Raz Gone Fishing

Monday, August 24, 2009

Yinz going fishing Eh?

Drove up to Dunsford, ON with Andrea, Corey and Keely, the later two relative rookies to the Great North. Got up there late Friday night, and on Saturday it didn't take too long for the brothers to chase some smallies.

Corey caught this hog, 3.5# smallie.

Underwater release pics

Bugger Lip Ring

Andrea got to try the new 7 weight out. And managed a little smallie on her own! Even held the fish!

Little Canadian Frog. Not the French speaking variety.

Last good bass on Sunday morning.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Molson in the Lake

Boss lady let me out of work early on Friday, headed to Peter's Lake Park with Mo and Andrea. Brought along the 3 weight to have some fun with bluegills and smaller bass. Walked around the lake, and Mo did some water training and some off-leash training. Molson got pretty good at fetching the bobber, now if he can locate some fish...

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Quebec 2009

Returned sometime this past Sunday morning. The result of some 1,700 miles round trip was way worse than any jet lag has laid on me. Left Mrs. V's Grille in Brentwood around 11am on July 24th. Arrived at Pavilion du Lac Berthelot at 6am the next day.

The reason i was nearly detained at the Boarder...

Crossing the St. Lawrence. Not as dramatic as i had hoped.

The last 3 hours were on this stretch of unpaved road... 3 hours in dark and rain.

Napped an hour in the car then we were flown out to a lake, the name of which escapes me.

Arrived at our castle for the week...

Hadn't done the #2 for about a day and a half at this point... though it would have to wait a few more hours.

Caught a ton of pike off the dock at dusk and in the early morning on top water lures. That was probably the most fun part of the trip. Though most were 24"-30" they all hit with fearless agression. Caught a ton of walleyes in the 1-2 pound range, perfect eating size was 16" inchers. Some of the Walleyes up there had a deep blue hue to their backs and fins. So, found out that the blue ones are sort of like Albino Walleyes. And the blue coloring is the color of the natural fish slime that they have and it becomes sort of a sun block...

Playing with the underwater settings... water was tea colored from all of the pine needles. you can see a few baitfish just off the dock.

Uncle Ray with a nice Walleye

My workstation for the week.

Uncle Ray hooked up with a walleye.

Uncle Ray cooking up his sauce.

The plane flying in more beer.

The Rapids

My only good Pike on the fly before the rod broke...

Well i had been trolling and jigging for pike and eyes all day long, everyday, then taking a boat out solo after dinner in back bays for some quite alone time with the 8 weight and some moster flies. none the first night, just a few follows. second night they were slammin but missing most hooks. got two small ones then one good one. third evening out, i went to this huge bay infront of a beach. same white with red fly as was previously successful. had a few swipes then a big boil and wham! i set the hook like i had been setting the hook on walleyes and pike all week. (not like i should have been while fly fishing, strip set the hook to the side...) Cranked the rod up like Roland Martin, and Crack! thought i was gonna be picking graphite shrapnel out of my neck. right below the second stripping guide. wet noodle break... if there's nobody there to hear it, does a screaming, swearing, fishing banshee in the wilderness make a sound? after about 30 minutes i took the positives. i had busted it on a fish and not by means of my hind-end like i had at Lake of the Woods... I had landed a few Before i broke it. I hadnt paid nearly top dollar for the rod, so it wouldn't be a complete smack in the wallet... and i was on vacation, so i was determined to allow Mr. Labatt Blue easy the suffering.

R.I.P. 8/9 Weight St. Croix

30-something" pike. also on the Medium set up.

Beer, maps, big flies...

27" Walleye. My best of the week. Fun stuff on medium action 8#

These guys were our best friends... Apparently they can eat 10x's their own weight in mosquitos in one evening...

Pike from off the dock.

Camp Lunch

Uncle Ray and I at the end of the week.

Huge Rainbow

After long days of fishing, it was time to hit the sauna/steam room then have a hot shower with lots of soap to scrub off all the bug spray, dried pike slime and sunblock... not so lucky.

Hope you enjoyed. Raz

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Yak on the Yough

No not a Kayak... but the mere mention of IC Light cans would be nearly enough to make me Yak, and I was indeed fishing on the Yough River upriver of Smithton, PA. Only 2.5 hours had passed since we got home from Tom's Diner following a long night of BYOBowling when my alarm announced that it was time to go fishing. Off i went, hands at TEN and TWO. Stopped for garden hackle at my favorite Sunoco and got a French Vanilla cappuccino, or whatever they're called. I wasn't even hungover yet, but possibly still under the influence of the world's greatest Light Lager. Met Kevin and Logan at the GetGo around 6am, into the water by 6:30. Wet waded out to, whoaaaaa up past the kids, and bam, the hangover started. Water was stained, about a foot visibility. Logan caught a sheephead and a nice rainbow floating night crawlers, i had one or two good hits, bouncing the natural baits on the bottom. Kevin was bombing an 8 weight with some class of Tarpon fly on the end. Moved down below the bridge in Smithton, landed one sheephead and one small rock bass in some slower water. called it a day around 11am. back to bed.

Didn't take any pics, but new waterproof/shockproof/freezeproof/crushproof camera is on the way just intime for the Quebec trip next week!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Chartiers at Dusk

Evening out on Chartiers Creek with Sean and his friend Mark. Caught an array of fish; Rockbass, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth Bass and White Crappies.