Martin Vintage Fishing Ad
Martin outboards were a great brand that had a lot of potential to be a major player in the outboard motor world but could not face the tough competition from OMC, Mercury and other manufacturers. Manufactured as a subsidiary of National Pressure Cooker Company of Eau Claire, Wisconsin from 1946 through 1954. Martin motors were of a very high quality and contaioned many new and innovative features – the most important of which was the mechanically actuated intake poppet valve. This advertisement is from June 1947. 02/12
Ottawa River – Walleye or Sauger
Flowing past Canada’s Parliament and threw our forth largest city, Ottawa, the Ottawa River may be one of Canada’s least appreciated recreational fisheries. Musky, Pike, Bullhead, Carp, Large Small and White Bass, Black Crappie and Perch, and Walleye and Sauger, it’s all there waiting to be caught. Yannick Loranger, founder of Ottawa River Guided Fishing, knows this all too well and makes his living convincing others of the Ottawa River’s vitality. 01/12
Lac Seul Lessons
Without question fall is trophy time for monster muskies. Ontario is blessed with dozens of lakes holding these fish, but few have the right recipe of forage, habitat, and other elements to continuously produce 50-plus-inch fish – the northern gem, Lac Seul ranks high on this list. 11/11
Tips for Fishing Superior’s North Shore Tributaries
The beginning of fall represents the start of a new school year, a new hunting season and my favourite; the annual run of chinook, pink and coho salmon. With the runs of salmon coming into the tributaries to spawn the food present is amazing which attracts hungry steelhead that then enter the river systems gorging themselves on roe, invertebrates and small minnows. 09/11
Sault Ste. Marie- Any Angler’s Paradise
Ontario offers province wide, world class fishing opportunities. Southern Ontario boosts amazing fisheries with trophy fish common on bodies of water such as the Bay of Quinte, Niagara River and Lake Simcoe; only to name a few. Northern Ontario is world renowned for its fishing opportunities. Not only do the fish grow to trophy sized proportions but the numbers can be staggering. 07/11
The Day of the Giants … a truly unique day
July 12th…I call this the day of the giants. It was on the second day of a 3 day Musky film shoot with my good friend Aaron Shirley (Getting Hooked with Aaron & Barry) and awesome Muskie guide and friend Marc Thorpe. The Ottawa River is awesome fishery but can also be tough at times. The day proceeded not much unlike the other. It was hot, humid, little breeze and steady barometer at the time (bad weather was supposed to roll in later in the day).
The case of the submerged minnow bucket
On Wednesday January 17 my buddy Irv and I went up to Lake Simcoe to set up the huts and get ready for the ice fishing season.
The Wet Dreams Fly Shop.
I ducked into the shelter of a store-front to escape the torrential downpour. “This storm came from nowhere”, I thought. As I turned around to look, I was stunned to see a fly shop there. Why had I never noticed this shop before? I stepped back and squinted up into the driving rain, “The Wet Dreams Fly Shop”. I chuckled to myself and shook my head. “It works on so many levels”, I mused.
A case of exaggeration
I know a lot of fishermen out there and it’s been a great time keeping up with both their catches and their bullshooting. Especially when you’re a GIRL!
A Dim View
The best lake trout I ever caught was the one I couldn’t see. I’ve had to wear glasses since I was ten, and no, I am not going to say how long ago that was.
Tomiko Lake
Throughout the years my partner, Herb and I seem to fish smaller lakes. These small lakes draw us to them like a magnet to a piece of iron. One thing we found and like about small lakes are you can fish the whole lake in one day and find the honey holes on a weeks vacation.
Reasons your wife should let you go ice-fishing
It’s 6:00 am. Looking up at the sky you can just see a sliver of the sun popping up in the east. You take a deep breath, filling up your lungs with cool, crisp air. Ah yes, a perfect day for ice fishing.
The Most Important Piece of Fishing Gear is the Hat
your hat does a lot more than protect your head from the elements. It makes a personal statement. It lets all your fishing buddies know you’re a force to be reckoned with on the water. Even when you’re all wet.
Love and Lake Trout
Long ago, on a cold, wet, November evening, I found myself at the wrong end of a large lake with a broken engine and darkness closing in. I grabbed the paddle, cursing its inadequacy, and started the long journey back to the launch. The calm, frigid lake hissed with the sound of sleet, and as I followed the shoreline I was soon engulfed in fog. This was trouble; I was miles from the launch.
The Old Boy The old boy was finding it a lot harder to get out of bed to go fishing at 5 A.M. He winced in pain as he dressed. It wasn’t “minor arthritic pain” anymore. Not when you’ve seen the better side of seventy. Downstairs in the kitchen, he poured a generous dollop of Jack Daniel’s into his coffee. He glanced upwards, thinking of what the Old Girl would say, knowing that after 45 years of marriage she would chastise him with a look. If she were still here.
A Fitzwilliam Afternoon
Things look very different from a thousand feet, and as my fathers float plane, GNNR, banked lazily to the side, I found myself looking straight down at the lake we were about to fish. We both instinctively scanned the surface for dead-heads and, getting the all-clear, dad made a lower pass before committing us to a landing.
Black bears and white lies
I remember a hot day in the summer of 85. I was guiding some anglers -lets call them Bill and Bob- on a lake in northern Saskatchewan. We had been pike fishing in the bay below the last rapids of a good grayling river. A big silver spoon, coaxed along near the bottom can draw some big time action here, and although we didn’t land any trophy fish that morning, we’d landed a few fish in the double digits.
A Good Canoe
Many things pass through our lives as we are busy living them. I once heard that there are three kinds of people that visit us on our life journey- those that visit us for a season, a reason or a lifetime. Perhaps the same can be said for some objects we own during our lives. Some are just there for a season, like the expensive lures I lost on my last canoe trip. They were pretty nice, but alas, had iron constitutions and the strength of legion, breaking my line and finding freedom on the lakes rocky bottom. They were in my possession far less than a season, but at current prices it will likely be a full season before they are replaced, if ever.
Fishing Resolutions
As the New Year is finally upon us, it is time, once again, to make some resolutions for the seasons ahead. Anglers may not be so inclined to lose weight or quit smoking, however, there are some fishing resolutions that will make each of us a more proficient and well-rounded fisherman.
The Boys of Winter
Since ice fishing season is just around the corner, its time to trot out the boys of winter. Those of you who follow this column will already be familiar with a lot of them. Those of you new to this corner need some introduction.
Reflecting on the Season
As the days get shorter and the cold starts to set in, a realization dawns on me that the open water season is just about to bid farewell. In a matter of weeks, it will be time to unpack the boat, winterize the motor and seek shelter for its tired body. The hard ice of winter will soon be beckoning anglers from far and wide to puncture its outer shell and savour the joys of ice fishing.
Catfish
Next to the ling I think God had it in for catfish. I can’t find any redeeming qualities when it comes to catching them. They are exceptionally slimy. Everybody worries about their whiskers when it’s the sharp spines on their fins that get you.
