As the International Year of Biodiversity draws to an end …

… here’s the the official video to mark the year.

Thanksgiving Morning on the Notty

I drove by the bridge early today where I came across Lenny and his father fishing on the Nottawasaga today.

Father and son were pleased with what they caught.

Lenny, however, couldn’t help but show the monster he caught last year …

Another pleased customer caught one not long afterwards

Others waited more patiently in the river, but with less luck.

Some came by boat.

Looking towards the mouth of the Notty where it empties into Georgian Bay.

And some more news about Lake Ontario and the “dreaded” Asian Carp

My other local paper had a piece about an announcement by the federal government about a joint U.S.-Canada study to thwart the arrival of the Asian Carp in the Great Lakes.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/scientists-to-figure-out-how-to-thwart-asian-carp-from-invading-great-lakes/article1744032/

Scientists to figure out how to thwart Asian carp from invading Great Lakes
Ciara Byrne
Toronto— The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, Oct. 05, 2010 4:47PM EDT
Last updated Tuesday, Oct. 05, 2010 7:46PM EDT
26 comments

A dreaded aquatic bully has Canadian and U.S. scientists banding together in an attempt to thwart what’s been called the greatest threat to the Great Lakes – the Asian carp.

An 18-month, binational program will assess the risks the carp poses and look at vulnerable pathways that the fish – currently being held at bay near Chicago – could use to enter the Great Lakes, Fisheries Minister Gail Shea said Tuesday.

“The results will provide essential information for decision makers regarding monitoring, rapid response and management,” said Ms. Shea.

Fisheries and Oceans is dedicating $415,000 to the project, which will build on U.S. efforts already underway.

Officials on both sides of the border have been sounding the alarm for several years about the voracious Asian carp.

It threatens to destroy a fishing industry worth nearly $7-billion a year.

Dreaming of canoeing down the French River

http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/French/French_e.htm

Below is the blurb from http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/French/French_e.htm
“The names of these rivers conjure up images of the Voyageurs – toiling over the portages, hauling their birchbark “canots de maitre” past the rapids and waterfalls, singing as they paddle past glacier-polished rock. These rivers formed a vital link in the fur trade route from Lachine (Montreal) to Lake Superior and the Northwest. Today, recreational paddlers follow portages unchanged for over 300 years. In 1999, the La Vase Portage, an eleven-kilometre route across beaver ponds and bush, connecting the Mattawa Canadian Heritage River to Lake Nipissing, was nominated to the Heritage River System. Listen closely… Do you hear the songs of the Voyageurs?”

Cousteau’s granddaughter wants to talk to you about water

My local paper had a small story http://www.thestar.com/news/article/871296–cousteau-s-granddaughter-wants-to-talk-to-you-about-water about the Costeau visit to my city. It is always good when someone raises awareness about water, especially in one’s own backyard.

Alexandra Cousteau says people “should be able to have water resources in our community that are fishable, swimmable, drinkable and enjoyable and a lot of the people we talked to don’t have that relationship to Lake Ontario.” IAN KELLETT/BLUE LEGACY

Cousteau’s granddaughter wants to talk to you about water
Published On Wed Oct 06 2010
Alexandra Cousteau says people “should be able to have water resources in our community that are fishable, swimmable, drinkable and enjoyable and a lot of the people we talked to don’t have that relationship to Lake Ontario.”

By Marianne Takacs Staff Reporter

Alexandra Cousteau wants to hear Toronto’s story.

The 34-year-old granddaughter of renowned marine ecologist and environmental activist Jacques Cousteau is in the city on the Canadian leg of a 23,000 km journey examining water issues across North America.

Expedition Blue Planet has already explored the watersheds around the Colorado River, Gulf of Mexico and Tennessee Valley, and is investigating urban water issues in Toronto before heading out along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

“There’s this extraordinary watershed and beautiful city on the banks of a beautiful lake and yet a lot of the people we talked to, they’re afraid to go swimming in it,” said Cousteau in an interview Tuesday. “That’s a shame. We should be able to have water resources in our community that are fishable, swimmable, drinkable and enjoyable and a lot of the people we talked to don’t have that relationship to Lake Ontario.”

Cousteau and her team will spend just over three weeks in Canada filming “water stories” about what they discover, meeting with local watershed preservation organizations and hosting public events. Their journey is being chronicled in blogs, videos and photos on the Expedition Blue Planet website. The goal, she explained, is not just to raise awareness of the threats facing our freshwater ecosystem but also to get people talking and doing something about them.

Alexandra Cousteau visits Toronto and check out storm drains

Lake Ontario Waterkeeper tell us by way of twitter that @acousteau Alexandra Cousteau, the granddaughter of Jacques-Yves Cousteau is busy scouting storm drains in Toronto flowing to Lake Ontario.
According to http://www.alexandracousteau.org/ Costeau is on part of 138-day interactive exploration of critical water issues across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Called “Expedition Blue Planet 2010.”
The blurb states “the expedition will tour more than 14,500 miles in a biodiesel tour bus converted to serve as a “rolling Calypso” for daily production and web broadcasting of films, photos, and findings. In addition to filming a range of critical water issues on the Colorado River, the Gulf Coast, Tennessee Valley, Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay, expedition leader Alexandra Cousteau and her team will stop in 20 communities along the route to host watershed action days.”
http://www.alexandracousteau.org/field/expedition-photos/exploring-lake-ontario-watershed?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Large lure from days gone by

Fishing for lake trout in Algonquin Park and Georgian Bay requires big spoons, sometimes 6 inches long.

I snapped this photo of one such spoon used in the “old” days at a fishing exhibit inside the Killbear Provincial Park Visitor Centre. It was about 8 inches long.

w

“This is Canoeing” preview …

It takes someone from the U.K. to document what Canadians consider their heritage.
The preview contains beautiful footage and interviews with both Yanks and Cannucks.
I’m ordering my copy!

Walleye return to Toronto harbour and islands

From the Toronto Star, a story about walleye in the city.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/862847–walleye-return-to-toronto-harbour-and-islands

Walleye return to Toronto harbour and islands

Published On Wed Sep 22 2010

Caught in Toronto Harbour: Yes, that really is a local walleye, though a persistent myth has it that big fish simply don't exist around here. Photo by Phinjo Gombu

Phinjo Gombu Urban Affairs Reporter

For Rick Portiss and his young crew, catching big fish in the Toronto Harbour and around the Toronto Islands is a breeze.

What’s more difficult is convincing skeptical Torontonians they don’t need to head north to Georgian Bay or east to the Bay of Quinte to catch big fish, such as the much sought-after walleye.

Yes, you can catch big “tasty” walleye right here in the harbour — a species that hadn’t been seen around here for years but has made a comeback recently.

The end of the season on the upper river

I wandered through this stretch of water with F. to mark the end of my season on the upper river.

Pocket Water

Small stream fishing for Brook Trout north of Toronto

Explored  the new water I mentioned last week and found some lovely small stream brookies.

They were mostly in the 8 to 10 inch range, a few even smaller.

Adams and Wulffs worked as usual and one generally had about three casts before things quietened down quickly.

More on my trip later but here are some pictures and the type of water I fished. It was close quarters fishing, with not much room to cast and a lot of bushwhacking.

Currents of Belize: A documentary about the rapidly changing coast of Belize and the people who cherish it most

A documentary about the rapidly changing coast of Belize and the people who cherish it most.

It follows some guides as they discuss the challenges and opportunities that come along with change.

Preview is below. The full 26 minute long video is available at http://www.currentsofbelize.com./

Video showing Rick Mercer learning to fly fish from Ian Colin James at the Franklin Club

The Franklin Club is an exclusive fly fishing club north of Toronto that was started about 100 years ago by some stressed out doctors who worked at  St. Michael’s Hospital.

I am told by informed sources the two ponds are full of stocked brookies and bows.

The application form does not indicate what the membership dues are. You have to call and ask.

As Rick points it’s also a place where people have gone to escape the crushing realities of the Great Depression, two world wars and Stephen Harper’s economic action plan

Where I am headed in a few days

I am going to fish this stretch of water, north of the city, for the first time in a few days.

Am told there are trout in this river.

My weekend trip

Fly Fishing for Brown Trout on the Grand River in Ontario

Some may disparage them as mere stockies but, without a question, some of the brown trout in the Grand River can get get quite large.

This one, which I caught in the upper stretches of the river, appears to have an over sized head.

A Grand River stockie

It is a beautiful river.

Grand River scene

Grand River scene

Every time I return to the Grand River, I am reminded of how much effort is put in by the volunteers who make up the Friends of the Grand River and the local conservation authority.

Even the occasional tuber can complement the scene.

Some happy tubers

Etobicoke Creek by Pearson airport

It’s hard to believe that Canada’s busiest airport is just a few hundred metres away from this stretch of Etobicoke Creek.

Once again, I forgot I am in the heart of the city.

Mad river sparkles in the distance

Here are a couple of images from a fall hike with the family along the Mad River, north of Toronto.

From afar:

From up close:

Fall hike to the river

We took a wonderful fall hike along the river Saturday afternoon for several hours.

The leaves had not fully turned colour and there was still plenty of green around.

Fishing season is closed for the year. Still,  it was nice to see the river again and dream about next spring.

Pocket Water

I'll be back at this bend pool in the spring time. You have yourself a nice winter!

The kids admire the tumbling water

Not yet there

Rain forecast for next week

Now that's more like it.

River Scene

The River. Friday, October 14, 2009 @ 4.14 p.m.

Weather update for Greater Toronto Area anglers

Float Fisherman fishing for Steelhead on the Nottawasaga River

A fully loaded float fisherman waits for the Steelhead to bite on the Notty over Thanksgiving weekend a few days ago. He was one of the nicer ones who smiled and even gave me a little wave.

Thanksgiving weekend angler

A very helpful newbie guide to water temperature preferences for fish and fishing

I was looking for an old photograph on my hard drive, when I stumbled across this. I have no recollection of where I found it, so I can’t link to source.
It’s a very detailed and cleverly put together. Quite helpful to newbie anglers.
So whether it’s rainbow trout, brookies, salmon or brown trout you are looking for, whip out your thermometer, and go fishing.

Ontario Fish: Water Temperature Preferences

Suburban Fishing

Every time I walk along the river, in the heart of sprawling suburbia, I am always amazed at what it has to offer to hikers, kayakers, canoeists, birdwatchers and anglers.
I live in downtown Toronto. But whenever I happen to be in the vicinity of the river on business, I make it a point to go under the bridge.
Down in the ravine, I forget that I am just 20 to 30 minutes away from downtown Toronto.
The float fishermen, a fixture on southern Ontario rivers, were out today looking for the chinooks and steelhead.
It can be a gruesome experience.
There is often little finesse involved and a lot tramping through the river.
Today, however, it made a nice scene.

Heading to the bridge

Searching

Fishing under the bridge

Below the bridge.

The scene at the bridge!

Algonquin Park Map

//www.algonquinmap.com/

Jeffrey has produced a wonderful map of Algonquin Park, which over the past couple of years, has evolved into a waterproof book.

For the map obsessed, this is yet another map worth having. It provides details the Friends of Algonquin Map does not have, the most helpful feature being, which lake has what fish.

If you don’t want to download it – for free – you can move around it and explore it, right on the home page.

It appears to be a labour of love.

Tree

Hurt

The post by mister anchovy that his hurtin knee had prevented him from going out much on the river this year makes me think of a friend who is going through a bad patch.
He is an avid angler who has spent a life time exploring the rivers of southern Ontario with passion and skill.
More recently, he found out that old injuries had come back to haunt him, and he is pretty much out of commission.
He is older than I am, but that didn’t stop me from feeling the hurt as the realization sets in that he may never fish like he used to.
He is heartbroken.

Obama

When I posted a youtube video of Obama and the mariachi band a few weeks ago, I knew that it would be related to fly fishing in some way. I just didn’t know how?

Here is the connection:

Local fishing guide Dan Vermillion reacts as President Barack Obama hooks a trout on the East Gallatin River near Belgrade, Mont., August 14, 2009. The President hooked about 6 fish, but did not land any during his first fly fishing outing. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Cycling along an urban river

We took a delightful bicycle ride along the Humber River yesterday, the same day hordes of equally delightfully dressed men and women walked to raise money for find a cure to end breast cancer.

I remarked to myself on how lucky we were that we could take the subway to the river, and how much potential the river had. There are parts the river that can be naturalized more , out of date weirs that can be removed, and much more love afforded a river that was the source of so much history when it came to the founding of Toronto and the lives of its original native inhabitants.

The Old Mill stone bridge, built in 1916, a popular spot for lazy salmon fisherman looked absolutely lovely from a distance.

A little girl sits on a log and observes a poacher, across the river, visible in white, fishing the no-fishing zone near the first weir. Some people will never learn.

Someone left an intriguing urn by the river. My first thought was that it contained human ashes.

On closer look, it was sealed. I left it alone. Hopefully the person who left it there comes back for it.

gto

Beyond the J stroke

It’s worth viewing this all the way to the end, if you enjoy canoeing! Otherwise go look at youtube videos of motorboats

Thank you to the person who built this cairn on our Massassauga campsite

Crappy Tire

I love Canadian Tire even if my Mountain Equipment Coop going friends derisively refers to the store as Crappy Tire. As far as camping goes, it’s good for certain things, while the coop is good for other stuff.
I’ll buy cheap white rope to hang a tarp from Crappy Tire but get a nice, ultralight cooking set from the coop.
White gas from Crappy Tire and an expensive water filtration system from the coop.
I’ll get a Colemans cooking stove from Crappy Tire but expensive rain gear from the coop.
I’ll get the bike for my kids at Crappy Tire but the flat tire repair kit from the coop.
And so it goes for things big and small.
That’s why I smiled when I stumbled across this photo on the Crappy Tire website.

Massassauga Provincial Park

We just got back from a few days of some back country, interior canoe camping in beautiful Massassauga Provincial Park southwest of Parry Sound. The area where we were is similar in topography to Algonquin and not quite the classic windswept Georgian Bay landscape so well known to many. Although, every now and then you get a taste of it as the photo below shows.
The weather held out and not a drop of rain fell.
The bugs were long gone.
Bass were caught.
Good food was eaten.
There was much swimming and canoeing.
Life couldn’t get better.

The portage point provided quite a contrast to how people travel into the back country.
Here is how one group travelled:

And here is how another group we met travelled!

To each his or her own, eh!
As we left, the weekenders arrived and there was quite the usual jam at the portage point. But everybody knew that the campsites were well spaced out and that within minutes, solitude would be their main companion, except for those whose campsites were on the narrow channels.

Those were the days

Posted for no particular reason, but partly prompted by the difficulties el presidente Obama is having getting health care reform through congress.
There is a hopeful innocence to this song that stands in contrast to the nitty gritty of actually governing.
The mariachi sing with optimism of what Obama will do but not how he actually will do it.

Girl Fishing from a Rock

We were up on Georgian Bay this past weekend for a family celebration when I came across this young couple walking along the beach, rods in hand.
Put simply, there there was something quite evocative about the sight of the two of them as they quietly walked towards a point to cast their lures.
The appeared comfortable together, at ease in each others presence.
I enjoyed watching them.
I particularly like the image of the girl fishing from the rock.

Beachcombers

Getting Ready

Girl Fishing from a Rock

Elk Hair Caddis

It’s good to be back in Canada.
The jet lag has finally begun to lift.
Our journey to the other side of the world was long and fruitful.
We have much to be grateful about here.

I thought I would share this great image from the website of Ian Colin James http://www3.sympatico.ca/ianjames.
I was told he suffered a second heart attack while I was away, but it appears he is as cheerful as ever, at least in public.
I hope he gets well soon. He is a national treasurer and a real professional.

Ian Colin James fly at http://www3.sympatico.ca/ianjames/

a tout a l’heure

I hate to say farewell, temporarily, to my hundreds of millions of faithful readers who turn to my blog ten times a day.
Please do not despair!
I will be back in a month.
Until then, tight lines.

Muskoka Paddleshack

The Muskoka Paddleshack http://www.paddleshack.ca/muskoka/ is a must stop on the way north to cottage country or Algonquin for canoeists and kayakers. It is located off Highway 169 in Gravenhurst, just north of the big roadside dinosaur.
They’ve moved to a bigger shop this year. Lots to look at. Great service. Very knowledgeable.

A Year on the Grand River – Photo Blog

Not quite sure what to make of this image, except that it belongs to the the daily blog A year on the Grand http://therecord.blogs.com/a_year_on_the_grand/

http://therecord.blogs.com/a_year_on_the_grand/

It is a fascinating project by two photographers (fly fishers I believe) for the Kitchener Waterloo Record http://news.therecord.com/News/article/564376 who appear to have a profound love for the well-known stocked brown trout tailwater fishery between the Shand Dam and Inverhaugh. That is the stretch that fly fishers frequent. Canoeists are more likely to canoe between Cambridge and Brantford, home of Alexander Graham Bell and Wayne Gretzky.

The lower Grand River has smallmouth, walleye and steelhead.

Here are a couple more fly fishing and canoeing images from their blog. Many of the pictures are close up photos of wildlife both big and small that frequent this river. Once badly damaged, it is slowly recovering. I encourage people to visit this blog.

http://therecord.blogs.com/a_year_on_the_grand/

http://therecord.blogs.com/a_year_on_the_grand/

The Winisk Canoe

By way of the Algonquin Adventures message board.

What a great image!

Some day, I will build my own canoe.

At the workshop where the Winisk canoe is made. Photo from Algonquin Adventures message board.

For more images, check out this Barry Bridgeford post at

http://www.network54.com/Forum/352882/thread/1245931068/last-1245937968/Canoe+Update+From+Mike+Burns

Another link with specifications
http://www.greenval.com/winisk.html

Toronto Island

Some photos from a recent trip to Toronto Island.

Bass Opener – Last Saturday of June

No photos today. Forgot the camera.

Bass opener on Saturday was spent on the lower Grand River with my spin fishing buddy L.

Smallmouth fishing is always a blast. Several big leaping smallies fought hard.

The surface flies didn’t work today but the olive cone head streamer was deadly as usual.

We both remarked on the clarity of the water that was crystal clear, the clearest it’s been for years.

It meant that we spent some fun times sight fishing, stalking the smallies in the shallow water trout style. The satisfaction of visually executing the hook set on the “soft take” is a thrill.

Sight fishing truly drives home the point how about how many fish we miss.

The clear water also allowed us to read the river bed for future trips we know will be dark and murky!

As usual, the canoeists were out in full force.

I hope to return with mine some day soon.

Nova Scotia Memories – Part 2

Fishing in Nova Scotia is often as simple as pulling off to the side of the road and putting your canoe into a smallish pond that has lots of brook trout. I was taken to this pond by the brother of a friend of mine who fly fishes. There is something very old fashioned and lovely about the way people fly fish in Nova Scotia. Very practical, no nonsense, low key style is involved.

Fishing in the City

Driving up Bathurst St. in Toronto, I stopped south of the Dundas St. W. traffic light, daydreaming.

It took me a few moments to focus in on this sign outside the Scadding Court Community Centre, just west of Chintatown.

INDOOR FISH POND — the sign read.

The swimming pool had been converted to a fishing pond for five days in June.

Look closely at the picture which shows a boy sitting on a diving board, his rod pointed into a fish-filled pool.

No naturalization of the pool here. I hope they emptied the chlorinated pool before putting the fish in it. I’d also say this was a pretty creative way of keeping pools open, especially in light of recent news articles about the fight to keep swimming pools open in the city.

An article in insidetoronto.ca article states this is the fifth year of a program that helps put a rod in the hands of people who have never fished. They also hope to spread the program to to help inner city kids connect to the sport of angling.

Hopefully some of them will go on to fish in the great outdoors!

BTW – the swimming pool was loaded with 1,000 rainbow trout.  People got to keep a fish and take it home.

River Scene – South East of Algonquin Park

I snapped this picture of a river near Algonquin Provincial Park.

I like looking at the scene.

Technique: Perfection Loop and Other Knots

Now for something utterly mundane.

Here is a link to a Youtube video for tying the perfection loop that is beautiful in its simplicity. It should be especially welcome to newbie anglers.

He has equally clear instructions for a whole bunch of other knots including the Palomar, Nail, Improved Clinch and other knots.

Searching For Brookies

A wonderful morning was spent searching for a stretch of river that I knew had some brook trout, a place I had only been once before about four years ago.

It is not easy fishing. There is a lot of brush and little room to cast. Mostly dapping.  It takes a bit of hike to reach the spot.

The rewards are tiny but very beautiful. One particularly feisty guy made an incredible dash from under this patch of foamy water as I dangled a size 10 GRHE at the seam.  Fishing small streams rejuvenates me.  After several hours I returned home, tired from all the bushwhacking, but with a big smile.

The Other River

Pond Fishing

I took this photo of a colleague and his fishing buddy walk toward a stocked pond full of rainbows and brookies about an hour from where we live.

We were guests.

It was a fun day.

The Trek Back to the Car last night

Dave Prothero Obituary in Toronto Star

My local paper, the Toronto Star finally ran an obit of Dave Prothero with this photo.

You can see his rods in the background and a photo of John Gierach, holding a big fish at the top right hand corner.

He once said that it was the stories of Gierach that helped him through his painful recovery when he had his stroke.

http://www.thestar.com/article/645314

Carp Fishing with a fly in Hamilton Harbour

The Toronto Star’s Kenneth Kidd has a lovely story in the paper about a carp fly fishing tournament in Hamilton Harbour. Kidd writes it is part of a North American trend toward urban fishing, sometimes called brownlining, since it all takes place in muddy, polluted water, often in the shadow of smokestacks and power plants.

Some of my fondest memories is fishing off Bronte Pier.

Here is a striking image of the tournament taken by Glenn Lowson for The Toronto Star with smokestacks in the background.

The story: http://www.thestar.com/article/643415

Carp and carping at an urban pier

GLENN LOWSON PHOTO FOR THE TORONTO STAR: Dave Forgeron releases the day’s first carp, a 28-incher. Anglers from across Ontario cast lines for bottom feeders at the charity event. Top anglers trade jibes yanking big homely fish out of brown water: It’s the Coal Tar Classic

Jun 01, 2009 04:30 AM

Kenneth Kidd

FEATURE WRITER

HAMILTON – The morning sunlight is dancing across the water as Heather Ward shoots out her line, dropping a little black fly several metres away that she hopes will entice a fish.

River Scene: In the Heart of the City

It is hard to believe that this image was taken in the heart of the city.

The potential of this river is endless.

The Other River in the spring time.

Irondale River – Ontario

We were driving up north towards a friend’s cottage when we stopped to have lunch at a fairly isolated rest stop by the Irondale River around Opening Day.

That’s when these two guys showed up to fish by some rapids. I snapped a picture and have always found it to be a lovely picture.

They could be brothers or friends. I never spoke to them beyond the perfunctory nod. Either way, I enjoyed watching them fishing.

Nova Scotia Memories

Since I’m a latecomer to this blogging business, I’m trying to get going by publishing pictures from days gone by.

I particularly like this one because it was taken on the Medway River during a mad dash for a day’s fishing while on a trip to Halifax.

There’s something about the way the boat is positioned at the mouth of a little tributary.

Dave Prothero – A few pictures

These photos were taken a local gathering of fly fishers back in 2006.

I dug them out when I heard Dave had died.

Dave was a quiet man who felt strongly about things.

After he suffered his stroke at age 62, his right arm and leg were paralyzed. He had to learn his tying skills all over again. Only this time he tied with his one good left hand.

A Page from a Book

I took this picture a while ago.

I realize now it’s about Ontario, Steelhead and the wet fly swing.

Dave Prothero

News came last week that Dave Prothero, the Toronto fly tier and fisherman who battled back from a devastating stroke that left his fly fishing and tying arm paralyzed, had died. He was a much feted tier at local fly fishing gatherings where he displayed his skill by tying flies with his left hand. He was 81 years old.

I found this picture of one of his favourite flies, a backswimmer he copied from a pond he fished locally.

He was a remarkable man.

I hope to write more about him on this blog.

Lake Trout Tackle, Algonquin, Old Timer Style

Several years ago, a gentleman who worked as a former Algonquin Park warden took us out bass fishing on his beat up old boat.

I snapped a few pictures of his tackle box to remind me of what it contained.

It was pretty basic. The box was new but its contents were old.

Those gnarled hands have caught a few lakers.

And the rest of the box.

The River – Tonight

The river tonight was high, fast and cold.

Air temperature 15 degrees celcius. A few grey foxes towards sundown.

The mosquitoes were out but not really biting yet. Just a nuisance.

Five degrees warmer and who knows what else might have happened?

Spring Fishing in Alonquin Park

A kayaker out fishing on a warm, spring day

I stumbled across this kayaker who was out fishing on a warm spring day.

A close up of from behind shows all his gear including what appears to be a casting stand in front of him.  He looked like he was having fun.

March 22, 2009

Woolly Bugger

Opening Day – April 25, 2009

Like so many before me

A small stream brookie from Nova Scotia near the Medway River.