Fall 2015 by Real Fishing

Canada Post Mail Product Agreement No. 40015689

VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 4 Just $3.95

FALL 2015

DISPLAY UNTIL JANUARY 15, 2016

BACK COUNTRY ICE FISHING TIPS

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©Mercury Marine

he all-new FS multi-species series from Ranger ®. Permeated by nearly four dozen pioneering features, this is a revolutionary leap forward in total performance and fishability. Inside and out, the designs are so advanced that, while we didn’t change everything – for the world of fishing – everything has changed. Highlights include a deeper wider interior, more fuel capacity, larger livewells, integrated tool holders, a skid-resistant floor that’s soft, cool and dries faster than carpet, a flush-mounted keel protector*, patent-pending Power Ventilation Rod Storage™, huge rod capacities, room for the largest back-mounted electronics, vertical rod holders, and much more! Experience the unparalleled ride and water-crushing strength of every exclusive FS hull. Touting 19, 20, and 21 foot models, these designs are performance engineered to do more than raise the bar – They’re Setting A Whole New Standard.

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More Tackle Storage

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TM/® are trademarks/registered trademarks of Ranger Boats, LLC or suppliers. © Copyright MMXIV Fishing Holdings, LLC d/b/a Ranger® Boats R-4111

For The Name Of Your Nearest Ranger Dealer, Call:

1-800-373-BOAT (2628)

Contents Features 30 HUNTERS OF THE NOVEMBER SHORES Muskie fishing doesn’t always involve trolling or casting from a boat. Here’s how you can enjoy spectacular angling for trophy fish without stepping off the shore. By Mark Forabosco

47 MY HUSBAND’S ONGOING LOVE AFFAIR… WITH A SHARK! A true story about a boy and his fish.

38 FALL FEEDING FEST

By Lisa Abram

When the days shorten and the waters cool, big bass go on the prowl. By David A Brown

51 FATHER AND SON – A TRADITION CONTINUES The father and son fishing trip creates memories that go far beyond the fish that are caught. By Perry Miele

56 BACK COUNTRY ICE FISHING FOR BEGINNERS Tips and tactics for ice fishing far off the beaten path. By Barry Corbett

Fall 2015 Volume 21, Issue 4 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey

Columns

National Advertising Izumi Outdoors Tel: (905) 632-8679 President Wayne Izumi

6 OPENING LINES

26 BEST FISHING TIMES

By Jerry Hughes

Doug Hannon’s moon phase calendar

Contributors Lisa Abram, David A. Brown, Barry Corbett, Patrick Daradick, Mark Forabosco, Jason Hunt, Bob Izumi, Wayne Izumi, Steve May, Perry Miele, Dave Taylor, Tim Tibbitts Real Fishing is published by Izumi Outdoors Inc. 940 Sheldon Court Burlington, ON L7L 5K6 Tel: (905) 632-8679 Fax: (905) 632-2833 Privacy Policy: Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our subscribers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list and not receive these mailings, please write to us at the above address.

We welcome manuscripts, but will not be held responsible for loss of manuscripts, photos or other materials. Published four times each year: January (Winter) April (Spring) July (Summer) October (Fall) One year subscription is $9.95. For USA add $10 all others add $30. Subscriptions: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Subscription inquiries Please call: 1-877-474-4141 or visit www.realfishing.com Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40015689 Customer Account No. 2723816 GST Registration No. R102546504

10 SPORTSMEN’S ALMANAC News, trivia, event listings and more from the world of fishing

14 WHAT’S NEW

16 FISHING By Bob Izumi

18 FLY FISHING By Steve May

20 THE WATER’S EDGE By Dave Taylor

22 THE VINTAGE TACKLE BOX By Patrick Daradick

24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS

60 TALES FROM THE ROAD

Payara

The trials and tribulations of life as a professional angler By Bob Izumi

64 WHAT’S COOKING 66 ART OF ANGLING

LATE SEASON LARGEMOUTH Photo by Izumi Outdoors

The latest in fishing tackle, gear and accessories

Postmaster: Please return front cover/label only of undeliverables to: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6

On the cover:

28 THE HOT BITE

opening lines By Jerry Hughes

Diversity There are nearly as many ways to enjoy fishing as there are lures made to catch fish. From fly casting in tiny headwaters for delicate speckled trout to deep sea trolling for gigantic marlin, there’s a fish and an angling style to suit just about any taste. Real Fishing magazine prides itself on exploring some of that diversity through the stories we select for each issue. We try to include a variety of articles, from “how-to/where-to” pieces that offer tips and insights that can help make you a better angler, to “fishing stories” that explore the more personal side of fishing. Some of our stories are technical in nature while others share the writers’ simple passion and pleasure derived from a day on the water. Like fishing itself, none of these articles are better or worse than the others, they’re just different and they all have an appeal to a certain group of readers. As the Canadian open water angling seasons draw to a close, we thought it would be a good time to explore some of fishing’s diversity by filling this issue with a range of articles that represent the many ways we enjoy fishing. Kicking things off is Mark Forabosco’s intriguing look at a unique muskie fishing opportunity that gets into high gear just around the time most of us have put our boats away for the winter. Shore fishing for these top level predators isn’t something that most anglers get a chance to experience because it’s a somewhat localized fishery, but there’s no questioning the results that Mark and a few other savvy anglers have each fall. David A Brown follows with another “how-to” style article on the fantastic opportunities the shortening days and cooling waters can have for bass anglers. From where to look to what baits to use, David’s article is sure to give you a few 6 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

new ideas on getting the most from the end of the bass fishing season. Rounding out the “tips and tactics” articles is Barry Corbett’s primer on back country ice fishing. Trekking into smaller, more remote lakes takes some effort, but the experience of discovering hidden hotspots holds a great appeal for a lot of anglers. Barry’s article lays the groundwork for a successful outing and is a must read for anyone thinking of getting off the beaten path this winter. Lisa Abram isn’t an angler, per se, but her story about her husband’s love affair with a trophy fish is something we can all relate to. The family memories, the bond between a father and son and the lifelong passion for angling that one fish represents make this article one that is sure to leave you with a smile on your face. In a similar vein, Perry Miele’s tale of a father and son fishing trip to northern Ontario is more about camaraderie and solidifying a family relationship through fishing than it is about catching fish. Of course the fishing is spectacular, but Perry’s article uses that as a backdrop to the more important things in life that too often get pushed aside in our hectic lives. Whether the fall signals the end of your fishing season or the transition into the next one, we hope this issue of Real Fishing gives you some food for thought and helps you on your next fishing adventure. ?

CATCH OF THE DAY.

2015 FISHING FOREVE On June 12, 2015, Fishing Forever held their annual Fundraising Golf Tournament at Turtle Creek Golf Club in Campbellville, Ontario, in support of the Kids, Cops and Canadian Tire Fishing Days program. Over 100 sponsors, supporters, professional anglers and friends showed up under mostly cloudy and rainy skies to take part in the festivities and raise money to help underprivileged kids enjoy a day of fishing in their local communities. Although the weather was far from ideal, it didn’t dampen the spirits of the golfers, who helped to raise just over $26,000 for this great cause. We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who took part and helped make the day a huge success, and we hope to see everyone again next year.

Between the Lines Winery made a gracious donation to Fishing Forever

One of the three hole in one prizes

Sampling the new Izumi Wines

Mariko Izumi’s app didn’t call for this much rain!

2015 Ambassador Award winners David Repko (L) and Sean Patterson (R)

An occasional downpour made for tough putting

Dinner on the Bar-Bee!

Men’s Longest Drive winner, Jerry Collins

8 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

ER G O L F T O U R N A M E N T Why golf fashion should stay on the golf course

Chip it into the net and win the Kayak ner, Lisa Balas Ladies Longest Drive win

Nice hat Bob!

Some of the items up for auction

Fall 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Real Fishing 9

MOOSE COP Inspector Murphy Mooseau, mascot of the Greater Sudbury Police Service, took a short break from his official duties to try his hand (hoof?) at a little fishing during the Kids, Cops and Canadian Tire Fishing Day on Whitewater Lake in Azilda this past July. There’s no word on what Murphy caught, but all of the kids took home a fishing rod, a tackle box, a gift bag and, most importantly, a day full of fond memories.

Photo: Courtesy of Mitch Brunette

ICAST AWARD WINNERS At this year’s ICAST show 270 companies submitted 889 products into the New Product Showcase, all vying for the “Best of Show” award in one of 24 categories, as well as for the overall “Best of Show” award. The New Product Showcase embodies the sportfishing industry's innovative and entrepreneurial spirit and rewards that ingenuity through the "Best of Show" new

product awards competition. “I congratulate all of the winners and everyone who participated in the New Product Showcase. Every year it’s amazing to see all the creativity and ingenuity our member companies use to add curiosity, excitement and discovery to the adventure of fishing,” said ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman.

First time exhibitor Eddyline Kayaks and their C-135 YakAttack Edition, was voted by buyers and media as the best product in both the Boat category and as the overall Best of Show. Here are the rest of the winners and their respective categories.

EVENTS Calendar KIDS AND COPS FISHING DAYS

XTREME BASS CHALLENGE

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

Youth oriented fishing events Various dates and locations www.kidsandcops.ca

October 4 Lake Couchiching Orillia, ON www.csfl.ca

January 8 - 17, 2016 Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place Toronto, ON www.torontoboatshow.com/2016

FALL CHALLENGE October 3 Lake Couchiching Orillia, ON www.csfl.ca

10 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

BPS LAKE SIMCOE OPEN October 24 Lake Simcoe Couchiching Beach Park Orillia, ON www.simcoeopen.com

2015 ICAST NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE AWARD WINNERS

Overall Best of Show

C-135 YakAttack Edition

Eddyline Kayaks

Best of Show Category Winners C AT E G O R Y

PRODUCT

C O M PA N Y

Freshwater Rod

E6X Bass

G. Loomis, Inc.

Saltwater Rod

Avid Inshore

St. Croix Rods

Fly Fishing Rod

Mojo Bass Fly

St. Croix Rods

Freshwater Reel

STRADIC C3000HG-K

Shimano American Corp.

Saltwater Reel

PENN Clash

Pure Fishing, Inc.

Fly Reel

New Pflueger Medalist Fly Reel

Pure Fishing, Inc.

Hard Lure

Hard Shrimp

Savage Gear

Soft Lure

LIVETARGET Hollow Body Sunfish

Koppers Fishing

Lifestyle Apparel

UA Storm Covert Pant

Under Armour, Inc.

Technical Apparel

Aegis Lifeshirt

Lifeshirt

Boating Accessories

YETI Hopper 20

YETI Coolers

Boats

Eddyline C-135 YakAttack Edition

Eddyline Kayaks

Combo

Mach 1 Combo

Lew’s Fishing Tackle

Electronics

Humminbird HELIX 7 SI

Johnson Outdoors

Eyewear

Rooster

Costa

Fishing Accessory

RinseKit

FishSmart

Freshwater Release Rulers

Release Ruler

Fly Fishing Accessory

G3 Guide Stockingfoot

Simms Fishing Products

Footwear

Current Shoes

Simms Fishing Products

Giftware

PowerStick

YOLOtek Product

Kids’ Tackle

Tangle-FREE Combo

Steinhauser, LLC

Line

Maxcuatro

PowerPro

Tackle Management

KastKing Rack ‘em Up Rod Racks

Eposeidon Outdoor Adventures, Inc.

Terminal Tackle

Lazer Sharp Fillet Knife

Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle

Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 11

READER’S PHOTOS

Send us a photo of your best catch and you could see your picture in a future issue of Real Fishing Magazine! Send photos to: Real Fishing, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6 Alton Gonsalves Burlington, ON Largemouth Bass

Jack Helm Kitchener, ON Walleye

Lucy Wreford Kincardine, ON Black Crappie Ryan Zanelli Minesing, ON Walleye

Sam Whaley Brook Trout

12 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

Catch BOB on the Tube! BOB IZUMI’S REAL FISHING SHOW SCHEDULE Grand Bahamas Mahi-Mahi Ontario’s Sunset Country Ice Fishing Montauk Shark Tournament Kesagami Monster Pike Topwater Smallmouth on Lake Erie Prince Edward County World Class Walleye Video Game Lakers/Smallmouth on Lake Ontario Craganmor Resort on Georgian Bay Lights Out Salmon/Spooning Smallmouth Good Ole Days at Kesagami SnoBear Jamboree Lodge 88 – Planes, Trains and a Boat Late Season Bladebaits/Belleville Bassin’

October 3 October 10 October 17 October 24 October 31 November 7 November 14 November 21 November 28 December 5 December 12 December 19 December 26

STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES* MARKET

PROV./STATE

STATION

DATE & AIR TIMES

Atlantic Canada

Global (CIHF)

Saturday 8:00 am

Calgary

Global (CICT)

Saturday 10:30 am

Edmonton

Global (CITV)

Saturday 10:30 pm

Ontario

Global (CIII)

Saturday 8:30 am

Quebec

Global (CKMI)

Saturday 8:30 am

Regina

Global (CFRE)

Saturday 7:30 am

Saskatoon

Global (CFSK)

Saturday 7:30 am

Vancouver

Global (CHAN)

Saturday 10:30 am

Winnipeg

Global (CKND)

Saturday 7:30 am

Canada/USA

WFN

Check www.wfn.tv for dates and times

* Station listings, airtimes and show descriptions are subject to change. Please refer to your local television listings for the latest show schedules.

What’s

NEW

2015

FIRE IT UP Coleman’s new portable, compact, propane powered HyperFlame™ Instastart™ stoves utilize revolutionary HyperFlame® technology, which provides even heat distribution across the pan and WindBlock™ Technology for better wind resistance that cuts boiling time in half when compared to a standard burner. Swaptop™ interchangeable cooktops let you change the pan supports with a grill grate or griddle (both sold separately) and sturdy telescoping legs (on FyreGeneral model only) let you adjust the stove height to cook comfortably anywhere you go.

www.colemancanada.ca/Products/Hyperflame

GET HOOKED The new GoFree Hooked App allows anglers to track their location during a fishing trip, record each catch they make with photos, stats and a location marker, and easily share trips with friends. Within the app there is also a competitive community, which allows you to compete with your friends or anglers around the world! Competitions can be easily created and based on customizable guidelines: fish length, weight and quantity. With GoFree Hooked, fishing just became even more fun!

www.gofreehooked.com

MEGAPRO SCREWDRIVER The MEGAPRO Stainless Steel Screwdriver has a stainless steel shaft and features electroless nickel plated bits for hardness and exceptional corrosion and wear resistance. It is ideal for the outdoor environment, including boating, camping, hiking, 4 wheeling, etc. The Stainless Steel Screwdriver contains 7 double bits with the 14 most popular tips for driving screws and the shaft opening serves as a 1/4″ hex driver.

www.megapro.net

14 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

We welcome submissions from manufacturers and distibutors for our New Products section. Products that appear in this section have not necessarily been tested or endorsed by the staff at Real Fishing. Submissions can be sent to: Editor, Real Fishing Magazine, 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington, ON L7L 5K6

TO THE MAX Coming in 2016, Abu Garcia’s new Max™ reels are dedicated to giving everyday anglers professional results at a modest price point. Each reel features a machined-aluminum ported spool, a one-piece graphite frame and graphite side plates. The new Pro Max features an adjustable MagTrax™ casting brake, a seven-plus-one stainless steel bearing system and a 7.1:1 gear ratio. The Silver Max boasts a five-plus-one bearing system and Duragear™ brass gear, Power Disk™ drag system and a 6.4:1 gear ratio. Rounding out the Max family is the Black Max with its 6.4:1 gear ratio, Power Disk drag system, and an ergonomically engineered handle and star drag for greater comfort and feel.

www.abugarcia.com

QUIET RIDE Quiet Hitch™ stops that noisy, irritating rattle that vibrates through your trailer frame whenever you drive over a pothole, speed bump or railroad tracks. It eliminates free play between the ball mount and receiver for a solid, seamless connection that lets your rig track straight through crosswinds, curves and sudden maneuvers. Quiet Hitch helps reduce wear and tear on the hitch, coupler and your trailer tires by limiting free play and related sway. Quiet Hitch bolts on in seconds and is available in three sizes for 1¼-inch, 2-inch and 2½-inch hitch receivers.

http://roadmasterinc.com/products/accessories/hitch/quiet.html

LITTLE JIGGER HT Enterprises, Inc. announces the Little Jigger 2 in 1 Tip-Down, a highly sensitive, delicately balanced system that “tips down” toward the hole when even the lightest biting fish takes your bait. You can use either a traditional tip-down jig pole combo or, by switching out a simple wire insert on the upright, change over and use any standard spinning combo! The Little Jigger is durably constructed using a premium, durable wood base and features an adjustable, secure locking upright with multiple placement settings, enabling you to position your rod at any desired angle.

www.icefish.com

Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 15

fishing

Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.

By Bob Izumi

Expanding Your Horizons As anglers, we are always wondering what that next day on the water is going to bring. How many times have you been driving down the road – and I do this all the time – and see a little lake or a pond or a stream and wonder where the fish are or how many fish are there. Sometimes I’ll be driving down a country road and I’ll see a line of trees and I’ll think, “If that had 15-feet of water around it, where would I fish?” Or I’ll look at an old pasture with a pile of rocks in it and I’ll go, “Wow, that’s a high-percentage rock pile,” even though it’s on dry land.

So, taking some of those wacky thoughts that we anglers have, here’s something to think about. Next time you’re out there fishing, and you’ve got a hump, or a rockpile, or a weedline, or a point, or a row of docks, or whatever it might be that produces a couple of big fish for you every time you hit it, why not try to expand that area? 16 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

I do it in tournaments all the time, and I’ve been doing it for decades. If I get into an area that’s got a population of the species I’m going for – in this case let’s use bass – and I’m getting them in a specific area, then I know that at least there’s a population of fish that live there. That’s number one. Then you want to expand on that high percentage part of the lake and try to figure out if there’s more fish in the area that you might be missing because you’re not fishing it. I see anglers doing this all the time – they’ll go into a spot that’s produced for them for years and if there’s no fish there they’ll move on. But in many cases if they just changed their technique, or went a little shallower, or a little deeper, or a little further down the breakline or weed edge, they might find the mother lode of fish. That used to win a lot of tournaments for Wayne and me. We would catch a pretty good limit of fish and then we’d do nothing but fish new water for the last half of the day. We’d try to expand on the areas we already knew held fish and look for other fish on the outskirts of that, in spots that most anglers would miss. In a lot of cases we’re talking about looking for the unobvious. The spots that are obvious are the ones that you find on your Navionics chart: areas where the contour lines come together really close indicating a sharp break that goes up near the shore, an inside corner with some weeds on it, a nice rockpile or whatever it might be. The unobvious spots are the lead-in areas to those spots. I think of them as the highways that the fish may use to move into or out of

those high percentage areas. It happened to me practicing for the Canadian Open this past summer in Kingston, when I found a ton of smallmouth on transition areas. I had 35 hits one day (I had surgical tubing over my hook so I wouldn’t hook any fish) and they were all in 12 to 15-feet of water on rock breaks that went either from smooth rock to sand, or smooth rock to a rock/rubble/sand mixture. The fish were milling around on these edges like highways. I would run along and find a pocket of fish and then I would go maybe a half a mile further with no fish, then I’d find another bunch, then I’d go maybe a quarter mile and find another pocket of fish. I found probably seven areas on one day alone, on spots I’d never been to in my life, but that were within about half a mile of where I’d caught fish before. Then the wind came up and, unfortunately, these fish moved, but on the calm days they were definitely using these transition areas. The bottom line is, if fish use an area and you’re catching them on it, or you’ve had past success there, chances are those fish have come from somewhere and there could be other options in that area. By expanding the areas you’re fishing, and paying attention to some of the less obvious spots, you could run into some incredible fishing spots you never knew existed. ?

fly fishing By Stephen May

Seeking Steelhead The quest for steelhead makes finding one worth the effort. Whether in the Great Lakes region or on the West Coast, these fish grow in big water and enter rivers to spawn. They are very nomadic and I usually have no problem giving fishing reports about these fish because once the report is posted, the fish have probably already moved on. One of the best ways to locate these fish once they enter the rivers is to use oldschool wet fly swing. It allows you to systematically cover water to locate fish. Searching for steel with a swinging fly is an addiction for many anglers. The basics of this technique are straightforward. Cast the fly across the river and slightly downstream, then let the current work the fly until it is directly below you. After a cast or two, step downstream and

18 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

repeat. This lets your fly cover a lot of water. Things to adjust are the speed and the depth of the fly. This can be done through changing the angle of the cast and mending the line, or through using different lines or sink tips. Remember to let the fly dangle at the end of a cast for a while. Steelhead avoid the fastest flows and are often waiting for your fly at the end of the swing. Casting further upstream gives the fly more time to sink. It also lets the current

catch your line, increasing the speed of the fly. Mending upstream slows the fly and can get it deeper. A downstream mend can make the fly go faster and rise in the water column. Fish preferences can be different each day, but starting with a presentation that is moving at a gentle walking pace is a good guide. Just remember that on some days fish want the fly crawling near bottom, other times they will hammer one screaming near the surface, so don’t be afraid to change things up if you’re not getting any action. There are no hard and fast rules for fly selection. Many seasoned steelheaders use dark flies on dark days and bright flies on bright days. In lower and clearer water smaller flies are a good place to start. As the flow increases, so should the size of your fly. But, there is also a place for just using your gut or a fly you have confidence in. Tackle for steelhead is also varied. You need a set-up that will get your fly to the fish and handle one when you get hooked up. Single or double handed rods in the sevenweight and up category can be effective. When swinging, it is easy to share the water. If you encounter another angler fishing a run, you should start upstream of them. “Low holeing” or dropping into a run below an angler, will not win you many friends in the steelhead fraternity. When you reach the end of the run, go back up to the head of the pool, change flies or adjust your tip and start through again. Multiple anglers can rotate through a good run this way. Steelheading is a journey, not a destination. You will only truly learn about a river through experience. Modern media can speed up the learning curve, but there is no substitute for being on the water. Enjoy the journey as steelhead can take you to some very beautiful places! ?

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Dave Taylor is a well known photographer and naturalist from Mississauga, Ontario

water’s edge By Dave Taylor

The Snowy Owl Every fall they appear across southern Canada and into the northern United States. Late season anglers on their way to a favourite fishing spot might see one flying overhead or sitting on a fence post. In the fall they are easy spot; a large white bird against a backdrop of browns and greys. Snowy owls have arrived. The technical term for this is “irruption”. Snowy owls live and breed in the Northern Hemisphere’s tundra areas. They are circumpolar birds found in North America, Europe and Asia, however, their appearance well over a 1000-kilometers south of their home range is a regular event. Most biologists believe it is a result of the owl’s natural prey becoming harder to find, either due to increased snow cover or cyclical population declines. In some years there are a lot of these owls around while in others you see very few, but there are always sightings. Many of the birds are young of the year, easily

20 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

distinguished by their dark chests and heads. Their faces are always white. As they mature, male snowy owls become whiter. Females always retain the darker bars over their body but they too lighten in colour compared to younger birds. Females are also larger and slightly heavier than males. In their circumpolar range, snowy owls they feed on small rodents like lemmings and voles as well as on Arctic hare, various waterfowl, ptarmigan and song birds. Their prey selection changes only slightly when they arrive in the south, where their diet includes meadow voles, cottontail rabbits, other small mammals and whatever birds maybe available. Along the shores of Lake Ontario I’ve watched them hunt long-tailed ducks. The owls perch on the shore and then swoop out over the flock of feeding ducks. The ducks see the owl coming and dive, but the owl has a strategy. It loops and returns quickly to where the ducks are likely to come up for air, surprising their victims. It is not 100% successful by any means, but I’ve seen enough frozen duck carcasses along the shore to attest that the technique does work. These owls are not that wary around people. They are often seen sitting on rooftops in the middle of cities, (feeding on pigeons and squirrels perhaps?), and are quite common along the shores of the Great Lakes as long as there are ducks about. They also like farm fields that attract rodents and waterfowl.

Snowy owls are ground nesters. Once on the tundra the females select a flood-resistant site on a rise. Windswept locations are preferred as the wind helps rid the nest site of biting insects. The clutch size ranges from 3 to 12 eggs, the number of eggs depending on the availability of prey. After about a month the first eggs hatch and two to three-weeks later the surviving young are walking about on the tundra. Owlet survival is dependent on both parents capturing enough food to feed their young. Arctic foxes, peregrine falcons and other predators also take their toll, as do mosquitoes - whose feeding can weaken the young birds. In years in which a lot of the young survive we can look forward to a major irruption of these birds in the fall. Many years ago I had my strangest encounter with a snowy owl. A friend and I were bird watching by Toronto’s Humber Bay, when a ring-billed gull landed at our feet. It was squawking and making a terrible fuss, but it was unharmed. Then we looked up and saw a snowy owl hovering just above us. It was too afraid of us to make the kill, but not so afraid that it was going to give up without a good try. It flew off a short while later and so did the gull. We never knew if the owl was successful. ?

the vintage tackle box

Patrick Daradick has been collecting vintage fishing tackle for over 25-years and is a specialist in Ontario made tackle. He enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge and can be contacted online at www.ontariolures.com or by phone at 613-398-7245.

By Patrick Daradick

The Luring Female Touch When one considers the production of fishing lures, you immediately presume the dominance of the male influence since fishing in the early years - and even today - is what they once declared a “man’s sport”. Times have changed and many females now enjoy, and even compete, in the sport of angling. Many people don’t know that from the 1930s to the 1960s, when most production of wooden or metal fishing lures and fishing rods was manually operated, female workers dominated the tackle factories and also helped in many small time basement or garage operations. When I was researching a picture I obtained for my collection, it came to my attention that women played a large role in this business working as secretaries, assemblers and designers. One department they solely owned was the painting department. When I spoke to Lou Guerin, who was the machinist for Hex Baits in Brockville from the 1930s to the 1950s, he stated that there wasn’t any man who could match the quality, patience and artistic ability that a female possessed. Hex Baits employed mostly women. Many were hired during the war years as men went off to fight for our country. It was evident to Hector Maclean, the

22 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

owner of Hex Baits, that women could commit and produce with resounding success. The photos of the women at Hex Baits accompanied magazine articles done by the Montreal Standard in 1947. I spoke to a couple of the women who once worked for Hex Baits and they said that many of the paint patterns were of their own design and innovation. At times they were allowed to experiment freely and, if the design was successful, Hex Baits would implement the pattern on their lures. They all seemed to enjoy their work and, as bonus, Hector Maclean would load them up with free lures to pass out to friends and family come Christmas! The photograph of Isabel York (nee Tomassina) working in the Lucky Strike factory was taken by the press in 1957. They wanted to show the importance of women in the tackle industry. On the back of the photo is printed: Bait for The Big Ones, Peterborough, Canada, followed by: “Fooling the fish is the aim of this factory worker as she sprays a fish scale pattern onto these lures to simulate a perch. These king - size specimens are designed to tempt the whoppers that abound in Canada’s woods and streams, but many an angler would be content to settle for a catch the size of this bait.” I was very fortunate to actually locate Isabel York after obtaining the press photo of her working in the

Lucky Strike Factory. She is presently in her 90s and residing where she was born, in Bancroft, Ontario. The lures with the photo are ones she actually painted herself in the 1950s. They are all special colour patterns she had tried, designed and eventually stored away all these years.

Isabel York (nee Tomassina) working in the Lucky Strike factory in 1957.

If you have an old fishing plug or spoon, you can be about 80% sure that a woman had a hand in the fancy paint pattern and the quality of your lure. Woman changed the way lures were designed, and especially the way they were painted. Like Frank Edgar, founder of Lucky Strike Bait Works, would say: “We design and paint a lure to attract the fisherman, not the fish.” ?

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real fishing fish facts

Payara Hydrolycus scomberoides

The payara is one of the most distinctive looking of all fish species. It has a compressed, elongated body with a high, squared off dorsal fin and a broad tail that can be either round or square in shape, depending on the species. The tail, adipose and anal fins have a dark band towards their trailing edges and are generally white on the extreme outer edge. The body is steely grey in colour and can include blue to olive tones. Payara are darkest on the back and gradually lighten through the flanks to a whitish belly.

DID YOU KNOW? Some experienced fishing guides use live piranhas as bait for payara.

FAST FACTS Colour: Steel-grey to blue or olive Size: Can reach 40” to 48” and weigh up to 40-pounds Habitat: Fast flowing rivers in the Amazon River basin of South America

RECORD The current IFGA All-Tackle World Record Payara stands at 39 lbs, 4 oz. The fish was caught in February, 1996, from the Uraima Falls in Venezuela.

The most identifiable trait of the payara is its enormous fang-like teeth growing from the tip of its lower jaw. These can reach up to two or three-inches in length. There is a sheath on the payara’s upper jaw that the teeth slip into when the fish’s mouth is closed. The upper jaw also has a pair of similar, although smaller, canines and the rest of the mouth is full of more sharp, pointed teeth. Payara are found in the Amazon River basin of South America, especially in the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers of Venezuela, as well as in Brazil, Bolivia, Guyana, and Peru. They prefer water temperatures between 74°F and 82°F and are primarily found in swift-flowing rivers, although they occasionally inhabit flooded backwaters, lagoons and impoundments. Payara are a popular and exciting sportfish that strike ferociously and fight hard for their size. Although not known for their stamina, they will make several line-stripping runs and often jump clear of the water when hooked. They are not fished commercially but they are edible and are used for food by some South American people. ? 24 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

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26 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

OCTOBER

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

4:30 - 6:30 am 5:18 - 7:18 am 6:06 4:54 - 6:54 pm 5:42 - 7:42 pm 6:30 am 12:33 10:57 - 12:27 am NA 11:21 - 12:51 pm 12:09 - 1:39 pm 12:57 -

7 8:06 8:30 2:03 2:27

am pm am pm

6:54 7:18 1:21 1:45 -

2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06 9:09 - 10:39 9:33 - 11:03

8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42 2:45 - 4:15 3:09 - 4:39

1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18 8:21 - 9:51 8:45 - 10:15

am pm am pm

9:30 9:54 3:27 3:51

am pm am pm

1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18 8:21 - 9:51 8:45 - 10:15

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9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30 3:33 - 5:03 3:57 - 5:27

am pm am pm

NA 12:42 - 2:42 6:45 - 8:15 7:09 - 8:39

am pm am pm

2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06 9:09 - 10:39 9:33 - 11:03

8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42 2:45 - 4:15 3:09 - 4:39

am 12:30 - 2:30 am pm 12:54 - 2:54 pm am 6:57 - 8:27 am pm 7:21 - 8:51 pm

1:18 1:42 7:45 8:09 -

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8:54 9:18 2:51 3:15

am pm am pm

7:42 - 9:42 8:06 - 10:06 2:09 - 3:39 2:33 - 4:03

3:18 3:42 9:15 9:39

am pm am pm

2:06 - 4:06 2:30 - 4:30 8:33 - 10:03 8:57 - 10:27

am pm am pm

9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30 3:33 - 5:03 3:57 - 5:27

3:06 3:30 9:03 9:27

am pm am pm

1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18 8:21 - 9:51 8:45 - 10:15

8:42 9:06 2:39 3:03

am pm am pm

7:30 7:54 1:57 2:21 -

am pm am pm

9:30 9:54 3:27 3:51

am pm am pm

3:06 3:30 9:03 9:27

am pm am pm

1:54 - 3:54 2:18 - 4:18 8:21 - 9:51 8:45 - 10:15

am pm am pm

2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06 9:09 - 10:39 9:33 - 11:03

8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42 2:45 - 4:15 3:09 - 4:39

2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06 9:09 - 10:39 9:33 - 11:03

8:30 - 10:30 8:54 - 10:54 2:57 - 4:27 3:21 - 4:51

am pm am pm

2:54 - 4:54 3:18 - 5:18 9:21 - 10:51 9:45 - 11:15

8:42 9:06 2:39 3:03

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7:30 7:54 1:57 2:21 -

NA 12:42 - 2:42 6:45 - 8:15 7:09 - 8:39

am pm am pm

1:06 1:30 7:33 7:57 -

6:42 7:06 1:09 1:33 -

am pm am pm

3:06 3:30 9:03 9:27

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am pm am pm

3:06 3:30 9:03 9:27

am pm am pm

8:42 9:06 2:39 3:03

am pm am pm

11:30 - 1:30 11:54 - 1:54 5:57 - 7:27 6:21 - 7:51

am pm am pm

5:54 - 7:54 am 6:42 6:18 - 8:18 pm 7:06 am 1:09 NA 12:45 - 2:15 pm 1:33 -

NA 12:42 - 2:42 6:45 - 8:15 7:09 - 8:39

10:42 - 12:42 am 11:06 - 1:06 pm 5:09 - 6:39 am 5:33 - 7:03 pm

18 4:18 - 6:18 am 4:42 - 6:42 pm 10:45 - 12:15 am 11:09 - 12:39 pm

am 3:30 - 5:30 am pm 3:54 - 5:54 pm am 9:57 - 11:27 am pm 10:21 - 11:51 pm

10:42 - 12:42 am 11:06 - 1:06 pm 5:09 - 6:39 am 5:33 - 7:03 pm

am pm am pm

9:30 9:54 3:27 3:51

6:42 7:06 1:09 1:33 -

am pm am pm

am 5:54 - 7:54 am pm 6:18 - 8:18 pm am NA am pm 12:45 - 2:15 pm

24 9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30 3:33 - 5:03 3:57 - 5:27

am pm am pm

4 7:06 7:30 1:03 1:27

am pm am pm

2:54 - 4:54 3:18 - 5:18 9:21 - 10:51 9:45 - 11:15

1:06 1:30 7:33 7:57 -

am 3:30 - 5:30 am pm 3:54 - 5:54 pm am 9:57 - 11:27 am pm 10:21 - 11:51 pm

am pm am pm

16 am pm am pm

7:06 7:30 1:03 1:27

am 9:54 - 11:54 am 10:18 - 12:18 am pm 10:18 - 12:18 pm 10:42 - 12:42 pm am 4:21 - 5:51 am 5:45 - 7:15 am pm 4:45 - 6:15 pm 6:09 - 7:39 pm

9:18 - 11:18 9:42 - 11:42 3:45 - 5:15 4:09 - 5:39

am 10:42 - 12:42 am 11:30 - 1:30 am pm 11:06 - 1:06 pm 11:54 - 1:54 pm am 4:21 - 5:51 am 5:57 - 7:27 am pm 4:45 - 6:15 pm 6:21 - 7:51 pm

9:06 - 11:06 9:30 - 11:30 3:33 - 5:03 3:57 - 5:27

am pm am pm

am 3:30 - 5:30 am 4:18 - 6:18 am 5:06 pm 3:54 - 5:54 pm 4:42 - 6:42 pm 5:30 am 9:57 - 11:27 am 10:45 - 12:15 am 11:33 pm 10:21 - 11:51 pm 11:09 - 12:39 pm 11:57 -

3:42 - 5:42 4:06 - 6:06 10:09 - 11:39 10:33 - 12:03

am 5:54 - 7:54 am pm 6:18 - 8:18 pm am NA am pm 12:45 - 2:15 pm

am 3:30 - 5:30 am 4:18 - 6:18 am 5:06 pm 3:54 - 5:54 pm 4:42 - 6:42 pm 5:30 am 9:57 - 11:27 am 10:45 - 12:15 am 11:33 pm 10:21 - 11:51 pm 11:09 - 12:39 pm 11:57 -

am pm am pm

8:18 - 10:18 8:42 - 10:42 2:45 - 4:15 3:09 - 4:39

8:06 8:30 2:03 2:27

2:42 - 4:42 3:06 - 5:06 9:09 - 10:39 9:33 - 11:03

5:54 - 7:54 am 6:18 - 8:18 pm am NA 12:45 - 2:15 pm NA 12:42 - 2:42 6:45 - 8:15 7:09 - 8:39

3:18 3:42 9:15 9:39

am pm am pm

am 9:54 - 11:54 am 10:42 - 12:42 am 11:30 - 1:30 am pm 10:18 - 12:18 pm 11:06 - 1:06 pm 11:54 - 1:54 pm am 4:21 - 5:51 am 4:21 - 5:51 am 5:57 - 7:27 am pm 4:45 - 6:15 pm 4:45 - 6:15 pm 6:21 - 7:51 pm

9:30 9:54 3:27 3:51

7:30 7:54 1:57 2:21 -

6:54 7:18 1:21 1:45 -

am 3:30 - 5:30 am 4:18 - 6:18 am 5:06 pm 3:54 - 5:54 pm 4:42 - 6:42 pm 5:30 am 9:57 - 11:27 am 10:45 - 12:15 am 11:33 pm 10:21 - 11:51 pm 11:09 - 12:39 pm 11:57 -

am pm am pm

8:30 - 10:30 8:54 - 10:54 2:57 - 4:27 3:21 - 4:51

22 am pm am pm

am 10:06 - 12:06 am NA pm 10:30 - 12:30 pm 12:06 - 2:06 am 4:33 - 6:03 am 6:09 - 7:39 pm 4:57 - 6:27 pm 6:33 - 8:03

1:18 1:42 7:45 8:09 -

am pm am pm

7:42 - 9:42 8:06 - 10:06 2:09 - 3:39 2:33 - 4:03

am 12:30 - 2:30 am pm 12:54 - 2:54 pm am 6:57 - 8:27 am pm 7:21 - 8:51 pm

3:42 - 5:42 am 4:30 - 6:30 am 5:18 - 7:18 am 6:06 4:06 - 6:06 pm 4:54 - 6:54 pm 5:42 - 7:42 pm 6:30 am 12:33 10:09 - 11:39 am 10:57 - 12:27 am NA 10:33 - 12:03 pm 11:21 - 12:51 pm 12:09 - 1:39 pm 12:57 -

9:18 - 11:18 9:42 - 11:42 3:45 - 5:15 4:09 - 5:39

am pm am pm

SATURDAY

2 2:54 - 4:54 3:18 - 5:18 9:21 - 10:51 9:45 - 11:15

8 8:54 9:18 2:51 3:15

FRIDAY

am pm am pm

2:06 - 4:06 2:30 - 4:30 8:33 - 10:03 8:57 - 10:27

Good Time

NOVEMBER

THURSDAY

1 Excellent Time

10:06 - 12:06 am 10:54 - 12:54 am NA 10:30 - 12:30 pm 11:18 - 1:18 pm 12:06 - 2:06 4:33 - 6:03 am 5:21 - 6:51 am 6:09 - 7:39 4:57 - 6:27 pm 5:45 - 7:15 pm 6:33 - 8:03

DECEMBER

Best Fishing Times 2015

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SUNDAY

19 7:06 7:30 1:03 1:27

am pm am pm

11:30 - 1:30 11:54 - 1:54 5:57 - 7:27 6:21 - 7:51

am pm am pm

5:06 5:30 11:33 11:57 -

This massive smallmouth bass didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come from the Great Lakes. In fact, it was caught in a small lake in Northern Ontario and was one of many that Jerry Collins landed that day to anchor a five fish tally weighing an incredible 27.4-pounds.

28 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fall 2015

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HUNTERS OF THE NOVEMBER SHORES By Mark Forabosco

30 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

The bitter sting of winter’s breath filled the air, its cold grip quickly smothering out whatever life remained of autumn. I dejectedly stared out across the lake, angry waves and whitecaps for as far as the eye could see. Above me loomed a pale, bluish-grey sky, empty except for a distant flock of Canvasbacks almost out of sight, heading south. I cursed Old Man Winter for bestowing such ominous weather on my last holiday of the year, mumbling something to the effect of, “Should have stayed home and slept in.”

Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 31

My heart was dead set on getting the boat on the water for one final muskellunge excursion before the season’s end but by the look of things that was certainly out of the question. Then I had a rare moment of clarity. My wife had recently purchased a vintage angling volume titled, “The Book of Lures”, by Charles Fox. Now this Mr. Fox was a regular angler, just like you and I, a man who loved to shoreline fish for muskies on the Susquehanna and Allegheny Rivers in his home state of Pennsylvania. I thought about his ideas and techniques and recalled some of the second-hand stories I had heard about late season shoreline fishing on Lake St. Clair, put one and one together, and decided to try my luck. Looking back on that day so many years ago, I don’t know if it was a leap of faith or just stubborn conviction, but aside from a few trips back to my truck to thaw out frozen fingers, I toughed things out. I worked my way along a rockpile that stretched out to the lake, repeatedly making cast after cast with a homemade lure that was similar in size and shape to an old Cisco Kid. I felt vindicated later that afternoon as I nursed a hot coffee on the long drive back home. I had landed two muskellunge that day, the largest weighing in at 15-pounds. But what left the greatest impression on me was the 30-pound beast I netted for a fellow angler shortly before I packed up to leave.

The Drawing Power of Rivers and Streams Over the last decade more anglers have become aware of what late season muskie possibilities await them along many of the rivers and streams that connect to Lake St. Clair. What a number of these anglers do not know is the reason why those fish are there. That’s important because the answer

to that question can play a pivotal role in the lures you choose and your style of presentation. The answer is actually twofold. Water temperature certainly plays a part as shallow sections in front of rivermouths are usually a few degrees warmer than the surrounding lake. Secondly, and the most influential, is the gathering of schools of shad. Once these fish begin to assemble near rivermouths, you can bet your last dollar that the muskies won’t be far behind. The best analogy that I can give is that of hungry wolf packs that follow herds of tundra caribou. This is a perfect case of an efficient predator making the most of a golden opportunity. To me, what makes this so special is that one gets to see muskellunge in a totally different light. Old wives tales float around about these fish patrolling their feeding grounds in a singular fashion. That idea does hold a valid ring of truth, but only to a point. On several occasions I have seen quite the opposite. More than once I have been casting along a breakwall on the Detroit River, or from a pier where a tributary connects to St. Clair, on an uneventful day, when suddenly chaos erupts. In the next hour or two you see a double header or two and as many as a half a dozen muskellunge are landed. Then, as quickly as it began, it ends. It is as if these fish come in waves, everything from singles to small packs, feed aggressively and then, like some ghostly apparition, dissipate back into the blackness of the lake. The Gizzard shad is a fatty, silvercoloured species averaging one to twopounds in size, ideal forage for a top predator that is trying to bulk up before the lake ices over. The bottom line is this: as the shad go, so go the muskies. If the shad population is on the upswing and they have a good average size, those are the years when you tend to see muskellunge with greater girths and stories circulating of increased numbers of 30-pound class fish and above. Conversely, if shad numbers are down, conversations tend to gravitate about fewer trophy class fish being landed.

Methodology and a little Chutzpah Truth be told, shore fishing for muskies is no more difficult than fishing for mudcats with a worm and a float. Since we are 32 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

working a small piece of real estate, like a pier or a rock pile jutting out to the lake, we are limited as to where we can go. Fan casting is ideal under this scenario. Start out at 10 o’clock, work your way over to two o’clock and then repeat. Be thorough in your presentation. If there is room, work your way down another 10-yards and continue. Admittedly, it‘s about as rudimentary as it gets, but it works! Unlike in a boat, where you are essentially covering water and finding the fish, the role is now reversed and you are patiently waiting for the fish to come in and find you. Any angler with a bit of grit, a positive attitude, and who can brave some cold conditions, has a chance to make a memory.

With regards to tackle, standard musky gear or heavy action bass tackle will suffice. Even spinning gear has a place; just remember you want a heavy action rod with a medium to large reel. Braided or monofilament lines both work, but it is very important to have a quality fluorocarbon or wire leader of at least 12-inches in length. I say this because a muskellunge can take a bait a long ways down and, if you run too short a leader, there is always a risk of them biting through the line. The strikes aren’t going to be with the fury of a fall salmon, where 100-yards of line is stripped off of your spool in the blink of an eye. More often than not you’ll simply feel a heavy weight and set the hook. The water is cool at this time of year, slowing down a muskie’s metabolism. When hooked they’ll twist and turn, the runs will

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be short and most battles, though exciting, will last less than a minute or two. Over the years I’ve deduced that any lake suffering from a lagging musky fishery did not get that way because an occasional angler decided to keep that once in a lifetime trophy, as the overwhelming majority of fish are released to fight another day. What has played a more pivotal role in the decline of muskellunge in some waters is the introduction of invasive species, degradation of spawning grounds, and pollution, things that are sometimes beyond the control of the common angler. One thing that there is no excuse for, and where I have seen a number of fish lost, is irresponsible handling. There are no greater tools than jaw spreaders and long nose pliers. If you carry these you should never have a musky sink to the bottom and become food for snapping turtles. Hook cutters if the fish is hooked too deeply and, of course, a long handle musky net round out the release gear and make an excellent and responsible investment for under a $150.00. If you want to take a photo, take one or two and quickly get the fish back into the lake. A trick that many British carp anglers use is to take a large sheet of matting or even an old raincoat, pour some water over it and lay the fish on it while removing the hooks. Muskie anglers can do the same thing as this prevents the scales from being damaged as well as preventing the loss of protective slime. Expensive lures have been the financial demise of many of the angling fraternity, including me. But, when it comes to late season shoreline fishing, the right halfdozen baits will see your catch ratio equal that of the angler with the 100 lure capacity tackle box filled to the brim. Being that a muskie’s metabolism has slowed down at this time of year, fish accordingly with large rubber lures like the tried and true BullDawg. Another jigging lure that I depend on when casting from shore has the Bondy Bait. Last year, under muddy conditions, I put the boat back on the trailer and relocated near a small river. I was casting from a rock pile where the water had better clarity and hooked into four muskellunge in two hours. Nothing larger than 42-inches, but it saved the day. Crankbaits that dive down between three and five-feet fished in a slow and methodical 34 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

manner are also effective. Ageless jerkbaits like the Eddie or Bobbie Bait are excellent cold water lures too. Over the decades these often underutilized lures have fooled many trophy muskellunge and I would highly recommend employing them when casting from shore. If you like to dabble with building homemade lures like I do, this would be a fine time to test them out as well.

Where and When Much of this article deals with Lake St. Clair during the last month or so before the season is closed. But this is not the only place where pursuing muskellunge from shore exists. In fact, there are over 100 rivers in Ontario, many in the southern portion of the province, where similar tactics will enable you to catch muskies without the need for a boat. If you’re curious as to which rivers in your area harbour muskellunge I would recommend going on line to the Ontario MNR website and conducting a search. There is one more popular destination I would like to suggest. The upper Niagara River has healthy pockets of muskie and, if on some late summer day you have some free time, try working your way along the river’s edge from Frenchman’s Creek, which is just before Strawberry Island, past the Peace Bridge towards Waverly Beach. There are numerous sections where you can cast from shore as well as wade. Although I can’t guarantee you a fish, the odds are good that you’ll hook into one or two. Areas exist along this route where the current is fairly strong so concentrate on safety before anything else.

The Whirlpool, located on the lower Niagara just 10-minutes downstream from the Falls, has enough muskellunge to make the walk back up the hill worth the trouble. Here the water is crystal clear and muskie, being the inquisitive creatures they are, will dog lures to the edge of the shoreline then disappear back to the depths. For that reason alone I prefer to wet a line there on overcast, late summer days, especially if there has been a recent rain and the water is slightly discoloured. This is also an excellent locale to try a noisy top water lure at dusk. Usually by the time November rolls around a good percentage of anglers have already fogged their outboards and stored their boats away for the winter. This does not mean you have to restrict your pursuit of muskellunge to watching the fishing channel on Sunday mornings. Speaking of which, have you ever noticed that every fishing show or article pertaining to musky fishing deals with angling from a boat?

I had high hopes of connecting with some large muskellunge cruising the shoreline for reckless baitfish but two-hours of continued casting without so much as a bump had me questioning my logic in playing hooky from work in order to wet a line on a frosty overcast fall morning. Suddenly an unseen force just about pulled the rod from my hands. My eyes opened up as wide as saucers and I automatically set the hooks as hard as I dared. A large tail broke the calm water and, with one powerful stroke, the fish dove hard to the bottom and then started to head out towards the lake. I immediately knew that I was into a good muskie and after a few minutes of stubborn give and take I got my first glimpse of her as she cruised just a few feet away from the rocky shoreline. I tucked the net under my arm and slid all the way down the sharp rocky embankment

Many times over the years I have met people who tell me how interested they are in targeting this species but, because they don’t own a boat, they feel that there is no real chance of ever catching one, let alone getting the opportunity to land a trophy. Late season shore fishing not only levels the playing field, it could also lead to the biggest fish of your life.

A Tragic Story Generally, the largest muskellunge from Lake St. Clair are taken during the late fall. Over the years I have witnessed a number of trophies, ranging from 30 to 40-pounds, landed from shore. In fact, it was on a rainy, late November day that I saw my largest muskie to date. Initially I thought that I was hung up because, no matter how hard I leaned on the rod, nothing would move. This puzzled me because I had been casting all day and hadn’t gotten stuck once. For a moment I thought I may have snagged onto a piece of waterlogged driftwood but then the driftwood, ever so slowly, began to move. It was clear that this fish had no idea it was even hooked! By this point I knew 36 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

that I was into something very special and, to make a long story short, this leviathan eventually surfaced, water rolling off an enormous back. She then dove down, gave one good head shake and my bait slowly floated up to the surface. I’ve been fortunate and have landed some pretty respectable fish, one even pushing that magical 50-pound mark, but the musky I hooked off that pier was by far the largest I have ever seen. Nelson Bryant of the New York Times put it most eloquently when he wrote, “Fishing for muskellunge is like writing love letters that are never mailed. Your chances of success are limited, but there is pleasure in the ritual.” Needless to say I have never quite come to terms with the end result of that fateful morning. After long and deliberate consideration I have concluded that when the time comes for me to meet my maker the very first question I plan to ask is, “Just how big was that SOB anyway?” ?

on my backside, making sure that I never relinquished the pressure on the fish. By now the old girl was moving in circles, each one smaller than the last. Slowly, and with an angler’s prayer on my lips, I guided her into the deep net. At the time it was one of the finest muskellunge that I had ever landed, stretching the tape measure to a hair over 52-inches, a heavy fish that would weigh 35-pounds. Fondly recollecting that day so many years ago, the experience taught me that, contrary to popular belief, trophy muskellunge can be taken from shore. Deciding to skip work that day was one of the smartest decisions I have ever made!

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38 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fall 2015

FALL FEEDING FEST By David A. Brown

Fall means hunting season to some, football season to others; but for areas with bass populations, it’s time for the fish to pack on weight in preparation for winter’s approaching leanness. The frigid months see diminished forage supplies and a general lethargy, so those who plan on welcoming spring’s arrival feel a distinct urgency as summer’s heat yields to autumn’s refreshing coolness. Shorter days mean less sunlight for warmth and visibility. This, along with those falling water temperatures, put fish in a full-on food mood.

Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 39

Troy Garrison, a regional bass pro from Topsham, Maine calls it a “feast fest.” Safe to say, that theme holds true throughout most of North America as motivated bass do their best to catch a bunch of forage species that are doing their best to avoid the “big crunch”. A comprehensive summary of fall bass movements exceeds our space so we’ll hit the high points – those general statements of seasonal behavior - from which anglers can formulate game plans for particular fisheries.

DRAWDOWN DIRECTION Many lakes experience declining water levels each fall; either as a result of natural cycles or as the result of water authorities lowering reservoirs to winter pool. In either case, receding shorelines lay bare much of the shallow cover and exemplify the law of supply and demand. “When lake levels drop and a lot of the wood and rock is left exposed, any remaining cover is like a magnet for fish swimming down a bank,” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs. Be it laydowns, logs, deeper riprap edges, even old roadbeds, crumbled bridges and commercial/industrial piers; anything that might harbor baitfish and/or provide ambush potential for bass merits attention.

You may find one bass or you may find 20; but whoever’s home will almost certainly be ready to eat.

GO WHERE THE FOOD IS Notwithstanding seasonal water functions, a handful of fall scenarios will help guide you to bass abundance. Here’s a rundown of common scenarios. CREEK CRAWL: In areas with shad, the fall baitfish migration into creeks lays out an absolutely insane buffet for hungry bass. Abundance and ease of capture make this a no-brainer for fish – and fishermen. The bite can be furious throughout the day but, as tournament pro Stephen Johnston notes: “The water is usually cooler in the fall, so when the sun gets above the trees and starts cooking, those shad will come to the surface because the water’s warmer there. So the sun is your friend in the fall.”

Any bridge, large or small, will do, but the ones that cross major creek arms generally hold higher potential, as bait schools heading back into their fall objectives traverse these pinch points. Even main lake structures will continue to offer great bass opportunities throughout the fall. “Typically, this time of year the bait starts balling up and bridges are pinch points where all that bait that’s heading back to the creeks gets funneled through a tight area,” Tietje said. “As that bait washes past, those bridge pilings make a current break and the bass will position on the down-current side to ambush baitfish as they pass by. Bluffs give fish a place to corral forage, like the sideline of a football field.

BRIDGE BUSTERS: Bassmaster Elite Series pro Dennis Tietje knows that bridges will offer some of the most consistent fall opportunities, particularly in waters where seasonal drawdowns create current. Anytime you combine current with structure you get ambush spots and bass need no clarification here.

BLUFFS: As fall progresses, lower overnight temperatures will leave morning waters chilly until sunlight warms the upper reaches of the water column. With their mostly vertical profile, bluffs present fish with a range of temperatures that requires only a vertical move. Also, bluffs give fish a place to corral forage, like the sideline of a football field. On sunny days, your west-facing bluffs will offer the most shade in the morning, while east-facing bluffs create the afternoon shade. DEEP OR SHALLOW: In northern U.S. and Canadian waters devoid of massive shad schooling, bass lack the motivation for concentrated creek runs. Nevertheless, they’ll still go to the food sources — wherever they amass. “Here in Maine, in the fall, the largemouth bass tend to move back to structure to get their feed on,” Garrison said. “The 40 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

water has cooled quite a bit and the shallow bite seems to be the pattern for me in the fall - as well as any breaks to deeper water. To me, it seems as if once the bass are done with their shallow feed they move to breaks.” Ontario pro Chris Johnston agrees and adds, “In early to mid-fall a lot of these fish push shallow; they get right up and chase baitfish, like shiners, in the inland lakes. Some will also bump frogs out of the waters in the muddy areas. They’ll do this some in the Great Lakes, but there they typically go deep - anywhere from 25 to 45-feet - and eat gobies and crayfish.” As FLW northern pro Joe Lucarelli notes, lake habitat has a lot to do with fall bass movement. “If you have shallow grass, they will go shallow because the vegetation holds baitfish,” he said. “Otherwise, they just feed over deep water.” One might assume the offshore fish require bottom-oriented baits but, as Lucarelli said, even those that remain deeper have no problem rising to gobble a bait at or near the surface. “The fish are moving around a lot more,” Lucarelli said. “The bigger fish seem to be in the upper part of the water column while the smaller fish seem to eat on the bottom. You don’t get as many bites up high, but they are good fish.” DOCKS: Whether or not the lake sees a fall reduction, docks are absolutely irresistible structures for bass – if for no other reason than their attraction to forage species hiding amid the shadows. Hard structure and shadow lines fit the bass’ feeding plan; and in lakes with drawdown current, water flowing past a dock is a slam dunk for ambush feeding. 42 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

This, however, is a fleeting fall opportunity as lakefront homeowners retract most docks in advance of the hard water season. But, similar to the principle of diminishing shoreline cover, a cove where one homeowner’s a little slow in matching his neighbor’s dock retraction will typically find that remaining structure thick with bass. THE RACE IS ON: It’s dynamic, sporadic and a true case of up-close and personal; it’s tailrace fishing. Whether it’s a hydro-electric facility like those harnessing the Niagara, St. Lawrence and Tennessee rivers; or navigational locks linking inland lakes, releasing constrained water creates a highly-oxygenated and dynamic scenario where various forage species tend to concentrate. When the water’s moving slowly, the forage scatters,

but when the current’s surging, look for the meal items to hug the rocks. In the preferred latter scenario, tracing edges with crankbaits, slinging Alabama rigs and targeting isolated structure with jigs is the way to go.

MEALS THAT MATCH When targeting bass gorging on threadfin shad or other smaller baitfish, it’s hard to beat a spinnerbait with a white or white/chartreuse pattern and willowleaf blades. Flash, vibration, lots of water displacement – that’ll get ‘em looking the right way. Other single-bait options include swimbaits, topwaters, lipless crankbaits and squarebill crankbaits. For mimicking a cluster of baitfish, consider the Alabama rig, but be sure to use one than complies with local regulations.

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P R E S E N TAT I O N S T R AT E G I E S The fall feeding fest offers plenty of opportunities, but savvy anglers can tilt the odds in their favor with a handful of tactical enhancements. Among them:

Elsewhere, when bass target heftier baitfish like gizzard shad, blueback herring and big alewives, bumping up your bait profile to a full-size topwater or going with a larger profile spinnerbait can be helpful. When Johnston finds his fish moving out deep to isolated rockpiles and sharp ledges, he’ll turn to dragging a 3/4-ounce tube. Notably, while most use tube jigs with 60degree line ties, Johnston prefers a 90degree model. The angle, he said, gives him better hook sets while also producing the kind of aggressive presentation that appeals to gluttonous fall bass. “When you have a 90-degree eye, the front of the tube acts like the bill of a crankbait and it keeps the tube down more,” he said. “It digs into the bottom more and I find you get more of a reaction bite; rather than the 60-degree (style) that kind of glides along the bottom.” Johnston will also target those deep fall fish with a 4-inch flutter spoon. Presentation, he said, is simple; but the response can be jolting. “Just let it go got the bottom and snap it up,” Johnston said. “When they hit it, you’ll see your line jump.” Looking back to the shallows, Garrison’s a big fan of black and blue jigs around docks in the fall. Such flipping/pitching presentations, along with shaky heads, can pull you through the occasional downturn. Maybe you’ve caught a bunch on moving baits, or perhaps a weather change has the bass a little funky. In any case, keeping a couple of targeted baits handy is smart strategy. With any of these tactics, fall bass fishing offers a tremendous level of opportunity. Stay active, keep watch for breaking bass or bait schools (at the surface or on the electronics) and know that as soon as one bite tapers, another is likely to spark somewhere else. ? 44 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

BURN IT UP: With surface and shallow running baits, peppy retrieves prove highly effective for fish accustomed to a seasonal uptick. With fall bass chewing nearly ‘round the clock, baitfish remain on high alert and dash with a fervent pace at the slightest hint of aggression. Speeding up your presentations – some call this “burning” – flips the right switch and brings out the beast in fall bass. Just make sure you’re ready for the results. “It’s like you’ve hooked an F-16 on a fly by,” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro Shaw Grigsby. “That actually helps with the hookup. There’s no question – they want to stop that bait so they’re really slugging it.” DOUBLE UP: If one is good, two is better – at least in terms of tempting fall bass. Indeed, doubling up on popular baits presents the image of a baitfish cluster, while giving bass more to target. Topwaters, flukes, frogs, swimbaits – bump up your tackle and line size and look for the double hookup potential. PICK IT APART: Happy is the angler who locates shoreline cover when receding

waters take other structures out of the game. Opportunities are many, and Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs knows that a multi-level bait selection – along with a prudent approach strategy – will help him get the most out of the situation. Favoring natural wood cover, Combs will first probe the perimeter with a spinnerbait. Keeping his distance allows him to pick off the most aggressive fish without spooking the spot. Next, he moves in a little closer and makes targeted casts with a squarebill crankbait. Making sure to bump the cover as often as possible, he’ll work the entire structure before easing in to clean up by flipping a jig or a Texasrigged plastic.

BRING THE STING: Because the fall bite can be fast and furious, with lots of frantic, slashing type bites, the potential for poorly-aimed attacks to miss the mark runs high. Treble hook baits usually snare anyone who gets close enough to make contact, but single hook baits, like your flukes and a swimbaits rigged on leadhead jigs, might need a little something extra in the backseat – something like a stinger hook. Options range from premade stinger harnesses, which add extra bite to the end of a larger plastic bait, to a trailer hook (with rubber spacer) affixed to a spinnerbait, buzzbait or fluke.

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My Husband’s Ongoing Love Affair… WITH A SHARK! A true story about a boy and his fish.

By Lisa Abram

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish was a simple rhyming book for young children written by Dr. Seuss about a boy and girl and the many amazing creatures they have for friends and pets. We all collect items of choice when young and impressionable and often pondering the world around us. When my husband, Mark, was a teenager, well beyond the age of reading Dr. Seuss books, he caught a seven-foot, 150-pound Golden Hammerhead shark off Miami Beach, Florida. As family folklore goes, he tried to reel it into the boat with his father, Cecil, but after a 45-minute battle they eventually had to succumb to the fishing guide’s expertise in knocking the ferocious beast down with a stun gun. With a grappling hook under the gill to bring it over the lip of the vessel, still flipping its tail once caught, their fishing expedition finally reeled in not Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 47

one, but two sharks as the mighty species travel in pairs. Mark caught the male; while another fishing enthusiast landed the companion. My father-in-law recently recounted the tale to me; he is still as sharp as the knife used by the taxidermist to gut and preserve the ill-fated shark many decades ago.

48 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

“It cost me $600 to build a crate and ship it to Winnipeg. It was a helluva tough fight to catch it, but we wanted to keep it as a memento.” This fish story could easily fit into Dr. Seuss’s whimsical fantastical mind, but a unique aspect to this story is that it only has a beginning – and no ending. As years

went by, the shark acquired more lives than a cat. Some might have gotten rid of it a long time ago. When you scan pop culture and the literature, it quickly becomes apparent how we have always been fascinated with sea creatures of the deep. Think Jaws, Little Mermaid, Flipper, Nemo, Jabberjaw, Free Willie, Moby Dick, Mr. Limpet and so on. It’s no wonder the men of tomorrow will always be the boys of yesteryear; the Peter Pan syndrome forever ensconced into our collective memories. As a young adult, Mark left for Calgary to begin a budding career, and there was no doubt in his mind that the shark would accompany him on his professional journey. But a seven-foot wall mount is not something you easily stuff into your suitcase, so a custom built crate was again made to transport the shark comfortably to where it needed to go. As my husband’s career continued to take him around the country, this sea creature was lovingly packed with Mark’s young, precious children in tow. I entered the scene 13-years ago, but had no idea there could exist such a strong bond between man and shark, and unknowingly accepted this “other male” in my life. When we exchanged our wedding vows, I never thought years later I would need to add: “I promise to also love and cherish the shark ‘til death do us part. Amen.”

As time went on in our union, with friends and family coming to see us in Winnipeg, the shark became the focus of their visit. Of course there were pictures of the children on the wall, along with milestone events that adorned our house but, when it came down to the showpiece of our home, it really was all about the shark! Tours of our residence inevitably led to the basement for the big reveal. There he was, just hanging out in all his glory, with the original sharp teeth intact. While the eyes had to be replaced with glass for the preservation of his esteemed form, everyone marvelled at the beauty, girth and weight. It was quite the sight to behold and quite the story to tell. And, in case there were naysayers amongst the admirers, of which I always anticipated, I had on display the original photo with Mark and his catch on that magnificent April day so long ago. In 2014, we decided to move further west with no immediate shipping plans for the shark. We hired professional movers to take our belongings and furniture in containers but Mark would have none of this secondclass transportation for his beloved beast. With the custom built container still in our garage, it was deemed too heavy, cumbersome and expensive to transport across the country. So we asked our neighbour Ron to help us dismantle the sturdy 8-foot Pandora’s Box of styrofoam noodles, which had been used to lull the shark to sleep on all his cross-country journeys. And we finally disposed of it. Then we packed up the car with a bubble-wrapped shark and some personal items and drove 13 straight hours to Calgary, where my in-laws offered to babysit the fish (where he rested comfortably on a lawn chair in

their basement, I might add) until we got settled in B.C. While the SUV we were driving was a significant size, Mark and I spent the entire road trip across the prairies with the tail extending into the front seat between us, such was the length of the shark. Bathroom breaks on the highway were our salvation - and the only time we saw each other face-to-face. Perhaps, I thought, this is my sacrifice to having a happy marriage. Fast forward a year and we are comfortably settled in our new place. But sadness lurked around each corner, in anticipation of being greeted by a blank wall. Undeterred, we boarded a ferry and drove

14-hours to Calgary, for a second time, from the farthest reaches of western Canada, to retrieve our golden beauty. Dealing with the tedium of being upright in a vehicle for this duration was offset by viewing the magnificent splendour of this great country. After my father-in-law and husband were briefly reunited with their cherished catch in the basement, the shark finally came home again – placed in a spot of prominence for all to see. Mission accomplished: a joyful reunion of a boy with his shark. An ending Dr. Seuss would be so proud of! ?

Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 49

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FATHER AND SON By Perry Miele

On my first fishing trip my father was trying to explain the fundamentals of catching bass he called, “The 3 Tap Rule.” His instructions were quite simple; when you feel the first tap, it is the bass swallowing your lure; when you feel the second tap, it’s the bass spitting out the lure. When I asked what the third tap was he said it was his hand smacking me in the head for not setting the hook on the first tap!

Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 51

The tradition of the father and son fishing trip began with my dad; now it continues with me and my son, and the technique of teaching successful fishing skills has clearly changed. My son, Anthony, is about to finish high school and in September he will be heading off to Dalhousie University. I am keenly aware that my time is running out with him where our schedules will allow us the time to spend five days fishing together. Our fishing experience to date has been fun and he has been exposed to fishing since he was a toddler up at our cottage on Georgian Bay. However, those cannot really be described as fishing trips or adventures as they usually consisted of dock fishing, a few hours working on our favourite honey holes, or half-day trips on the ocean when we vacationed in the Florida Keys. The window was closing on me fast and we needed an extended period where we could spend some quality time together and have the conversations that a father and son need to have, but today’s busy lives prevent us from having. It was now or never! I chose Northern Ontario as our destination. Partly because it was easily accessible and, having been born in Thunder Bay, I felt like I was going home, returning to my memories of the trips my father and I took.

52 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

Lodge 88, which is about an hour north of White River, Ontario, was the perfect location. With great walleye and northern pike fishing, it was the ideal combination. When you are trying to keep an over-stimulated teenager entertained, catching lots of fish definitely helps! Lodge 88 was recommended to me by my good friends, Wayne Izumi and Andy Pristol. They said that it was far enough north that the fishing is always good, but close enough that you could do it from Toronto over a long weekend. The drive to White River took 11-hours and to me that was perfect. It gave Anthony and I lots of time to talk about many subjects. Selfishly, it really meant that this dad had enough time to instill all of the fatherly advice possible before his only son leaves home to begin his journey in life - and for that I needed as much time as I could get. I forgot how beautiful it was driving north on the Trans-Canada Highway along the North Shore of Lake Superior. We were both in awe of the views. Anthony helped with the driving, which made the spirit of the trip a true partnership.

Getting to Lodge 88 from White River can be accomplished by float plane or by taking a small VIA train into Girdwood, an hour north-east of White River. We chose the train as this was a new experience for us. At seven a.m. the small train platform was loaded with fishermen headed to the lodges on Esnagi Lake. There were groups of friends, brothers, fathers and sons and even grandfathers all on their way to spend time together investing in one of the oldest pastimes- fishing. Our train stop at Girdwood was a gravel path that lead down to a dock with boats waiting to take us on the short boat ride to the lodge. We quickly settled into our room and had our gear organized in 20-minutes. We then met with our guide, Cody, who had the boat ready to go. We went directly to the north end of the lake, a 30-minute boat ride, hoping that the walleye fishing was good at this time of year. We started with the tried and true technique of jigs tipped with a minnow and it didn’t take long before we hooked our first walleye. Within the hour we boated 12. Needless to say, Anthony was thrilled as he landed most of them. I convinced Anthony to shift from live bait and really test our angling skills by going to artificials. He switched his minnow for a chartreuse twister jig and I went with my usual Berkley PowerBait Minnow. The water was very cold so Cody suggested a slow retrieve. Our patience was rewarded with three more walleyes. Anthony bagged the biggest catch of the day, a 26-incher, which was also the biggest walleye of his young fishing career. Although catching walleye was fun, I know my son well and his main goal on this trip (besides spending quality time with his dad) was to land a trophy pike. So, with close to two-dozen walleye landed and released, Cody took us pike hunting in some long bays with more structure and

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grass. The truth is, on Lake Esnagi you will catch pike in almost every walleye spot, but to get some size it takes a little more targeting of what I call “pikey water” - long, shallow, weedy bays with logs and other structure where pike can ambush their prey. As we entered one of the bays, Anthony threw his plastic jig as Cody had us doing a slow drift along the shoreline. It could not have been more than five-minutes when he hooked into a lurking pike. He immediately saw that it was a big one as the rod bent and the line was screaming off the reel. Anthony started screaming and hollering - he had talked about catching a big one all the way up on the drive and a few hours into the trip we were hooked up with a beauty! As excited as I was for him, the instructional dad in me immediately came out. Not the “3 Tap” kind of instructions, but reminding him that it’s a jig tied directly to eight-pound test line with no leader and to remember to keep the rod tip up when fighting a toothy northern. Luckily, Anthony played the pike perfectly and Cody was quick with the net, although we almost lost the fish as it was too big for the walleye net and nearly rolled out. A few seconds later it was mission accomplished and I snapped a picture of my smiling son holding a 36-inch northern pike. We released the pike and continued to enjoy successful fishing for the rest of the afternoon. This pattern of catching walleye in the morning and hunting pike in the afternoon followed every day, only to be interrupted by a shore lunch. I have been fortunate enough to have fished all over the world and nothing makes me happier than a Northern Ontario walleye shore lunch. This

54 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

was Anthony’s first shore lunch and he was not disappointed. He loved it all; the open fire, lots of lard, cast-iron pans, pork and beans, onions, potatoes and deep-fried fish! Does it get any better? The thing that made these shore lunches better than the past ones was the conversation Anthony, Cody and I had. Our guide, Cody, shared his philosophy on life with us which was so simple, but yet so true.

“If you try too hard to live life in the future, you will never be able to enjoy the great moments of the present.” This great insight overwhelmed Anthony and at that moment we both realized why we were there, why the father and son fishing trip was an important tradition to continue, and why we were glad we both took the time to travel north together for a few days. You may be thinking that our fishing success could be attributed to my great angling skills or to Cody’s amazing guiding techniques, or possibly because we were on a Northern Ontario Lake with a long history of producing fish. While these factors contributed to our success, I believe the biggest contributor was turning off our cell phones, tuning out technology and tuning into fishing. Our lives are so consumed with social media and being connected to mass amounts of information that we forget how happy and successful we can be by tuning into nature and the people you are with. A funny thing happened to us once the phones were turned off and left back at the cabin; we became consumed with our environment with discussions about bald eagles and their wingspan, spawning fish, mosquitos, water temperature and baitfish. Questions like, “Could a bull moose take on a bear?” and “Do you need to shower while on a fishing trip?” became the topics

of our conversation. The topics were endless, but the theme was the same: life around us in the present moment. It was clear that neither of us missed our cell phones, and our successful fishing was proof of that. More importantly was our success in connecting as father and son. All of the tensions that can build up in our busy lives disappeared. These moments are special and require a commitment of time and the passion to create moments that you wish would last forever. All good trips also rely heavily on the location and the lodge you select and we were fortunate that Lodge 88 was recommended to us. The facility is in great condition but, more importantly, was the incredible attitude of Dave and all his staff. They could never do enough for you and they always tried to make your trip comfortable. Lodge 88 has the perfect combination of great fishing, great food and great accommodations, and we took advantage of that and had a great trip.

On the way out we decided to catch a ride on a Beaver aircraft operated by White River Airlines back to White River, and then started the 11-hour journey back home. We drove, deeply satisfied that we accomplished what we set out to do, which was catch lots of fish, but we realized that what we really did was “put the future on hold and enjoyed today”, just father and son. Thanks for the insight Cody! ?

56 Real Fishing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fall 2015

BACK COUNTRY ICE FISHING FOR BEGINNERS By Barry Corbett

With winter banging at the door many Canadians are scrambling indoors, frantically searching for their passports, hoping to escape winter’s maniacal grip and this frozen wasteland we call home. Those brave souls who remain behind will resign themselves to turning up the thermostat, flopping on the couch and enduring another marathon hockey season, hoping a Canadian team (any Canadian team) will bring home the Stanley Cup! But maybe, just maybe this is the winter to boldly venture outdoors and discover what the ‘hard water’ season offers. If you can’t escape winter, embrace it!

When I first moved to Kenora, a small city in Northwest Ontario, almost 25 years ago, I knew I had arrived in a recreational paradise! Like most Canadian tourist locations, this small city of 16,000 almost triples in size from the May long weekend until the fall. Typically, like all sun starved Canadians, everyone including cottagers, tourists and local residents pack in as many outdoor activities as they can during the all too short Canadian summer. Seldom do you hear much in the way of grumbling and most folks remember the summer with fondness and anticipate and plan for the return of warm weather. However, as fall turns to winter and the first snowflakes appear, the mood changes. Smiles disappear and, except for snowmobilers and skiers, most folks seem to dread the prospect of a long, cold winter. Flipping through holiday brochures becomes the main sporting event. While southern climes hold an appealing alternative, it is often a temporary respite and may not entirely banish the winter blahs. Fortunately, over the years my wife and I have discovered that wherever we have lived or travelled in Canada, we have always been able to find lakes and trails to enjoy in the winter. When I first moved to northern Ontario some friends introduced me to ice fishing, which at first seemed like a foolish activity - sitting in the

middle of a lake staring down a small hole, hoping something, anything, will take your bait before you freeze off your extremities. As winters rolled by, a group of friends and I began combining our passions for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing with our new-found pastime of back country ice fishing. Why would you want to try winter back country angling? With the risk of sounding a bit clichéd, you will appreciate winter with a totally different perspective and possibly no longer describe Canada as a frozen wasteland! It’s an opportunity to access pristine lakes; walk or ski past frozen waterfalls; or travel over sparkling snow unbroken except by the tracks of animals like the playful otter, its trail porpoising along the shorelines. Most times you will have the lake all to yourself but if not, simply head into the next bay or lake and you will experience absolute solitude and silence. With cold air filling your lungs and your eyes squinting against the glistening snow, I guarantee you

will feel absolutely alive! If this isn’t enough to entice you, then consider the angling opportunities. This is a chance to fish relatively unexploited populations and to do it on your own “private” lake. So how do you get started? First of all have a quick look at a road map or “Google Earth” of where you live and you will quickly appreciate there is no shortage of lakes. In fact, in some parts of Canada it seems there is more water than land and many of these water bodies are adjacent to roads or trails. If you want to know what fish species live in these lakes, contact your Provincial Ministry of Natural Resources. In Ontario, the MNR has set up a website called Fish ON-Line. This site provides information on what species are present, physical characteristics of the lake (size, average depth, maximum depth etc.), and, if available, fish monitoring information. Or why not pick up the phone and have a chat with the local Conservation Officer or Biologist who can give you firsthand information and knowledge of the lakes you are interested in? Depending on your interest, and/or your physical condition, you can find a lake adjacent to a road and walk or ski in a short distance and be in a wilderness situation. Or, for the more adventurous, accessing a more remote lake might mean a few kilometre trek by ski or snowshoe. Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 57

We favour small, remote lake trout lakes and, fortunately for us, there are numerous lakes of this type within 20-minutes of Kenora. But even if you have to drive an hour or two to find a lake, trust me, the experience is worth it! We’ve found that most lake trout anglers who snowmobile usually bypass these small lakes, preferring instead the larger ones. They tend to produce trophy size trout, whereas the smaller lakes have an abundance of small to medium sized trout that are ideal for eating. It’s always a bonus if the snowmobiles have set a trail for you as it makes pulling the sled almost effortless! Once you’ve picked a destination, what equipment do you need? Here are a few hints. The list isn’t intended to be exhaustive, but it should get you started and keep you safe. First of all dress lightly, you will work up quite a sweat snowshoeing or skiing. Bring along a warm outer coat to put over your ski clothes once you have reached the lake. If you decide to ski in, you will need a warm pair of waterproof boots to change into while you are fishing. Once you have drilled a couple of holes, you might be standing in ankle deep slush and the last thing you want is cold wet feet. Although they are a bit heavy to carry, I like to use insulated rubber boots. It is possible to fit all your gear into a backpack, but after a few trips I found that we were adding more and more luxury items to our list. When you’ve got a lot of gear, pulling a sled is more practical. A word of advice, stick with a small sled, three to four-feet in length. Remember, the larger the sleigh the more tempted you will be to fill it up. A rigid harness makes pulling easier when skiing down hills, but a rope works fine in most cases. For safety, you should have a map of the lake and surrounding area. A GPS is very helpful, but bring a compass as a backup, just in case the batteries die. In most cases,

58 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

it’s easy to find your way back - just turn around and follow your tracks! Maybe it’s just us, but we don’t seem to have any cell phone coverage once we leave the main highways so make sure that someone knows where you are going and what time you anticipate being back. We bring a first aid kit and small survival kit stocked with a couple of emergency blankets (they look big pieces of tinfoil), matches in a waterproof container, a Bic lighter as a backup to the matches, granola bars and a couple of tea candles to help start a fire if needed. Hey, what else are you going to do with these candles? If you are like us there are probably several of them gathering dust in your cupboards! When travelling over ice, no matter how safe you think it is, everyone should carry ice picks. We also bring a long rope for rescue. We have never had to use the ice picks or the rope but, as the saying goes, “it’s better to be safe than sorry”. Besides a warm outer coat, it’s a good idea to have a pair of wind pants to put on while fishing as well as an extra set of socks and mitts. Tool-wise, we pack a small Swede saw and/or axe to cut firewood and clear deadfall off the trails. A small shovel is handy to clear snow from around your ice hole, to clean out a fire pit or to dig out your car if it gets stuck! A multi-tool comes in handy to pull hooks out of fish mouths and occasionally mitts, jackets or fingers. Bring a camera with spare batteries or your cell phone; if you can’t call anyone at least it will take pictures! Although not necessary, collapsible stools make fishing a lot more comfortable than standing over a hole. If you bring dogs like we do, and they happen to be short haired and much pampered, pack a blanket or mat for them to lie on while you are fishing. Food-wise, we tend to be traditionalists and rely on the reliable hotdog roasted with a stick over an open fire. Over the years we’ve found that pita bread survives better in a backpack and makes a tastier alternative to hotdog buns. Some of our more food discerning (or possibly sodium nitrate intolerant) friends bring their favorite sandwiches and toast them on the fire instead. A pot to heat up soup or chili and to boil water for tea or hot chocolate, and you’re set for an outdoor banquet. For the trek in and back, chocolate bars, trail mix and oranges are great snacks and energy boosters. For fishing gear, we are minimalists. You will need an ice auger to drill your fishing

holes and, while it’s possible to pull in a small power auger, I wouldn’t recommend it. Instead, all you really need is a hand auger and yes, size matters. They come in a variety of sizes but don’t be tempted to buy an eightinch hand auger like I did. It takes an incredible amount of energy and time to drill an eight-inch hole and the novelty soon wears off. A well sharpened six-inch hand auger will cut through ice like a hot knife through butter and with a modest amount of effort you will have more than enough holes to fish through. It just takes a bit more patience and finesse to pull a large fish through a small hole. We usually bring a couple of ice rods and reels each but, if you want to cut down on weight and equipment, you can get away with just a spool of line with a weight and hook tied to a little branch. For lake trout we rely on the tried and true lures - white tube jigs and large spoons. For walleye and perch, a few coloured jigs (1/4 or 3/8-ounce), compact jigging spoons or jigging minnow baits are more than enough to pack in. When I remember to bring them, which is about half the time, I tip the hooks with a minnow. Check your angling regulations to make sure you can use live bait. An ice scoop with a metal handle is invaluable to clear your holes of ice.

Lake trout are ideal species to angle in the winter and, properly handled, they are easy to release. Because their swim bladder has an external opening through their mouth, they can be brought up from any depth without suffering pressure changes. This can be a problem when fishing other species, such as walleye and perch, in water deeper than about 25 or 30-feet. Their swim bladder is not connected externally and, when brought up from deep water, it may over-

inflate causing barotrauma stress. This can result in bulging eyes and the bladder pushing the stomach through the mouth – not a pretty sight! If this happens don’t try to release the fish, it’s best to keep it for supper and move your fishing hole to shallower water if you are going to practise catch and release. Remember, if you are going to release a fish try to remove the hook while the fish is still protected in the water and not exposed to freezing air temperature.

Lake trout are a cold water species that prefer water temperatures at or below 10°C. During the winter, water temperatures are an almost uniform 4°C from top to bottom. As a result you can find and angle for lake trout at virtually any depth. When fishing for trout we usually set up our holes near a steep cliff, off a point, or over a saddle between two lake basins. Certainly a fish finder will increase your success rate, but it means hauling in more gear. Even without one we usually catch enough for dinner. Actively jig the entire water column, starting at the bottom and reeling three or four times, jig again and repeat until you reach the ice; then drop your jig to the bottom and start over. Even with a live minnow, trout usually don’t swallow the hook when actively jigging so they can be easily released. Releasing a trout caught on a set line can be a little more difficult. Sometimes they will swallow the hook and these fish should be kept for dinner. One advantage of set lines is that you can sometimes get lucky enough to catch a burbot, also called lota, mariah, ling cod, eelpout or lawyer fish. This fish is arguably the most underappreciated, underrated fresh water species. They are absolutely delicious, possessing a firm white flesh with a mild flavour. When boiled, they are often referred to as “poor man’s lobster” and they are second to none when deep fried in a beer batter! Unfortunately most anglers are put off by their appearance (only anoth-

er burbot would find it attractive) and, as a result, have never tried one. Regrettably, this results in many burbot being discarded and wasted on the ice. On one trip I noticed my wife skiing off in the distance and occasionally stooping down to pick up what looked like firewood off the ice. In fact, once I caught up, I realized she had an armful of frozen burbot. One angler’s castoffs became another angler’s dinner! We cooked them up with a variety of other species that night and our friends unanimously picked the burbot as their favourite! By now you have probably realized that we like to eat fresh fish! Our rule is to catch and carry only what we can consume fresh (and, of course, within the angling regulations!). Nothing makes you appreciate winter angling more than eating fish only hours out of cold water. If you are looking for something different to do this winter - a chance to experience and traverse remote lakes, enjoy fantastic fishing and have the opportunity to catch and eat the freshest fish - why not try back

county angling! March and early April are probably the most pleasant times to ice fish, but even January and February are enjoyable if the wind chills cooperate. Remember to pack sunglasses and sunscreen because one day on the ice and you will have a better tan than a week in Mexico and maybe, just maybe, winter memories to rival those of summer! ?

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Tales from the Road By Bob Izumi

This Tales starts on Tim Hortons Camp Day, and for me it was a very busy day. I did a number of Tim Hortons store visits in the Orangeville area, meeting people and supporting the great cause that the Tim Hortons Camp Day is all about: sending children to one of their many camps across Canada and the United States. Then it was off to Glen Eagle Golf Club in Bolton for Golf Fore Fish, the annual fundraising golf tournament for the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association. After that I went up to Barrie for Brian and Anais Hughes’ wedding party. The reception was held at their home and it was a fun and relaxing way to celebrate their marriage. The next afternoon we got on the road and headed up to northern Ontario. About one in the morning we dragged our heels into a hotel in Sault St. Marie and the next morning we drove to Nipigon where we got a few supplies, launched the Lund and made the 25-mile boat ride out to Bowman Island Lodge to fish with the owner, Gary Lange. This unique lodge is on the shores of Lake Superior, due south of the town of Nipigon, Ontario. I had never fished up in that area for the famous coaster brook trout and I was excited to go catch some of these big, lake dwelling fish. We arrived at the lodge about seven oclock that evening and got settled in. The next morning we had some breakfast, Gary Gary Lange and Bob Izumi admire a 24-inch brook trout that fell for a Johnson Min-O-Spin.

60 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

jumped in the boat and we got at it. On my third cast with a Johnson Min-O-Spin I caught a 24-inch brook trout. We proceeded to catch about six or seven lake trout, as well as a bonus four-pound rainbow, by casting Johnson Slama Spoons and Min-OSpins. We took a break for lunch and then decided to try trolling, right out from the dock at Bowman Island. In a few hours we caught about a dozen lakers and one Chinook salmon that weighed about eightpounds, before calling it a day. Lake Superior is huge yet Bowman Island is sheltered from the big lake so you can get out fishing on most days. The location feels remote yet it is easily accessible, making it an amazing place to experience some outstanding trout fishing. The next morning we shot a few cutaways around the lodge then we hopped in the boat, drove back to the boat ramp, loaded up and drove about halfway home before stopping for the night. We got home the next day so, in basically three and a half days, we drove 36-hours and got a great show shot. Then it was time for our annual Fishing Forever golf tournament at Turtle Creek Golf Club, just outside of Milton, Ontario. As usual, there was a full house competing in the tournament. The day was lots of fun, there were lots of good stories going around and it was all for a good cause. The next morning I was up early to catch a flight out of Toronto to Miami, then on to Costa Rica where the folks from Columbia Sportswear were having a media gathering at Crocodile Bay Resort. There were about 30 people in the group and we fished for

three-days, catching everything from marlin to sailfish to roosterfish - and a number of other species. I don’t think anyone regretted going on this trip. It was an absolutely incredible experience, especially for the people who had never experienced Costa Rican fishing before. The folks from Columbia had a number of other activities planned for the week but I had to fly home for a bass tournament so I missed out on the kayaking, zip-lining, hiking and some of the other more strenuous activities. At least I got in on the fishing which was fine by me! As soon as I got home Darren and I hit the road for Brockville, Ontario, to fish the Shootout Series event on the St. Lawrence River. It took 30.19-pounds to win and Darren and I ended up in seventh place, which happened to be the last prize spot, with 25.72-pounds. Even though we had a five-pound average, it wasn’t near enough to win on this incredible fishery. I ended up staying in eastern Ontario to do a little taping so, after the Shootout Series, we shot a swimbait show for next year’s TV series. I got plenty of big fish up to five-pounds using the Havoc Beat Shad rigged on a small jighead. I was casting it on a medium action spinning outfit spooled with 10-pound Nanofil and a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. Then it was back home for a few days before heading off to the Casey Cup on Lake Simcoe. It took 25.05-pounds to win this tournament and my son Darren and I managed a third place finish with 24.2-pounds. We stayed in Orillia that evening and the next morning we drove straight up to Chaudière Lodge, on the French River, to visit Steve Niedzwiecki at his wonderful facility. The folks from Mystik Lubricants joined us for a couple of days of fishing up there. It was my first trip to Chaudière Lodge and, what can I say, Steve operates a first class facility. The accommodations, the food, the hospitality – everything was very, very nice. We ended up fishing mostly for bass and we caught a lot of smallmouth, largemouth and some bonus pike. The baits that produced for us were the Havoc Flat

Chaudière Lodge owner, Steve Niedzwiecki, with a nice French River largemouth.

Dawg, rigged wacky style, and the Havoc Beat Shad, rigged on a jighead. I can’t wait to go back to this place. The fishing, food accommodations and hospitality are all so good and it’s just a short drive from the Greater Toronto Area. Then it was off to eastern Ontario, to Cornwall, for the first Renegade Bass tournament of the season on Lake St. Francis, which is a section of the St. Lawrence River. My son Darren and I won a Renegade tournament there a number of years ago so we have some pretty fond memories of this place.

We put together a decent limit of fish that weighed 18.96-pounds and snuck into 10th place. To tell you how well this place was fishing, there were nine weights in the 18-pound range and it took 21.84-pounds to win. We stayed overnight to fish the St. Lawrence River the next day with Brent McNamee from BoaterExam.com. We decided to switch gears from smallmouth fishing and hit the heavy cover for largemouth bass, so we did some flipping with Berkley Chigger Quads and some topwater fishing with the Sebile Pivot Frog. After catching a few dozen bass we had more than enough footage for one of next year's shows. Then it was back home for a day before heading up to Orillia where our friend Frank Guida, of Tri-Con Concrete Finishing, was holding his annual fundraising bass tournament on Lake Couchiching. Frank puts on quite an event and the proceeds go to various charities, including Fishing Forever. It was a fun event and

everybody had a good time in support of a great cause. After Frank’s tournament it was time for the annual trip to the ICAST Show, which is the biggest fishing trade show of the year. We flew down a day early to meet up with Columbia’s Jeff Timmins and Bill Ferreira so

PASSIONATE ABOUT FISHING SINCE 1983.

Brent McNamee, from BoaterExam.com, enjoyed a day of largemouth fishing on the St. Lawrence River.

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Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 61

that Darren and I could join them as a foursome in the Florida Sportsman Bass and Birdies golf tournament at Shingle Creek Golf Club. I believe we were 11-under par on the golf, Darren caught a couple of bass on one of the holes and we thought we had a chance to win it. When the dust settled we didn’t win, but we certainly had a riot doing a couple of my favourite things: fishing and golfing. The next day it was off to ICAST where I had a chance to see what’s new for next year before spending two-days working at some of my sponsors’ booths and meetings. Then we flew home, packed, and drove to Big Rideau Lake in eastern Ontario for the second Renegade tournament of the season. Darren and I got up there late Friday night and didn’t have time to get on the water so we ended up fishing by the seat of our pants. We still managed to catch 14.92-pounds, which put us in 25th place. It was a little better than I expected and we were happy to get some points for the Classic. The following week I had some meetings, got some office work done and shot some video tips before heading off to Lake Simcoe

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62 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

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for the CSFL Simcoe Showdown. This is the second year for the Simcoe Showdown and it’s a pretty competitive event. This was a two-day deal and Chris and Cory Johnston showed the rest of us how to do it. Chris Johnston won and his brother Cory was .10 of a pound behind him in second place. These two young guns are absolutely the most consistent, winningest tournament anglers in the country right now. Paul Climpson and his son Cal finished in third and fourth, and then yours truly, in fifth. I was pretty happy with my finish, especially since I don’t spend as much time pre-fishing for these events as the people who beat me do. This isn’t sour grapes, I’m just telling you like it is – these guys spend a lot of time on the water preparing for these events and their results show it. Unfortunately I can’t spend that many days on the water pre-fishing so, for the most part, I fish by the seat of my pants. I got home for a day and then it was off to Kingston for the Renegade 1000 Islands Open out of Rockport, Ontario, on the St. Lawrence River. This was the first ever 1000 Islands Open and it was exciting for me to be there, as I’m very fond of this waterway. Over the years I’ve won five Ranger boats and a Chevy truck on this massive body of water. Darren and I were consistent in this tournament with 21.01-pounds on day one, 21.83-pounds on day two and 22.06pounds on day three, putting us in fourth place overall. Chris Johnston, who teamed up with his dad, Lynn, won the event with a whopping 73.79-pounds of fish over the three days. One of the cool things about this tournament is that there was a fully rigged Ranger bass boat as a draw prize. If you made the top-50 cut to fish the last day, you had the chance to turn a key to see if it would start the boat. I’ve never been to a tournament where you had a 1 in 50 chance of winning a 70 or 80-thousand dollar boat package! It was a unique event that went over very well and a lot of teams are excited about fishing it again next year. After the tournament, the folks at BoaterExam.com asked me if I could do a CHCH Morning Live segment on boat-

ing safety, so I towed the Ranger to the CHCH building in Hamilton and had some fun with host, Bob Cowan. We had some good laughs and at the end of our segment we pulled the cords on our Stearns inflatable life vests and let them fill up with air. It’s always a lot of fun when you inflate those sort of like a mini air bag going off! Then Darren and I headed back to eastern Ontario, to Mississippi Lake, for the third Renegade tournament of the year. The first time I went to this lake was back in the early ’90s when my brother Wayne and I ended up winning a two-day tournament. We caught fish in pads, reeds, offshore weeds – we just caught them everywhere in that tournament. Darren and I caught about 15 fish for the day, including a four-pound plus largemouth and a three-pound plus largemouth, which are kicker fish on Mississippi Lake. Unfortunately we didn’t have anything but two-pounders to go with those and we ended up with 13.72-pounds, which put us in 23rd place and earned some valuable pounds towards qualifying for the Classic. After the Mississippi tournament we stayed in eastern Ontario, in Kingston, to get ready for the Canadian Open that my brother Wayne, my son Darren and I were all competing in. The Canadian Open is very near and dear to our hearts as Wayne won it in Kingston in 1992 and ’93 and I won it in 1994, ’95 and ’96. It’s a tournament that I’ve had a lot of good finishes in over the years. I had one of the best practices of my life and on the first day I could have caught 35 fish, but I had surgical tubing over my hook so I wouldn’t hook them. The next day I could have had 25 fish. The last day I

Darren Izumi definitely knows how to catch giant smallmouth bass.

thought I’d try to catch them on a crankbait and I caught a 4.9-pound smallmouth and decided I’d better get out of there. I had found fish in about six different areas so things were looking good. I don’t know what happened, but on day one of the tournament those fish disappeared on me. I picture smallmouth like cattle, grazing in a pasture. One hour you see them in one corner, the next hour you see them in the middle, the next hour you see them in the other corner. I think I must have been fishing in the wrong field because those grazing smallmouth had moved from the area I was in. I drew Cara Carmichael, who is a friend of ours, on day one and we ended up getting three smallmouth – two threes and a two – after fishing in all of my best areas. We hustled and got some largemouth, got a few more smallmouth and came into the weigh-in with a very low weight of 15.95-pounds that put me in 26th place. In the meantime, my brother Wayne caught some nice largemouth bass and

weighed in just under 19-pounds. The big surprise of the day was my son Darren. This was his first tournament fishing as a boater and after day one he was tied for sixth place with 22.25-pounds of smallmouth bass. Even though I was down and out after my not so stellar performance, I was pumped by

the fact that Darren was in the hunt. Day two was cancelled due to high winds but we were back at it on day three. Once we got on the water the wind was exactly double what was forecast. It was pretty choppy but I decided to go over to the New York side of the lake anyway. The first fish I caught was about a pound and a half, then my partner and I proceeded to catch four more bass by 11:30 and every one of them was over four-pounds. Do you think we could catch one more fish to get rid of that pound and a halfer? We couldn’t, and we ended up weighing in 19.65-pounds for our five fish. It brought me up to 13th place which was kind of nice, but certainly no cigar. Darren ended up weighing in 17.1pounds which dropped him down to 9th place and Wayne ended up in 11th. Oh well, that’s how it goes sometimes. I guess it’s time to put my game face back on for the next bunch of tournaments... ?

Fall 2015 – Real Fishing 63

What’s COOKING

Tomato Marinated Grilled Shrimp This simple yet versatile dish brings a taste of summer to any dinner occasion at any time of the year.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup

olive oil

In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt and cayenne pepper.

1/4 cup

tomato sauce

2 tbsp

red wine vinegar

2 tbsp

chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp

salt

1/4 tsp

cayenne pepper

2 pounds

fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Skewers

Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice. Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for two-minutes maximum per side, or until opaque. Serve on skewers as a casual entrée or serve plated for a more formal presentation. Special thanks to Tim Tibbitts, chef and owner of the Flying Fish Modern Seafood in Freeport, Bahamas for providing this recipe. You can see what Flying Fish is all about at www.flyingfishbahamas.com or www.facebook.com/flyingfishmodernseafood and you can follow Tim on Twitter @flyingfishfreep.

64 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

He’s going to give you a good fight. Make it worth his while. COME AND GET IT. Our wines are only available direct — either in person or by delivery from our vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It’s taken 14 years to get it right, to perfect the craft of making wine that is drinkable, accessible, and affordable. It all happens here in our Big Red Barn. Our modern-rustic space houses our cellar and is part tasting room, part clubhouse. There’s no pretension or mystery here. All that we know, we’re ready to share with you, to delight the novice wine lover and the veteran oenophile alike. Visit us or order ahead for your next big trip and for each purchase of an Izumi wine, Between the Lines will donate $1 to the Fishing Forever Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the preservation of Canada’s fishing resources.

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66 Real Fishing – Fall 2015

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