OFF-TOPIC!! One of the reasons I love Canada

[Bronty]

I mentioned on another thread that I went trout fishing this weekend and I just got the pics back so I had to share As the title implies, one of the reasons I love this place. Where else can you catch 30 pounds of trout in one day with a little luck and a little skill? (catch and release, of course)

 

Now, keep in mind trout are really small fish on average. Here's a friend holding up an average size trout:

 

 

Here are some Bronty-size trout (unfortunately it was overcast most of the day so the pictures of the two best fish didn't turn out well)

 

 

You can fish for years and years and never catch fish like that in a small stream (lakes you might have a better chance). Thank you, thank you

 

Thanks for putting up with this everyone - I was going to burst

[dadaist]

Nicely done Dan!!

 

That speckled trout is a real beauty. Good eatin' too

 

The last time I caught a trout was up on Vancouver Island (its been at least 3 years now), between our drive from Tofino to Goldriver. That was an amazing experience. Not the easiest fish to catch.

 

I'm a bass fisherman myself, and every September, I enter into a Musky derby. Last year, I hooked on to a 42 pounder. I cannot even begin to put into words the rush I got from that fishing expedition. This was the same weekend I was telling supa about where I fell into the water after falling asleep in the boat... but this was part of the post derby shennanigans as I scooped up $1500 for second prize. That's right, I came in second. The first place guy beat me by 1.3 pounds.

[Bronty]

Thanks man. 42 pound musky isn't bad either Muskies aren't indigenous to this area but I think the normal range for them is about 15-20 pds right? So a 42 pounder is a nice fat lunker. Congrats!!

 

The trout you mention in the bottom photo is actually by far the smallest one. It's just that the picture turned out better (and it's from closer up). The fish in the top picture was HUGE!! Part of it is hidden under my arm too!

 

You mention bass and musky fishing... you must be from Eastern Canada or the States, right? There's the odd bass lake on Vancouver Island but in general there are very few places to catch bass in BC. They're pretty fun fish to catch but it's a little too easy - they'll bite at anything. A friend and I caught over 100 on a one day trip to Saltspring Island.

[dadaist]

So a 42 pounder is a nice fat lunker. Congrats!!

 

Thanks Dan.

 

I'm actually from Toronto, and commonly drive about and 1.5 - 5 hrs tops to get some decent bass fishing. Depending on my schedule I guess. Bass are incredible fighters, and generally, you would be hard-pressed to land anything in the 6-8 lb range. Anything bigger is really an anomoly, and would surely end up on my wall (although I'm sure my wife would have something to say about it ). I love bass because they are such good scrappers, and pound for pound, are IMO, the best thing going for recreational fishing.

 

I should say that I catch and release a fair bit, and only if I hook on to walleye/pickerel, will I keep it for eating. Trout are also readily available, but I don't do stream fishing as I've never gotten into the art of flyfishing.

 

But for pure thrashing action, nothing can compare to a Musky that suddenly realizes you've hooked into it. They are notorious for swimming straight for your boat after you've set your hook (they do this mainly to get under the boat and get you to give up some slack in the line -- just enough time to come thrashing out of the water to spit out your lure). And nevermind when you get them into the boat . You cannot grab them anywhere near their gills, nor their mouths, as they are lined with hundreds, and hundreds of razor sharp teeth that could easily cut down to the bone of your hand, your arm, or your leg! Pretty much anything they can get their teeth into....

 

For those of you who are not familiar with Musky, they are the freshwater Barracuda.

 

I have a close friend who is a conservation officer, and the ministry often goes out to tag fish as part of their research efforts to keep our lakes stocked, and to keep checks on the overall ecology.

 

I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but one of the methods of tagging the fish is performed with an instrument which sends electromagnetic shocks into the water. After sending just the right level of shock into a specific area of water, within minutes, fish within a certain range of the administered shock are stunned, and slowly come to the surface. The fish are not harmed, and are checked, tagged, and recorded for further analysis.

 

Lets just say that in a certain lake where I spend a great deal of time , my buddy tagged a musky that weighed 72 lbs!! The fish, according to him, was nothing short of a monster!

 

I still have a recurring dream everytime in late August that I'm coming to the docks with a busted rod, a sad look on my face, and a story about how I lost the big one. I've come close, but can't say I've gotten so lucky to land the record.

[aardvark88]

Love Canada for its rules & regulations. Now where did u put your fishing license?

[Bronty]

It's in my wallet! They can impound your vehicle!