Poppers+Bass=FUN!!!!

Heres a few fishing photos from my trip. I caught some very nice bass on the surface. I didnt bother using any streamer or sunk patterns at all. Its so exciting catching them on the top I just couldnt be bothered fishing anything else. I would rather catch one on the surface than 5 under. You can zoom all of the photos by clicking on them.

Mark( a local) and I took the quads and canoe back into a lake far off the beaten path. Ended up with a few nice smallies. This was the biggest of the day. It pulled like a tow truck. Great to have a whole lake to yourself!!

Got a few Largemouth this year. This was the first of the trip

This was the biggest Largemouth of the trip. What a gob on them. This took a number 4 Booglebug popper

Another shot of the one above.Getting into "Tank" range

Fishing Trip and Photos

Well I am back after a 10 hour flight delay in Toronto. I was supposed to leave at 7:30PM and didn't get out of there until 4:30 the next morning. I could have fished that evening bite but didn't want to think about that too much. It was great to get away. Up at 6ish every morning pour some coffee and out to the dock/boat with the fly rod. As a rodbuilder its great to get out and use the tools you have made. After all this is what its all about. I seen loads of wildlife and Ill start with that. I'll get the fishing photos sorted out and post them shortly.

Make sure to click on the photos to enlarge them then click again to zoom them in!!!

Seen a black shape in the distance while fishing and curiosity got the better of me. Ended up getting really close to this yearling moose swimming across the lake. As I got the boat beside him he really started trucking. Notice the loons in the background

Finally across

A nice 8 point Whitetail was watching us as we nosed in for a closer look. Notice his rack is still in velvet.

Caught a snapping turtle on the dock eating some fish.

He didn't want to stick around but I held him against his will for a shot. Man they are strong. I could tell he didn't like it from the hissing and jaw snapping.

More to come shortly!!!

Bassin and Birchbark

I have just returned from my trip to Canada. I stayed with my Mom and Dad who live on Gooseneck Lake near Ardbeg, Ontario. The weather was so so with some warm days, some cool days and a cracking thunderstorm one night. The mosqiutos were wicked on a few evenings as my ankles will attest to. I was able to get out with my Dad to collect some birchbark. He took me to a couple large trees which the beavers felled into the water.


First we cut down the length with a carpet knife and made a few small cut across the diameter

Next we took a paint scraper and slowly peeled the bark off. There is a strange layer between the bark and the wood. The closest thing I can compare it to is like the crumbed cracker on the bottom of a cheesecake. I noticed several other older trees felled by beavers where they had eaten this intermediate layer. Its about 1/2" thick and once removed the "wood" of the tree is exposed. The bark on these particular trees is quite thick and very smooth on the outside. I noticed when the bark had a smooth outside it was easy to peel.

A nice long length of smooth thick bark being

peeled from a tree.

We used Dads boat to get to the fallen trees as they were quite far from his house(cottage). The boat was pulled ashore right next to the trees. Heres a load that we hauled back. My dad is going to rip this into 1 1/2" squares for me on his bandsaw. Im looking forward to making some very nice grips with this stuff

I also got to do some bassin with the flyrod. Poppers were working quite well and I managed some 18 bass. The smallest fish was 16" and the largest was 22". What suprised me was I only caught one small rock bass. All of my offers seemed to be a better stamp of fish than what my Dad normally catches while trolling or casting. All of my fish were released with the exception of a 24" walleye which also took my popper one evening. Here is a few photos

A 17 incer!!

He thought it was a frog. His mistake!!!

A bonus "popper" walleye