KNIFE SHARPENING 101
Spring 2019
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Contents Features 30 CATCH THE LARGEST PIKE IN ANY WATERBODY There are dozens of ways to catch pike, but by fine tuning your approach you can increase your chances of catching the biggest ones in any lake, river or reservoir. Here’s how to zero in on those trophy-sized pike from early spring to early fall, regardless of where you fish. By Wes David
38 THE WALLFLOWER RIVER Ontario’s Thames River is a virtual fish factory boasting over 90 species in its 270-kilometer path from Tavistock to Lake St. Clair. This feature focuses on some of the best ways to up your success rate on three of those species - walleye, smallmouth bass and muskie - on this historic river. By Mark Forabosco
44
HARDWARE FOR TROPHY BROWN TROUT
50 SHARPENING 101 As Vice President and General Manager of Acme United Canada, (the folks behind Cuda knives), John Ward knows a thing or two about keeping blades in top shape. If you’ve ever been frustrated with a dull knife these simple steps can help you put a long-lasting razor edge on any blade in a matter of minutes. By John Ward
54 THE COMMON LOON Loons are familiar to anyone who spends time near the water, but what do we really know about them? The latest research into this majestic bird’s life may surprise you and change some of what you though you knew about them. By Dave Taylor
River fishing for brown trout often conjures up images of fly fishing but they are aggressive predators who have no trouble attacking baits more commonly used for bass. These tips and tricks for using spinners, jerkbaits and even topwater lures for browns just may be the hottest tactics on the river today. By Rob Dankowsky
20
Spring 2019 Volume 25, Issue 2 Editor Jerry Hughes Art Production Rossi Piedimonte Design Publisher Fred Delsey National Advertising Izumi Outdoors Tel: (905) 632-8679 President Wayne Izumi
Columns 6 OPENING LINES By Jerry Hughes
24 REAL FISHING FISH FACTS Lake Trout
Contributors Rob Dankowsky, Patrick Daradick, Wes David, Mark Forabosco, Bob Izumi, Wayne Izumi, Ryan Lamothe, Steve May, Dave Taylor, John Ward 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 $12.95. 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 Postmaster: Please return front cover/label only of undeliverables to: Real Fishing 940 Sheldon Court, Burlington ON L7L 5K6 Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Printed in Canada
On the cover: IN THE BAG Photo by Izumi Outdoors
10 SPORTSMEN’S ALMANAC News, trivia, event listings and more from the world of fishing
14 WHAT’S NEW
26 REFLECTIONS ON FISHING By Mark Forabosco
26
The latest in fishing tackle, gear and accessories
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
58
28 THE HOT BITE 58 TALES FROM THE ROAD The trials and tribulations of life as a professional angler By Bob Izumi
64 WHAT’S COOKING 66 ART OF ANGLING
opening lines By Jerry Hughes
Something Different Fishing is one of those unique sports where, unlike most others, you can use any one of dozens of approaches to be successful. If you golf, you use a driver to drive and a putter to putt, regardless of what course you’re playing on. You use a regulation sized ball. The course is defined and the game is played by a strict set of rules. There just isn’t much room for experimentation. By the same token, you don’t use figure skates to play hockey and using a baseball bat to play tennis will only get you laughed off the court. But fishing isn’t governed by the same sets of rules and, for the most part, you can go about it in any way you like with any gear you want to use. Fishing is one of those activities where experimenting with different gear and different techniques is encouraged and new approaches, if successful, quickly become ingrained in the sport. Who would have ever thought that a simple perch rig from the 1960s would be resurrected, renamed and repurposed to become dropshotting - one of the hottest smallmouth rigs going? Do you remember bottom-bouncing for river steelhead with roe, spinning gear and 8 or 10pound test line? Or casting spinners for them? Or “hotshotting”? Back in the early days of river steelheading those were the techniques that were used. And then float fishing entered the arena and completely changed the game. Those are just a couple of examples of how fishing is always progressing and changing. Some of the changes completely redefine the way we approach various species; some flash for a season or two and then fade away and some just never really get off the ground. Regardless, it’s the fact that fishing is so open to new ideas that helps make it so interesting and so much fun. There are other ways to experiment with fishing, including fishing for different species than you usually pursue in your favourite 6 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
waters. Carp and gar provide great sport and they’re available in most of the same areas as largemouth bass. Those steelhead rivers that are inundated with anglers in the spring and fall are virtually untouched during the summer, but most of them hold good populations of brook and brown trout in their upper reaches, fish that go relatively untouched. The lower sections of these same rivers often hold fish like walleye, bass, pike, muskies, panfish and coarse fish that can provide great sport. In this issue of Real Fishing we’ll touch on a few different ways that folks are experimenting with fishing, starting off with Wes David’s methods for catching big pike in any waterbody. Whether you have access to trophy pike waters or if you lake’s biggest tops out at 10-pounds, the tactics Wes employs are sure to put you on the biggest fish in the system. Next up is Mark Forabosco’s look at Ontario’s Thames River and its multi-species fishery that is getting better every year. While known for trout fishing in its upper reaches, and for fall muskie fishing at its mouth in the fall, the Thames is teeming with fish all year ‘round and it has species to suit anyone’s angling desires. It’s a somewhat underrated river but if the fishing continues to improve the way it has been, that may soon change. For a real eye-opener, you’ll definitely want to check out Rob Dankowsky’s feature article on brown trout fishing. Casting with flies and dunking worms have always been two of the most popular methods of tackling browns, but Rob has discovered another way to catch these fish that seems to result in larger than average fish. I won’t give his technique away, but I will say that your bass baits might just have a place in your trout vest this season.
We hope you enjoy this Spring issue and that it gives you a few ideas on how you can change things up in your fishing this year. By experimenting with where and how you fish you’ll become a better all-around angler and you just might end up inventing the next big thing on the angling scene. ?
Print and digital subscriptions are available online at www.realfishing.com/ magazine For help with your subscription, please contact our customer service department
BASIC BASSIN’ 8 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
Just in case you thought that bass fishing had to include a lot of fancy gear here’s proof that it doesn’t, and that even the best of us can still enjoy it at the most basic level.
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 9
NATIONAL FISHING WEEK This year’s National Fishing Week runs from June 29 to July 7 with a number of events, such as fishing festivals, derbies and workshops, being hosted across the country. It’s the perfect time to get outside, spend some wholesome time with the family and develop a connection with conservation through
10 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
the enjoyment of fishing. In Ontario, Canadian residents can legally fish in Ontario waters without a licence during National Fishing Week, providing they abide by the Conservation Licence fishing limits that are set out in the current Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary.
With the exception of the licensing requirement, all regular Ontario fishing regulations, fees and limits continue to apply during license-free days. Whether you’re an experienced angler, or someone who wants to try fishing for the first time, there’s no better time to wet a line!
MERCURY MARINE TURNS 80 Mercury Marine is celebrating its 80th anniversary throughout 2019, reflecting on its strong heritage of innovation and leadership in the marine industry. On January 22, 1939, E. Carl Kiekhaefer purchased a bankrupt engine manufacturing plant in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Now, 80-years later, the business that emerged from those modest beginnings, Mercury Marine, is a company with 7,000 global employees that is heralded as the world’s leading manufacturer of marine propulsion systems, as well as marine parts and accessories.
“80-years ago, Carl Kiekhaefer had a vision for Mercury and that was based around product innovation and technology – and it’s that vision that built the foundation for us to continue to innovate today,” said John Pfeifer, Mercury Marine president. “We have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to celebrate,” said Pfeifer.“I’m looking forward to sharing those celebrations around the world. 2019 will be yet another exciting year with more innovations to introduce.”
EVENTS Calendar KIDS, COPS AND CANADIAN TIRE FISHING DAYS
Year ‘round youth oriented fishing events. Various dates and locations. 877-822-8881 www.kidsandcops.ca
KIWANIS WALLEYE WORLD
CSFL BASS TOURNAMENTS
May 3 - 5 Bay of Quinte Trenton, ON www.kiwaniswalleyeworld.com
June - September Various locations in Ontario www.csfl.ca RENEGADE BASS TOUR
SASKATCHEWAN WALLEYE TRAIL ORILLIA PERCH FESTIVAL
April 20 - May 11 Lakes Simcoe & Couchiching Orillia, ON www.orillia.com
May - September Various dates and locations in Saskatchewan www.saskwalleyetrail.ca SOUTHERN ALBERTA WALLEYE TRAIL
BLUEWATER ANGLERS SALMON DERBY
May 3 - May 12 Lake Huron Point Edward, ON www.bluewateranglers.com
May - June Various dates and locations in Alberta www.sawt.ca
June - August Various locations in Ontario www.renegadebass.com NATIONAL FISHING WEEK
June 29 - July 7 License-free fishing days across Canada www.catchfishing.com
B1 BASS TOURNAMENTS
May - October Various locations in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia www.fishb1.com
Spring 2019 – 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
Sam Whaley Huntsville, ON Lake Trout
Rob Dankowsky Waterloo, ON Cubera Snapper
Justin Izumi Orlando, FL Largemouth Bass
Derek Strub Elora, ON Smallmouth Bass
John Yankoulis Smithville, ON Steelhead
12 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
Catch BOB on the Tube!
Tune in every Saturday morning on Global, and weekly on Sportsman Channel Canada and WFN (USA), as Bob Izumi and his guests show you where, when and how to tackle the biggest fish from the hottest Canadian and international destinations. STATION LISTING & AIRING TIMES* MARKET Atlantic Canada Calgary Edmonton Ontario Quebec Regina Saskatoon Vancouver Winnipeg Canada/USA
PROV./STATE Atlantic Canada AB AB ON QC SK SK BC MB Canada/USA
STATION Global (CIHF) Global (CICT) Global (CITV) Global (CIII) Global (CKMI) Global (CFRE) Global (CFSK) Global (CHAN) Global (CKND) WFN
DATE & AIR TIMES Saturday 8:00 am Saturday 10:30 am Saturday 10:30 pm Saturday 8:30 am Saturday 8:30 am Saturday 7:30 am Saturday 7:30 am Saturday 10:30 am Saturday 7:30 am 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
2019
KNIFE AND HOOK SHARPENER Cuda’s handy 4.5” Diamond Knife and Hook Sharpener has a fine side and an extra fine side to meet all your sharpening needs. It also has sharpening groove for quick touch ups on all of your fishing hooks. Folding handles protect the diamond plated surfaces when not in use and make it an ideal size for carrying in a pocket or tackle box. The sharpener features rust proof construction and it can be used dry or with water - no messy oils required.
www.cudabrand.com
EASY ON THE EYES Rinconcito is the new little brother to Costa’s popular Rincon frame. Its design blends West Coast style lines with edgy curved temples. This new men’s medium-fit style features bio-resin construction, integral spring hinges, and Hydrolite® nose and temple pads. With Costa’s 580 lens technology, Rinconcito glasses provide 100% UV protection and polarization for superior contrast and definition while reducing glare and eye fatigue. Rinconcito is available in four frame colors and several glass or plastic lens colour options.
www.costadelmar.com
HANDS-FREE CALLING WeatherTech’s CupFone™ is a handy mobile phone holder that sits conveniently in any vehicle’s cup-holder. Fully adjustable tilt and rotation allows you to easily see your favorite app, like navigation, from any driving position. It makes using hands-free voice commands, and making hands-free telephone calls, safer and easier while on the road. The CupFone™ allows you to leave your phone plugged in while it is in the holder and it is designed to fit mobile devices measuring between 2 3/8 to 3 3/8"-wide and 9/16" deep.
www.weathertech.ca
14 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
We welcome submissions from manufacturers and distributors for our What’s New 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
PORTABLE PROPANE OUTBOARD Mercury’s all-new 5hp FourStroke Propane outboard can power your boat with the same propane used for your grill, eliminating the need to haul gasoline. Eco-friendly and clean burning, with 30% lower exhaust emissions compared to traditional gasoline engines, it offers best-in-class power and can run for up to 10-hours on a standard five-gallon propane tank. Light and portable, Mercury’s 5hp FourStroke Propane outboard weighs just 59.5 pounds, requires no fuel priming, features an easy to reach shift lever and has a manual choke for fast, reliable starts.
www.mercurymarine.com
BERKLEY’S NEW J-WALKER Whether you are a weekend warrior or a seasoned pro, this classic topwater lure is designed to deliver explosive top water action. Berkley® J-Walkers feature a sleek, tail-weighted design that has been refined to provide maximum casting distance. Their hydrodynamic shape, precision balance point and resting position allow for an easy walk-the-dog action that has been proven to drive fish to strike. Topped off with first-class custom paint finishes and Berkley® Fusion19™ hooks, Berkley® J-Walkers are sure to impress anglers of all skill levels.
www.berkley-fishing.com
PERFORMANCE FISHING GEAR Columbia’s new PFG Super Terminal Tackle™ Long-Sleeve Shirt features Omni-Shade™ UPF 50 sun protection to safeguard your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Made of über-light, quick-to-dry 100% polyester Omni-Wick™ fabric in a variety of standout print designs, this long-sleeve shirt is designed to keep you cool, dry and looking sharp, both on and off the water.
www.columbiasportswear.ca
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 15
fishing
Bob Izumi is the host of The Real Fishing Show.
By Bob Izumi
Spring Fish Movements We all know that fish make seasonal movements so in this column I want to talk about how quickly they can happen. I’ll never forget being down at Lake Okeechobee back in January 2010 for an FLW Tour Open event. Rick McCrory, a buddy of mine from the Montreal area, practiced with me and we spent four-days on the water during severe cold front conditions. It was tough fishing and I only had two bites during that four-day period. The places we were fishing looked so good yet produced nothing and my confidence level was at an all-time low. When the first day of the tournament rolled around there was no wind and the sun was coming out. The fishing was about to change, although at the time I did not know it. I drew a preacher from Kentucky as my co-angler on day one, who was throwing a swimbait into open water while I was flipping along the shore into every nook and cranny I could find. I wasn’t getting anything when he hooked up with one that was just under three-pounds. All of a sudden I looked to my left, away from the shore, and saw a bed in the eel grass with a bass about 2 ½-pounds on it. I flipped into the bed and after two or three pitches the fish hit and I landed it. Now, there was nothing on beds, or remotely close to beds, during the practice period but because of the warmer weather the fish were starting to move up. So I
16 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
notched the trolling motor up to about ¾power and started zig-zagging in and out from the shore covering this area of eel grass. As I moved along I kept finding bass and I ended up putting together a respectable limit that day. At one point in the day I found two giant bass – a seven-pounder and a monster that must have went 10-pounds – swimming around a bed. I tried fishing for them but they were too spooked and they weren’t committed to spawning yet so I marked the spot on my GPS and decided to come back to them the next day. On day two I started fishing some different areas and figured I’d go back to the two big fish around noon. All of a sudden I nailed a fish, then another one. Then I saw a giant swim over a sand spot but I didn’t know where it went, so I moved around this little reed island and saw it sitting in a hole in the eel grass, locked on a bed. I picked up my flipping rod and after about three flips this thing bites. My co-angler netted it and it turned out to be a nine-pounder. With a decent limit in the boat I decided to go back and see if I could find the two fish from the previous day but when I got there I saw another boat camped right on the spot so I turned around and left. To this day I wonder if that angler caught those fish or not. The moral of this story is that the fish were nowhere near being on spawning beds during prefish but when the tournament rolled around they moved up like somebody had hit a light switch. That’s how fast fish movements can happen. Walleye move a lot and anybody who fishes for them has experienced fish movement, especially during the
spring of the year. I remember fishing an early season walleye tournament years ago up in Northern Ontario where we were getting fish scattered in newly emerging cabbage weeds. As we were running across a big bay in fairly deep water my graph marked a hump so we turned around and discovered that there were two isolated humps. Even though we had been plucking fish out of the cabbage weeds, there were more walleyes stacked up on these two humps. We ended up catching a few pretty good ones that day so on the second day we went back to those humps. When we got there we saw the eventual winners also fishing that area. As it turned out they won the tournament and we came in second after getting a number of good fish off of those humps. The bottom line is that timing is everything when you’re fishing during the spring, especially when you’ve got a lot of fish that have spawning on their mind, eating after they spawn or moving out to their late spring/early summer locations. I always say that the fish are either deep, mid-depth or shallow and you might need to move around a little to connect with them. When it comes to spring fish movements, timing is everything. Don’t get stubborn, keep an open mind and remember that it’s always a process of elimination. ?
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fly fishing By Stephen May
Travel Time Fly fishing is a perfect opportunity to get out and see some incredible places in this world. It is amazing how many different fish and fisheries are out there that can be targeted with a fly rod. I have really enjoyed seeing the sights under the guise of a fishing trip or sneaking the gear into my bag on a family tour. Either way, there are ways to get more out of your travelling fishing experience. Do your research. I have found that part of the fun of travelling is learning about a new fishery and the people that call it their home waters. Finding the techniques and fly patterns they use, and the environment they fish, really builds excitement for me. It usually makes a huge mess of the fly tying bench as well, as I get a box of flies ready to go. Getting the lines, leaders and flies ready is another fun part of trip planning. But also consider the other accessories you may need like waders, stripping baskets, bear spray, sun protection and other items that will make your experience safe and comfortable. Also, look into the type of casting and presentations that are commonly used. A little casting practice can be very helpful in many situations. You always seem to pick up something when travelling that helps at home, whether it is a way of doing things or a piece of gear that can be applied to your home waters. I was a guide for a number of years and there was a lot more to it than just helping someone catch a couple of fish. You are helping people understand the fishery and why you are passionate about where you live and fish. I pay it forward when travelling to a new site by frequently hiring a local guide and visiting local fly shops. I have found it is worth the investment. Struggling on a do it yourself trip in a great location is very frustrating and disappointing. Most destinations are not easy to just 18 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
hit the water and get into excellent fishing. You can always benefit from local assistance and insight. Probably the biggest benefit is that I have also met some incredible people along the way. One of the downfalls of doing research is that you see the “hero days” posted on-line, at trade shows and in magazine articles.
When travelling, I can’t remember how many times I’ve heard, “You should have been here last week”. Fishing is fishing, so it is best to set reasonable and modest expectations. With the proper perspective you will regularly be pleasantly surprised with the experience. If you expect epic, you will frequently be disappointed. When travelling I try to avoid getting “fish head”. This is when you want to be the fish holder in the next promotional ad for the destination. This is tough to do when you are just experiencing new waters, and all of their nuances, for the first time. There is so much more to take in than just the fish. Remember, you are on vacation! Relax; take in all the sights, sounds and tastes of the destination the next time you get to take your favorite fly rod for a trip. It will definitely make the journey one to remember. ?
ALLOWINNG
MOREE CASTS MOREE WAATER T COVEREDD MOREE FISH 10.1:1 Geaar Ratio, 41’’ Line PPer Turn u Extreme Speed Low Profille Reel
© 2019 Pure Fishing ishing, Inc Inc.
Dave Taylor is a well known photographer and naturalist from Mississauga, Ontario
water’s edge By Dave Taylor
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus hudsonius)
The Northern Harrier, also called gray ghost, Marsh Hawk and American Harrier, is a hawk that anglers in North America may encounter from the northernmost States through all of Canada and most of Alaska, wherever there are open fields and marshes. During its migration, harriers can be seen almost anywhere on the continent. Birds in the southern portion of the species’ range do not migrate, unless there is a food shortage in winter, while northern birds may fly as far south as Central America. This is not a bird of the forests or open water. It is most often seen flying low over open country, making a series of undulating swoops above the ground. While some hawks like to hunt from lookout spots, and others prefer to hover, this hawk is almost always on the move. The Northern Harrier belongs to the Accipiter family, a group of birds of prey with strongly hooked beaks including hawks, eagles, kites and Old World vultures. The Northern Harrier is part of a subfamily of Accipiter that includes 17 or so other species
20 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
of harriers that are found on every continent except Antarctica. The Northern Harrier is the only one found in North America. It is a medium sized hawk with long wings and a long tail. Its wing span is between 97 and 122-centimeters (38 to 48-inches) and males are smaller than females. A male weighs between 290 and 400-grams (10 to14-ounces) and the female can weigh almost double that, 390 to 750-grams (14 to 26-ounces). Males claim a territory that must have several possible nesting sites within it. The territory averages between two and three square kilometers (about one square mile) but can be much larger, up to 150 square kilometers (almost 60 square miles). The species has a variety of mating practices including monogamy, polygamy (where a male may have up to five mates within his space), and polyandry (where a female mates with more than one male). In the case of the male, his infidelity is usually limited to just two females - and then only when there is abundant prey so that he can keep both broods fed. Adult males are a light grey in colour while females are brown. Courting displays are high flying displays of “sky dancing”. These displays can begin as early as March in areas where the birds do not migrate. In most other areas they start in April. The nest is built on the ground, is made of sticks and is lined with grass and leaves. It is located in dense clumps of vegetation such as willows, reeds, cattails or grasses. Both sexes help build the nest and either the male or the female will choose the site. They do not reuse nesting sites and it can take several weeks to complete a new nest.
The female will lay between four and eight eggs, which hatch about a month later. The young are altricial; helpless and covered with short white down. Both parents will defend the nest against would-be predators such as coyotes, raccoons, skunks, foxes, crows, Great horned Owls and Ravens. Should the nest be lost, the birds rarely make a second attempt. The male provides most of the food while the female incubates the eggs and broods the chicks. She will brood the young for the first two-weeks, by which time the chicks can be left during the day. When nesting first begins the male does not bring food to the nest. Instead, the female flies up to meet him and he does a midair food pass to her. She catches it as it falls. While males will feed the female, they never directly feeds the chicks. Basically he does a fly-by and drops the food to the young birds. When the young are two-weeks old they begin to walk away from the nest but return each night. When they are four or five-weeks old they take their first flight. After fledging, the siblings roost together and wait for their parents to bring them food. When the parent approaches they fly up and the food is transferred in the air. This behaviour lasts for about four-weeks. Then they must fend for themselves. Northern Harriers prey on voles, mice, shrews, rabbits and small reptiles. Songbirds such as cardinals, meadowlarks and sparrows are pursued by the faster and more agile males. Hunting is occasionally done during the daylight hours, but mainly at dawn and dusk. In tidal marshes they hunt when the tide is out. Next time you’re heading out on a fishing or hiking trip keep an eye on the sky and you just might see one of these magnificent birds. ?
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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
Lucky Strike Chub Baits Lucky Strike, one of Canada’s largest and oldest fishing tackle manufacturers, will be celebrating their 90th anniversary in 2019. It is still is a family run business and still successfully manufacturing fishing tackle from their Peterborough facility. The company has stayed very competitive over the years and has outlasted many former giants of the tackle industry. From the 1930s through the 1960s several companies ceased making fishing tackle and no longer needed to maintain their factories or workers by giving way to those that were importing tackle. Lucky Strike has always remained competitive and their lures and tackle are trusted by Canadian fisherman. Company founder Rusty Edgar, and later his son Bill, were blessed with the ability to
22 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
design fishing lures that were more unique in many ways than offerings from their competition. Their lures were always welcomed in sporting goods and department stores as anglers were assured good quality, fish catching baits. One particular lure that was a hit for Lucky Strike was called the Chub Minnow. One look at the lure on the shelf would instantly have an angler seeing the resemblance to the real chub minnow, a baitfish that many Canadian sport fish forage on.
Lucky Strike first designed their version of the Chub Minnow in the 1930s and it was introduced in the Better-Luck series of orange boxes. First produced in wood, these lures were quite large. They were made in straight and jointed models and, like all Better-Luck lures, they had brass tack eyes. The Chub Minnow re-surfaced again in the 1950s when Lucky Strike made the lure in a much smaller wooden version that was offered in straight or jointed models. The lures were painted in a wide array of colours and patterns. Lucky Strike ceased production of the tiny, wooden Chub Minnow and opted to redesign the lure in plastic, which turned out to be a successful move. Using plastic allowed the company to add a dorsal fin and a raised eye to the mold, which made the lure that much more realistic looking. Lucky Strike also began to introduce glitters into the plastics and formulated colours not before seen on these lures. Chub Minnows are quite sought after by Canadian tackle collectors. The small, shortrun wooden series are the most valuable and the original Lucky Strike brown window boxes with Chub Minnow label are very scarce. Collecting these lures is fun as they were made in so many designs and colour patterns, giving lots of options for anglers looking to add to their collections. ?
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real fishing fish facts
Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush
A member of the char family, the lake trout is a uniquely Canadian fish. They are easily recognized by their long, somewhat rounded shape, deeply forked tail and body which is covered with light spots on a darker background. Lake trout range in colour from almost silver to light green or gray, dark green, brown or almost black along the back, depending on the particular water body it inhabits. The flanks are lighter and fade to white or milky on the belly. The pectoral, pelvic and anal fins have an orange to orange-red hue with the narrow, white leading edge that is common to members of the char family. Lake trout are native to North America but have been transplanted to such locations as New Zealand, South America and Sweden. In Canada they can be found in southwestern Nova Scotia; throughout New Brunswick and most of Quebec; in northern Labrador; across most of Ontario; through northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan; across most of Alberta (except the extreme southeast) as well as in northern British Columbia and throughout the Territories. Interestingly, lake trout are absent from most of the Hudson and James Bay lowlands, an area that encompasses most of northwestern Quebec and the extreme north and northeastern portions of Ontario.
Lake trout spawn in the autumn, between September and December, in water between 48ºF and 57ºF. They prefer to spawn over large areas of lakes with boulder or rubble bottoms but they are also known to occasionally spawn in rivers. The eggs fall into cracks and crevices where they will remain for between four and five-months before hatching in March or April. Due to their preference for deep, cool waters, lake trout are most accessible to anglers immediately after ice-out in the spring, or during the winter months when they become a primary target for ice-fishermen. For most of the summer they prefer to remain in the hypolimnion, the area below the thermocline, in water temperatures around 50ºF. Across most of the southern and central parts of their range, anglers must use downriggers, wire line or deep vertical jigging techniques to catch lake trout in the summer, but in areas of the far north they can remain in relatively shallow water throughout the summer. Lake trout typically live for 10 to 20-years
although some have been known to reach 60-years or more. Because of this, it’s not uncommon for them to reach weights exceeding 30-pounds. In fact, the largest lake trout on official record weighed 102pounds and was caught in a gill net from Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan in 1961. Lake trout are an important species for both recreational and commercial fisheries. Their flesh is firm, with an excellent flavor, and may appear white, pink, orange or orange-red. While commercial fishing for lake trout has declined, due in part to the collapse of the Great Lakes fishery in the 1960s, sport fishing interest in them remains high. ?
DID YOU KNOW? Lake trout are one of the only cool water game fish species that are native only to North America.
FAST FACTS Colour: Silver to various shades of green, gray, brown or nearly black with lighter spots and a milky to creamy white belly. Size: The average size lake trout will weigh between 2 and 10-pounds. Fish up to 30pounds are not uncommon and trophies over 40-pounds are caught every year by anglers fishing in far northern waters. Life Span: ULake trout commonly live for 10 to 20-years although some have been known to live for up to 60-years. Habitat: Cool, clear waters of large, deep lakes and rivers. In the extreme north they are known to occur in shallower lakes that remain cool throughout the year. Spawning: Spawning takes place between September and December over boulder or rubble bottoms.
RECORD The current IGFA All-Tackle World Record lake trout stands at 72-pounds even. The monster was caught in Great Bear Lake back in August, 1995.
24 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
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refections on fishing By Mark Forabosco
Humble Beginnings My grandfather tucked the saw under his arm, handed me the freshly cut maple branch and waved me on. I watched quietly as he turned over the loose garden soil, picking it apart with his spade, still unsure of what was taking place. “There! Grab it before it gets away!” I quickly brought out a squirming dew worm and dropped it into the empty tin. Once the tin was full we made our way to the sanctuary of the garage, a place where the fragrance of oil and pipe tobacco permeated. I held on to the branch as my grandfather tied a piece of black line to the end of it. He then looked at me with his clear blue eyes and smiled.
26 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
“Ready to catch your first fish?” Now I understood what this was all about! This rated right up there with Christmas for a five-year old boy. We snuck out of the backyard through a gap in the fence and two blocks later we were standing on an old wooden plank bridge in the back end of Waterloo Park. As my grandfather was busy threading a worm onto the hook my eyes were drawn to a large woman with a sunbonnet, sitting in a lawn chair beside me. At her feet, on a strip of foil, lay two very large perch. She smiled and commented that the fish were biting today. My grandfather lowered my line into the water, handed me the pole and instructed me to wait until I felt a tug and then lift. It wasn’t long before I hooked in to my first perch. I remember the fish swinging in mid-air, like a trapeze artist, then bouncing off of the wooden railing while trying to shake free of the hook, and my grandfather reaching out as far as he dared with an outstretched hand. Somehow, by the grace of God, I was able to flip the fish over the railing and the old man was able to snatch it before it could slip back into its watery domain. I was in absolute awe of the 10-inch long, colourfully striped leviathan. The day ended far too soon as we were swallowed up by a heavy thunderstorm that had us dodging heavy raindrops all the way home. Later that night, after slipping into some dry clothes, I savoured my fish dipped in flour and fried in butter, cherishing my first angling accomplishment. That one simple act placed me on a path that I have never left. Over the years I have been very fortunate. I’ve had angling articles published in numerous magazines, done a book, delivered a few
seminars and got lucky when a kind editor rewarded me with my own column. I often wonder, had my grandfather never taken me fishing that day to ignite this passion, would the rest of what I just described ever have come to pass? We all have that one special mentor who introduced us to this sport and I firmly believe we have a responsibility to bring a young person into the fold and help carry on this tradition. Just remember to keep it simple! My 11-year old son has no desire to troll for walleye in my fancy fishing rig on Lake Erie because, to him, there’s not much to see, nor is there much excitement in cranking a fish across the top of the water. But he’ll be up at the crack of dawn to wade the Grand River on a July morning and drift for channel catfish and whatever else is looking to get caught for an evening fish fry. It is of the greatest importance to spend that quality time with our children on the water, not only to have them interact with nature, but to create memories and form a bond that will last a lifetime. There are no longer perch in Waterloo Park as the human population has swelled and the small town enchantment of the area has long disappeared. But I still recall the magic of that day and how I felt just a few years later when I was considered responsible enough that my grandfather gave me his bamboo spin-cast rod. To this day, many long years later, I still treasure that rod. Just remember, sometimes all it takes is a simple stick with a line and a hook to ignite a passion for life. ?
FATTY ON A FLATTY Good old lipless crankbaits don’t get a lot of ink these days but they are still a top bait for big smallmouth bass. You can fish them fast or slow, shallow or deep, and they’re one of the best lures you can use to cover a lot of water in a hurry. Best of all, cranks like the Sebile Flatt Shad have a way of triggering a smallmouth’s aggressive nature, making them an ideal choice when finesse approaches don’t get the job done.
28 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
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30 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
LARGEST PIKE
IN ANY WATERBODY By Wes David
Northern pike are one of the most aggressive freshwater fish species throughout Canada and the northern US. They are very adaptable and can make themselves right at home in a wide variety of lakes, reservoirs, and river systems. They can grow well into the 40-inch range and some can even stretch the tape past the 50-inch mark.
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 31
From the first time water passes through their gills, northern pike are aggressive and eager to feed. Because they can grow to monstrous sizes, it’s rare to find an angler who hasn’t dreamed of catching and releasing a trophy northern pike. Over the years I’ve had the good fortune of fishing for northern pike at a variety of fly-in fishing lodges and remote lakes. At some of these spots I’ve been lucky enough to catch and release some monsterous pike, including my personal best that measured in at 51-inches. On these trips I have learned a lot about pike locations and effective lure presentations for catching these freshwater monsters throughout the spring and summer seasons.
The author with his personal best northern pike, a 51-inch giant that was released after a couple of photos.
32 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
I know what you’re going to say, “It’s much easier to catch big pike at fly-in fishing lodges where the pike are literally untouched”. Yes, that’s true, however, northern pike in the far north have similar characteristics to pike in central and southern waterbodies. Many of the techniques I’ve learned on remote lakes and river systems have allowed me to consistently catch larger northern pike on public lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. Big northern pike can be found in a wide variety of waterbodies, but not every waterbody is created equal. I’ve fished places where 45-inch pike were consistently caught and released, and I’ve fished small
lakes and reservoirs where the largest pike in the system topped out around 14pounds. So researching and understanding what the lake or river system you’re fishing can produce is important to meet your expectations, and the best way to research and gain information about a water body is from local anglers. Regardless of what maximum size of pike the waterbody can produce, the biggest pike within any waterbody can be consistently caught if you use the right approach.
May/June After spawning, the females, which are commonly the largest pike, will move out of their spawning locations and into back bays
break the surface, almost completely leaving the water while chasing after my bait. I landed several pike that ranged in size from five-pounds to 18-pounds in three different back bays that day, along with a couple of really big ones that I guessed to weigh around 20-pounds each. It’s not uncommon to sight fish at this time of the year, however, once the summer months roll around, pike, especially the really big ones, can be much harder to locate. Sure you can still catch smaller pike (often referred to as “hammer-handles”) in common pike locations, but where do the big pike go?
and shallow water locations to rest. On bright, sunny days it’s not uncommon to see pike sunning themselves in water as shallow as two-feet deep. They will rest and recover from the stresses of the spawn but are still willing to feed if your presentation is such that they can use very little energy to chase down your bait. May and June are two of the most exciting months of the year to be a pike angler. Shallow back bays are key locations and topwater baits and large streamers are ideal lures to use at this time. Once I move into a shallow bay I like to start fishing with a floating bait. After I cast the lure out, a quick jerk of the rod causes the bait to pop water up and in front of itself, attracting aggressive pike from the below. I fan-cast the area to cover as much water as I can without moving my boat.
If the pike are not aggressive, I tie on a #2/0 J-hook and poke the hook through the head of either a six-inch or eight-inch plastic bait, then give the hook a half turn and poke it back into the body of the bait, similar to a Texas Rig you’d use for bass fishing. I make as long of a cast as I can and slowly swim the bait back to the boat. At times, you may have to fish the bait even slower. Cast it out and let it sit for 10-seconds before moving it, then swim it three or four-feet and let it sit again. Even if the pike are in a negative feeding pattern this bait, worked with an ultra-slow retrieve, will usually trigger bites from a few resting pike. One May afternoon I was casting soft plastics in a back bay, slowly twitching and retrieving my bait back to the boat with a great deal of anticipation. I could see large females resting and soaking up the sun. Every 20 or 30 casts a female pike would
July/August As pike mature and grow in size they begin to change locations, looking for higher quality food sources. During the summer months they will seek out cooler water temperatures which, in most cases, are found in deeper water. Baitfish, such as minnows, walleye, perch, and whitefish, spend a large percentage of their lives in and around deep water structures so it only makes sense that large predator pike will be in these areas taking advantage of the freshwater smorgasbord. I’ve caught some of my largest pike on public lakes and reservoirs during mid-afternoon in 20 to 35-feet of water, especially during the month of August. Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 33
Deep water structures can vary from sunken humps and rocky points to shorelines with sharp drop-offs. When I’m fishing deep water structures for pike, I’ve had my best luck casting and retrieving my lure up the face of the structure. I cast past or over the top of the structure and let the lure free-fall to the bottom. Once my lure reaches the bottom I work it up the structure so my lure is covering a variety of depths as it moves into shallower water. The lure bounces off the face of the structure, disturbing soot and making noise imitating a wounded baitfish. Pike will be waiting to ambush your presentation at various depths along the structure.
Small Fish are Key I’ve seen so many anglers pull up to a great summer pike location and, in a short amount of time, start catching small pike, walleyes or perch. Cast after cast they consistently set the hook but quickly grow frustrated with the small fish and move to a new location in search of big pike, but they often experience the same results. There are times when anglers have to change locations to find large northern pike but past experience has taught me that, when I start catching small pike, walleyes or other
34 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
When you’re fishing deepwater structure and you’re catching small pike, walleye, or perch, grip your fishing rod a little tighter because a big pike could be your next bite.
species on deep water structure, it’s only a matter of time before a much larger pike will show up. Northern pike are opportunistic and the big ones will often feed on the small pike and other species you may be catching. We have all seen pictures of a large pike with a small pike half-way down its throat. After eating a small pike, or other similarsized fish, a big pike will rest on the bottom to digest their substantial meal. Every time I’ve caught a pike 15-pounds or larger, regardless if it’s at a fly-in lodge or on a
public lake, reservoir, or river system, I’ve always caught several small ones first. A guide at Thompson Camps in northern Saskatchewan taught me this several years ago and I’ve consistently caught larger northern pike on central and southern water bodies ever since. Now when I find a deepwater structure with small pike, walleye, or perch holding on it, I don’t leave until I feel I’ve completely and thoroughly fished the area. During the summer months, when you’re fishing deep water structure and you’re catching “hammer-handles”, grip your fishing rod a little tighter because it’s only a matter of time. One of the biggest misconceptions about pike is they are only caught in or around weedbeds. It’s true that pike of all sizes spend a great deal of time in and around shallow water weedbeds, foraging on baitfish, however, northern pike also spend a great deal of time around rocks. Minnows, walleye, perch, whitefish and, in many river systems a variety of trout species, spend a large percentage of their lives around rock structures so it only makes sense that pike will be in these areas as well. I’ve seen many anglers leave rocky areas because they believe pike are only caught in the weeds or in shallow water, but every-
W S
WHA W AT SU UN N?
even from setting the hook into toothy pike. As long as the hooks aren't bent, or rolled over at the point, they can simply be sharpened with a few passes of a fine-tooth file. However, if the hooks are bent or rolled over, replace them or tie on a new lure. There is nothing more frustrating than missing the pike of a lifetime due to a dull hook. When casting and retrieving for pike along rock structures I prefer a mediumheavy action rod with a baitcasting reel spooled with a minimum of 14-pound monofilament. In my opinion, the extra expense and sensitivity of braided line is not needed for pike fishing in this situation, as I’ve never received a subtle bite from a northern pike, big or small. When a pike bites your presentation, you know it! thing a northern pike needs; cool water, resting locations, and food, are all provided on rock structures as well. A variety of lures and presentations can be used when fishing these areas and, if you’re a jig fisherman, these are great places to drop a big jig in front of a large pike.
Landing Pike After you set the hook into a large northern pike, you have to land it. Every avid angler knows that you need to have a leader tied between your main line and your lure when fishing for pike. Pike will easily cut fishing line with their sharp teeth, but they
have also been known to cut inexpensive steel leaders. Also, when fishing rock structures, it’s not uncommon for your leader to come in contact with the edges of sharp rocks. If you don’t have a leader, and your mainline is tied directly to your lure, you will certainly lose a lot of lures. For that reason I prefer to use a 12 to 14-inch, high quality titanium leader on my pike set-up. Something that is often overlooked when fishing rock structures, for any species, is checking your hooks regularly for sharpness. Even the best hooks on the market can be dulled from hitting the rocks, getting snagged, hanging up on sunken logs, and
When I’m jigging for northerns I like the same rod, reel and leader but I spool up with 20-pound test braided line. The braided line helps assure a positive hookset into the hard mouth of a large pike, especially when vertical jigging in deeper water.
Handle With Care Northern pike are very important to our fisheries. They are very hardy but they need to be handled with care. Don’t throw pike, or any other fish species, aggressively back into the water. Those small pike you’re catching and getting frustrated with will one day be the 40-inch pike you’re dreaming of if they’re handled properly. And never hold a pike, or any fish species, by the eyes. You may be able to release the fish but you probably just blinded it and it will end up dying anyway. Try to never hold a fish out of the water more than 30-seconds and be very mindful of the fish’s gills. By practicing proper catch and release procedures today you'll help ensure that our kids can enjoy great fishing tomorrow. ? 36 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
THE WALLFL Originally called “Askunesippi”, (Ojibwa for “the antlered river”), Ontario’s Thames River received its present name in1792. The Thames was officially designated as a Canadian heritage river in 2000. It flows westward from the town of Tavistock through Woodstock, past London, into Chatham and on to Lighthouse Cove where it joins Lake St. Clair, a distance of some 270-kilometers. There are 94 species of fish that call this nutrient-rich water home, everything from brook trout to longnose gar.
38 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
OWER RIVER
By Mark Forabosco
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 39
with a humble 12 to 14-foot aluminum boat. A stout trolling rod and a dependable level wind reel spooled with 60-pound test braided line is adequate. One popular fishing method which pays dividends is trolling with body baits that are set no further than 40-feet behind the boat. Adjust your speed according to the temperature. If it is unseasonably cold slow down to 3.5-mph, if it is on the warmer side increase your speed to 4.5-mph. At this time of year the muskellunge will travel in pursuit of the shad as far as three-miles upriver or more, something to remember if the boat traffic is getting to thick at the mouth.
A few scattered pinholes of sunlight pierced through the iron clad sky above as a reminder that the day was far from over. I was chased off of the lake as the October winds created huge swells, making it all but impossible to maintain any boat control. My only options were either to pack it in or troll the stained waters of the river that fed into the lake. High reeds lined both banks, along with a combination of rustic pre-war cabins and oversized modern day homesteads, forming a backdrop for the river. Muskie fishing is, at best, a roll of the dice and under the circumstances I wasn’t confident about my odds. But even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then. One hour later my rod buckled and the drag began to stubbornly surrender line. I put the boat in neutral and a most memorable battle ensued. The tenacious fish stayed deep the entire time until, after many anxious moments, it finally wore down and lay in the bottom of my landing net. That river had generously granted me my largest muskie at the time, 49-inches and just a hair over 30-pounds.
The Three Stars Though the Thames River system is home to a vast number of fish species, the focus of this article will be on three of the river’s main stars: the muskellunge, the smallmouth bass and the walleye. If someone were to ask where and when they would have the greatest chance of tangling 40 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
with a trophy muskie - 48-inches or better with a weight of 30-pounds or greater - the one place I would suggest above all others would be where the Thames River meets Lake St. Clair. From mid-October right up until early December muskie enter the Thames in search of schools of shad to fatten up for the winter. Multiple fish days are common, especially if the weather has been consistent and the water maintains good clarity. Here, old fashioned fundamentals will put fish in the net. The river can accommodate large fishing rigs but it is also well-suited for someone
Another method that is growing in popularity is to simply drift with the current while jigging Bondy baits or Bulldawgs just off of the bottom. For those who don’t have a boat, casting from the breakwalls with the same lures can also produce trophies. Just remember, you will need a long-handled muskie landing net and the proper release tools regardless of where you are fishing.
Liam There is a line of thought that in order to be a great guide one must be an old salt with many seasons spent on the water. That may hold a ring of truth but there are always exceptions. I was looking to connect with the smallmouth bass and pike that inhabite the
Thames in some of the more rural areas between London and Woodstock. My guide was gentleman angler, Liam Devine. Even though we were no more than 15-minutes away from the thriving city of London, the
tranquility of this stretch of water led me to believed that I was in some remote place. Liam told me, in detail, about the exciting fishery he had just steps from his home and it didn’t take long before he slid his net under the first bass of the day. A few minutes later I missed a large fish, more so because of slowing reflexes than anything else. “In the summer I’ll work the deep water as well as current breaks and where slack current begins”, Liam shared. “If you can find them, sections with sandy bottoms can hold fish as well. I let the water temperature dictate how fast I work my baits. With warmer water I work my lures faster and I slow down as the temperatures cool.” Liam went on to explain that under muddy conditions he will use baits with brighter colours and go with more natural colours in clear situations. Much of Liam’s success can be attributed to his method of thouroghly covering one section of water before moving on. He explained that he also enjoys fishing plastic-bodied jerkbaits because, when worked properly, they can
appear as lifelike as the real thing. He suggested that, under tough conditions, drifting with minnows can pay big dividends. Though we only had a couple of hours to spend together on the water, the fishing was
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consistent. We landed a number of bulky smallmouth bass, the largest pushing fivepounds, along with tangling with few accrobatic northern pike.
Bread and Butter Fish The first species of fish that anglers immediately think of when the Thames River is mentioned would be the walleye. What is unique is that this river not only has a healthy resident population, but every year it’s numbers swell with a strong spawning run of fish from Lake St. Clair. With proactive measures to protect the fishery in place - including the introduction of slot sizes - and the majority of larger spawning females being released, the fishing should fan the flames of eager walleye anglers for years to come. This piscatorial pursuit takes one back to a simpler era. A pair of hip waders, a vest filled with feathered and rubber jigs, and a handful of favourite body baits can provide endless opportunities. The walleye are spread out evenly through the entire system, regardless if you are in the rural countryside or within view of a high-rise as the river winds its way through the city of London. Even with increased fishing pressure from a population nearing half a million, this water stills harbours robust numbers of walleye, along with some trophies if you know where to look. I cannot name any of these particu-
lar locales but I can say it is the places that are the most difficult to access that generally have the best fishing. If you’re willing to walk a little further you can often reap greater rewards! Deep holes, bends, and areas with current breaks will draw walleyes. Remember that as evening approaches or the skies become overcast, walleyes will turn on and feed more actively.
Caretakers of the Thames I sensed a touch of pride in Robert Huber’s voice as he listed the accomplishments of the Thames River Angling Association, and rightfully so. This highly respected club came into existence over 30years ago. Its membership is made up of people of all ages and all walks of life, a truly diverse group who just happen to share the same passion. Robert, who has been the club president for eight-years, explained some of the projects and accomplishments of the club. “One of our earliest goals was to rehabilitate the watershed and numerous creeks that fed into the river. We worked with landowners to prevent erosion and to clean up obstacles in many of the feeder streams that were connected to the Thames. We inserted spawning boxes that could hold tens of thousands of eggs. Now these streams have healthy populations of rainbow, brown and speckled trout. We also ran a walleye 42 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
hatchery for a time and established a walleye fishery in adjacent waters that are part of the system where there was none before. We realized that it would be easier to accomplish our goals if we aligned ourselves with other angling clubs, tackle shops, the city of London and all levels of government.” Due to these extensive efforts and intense co-operation, oxygen levels have improved and wastewater treatment has increased by 90%. London’s treatment plants remove 98% of solids and 95% of the phosphorus. There is a new plan coming into effect where the city plans to spend $280-million over the next 20-years to maintain and enhance the river’s water quality. Robert also touched on the recent collapse of the Springbank dam. “After much discussion it was determined that the dam was not to be rebuilt. Studies showed that with the collapse of the dam came colder water temperatures which reduced algae, provided cleaner water and enhanced the ecosystem for waterbirds, amphibians and the overall fishery. In fact, with the dam down anglers are now catching muskellunge as far up as London and these fish are establishing themselves on a permanent basis. I’ve been fishing this river for over 20-wenty years and my opinion is that the fishery is better than it has ever been!” The contribution of the club and its president has not gone unnoticed and
Mel’s Fish and Chips Robert was awarded the highly regarded Gord Blake memorial award for his efforts related to conservation. Robert pointed out that there remains one smaller dam in London and, should that dam be removed, both walleye and muskie would then be able to travel upstream and establish a residence that would end below Pittock Dam in Woodstock!
A Promising Future When it comes down to it, the fisheries of the Thames River probably haven’t received the accolades they deserve, making it a veritable wallflower when compared to some of the more publicized rivers in Ontario. Thanks to strong conservation efforts, and some restocking, this system has one of the most unique fisheries that this province has to offer. In addition, many anglers now understand that it is better to keep a couple of smaller fish for the occasional fry and to release the larger spawning fish so they can pass on their genetics to provide a healthy and enduring fishery. As for the fishermen who call this water home, they have a good reason to smile. It appears that the future of the Thames River is very bright indeed. ?
Should you find yourself wetting a line in the section of the Thames River that winds its way into the historic town of Woodstock, and you have a craving for a true classic Englishstyle fish and chip dinner, you’re in luck. Just a hop and a skip from the river is one of the longest-lived restaurants in the region, Mel’s Fish and Chips. Owner Michele Gilmar explained to me that Mel’s has been around for over 90-years, first opening in 1929. I can state from first-hand experience that their deep fried fish and “ginormous” onion rings are truly delectable. Part of their secret in making this culinary delight is that they have a three vat Preston Thomas deep fryer that was imported from England in the 1930s, and it’s the only one in Canada! The other secret lies in their batter mix. Mel informed me that she has some customers who have been eating there for over 65 years! In fact, Mel’s is so authentic that they still wrap their fish in newspaper. So if you’re looking for some great food along with small town hospitality, drop in and pay Michele and Ben a visit. I guarantee that you won’t leave hungry!
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 43
Photo courtesy of the USFWS
By Rob Dankowsky
HARDWARE FOR TROPHY
BROWN TROUT
44 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
It’s a few days into the season and hundreds of fingerling brown trout are being released into one of my favorite brown trout holes. Knowing full-well that big brown trout are notorious cannibals I begin to concoct a plan to be on the river, in this very same spot, a few days later. Back on the river once again, this time with a #3 yellow and black spotted Mepps spinner, I prepare for my big brown trout assault. Having gotten into position I fire a cast up-stream as far as I can. Halfway through my steady retrieve something big and golden smashes my lure just under the water’s surface. Two-minutes later I am holding one of the biggest brown trout I have ever seen.
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 45
Thousands of fingerling brown trout are stocked into a handful of our southern Ontario rivers each year so it only makes sense that bigger brown trout would learn to take advantage of this abundant food source. Expanding on the knowledge above, I have zeroed in on three patterns that take advantage of both the brown trout’s cannibalistic nature and their penchant for other high protein food sources. All of these patterns incorporate fairly stout spinning gear.
Pattern #1
Fast forward three-months and I’m surrounded by the blackness of night, coyotes howling and eyes shining along the bank. I make my first cast into the dark and, hearing my little black crawling/walking lure land on the river’s surface, I begin a slow and steady retrieve. Halfway through the retrieve I start hearing the tell-tale “pops” of an oversized brown trout trying to inhale my bait. Over and over I tell myself, “Wait for it; wait for it”! Suddenly my rod doubles over with the weight of 20-inch plus brown trout and the fight is on. After a few determined runs, and some wild thrashing at the surface, I find myself staring down at 25-inches of beautifully spotted brown trout. Years ago, while fishing for northern pike, I stumbled upon an interesting pattern. While tossing big spinners and soft jerkbaits for pike in a river that I frequent, I would occasionally catch the odd, really large, brown trout. Fish from 20 to 26-inches would sometimes whack the baits I was targeting pike with. I wouldn’t catch many browns, but none of them were under 20inches. Another thing that I noticed during this time was that the lures that I did the best with were always brown, yellow and black in coloration. In other words, they resembled smaller brown trout. Big brown trout are known meat eaters and they absolutely love to resort to cannibalism whenever possible. 46 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
Pattern number one utilizes, and takes advantage of, high and off-colored water. After a couple of days of substantial rain I head out onto the river with big #5 bladed spinners and both soft and hard jerkbaits in the five-inch range. These lures all have colorations mimicking smaller brown trout. Brown trout have excellent eyesight and they are wary by nature. The high, colored water gives them a sense of security while making spotting the outline of a pursuing angler on the bank much less likely. In a sense, high, off-colored water gives the angler camouflage! Casting slightly upstream and quartering the bait back to where you are standing on the bank is ideal. There is no need to wade into the water in this scenario. I have also
found that keeping the lure high in the water column under these conditions is to the angler’s advantage. I like to keep both spinners and jerkbaits within inches of water’s surface during the entire retrieve. Big browns will often smash these baits with slashing strikes right on the water’s surface, ambushing the lure from a stationary position below. I have done my best by fishing this pattern with bright yellow and flashy gold #5 spinners. Brown trout-colored soft jerk baits rigged on a 5/0 single worm hook can also be deadly. Perhaps the best part of this pattern is that it works well into the season - and it works all day long, especially when the sun is high and bright.
with brown trout fingerlings, and it seems to last for about two-weeks. Much like pattern one, it occurs during the day. The best pools for this scenario are large, deep, and contain an undercut bank on one side. Slowly wading into the river, walking upstream and across to a vantage point, is critical. From here the angler can cast upstream and retrieve the bait alongside the
deep undercut bank. Allowing the water to calm down and standing absolutely still is imperative before casting. I personally like to wait about five-minutes in a stationary position before firing out my first cast. Using brown trout colored spinners, along with both soft and hard jerkbaits, is key in this pattern. Remember, hundreds of small brown trout have been recently
My favorite areas to fish this pattern are the” push”, or tail-outs, of larger pools and the area that follows the head of the pool, just after the rapids. Big brown trout can ambush prey that has been washed down by recent rains and they can also pin prey against the upcoming rapids at the tail-out.
Pattern #2 Pattern two is very time sensitive, but it will often produce the biggest brown trout of the season. It occurs very early in the season, just after the rivers have been stocked
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Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 47
stocked and the big girls are keyed into feeding on them. Much like in pattern one, keeping the lure riding high up in the water column is very important. The largest brown trout seem to love lying very close to bottom in a camouflaged position where they can launch an attack from. Spinners in #3 and #4 sizes, with yellow and black hues, are dynamite for this pattern. Three to five-inch soft and hard jerkbaits are also great options. Most of lure companies that make jerkbaits incorporate a “brown trout” pattern into their colour lines and it is well worth an angler’s effort to match the hatch as closely as possible.
Pattern #3 Pattern three occurs under the cover of darkness, from the middle until the end of the season. It borrows directly from the flyfishing technique of mousing, and is a very
48 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
exciting way to catch big brown trout. However, instead of using a mouse fly it substitutes small surface lures; baits that would typically be used for smallmouth or largemouth bass. Smaller walking/crawling type offerings are prime choices. As for color options, black takes the nod every time. Black offers the best visible silhouette for a feeding brown trout at night. This pattern incorporates both a good, reliable headlamp and a very good knowledge of the terrain surrounding the pool. The world is very different in the pitch black of nighttime and foreign pools and landscapes can be much harder to negotiate under the cover of darkness, even with a headlamp. Stepping into water that is suddenly over one’s head during the daytime is daunting enough but doing the same at night can be deadly. In this pattern the angler gets to a known, productive big trout pool about half an hour before sunset. Once situated along the bank (or in the water if you’re wading) it is imperative to wait for the sun to go down completely before casting. Brown trout are cautious creatures, both day and night, and casting into the pool repeatedly before the sun goes down is a sure-fire way to ruin any chance of hooking a monster. In addition, fishing during periods of little to no moonlight will greatly increase your chances of catching a trophy. There are too many shadows being cast on the water’s surface during a full moon to make a wary brown trout feel safe enough to feed freely. Finally, under no circumstances should an angler have their headlamp shining on the water’s surface while fishing. The headlamp should only be turned on (away from the water’s surface) while re-tying, unhooking a fish, or navigating back to the vehicle after fishing is done. Personally, I won’t even turn a headlamp on during the fight. More often than not there other trophy browns that can be caught from the same pool over the course of a night. In this final nighttime pattern I have found that super-long downstream casts with topwater baits work the best. Slow retrieves against the current seem to generate the best water pressure on the lure’s lip or propeller. In turn, this generates the best action and sound for brown trout to zone in on. Casting the bait downstream and letting it float even further downstream before retrieving is a great option to cover even more water.
In addition to fishing the deep part of a pool, fishing the absolute head of the hole often pays off in big dividends. Brown trout that like to sulk in the middle of the pool during the day will often swim up to the absolute head of the pool at night, often into inches of water. They do this because they feel safer under the cover of darkness and because the head of the pool is a perfect place to intercept a mouse or other prey being washed down from the rapids. Finally, when fishing topwater baits at night, it is absolutely crucial to strike or set the hook only once the weight of the fish is felt. Setting the hook upon hearing the “pop” of a big brown striking at the lure will only result in missed fish. Browns have a habit of missing the bait entirely at night so, even though they can be heard trying to hit, wait until you feel the fish before you react.
EQUIPMENT As far as equipment goes, I like to use a 10-foot salmon/steelhead rod with a fairly fast action. A long rod allows for long casts, and experience has taught me that the longest casts possible are crucial when angling for wary brown trout - both day and night. For a reel, any quality spinning reel can be used. For line, I use 20-pound test camouflaged braid as my main line and at least two-feet of 10 to 12-pound test fluorocarbon as a leader. This equipment may seem on the heavy side but trophy brown trout will usually try and bulldog into tacklesnapping undercut banks, logjams and other forms of cover. Sometimes heavy pressure must be applied and your tackle must be up to the task.
For my other gear, I employ the use of a backpack as the primary source of storage. Into the backpack goes a small tackle box of the baits mentioned above, needle-nose pliers, bug spray, a quality hook file and a big bottle of water. It very important to stay well-hydrated while navigating the river, both day and night. Finally, I incorporate a small landing net that attaches to my belt or a loop on my shorts via a large elastic or bungee cord. A
large, thrashing brown trout with a hook in its mouth, at 12 am under a moonless sky, is nothing to mess around with. Netting a big brown trout ensures both its safety and yours as well. Some of the rivers that I fish in Southern Ontario have special regulations, and are strictly catch and release. Sometimes removing one of the treble hooks on one of my lures is required, as is pinching down the barbs. Practicing catch and release whenever possible, even on the rivers that do not
require it, ensures that brown trout over 20inches are the rule rather than the exception. A giant brown trout hovering around the 30-inch mark is a truly majestic resource that is worth preserving. In closing, as an angler that pursues trophies of every species on hardware, it is my hope that everyone can get out on one of our prolific brown trout waters and catch some big river browns of their own. They are beautiful fish, they pull hard, and they are often very close by! ?
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Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 49
50 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
SHARPENING 101 By John Ward - - John Ward is the Vice President and General Manager of Acme United Canada
Sharpening has come a long way over the past several years: so what’s the latest technology and how can it help you become a proficient sharpener. Many sportsmen and sportswomen believe that sharpening a knife to a lasting razor sharp edge is equivalent to replacing the engine in their truck, but it’s really not that hard. I don’t know why people are so intimidated about sharpening knives, scissors, loppers, axes, chisels and anything else that cuts, but I do know that many people would rather just by a new pair or have someone else sharpen it for them. Sharpening does require some practice, which is okay. Most things that you want to be good at require some practical experience. As with all endeavors, having the best tools for the task can make a huge difference in the outcome. I don’t necessarily mean the most expensive tools, but in some cases this is also a factor.
Let’s start with the basics and keep this simple. A cutting tool has a sharp edge. It is comprised of at least one angled edge. As you use the tool, you begin to change the shape of the edge at a microscopic level. As usage continues, the edge degrades further until the instrument no longer functions properly. You may choose to maintain your edge frequently, like a butcher or Sushi Chef does. In this case, a light honing (straightening or deburring) may be all that is required to bring the blade back to its original form.
At some point however, an edge will need to be sharpened more aggressively. Hunters, anglers, woodworkers and others often use their tools until they have lost the original symmetry. In this case, it’s time to reestablish the angle. In the recent past, natural stone and leather was used to grind and polish an edge. The core issue with both of these is that a perfectly flat edge is not maintained initially or shortly after the first few sharpenings. Whetstones can be imperfect to begin with and they certainly dish (become concave) over time. This uneven surface begins to distort the fine edge of your blade. To maintain a perfect edge you must ensure that you have a perfectly flat surface; you need to match the exact angle of the original grind and you must sharpen both sides of the knife edge with equal pressure, equal stroke length and equal repetition. Taking shortcuts, like using old worndown and dished stones; using V-shaped
carbide pull through sharpeners (which tear the steel and may not match your edge); relying on electric wheel sharpeners (which hide wear on the stone and may not match the angle of your knife) and using belt sharpeners where pressure on the belt can cause the surface to flex and become concave; will not always give you the desired results. It’s really that simple. When sharpening, match the original angle exactly and you will end up with a terrific edge.
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Many sharpening systems try to help consumers stroke the knife edge at the correct angle by incorporating a guide system. This is certainly helpful as long as you set the guide precisely to your knife’s edge. Sharpening your fillet knife and then sharpening your hunting knife without changing the angle is likely going to ruin one, or both, of your blades. The hunting knife will be more obtuse while the fillet knife will have a more acute angle. But not all hunting knives are the same. In fact, even the same brand of knife can have a slightly different edge angle as many knives are still handmade by skilled individuals and not by precise machines. For example, hunting knives and butcher knives can range from 18 to 26-degrees. 52 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
Fillet knives can range from 12 to 18degrees and replaceable blade knives (yes, you can sharpen these too) range from 7 to 12-degrees. So, how do you know if you’re sharpening your particular knife at the correct angle? The easiest method may be to color the actual cutting edge with a black marker. Then use your sharpener on the edge. If you only remove the marker off the very tip of the edge, your angle is too obtuse. If you only remove the marker off of the shoulder, or you are touching the primary grind, your angle is too acute. Make adjustments as needed. As you discover your knife’s edge, you will quickly learn that a bench stone is ideally suited to find an edge and then main-
tain that same edge through each stoke. This is where the experience part is important. Get a few old kitchen knives to practice on. Make your mistakes here and not on your new fillet knife! At this point, some of you may be asking, “So which sharpener should I buy?” Well, I have good news!! Times have changed and there are a number of options available. Remember the three rules to a true edge. Start with a perfectly flat surface that will maintain its flatness for a long time. My advice here is a DMT diamond bench stone. It’s guaranteed to be flat and it uses high quality monocrystalline diamonds. Diamonds are harder than the steel you’re cutting so they won’t dish like a natural stone surface. Quality diamonds will cost a
little more but they will last significantly longer. This actually makes the DMT sharpener cheaper in the long term as you won’t need to replace it so quickly. DMT sharpeners come in a variety of styles and sizes to suit your needs. Whether you are a butcher, hunter, fisherman, woodworker or gardener, all the applications are covered. If you would like to see videos showing you how to sharpen scissors, knives, chisels or even router bits, visit DMTsharp.com. They produce excellent sharpeners that I trust to sharpen my most expensive knives ?
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 53
THE COMMON LOON By Dave Taylor
What would a fishing trip be up north be without the hearing the echoing call the loon? It is at times a lonely, haunted call and at other times a maniacal laugh. It is the sound of the north. It is a familiar species that we all feel we know. However, as more and more research is done we are learning that the Common loon is a more complicated bird than we thought and some of the long-held beliefs about it are changing.
54 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
The Common loon, Gavia immer; has a widely spread range that closely matches the boreal forests across the top of North America, Europe and Asia. In Europe it is known as the Northern Diver. It is one of five species of loons found around the world. All of them nest in the north and all are found in North America. The other species are the Pacific loon, Gavia Pacifica; the Red-throated, Gavia stellate; the Arctic or Black-throated loon, Gavia arctica; and the Yellow-billed loon, Gavia adamsii. It was once thought that the Common loon mated for life but we now know that this is not the case. Their social lives are very complex and fascinating. During the breeding season, pairs are monogamous. DNA studies have shown that the resident pair are the parents of the hatchlings. This is not necessarily the case with other birds as there is often a fair amount of cheating going on, with females cheating on their male, and males cheating on their female. The Red-winged blackbird is a classic example of this sort of behaviour.
“floaters”. From this group, members of both sexes make intrusions into more desirable territories to check them out. They usually stay for about 30-minutes and then are chased out by the resident loons, who swim out to intimidate the interloper with heads held high, head bows, splashes and circle dances. Floaters make between two and five of these incursions per day. The point of these excursions is not to challenge the territorial pair, but rather to assess the quality of the territory. Small lakes are often too acidic to support fish and therefore are often devoid of enough food for a pair to raise a family. In some locations there is an abundance of a species of blackfly that targets mainly loons (and thankfully not humans). Swarms of these small flies have caused nests to be abandoned. Productive territories are places where there is enough food to feed the young and where nest sites are free from predation and blackfly infestations. In territories where chicks are reared successfully, intrusions
Once paired on a territory, loons are true to each other but observers often noted the presence of other males spending time in the territory held by the breeding pair. If these interlopers were not there to breed with the resident female why were they there? Young three to four-year old birds may be breeding but if so, they tend to breed on inferior lakes where the survival of the young is not high. Other loons that show up in territories held by pairs are simply young adults without a place or a mate to call their own. They are known as
increase by at least 60%. Having identified a productive and safe area, floaters become more eager to claim it. Breeding success is measured by biologists by the number of young that reach sixweeks old. At that point they have attained 70% of their adult size and are capable of feeding themselves. A typical nest is located just above the waterline with easy access to the water. Loons, because the position of their legs is further back on their bodies than on other birds, are not able to move well on land.
Two eggs are laid and, if raccoons, skunks or wave action do not destroy the eggs, the chicks hatch in 28 to 29-days. The chicks are semiprecocial and are able to swim and dive soon after hatching. They are brown in colour and, when very young, will ride on their parents’ backs. They are fed for 11-weeks.
Adults migrate before their young and will gather on large lakes in the early fall, forming small flocks. At this time the loons are moulting from black and white to greyish brown. Even more striking is the change to the adults’ eyes, which go from a brilliant red in the breeding season to a dull reddish brown. Loons migrate to the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts of the continental United States but may be seen up to 100-kilometers from the coasts. There they feed on saltwater fish such as rock fish, flounder, herring and occasionally crustaceans, as well as on aquatic plant material such as pond weed and algae. In the spring they migrate north, resting on unfrozen lakes until their nesting territories are ice-free. Anglers on the Great Lakes will often encounter loons in the early spring. From these ice-free waters loons will make daily trips north to see if the lakes there are open. If not, they return to open water. The territorial pair will return to their old haunts and then the real reason for the floaters’ intrusions becomes evident. They are assessing the quality of the territory. If it’s deemed a productive location they will make a try for it. Successful birds are usually six to seven-years old. Males will sometimes fight to the death and it is usually the former territorial resident that loses to the challenger. In fact,
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 55
most hunts take place between two and five-meters deep. They prefer to feed on yellow perch, smallmouth bass and other small fish but will also eat crayfish, frogs, leeches and aquatic insects, and can survive in lakes with very low fish populations. Loons will also eat water-lily and other aquatic plants. Loons are larger than you might expect. They weigh between 2.7 and 6.3-kilograms, their bodies are about 81-centimeters long and they have a wingspan of around 135centimeters. They are just a little smaller
An adult Common Loon in fall plumage.
almost a third of these fights end in death. As they’ve aged, the territorial males lose strength after what may have been several years in one location. Females are also challenged and younger floaters often succeed in taking over the territory from older females. Depending on the outcome of these battles, one of three scenarios will play out. If the returning male succeeds in chasing off the floaters and defending his territory the old nesting site will be reused, no matter if it is with his mate from last year or a new female. Male loons choose the nesting site. However, if it is a new male, either with the returning female or a new female, they will select a new site. Some males are better than others at selecting a nest site. Given this background, the various calls of the loon begin to make sense to human ears. The ringing tremolo sounds like laughter and is given when there is a threat (human or animal) or when the bird is flying. The wail sounds like a wolf howl and is used to unite a pair, sort of, “Where are you, I am here”. The yodel is made by the male only and is aimed at an intruder. Its quality diminishes as the male ages and so the call acts as a measure of his health. The hoot is made between individuals such as a pair or a parent of young. In North America, according to a 2007 report, there are between 252,000 to 264,000 breeding pairs and a population of between 607,000 and 635,000 that swells to over 710,000 during the fall migration. Ontario has an estimated 65,000 pairs. In North America 94% of Common loon 56 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
pairs breed in Canada. The remaining 6% breed in Alaska, the Northern mountain states, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and the Northeastern states. Loons have solid bones which makes them heavier than similar sized birds. It also means that they sit lower in the water than ducks or geese do. They are perfectly adapted for hunting beneath the surface with their feet placed well back on their streamlined bodies for propulsion and steering. Loons have a sharp beak to capture their prey and they are capable of diving almost 70-meters below the surface. They can stay underwater for up to three-minutes, however, most dives last around 45-seconds and
than a Canada goose, although they weigh about the same. Females are smaller than males. Loons can fly at speeds up to 129kilometers per hour and, when migrating, will do so at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,700-meters.
Because of the place these birds have in our hearts, loons are well studied. There is concern that their numbers may be declining and die-offs of thousands of loons are reported from some of the Great Lakes during the fall migration. I spoke with Doug Tozer of Bird Studies Canada to find out what is really going on. Tozer is the Program Director for, among other things, the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey. He explained that there are two ways of looking at the health of the loon population. The reproductive number measures the breeding success of the loons, and then there is the state of their overall population. Both indicate that, while there have been some declines, the species is not considered at risk. But Tozer points out that this may change. “Loons are a long-lived species and we might not be capturing trends because breeding pairs are still having success, and we may not know how the floaters are doing.” He says that breeding success has declined but there is a magic number, “of about 0.48 surviving chicks per pair”, that
in Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. It does not occur every year but when it does, tens of thousands of loons and other waterfowl die during the fall migration. Warmer water temperatures also help promote the growth of green algae and bacteria. Making it worse is the presence of zebra and quagga mussels. The mussels feed on microscopic organisms and this results in clearer water, which allows the sunlight to penetrate deeper, fuelling the growth of algae. These algae growths are loaded with toxic bacteria. The mussels also concentrate these toxins and, when they are eaten by small fish, the toxins begin the journey up the food chain. Eventually the buildup in top predators like the loon leads to death. Mercury is also a big concern. Despite successful measures by the government to remove it from the air, mercury is very sta-
ble. For a few decades it was not much of a problem in the environment but a warming climate has helped it convert to Methylmercury, and it is in this form that it has entered the food chain. The long term effects of these and other environmental concerns are being studied but are not yet fully understood. Tozer suggested that anglers can help out by contributing to citizen science programs, like the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey, which requires at least three visits to a lake between April and September, or reporting to EBird which allows you to post single sightings. Both are of value. I have always enjoyed the call of the loon. To me, it symbolizes the North’s wildness and, as I have learned more about them, my appreciation has grown for them and the complexities of their lives. ?
How to Help the Common Loon has not yet been reached. That number is a measure of the average number of chicks reaching adulthood that are needed to maintain a healthy population. “So far, reproductive success is above that”, but he cautions, “That could change”. In 1997 there were 0.76 chicks surviving but in 2017 that number dropped to 0.55. “The number is dropping.” There are some major threats facing loons. Climate change in the last two to three-decades seems to have fueled some of them. Botulism Type “E” was first reported killing loons and other waterfowl in the 1960s, “but then it went away”. It was not reported again until the late 1990s in Lake Erie. The problem has since been reported
Slow Down When approaching the shore, slow down and keep your boat’s wake to a minimum as waves can wash out nests or separate young chicks from their parents.
Dispose Properly Take trash to shore for proper disposal. Garbage can injure birds and food scraps could attract larger predators.
Get involved, become a Citizen Scientist You can participate in loon or lake monitoring by joining the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey at birdscanada.org/ volunteer/clls/ To become a participant in the 2019 survey season, visit birdscanada.org/loons To report individual loon sightings to eBird visit ebird.org/canada/home
Keep lakes clean Take care not to allow gasoline or oil, pesticides, detergents or other pollutants to enter any waterway.
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 57
Tales from the Road BROUGHT TO YOU BY
By Bob Izumi
Since our last issue I guess you could say I’ve had a bit of the winter blues. Okay, not really the winter blues, but I decided I would not go to any warm, tropical destination this winter until I got a ton of work done. Contrary to some of my Tales columns that you might have read over the years, there’s a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that you don’t hear about because they’re rather boring. I mean, it’s just normal work. When you’ve been in this business for as long as I have, if you don’t eat, sleep and drink fishing, and the fishing business, you’re in the wrong trade because there isn’t a waking hour of my life that I don’t think of something that needs to be done in the fishing world. Whether it’s my next tournament, a magazine article, social media, sponsor commitments, a future shoot or an existing show that we’re editing, there’s always stuff to do, and it never ends.
58 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
Am I complaining? Well, I guess I might be a little bit, since I haven’t been fishing a lot since my last column. This is the first time in 39-years that I have fished as little as I have from about the middle of December to this current Tales that we’re doing here in late February. So there’s basically a 2 ½month period that I’ve done the least amount of fishing that I’ve ever done in my career during this time frame. Usually I would have about 20 to 25-days of fishing
during this time period but I’m just trying to get other things done. If you saw my garage you’d understand. I’m so embarrassed about my mess of fishing equipment that I will not show you a picture of it. The TV show Hoarders has got nothing on me! It seems like when I come back from a trip there’s so much to do that my fishing equipment is the last thing that gets looked after. For example, if I go fishing for lake trout, when I come back I throw my gear
into a pile because my next trip might be a bass tournament. After that, the next trip might be for walleyes and the next trip for muskies and on and on and on. So I do all of these trips that I have to get ready for, but I never, ever seem to clean up after I come back from them. That’s what I’m up against from an equipment standpoint. Anyway, my goal is to get everything in order, from equipment to business, before I aggressively attack the water again. Having said all that, I think that being organized makes you a better angler. There’s no question that if you are organized before you get on the water, or ice, you’re going to catch a lot more fish. If you have a checklist of things you need to pack you’ll never end up saying, “I wish I would have brought this” or “I forgot that” or “I need this”. When you have those situations arise, they can affect your fishing performance out there. So I take great pride in being organized when I get on the water. The unfortunate thing is that I’m lacking a bit in the after-fishing organization department! During the month of December we did get out to fish the Niagara River and the Niagara Bar. John Yancoulis, who I’ve known and competed against in tournaments for a number of years, was sitting beside me at the Berkley/Abu Garcia Ambassador meeting and I told him that I was going to hit the Niagara River. I asked him if he wanted to join us and he said, “Sure”, so we ended up going out there. We didn’t launch at Queenston because I wanted to avoid the traffic at the boat ramp there, so we launched at Port Dalhousie in St. Catharines and came across the lake. We started fishing on the Niagara Bar around mid-day. Our plan was to try and shoot a segment for the show but the water was muddy and the fishing was tough. A couple of fish got caught around us in other boats, but we made maybe four or five drifts and didn’t get any so we decided to fish some other drifts upriver, towards Queenston. On this particular day we decided to mix it up and try to catch a number of different species. We started on one spot that’s notorious for brown trout but we didn’t catch any, so we moved to a walleye drift. After a number of drifts we didn’t
catch any walleyes, so we ended up going upstream and fishing various drifts. When we got to Queenston, with about a halfhour to fish before sunset, we finally landed three nice rainbow trout and missed three or four more. As we got back downriver and onto Lake Ontario the sun was pretty well set on the Niagara Bar so we decided to do a quick drift while we were taking our microphones off and getting ready for the trip back across the lake. That’s when John hooked a big lake trout. He fought it about halfway back to the boat but then it came off and that was the end of our day. Overall, we didn’t set the world on fire but we did catch a few fish by trying a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Had we just fished the steelhead I’m sure we would have caught 10 or 20, but we thought we’d try a bunch of different things out there. I don’t always go with the sure thing. Sometimes,
when you’re on a multi-species river like the mighty Niagara, it’s nice to mix it up and try to catch other species, even though you know a certain species may be biting better than others. Hey, that’s fishing. After the Niagara trip I had a number of corporate meetings to go. When those were done I had John Ward, from Cuda, over to the office for something that I have to admit I’m not very good at - how to pick a good knife sharpener and how to properly sharpen knives. I brought in a handful of knives from the kitchen and boat so he could show me how to properly sharpen them. We sat down in the boardroom and shot some video of how to pick the right knife sharpener, then John showed me Cuda’s DMT line of sharpeners and how to properly use them on a blade. It’s amazing how sharp you can get a knife by using the proper sharpener in the correct way. I didn’t realize how common it is for folks to not know Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 59
how to properly sharpen their knives. I was too embarrassed to admit that I’m not a seasoned veteran at sharpening either, but after spending some time with John I guarantee I can put an edge on a knife now! Christmas rolled around and it was nice to visit with a lot of friends and acquaintances during the festive season. As usual I ate way too much, and I definitely caught up on my binge watching. It’s funny because I don’t watch a lot of TV or movies during the warmer months when I’m on the water a lot. For whatever reason, this winter I just decided I would catch up on a lot of movies and series’ that are available on the internet. I definitely saw some well-produced programs but I have to say that I’m ready to take a break from that. My ADD is setting in and I’d rather be running around out on the water. The good thing about ADD, at least the version I think I have, is that with fishing I bounce around a lot. If things aren’t working I just keep moving around trying different things so the ADD never really sets in for very long. When I’m watching movies or series’ I find that while I’m watching on the big screen at home I’ve also got my laptop in front of me. I end up drifting back and forth between reading about tournament fishing and other things, and trying to watch the show. It drives my wife crazy when I continually ask her what happened in the show after missing a few minutes of it because I was reading some article on 60 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
how some guy just won a tournament or something. After my binging I went down to Cornwall for an interesting meeting with the folks from the City of Cornwall. I can’t give you any of that news yet – it will be coming down the road – but there’s a very good chance that there will be a PanAmerican bass tournament held in Ontario this coming fall. There are still a lot of details to work out but it will be a followup to the Pan American tournament we fished on Lake Okeechobee in Florida last winter. Canada may host a Pan-Am bass tournament this fall.
There was a very big celebration in the marine world in 2019 in honour of Mercury Marine’s 80th Anniversary, and the first boat show to celebrate it was the Toronto International Boat Show. Mercury had a get-together there on the first night of the show and we were invited. You know, it’s funny to think that I’ve been working with Mercury for almost half of the length of time that those motors have been in existence. I’ve been with them now for 39-years and I will say that it was pretty cool to be part of that anniversary party. It’s amazing to look back at the technology and innovation that Mercury have introduced since they started 80-years ago. With this year’s new line of V6 and V8 fourstroke outboards, the celebration at the Boat Show was the perfect setting for them. The demand for these new motors has already given them record sales. After running a new 175 V6 on my Ranger aluminum boat, and a new V8 Pro XS fourstroke on my Ranger fibreglass boat, I have to say that these two motors are the finest motors I have ever used. They are just incredible. They’re fast, they sound cool, they’re good on fuel and they look amazing. What else could anyone ever want in an outboard? The Spring Fishing and Boat Show is something that I look forward to every year because the whole show is devoted to nothing but fishing boats, fishing equipment and
fishing destinations. It’s very targeted and more professional anglers go to it, either to work or to do seminars, than any other outdoors show. On the Sunday night my niece Mariko and her husband Kevin Estrada, who runs Sturgeon Slayers charter service in British Columbia, held their fly fishing film night. This is where a number of independent producers show their fly fishing films that are shot in locations all around the world. It was a real treat to see how some of the people approach fishing and what it means to them. If you’re looking for a grass-roots fishing show to go to and learn about fishing, this is absolutely the place to go. Throughout the course of the four-day show there is so much knowledge brought to you by all of these guys who run fishing charters, compete in tournaments, specialize in ice fishing and so on it’s incredible. There’s just so many things you can find out from these pros about fishing. In this digital age a lot of folks get their information right then and there from a screen. Well, before smart 62 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
phones, laptops and tablets, this was the original instant information place and it’s still one of the best. It might be the oldschool way of getting your information right then and there, but at the show you’re getting it from real people who really fish. I will say that the most rewarding part of this time of the year for me is spending time with kids. I’ve always liked little kids. I think they’re cute and they’re fun to be around, and I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with the little ones throughout this time frame of this Tales column. My niece’s daughter and my nephew’s son and daughter have been around so I’ve gotten a good fill of seeing them, both at our house and at some of the other family members’ places where we’ve had functions to go to this winter. I guess it’s probably my age, but as I get older I have even a softer spot for these kids. I appreciate them for who they are and how they are progressing as they grow. During the Spring Fishing and Boat Show, on the Family Day, my daughter Kristin, my wife Sandy and I took Mariko’s
little two-year-old daughter Yale for a part of the day while Mariko and her husband Kevin were working the show. We took her to the house and we ended up cooking a turkey and all kinds of food since we were having a number of the family over that night after they finished working the show. I’ll never forget little Yale that evening. She was having fun playing with a little porcelain tea set that we’ve had at the house for years. She was pouring water into each of the little cups but as soon as her mom walked through the door you definitely knew that she has a very special bond with Mariko. When Yale saw her mom she went running to the front door at full speed, with her arms wide open. On a scale of one to ten I’d say her happiness went from being a five to a ten when her mom got there. I think in her mind she wondered if Mariko would ever show up because she had asked about her mom a number of times that afternoon. It was kind of funny and really cute to see that reaction. All in all it was pretty cool to have her around.
As we wrap this up, later this week we’ll be heading to Lake Simcoe with the folks from Pure Fishing. Pure Fishing includes a number of iconic brands including Berkley, Abu Garcia, Fenwick, Pflueger and others. We’ll be joining them out on the ice to do a little perch fishing with them and some of their corporate customers. I can’t wait to get out on the ice and I can’t wait to eat some fresh fish out there. From what I understand, the Pure Fishing group are bringing some fresh, commercially caught perch because the group is fairly big and we don’t want to have to clean enough fish to go around. I guess I’ll have to wait for another day to show off my new knife sharpening skills! ?
Spring 2019 – Real Fishing 63
What’s COOKING
Elk Roast with Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts and Crabapple Chutney Special thanks to Ryan Lamothe, Chef at Wild2Table Catering, for providing this recipe.
ELK ROAST 5 lbs. Elk roast (venison also works) 2 garlic cloves (finely diced) 3 thyme sprigs 4 peppercorns (crushed) ½ cup maple syrup 1 cup vegetable oil
Place the roast in a large, leak-proof plastic bag. Combine the rest of the ingredients, add to the roast, seal the bag and place in the refrigerator overnight. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Take the roast out of the bag and place it on a paper towel for a few minutes to let the marinade run off. Sear roast on all sides in a fry pan on high heat until meat is browned. Place roast in the oven until it cooks to an internal temperature of 135°F (medium rare) or until desired doneness.
64 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
FINGERLING POTATOES AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS 8 fingerling potatoes (cut in half) 8 Brussels sprouts (cut in half) 4 tbsp duck fat
Cook fingerling potatoes in boiling water until cooked through, then place aside to cool. Place Brussels sprouts in boiling water and cook until tender and set aside to cool. Before serving, reheat with duck fat in a frying pan (set on high heat) and cook until golden brown. Serve hot.
CRABAPPLE CHUTNEY 6 large crabapples (peeled and small diced) 1 small onion (peeled and finely diced) 1 tbsp cinnamon 1 tbsp mustard seed 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup maple syrup 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 large pinch of salt and pepper
Place mustard seed in a medium sauce pot (or fry pan) and heat on high for two-minutes. Add onions, crabapples and cinnamon and cook for three-minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and set to low heat until liquid is reduce to 1/3. Place in fridge to cool. Serve cold.
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SHARK FISHING
This original watercolour was created by American artist Winslow Homer back in 1885. It was inspired by a trip he took to the Caribbean and gives us a unique perspective not only into fishing, but also into the everyday realities of what people did as part of their daily lives, regardless of the dangers involved.
66 Real Fishing – Spring 2019
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