold the choke, hit the key and hopefully the old boat fires right up. And if it doesn’t, there’s no shame in carrying a toolbox bigger than a tacklebox. A sparkplug socket and an adjustable wrench are just as important to a successful day of fishing as cranks and spinnerbaits.

Sparkling new fishing boats sport the promise of great days to come, while old boats show off bumps and bruises honouring the passage of quality time on the water. Every scratch represents a catch, and the smell of that old twostroke brings back fond memories. The only thing bigger than the smile of a new boat owner, in fact, is the pride of anglers who can’t let their old watercraft retire. Clunkers still land lunkers, after all, and keep our passion for fishing afloat. OC

NORWOOD, ONTARIO'S ROBERT PYE EXPECTS TO ENJOY HIS TRUSTY OLD BOAT (ABOVE) FOR AT LEAST ONE MORE YEAR.