My legs hurt

Hiking is cool...
But it was way cooler when I was younger.
:o/
I fished with Morin a few days back and we did alright but I am seriously thinking that I am getting too old for this shit. These trips to the river whip me into shape just about the time when the season closes and until then it is a test of sheer will.
My favourite moment is when we pull into the driveway and I try to peel my pain riddled body out of the car. My legs are still cramped up.


The fish were difficult and the weather was cold. I had forgotten that this is a cold weather sport. I actually broke out the hot pockets.
Most the leaves were down and the forest is taking on that wonderful stark look that I really dig. I would like to get out a few more times this week in order to savour this stage but it looks like the river is going to blow again.
I think my weatherman must die comment has cursed us a bit but I will take too much water rather than too little water any day ...and so will the fishies.
With this high water I think that a lot of the fish are just shooting through and not holding up at all...


I don't pretend to know a ton about these fish...in fact I am quite stupid most of the time....but when it means so much to be able to tangle with these little silver monkies you do pick a few things up out of necessity.
My day started slow and I blew the first fish which can always test ya but luckily there were a few dumb ones kicking about.


Now I find myself praying for no rain.
Steelheaders are crazy people.

Weird week...

My father in law and brother in law are hunters.
They live for the deer season in particular. Two weeks out of the year they disappear into the bush in the hopes of filling the freezer full of Venison ....but more importantly to get away from it all.


It took me a while to to get on board with this whole delio as I was very much under the influence of the Bambi vibe...
Poor wittle things..
...that is until I tried Venison chops on the BBQ with Montreal Steak spice.
Bambi can lump it...besides the population of deer here are very good and we don't need a situation like northern MI where you are taking your life into your hands driving on the highways at dawn and dusk.


On our first run to the Cadillac Michigan area Morin and I added a significant amount of travel time to our fishing trip just having to slow down because of the abundance of deer. It would be a helluva thing to have one come flying through your windshield.
The getting away from it all thing is something that I really dig...


Generally there is a crew of four that take advantage of a sugar shack that isn't being used this time of year. They will roll back into town a week later quite often with nothing to show for their time and effort other than facial hair and stink.


Sounds like a blast.
Card playing drinking and bad food. Sign me up.
The boys hunt very close to where we fish this time of year and this year they were kind enough to extend me an invite. I am not a hunter but I am a drinker and a card player and there is nothing like the smell of a wood burning stove....
I was there for two nights.
I had to clear the mouse turds away in the loft to make room for my sleeping bag.
LOL
The first night rained so hard that I had to sleep in the car. The sugar shack has only a tin roof and shortly after midnight the joint began to sound like a snare drum. I am no Mary but WTF!!!??
I got up that morning to a stiff neck and a blown river. Not a good way to start the week. The hunters too were a little down in the mouth so rather than hang around camp and be miserable I bolted for a river a little farther north.
When I got there I was surprised to find that the water albeit high and fast was quite fishable. I managed two strong-backed Steelies that this river is known for and a confused looking Lake Trout???
My friend Dave filled me in that they are actually quite common for this particlar river.
Hmmm...
I would've liked a pic of the Laker at least for the memories but my camera was right next to the empties on the table in the shack.


I was a wee bit hungover. Nothing like a combo of Scotch ,Red Wine and English ale to put you against the ropes...
After I fished that river which shall be nameless I had to scoot home for a dinner party we'd planned with some good friends.
The plan was to return the following day early in the morning and fish my brains out...Sugar Shack it...then fish hard the following day with Morin.
Ah November ...
So I pick Owen up from school and he greats me with Daddy ....my throat is sore...
Of course it is ...why wouldn't it be....Jesus H Christ....
I love my kids more than life itself and my son is a low maintenance angel from heaven but I cannot remember a Fall that has been without a steady string of bugs in the Norland house...sometimes it can get very depressing.
So we have a look in Owens throat and it looks like a grenade went off in there. I whip him in to the Doctors to find out that he has Hand Foot and Mouth disease.
WTF!!!!!!!!
"yes...we've seen quite a run of this this year"....
WTF!!!!!!!!!
After having fifteen heart attacks the doctor manages to assure me that it isn't that big of a deal other than the fact that it is very painful. It is a virus that is common and should clear up on its own in 7- 10 days.
ugh
..Oh well..I tried to pull the plug on the trip but my lovely Wife assured me that it wouldn't be neccessary. God I love her....and my kids...
...and fishing...
So...early the next morning I am forcing it on a river that I know well enough to know better...handicapped not only with high water but with a guilty conscience.
It was only fitting that I had my ass handed to me...
6 solid hrs and nary a tug...rotten fish.
Back at camp the boys were celebrating over two deer. My brother in law got himself a Buck that weighed in at the butcher at right around 3 bills. They were beside themselves. Good for them.
:o/
The next day was better. I hit a fish right off the bat and I could exhale...


The river has been a wee bit tight so far this year.


Hardly worth the effort ...unless you are in love with it.
The deer camp thing was fun and will surely become a tradition with me.
I bought Owen some Lego today and it put a smile on his poor little face...
I hope he is feeling better tomorrow.
When my kids get sick it just breaks my heart.

Weatherman must die....

Honest to Christ...

Why do they even bother trying to predict precipitation???

We are supposed to get a good rainfall this weekend but every time I check the weather network the projected mm's fall a few numbers......

:o/I am counting on a good downpour for next week.

I am just starting to shake this chest cold that has kept me at bay and I am looking forward to cranking it up a notch.

There have been a few fish that have managed to find their way into the systems but generally the consensus has been that the big push is yet to come...and I am getting antsy.

I don't mind October fishing even if it does mean less fish and more shitrats..and there has been quite a few of the latter so far this year.

I am a fish snob and I have no problem with that. I love the area that I fish as much as I love my own family. This activity is as special as the quarry we seek and the connection I have with it is essential to me. It has become precious and when I see people shit on it.....

There is one dirt bag who kills fish on every trip and both Morin and I have come to suspect that he is poaching even beyond his creative interpretation of the catch and possession limit. I shudder to think of the number of wild fish that have found their way into the saddle bags of this sportsmans ATV both before and after the season closure.

Ah well...the Sausage Man is getting a little long in the tooth for this game and I am sure that in the not too distant future we will experiance a season where the hike in isn't ruined by the approaching rumble of deathmobile ATV....poach-wagon.

I work for the government so I know only too well about the absence of needed funding.There isn'tenough money to provide quality enforcement for more important things that are crucial to public safety. The Steelhead are way down the ladder and they will have to fend for themselves I suppose. The MNR is smoke and mirrors.....but it is not their fault. I believe they are doing the best they can with what little they have.

I do know that I fish as much as just about anybody that I have ever run across and I have been 'carded' once.

:o/

..Have at 'er Sausage Man and the rest of your meathunting shitrat brigade ......and bring on the nasty weather.

Maybe it would be better if the rain held off for a while....

Bite my tongue..

With any luck we'll be able to educate a few fish before they end up in the smoke house.

Oh Yeah..I have added some background music to this BLOG....It is me playing guitar complete with all the rough spots and mistakes....Internet is pretty cool...

Being a Guide..

...Sucks..
However,.. I kinda owed my father in law a trip to the river.
He was a big help with my basement project and he is an all around great guy. Morin and I put him over some fish last year and he has raved about it since so there was no mystery about what would be the best way to repay his kindness.
I am not a fish hog and I really enjoy watching other people catch fish but when the river is clear and low getting these fish to play can be a real trick and Gerry...bless his heart ...is a useless Steelheader.
I spent most of the day parading through all of the greatest holding water I know of only to watch him shit the bed with each fumbling drift.
Again....he is a prince among men and he has the patience of JOB ,...but after a while the good old "Oh well....it is nice to just get out and get some fresh air and exercise" begins to ring false ..to say the least !!
It was a beautiful day..and I do enjoy his company but after a few hours of futility I was ready to take a bullet. I don't dig wasting a day on the water...especially this water and if we couldn't get the guy a Steelie , to me that is what all of this would amount to.
Ocassionally good things do happen to good people and just about when I had given up all hope Gerrys float dipped....and popped right back up again.
.....He missed it
JESUS H CHRIST!!!
Chin to Chest..
Oh well... "Just send it right back through there ...gently"
(fingers crossed, silent prayer)
BANG!
Fish on...and it is a good one!!
Well it appeared that he tried to do everything wrong ...lol....but sometimes that hook is just going to stay no matter what.
It was a beautiful October fish so bright that it was hard to look at.



I whispered thanks in her ear just before she showered me and disappeared into that beautiful water.
Thank God.
I am not a poet...but that was poetic, and even though the day was a great test of my patience I know for certain that when the clock starts to wind down and my fishing interests become boring stories this day will be as vivid in my memory as any.

He talked about it all the way home.
I should also add that it is not lost on me that Gerry has outfished Brian so far this year....
tee hee
;o)

Sigh....

All is right with the world....I am fishing again!!

Not exactly a stellar day but not too shabby considering.
The water was just a titch on the high side but I managed to sting a few anyway.



Normally I prefer a cold and gloomy rain-soaked Steelhead outing but even I could appreciate the beauty of todays weather.



I bumped into a couple of Brians old buddies.

I pulled into the parking spot at around 6 am only to find that some old creep had beaten me to the river.
Hats off to my new buddy George ...at 70 yrs young the old prick goes even harder than me!!!
NICE.



I hope he got a fish but he and his comrade weren't making out too well when we parted ways.



God I was happy out there ....

This has been a long summer and the fact that there are a few fish in the river already is a very good sign for this fall.



Fresh air and Chrome ...
I will never get over how beautiful these fish are. That last moment when you are cradling them in your hands submerged in the water is really something. The sun just made them glow.
What a treat today was for me.

OUT.

DIY....

Before.....

AFTER.....

...never again.

I am not a big fan of work of any kind.

Around late July of this year a friend of mine talked me into renovating my basement. It was an eyesore and with my parental leave I certainly had the time.He assured me that with his know-how and my limited means we could create the ultimate basement sanctuary.

"A weekend dude...we could bang this off in a weekend...three days tops."

Fast forward to 10 weeks later...lol

It is good for me to have friends like this because without Garnets enthusiasm I never would've made an attempt and as corny as it sounds,.....even with the wee course areas , I can now look around and say "I" did this!!! ( With help of course)It is a satisfying feeling and I can understand a little bit how the DIY thing can become addictive. I am almost going through project withdrawal.........almost!!

The river is up and the nights are getting cooler. I have removed some eggs from the freezer and tomorrow will be my first run at'em ( barring any unforseen marital VETO). I usually have been to the river by now somewhere and I feel a little strange not having wetted a line yet. I console myself with the knowledge that it is still a bit early.

I restrung the guitars today and hopefully my drywall hands will return to normal and I will be able to play again soon. I praticed a little bit today but I felt like a lobster. The acoustics in my music area are way better than I could have ever hoped for.

I don't know a thing about designing a room for good sound so I must've gotten lucky.

Now I can play my guitar without waking the baby.....which is huge. She is my worst critic.Anyway....that is where I have been......And now I am back .....

With any luck I may lift up on one tomorrow.Good luck to all you Steelhead freaks this fall....I have a good feeling about this year and I am pretty sure I can get the time off work.

Dog Days....

Here is a little something for those hopelessly addicted Steelhead fiends



For those of you philistines that can't dig Sonny Rollins playing the Blues
please feel free to turn down the sound ....or put a gun in your mouth.

Watching this helps lower my blood pressure....I particularly like the part right around 51 secs when the little round ports start spinning counter-clockwise....pretty.

October is right around the corner and the clock is ticking.


.....And BTW....flying to Alaska is cheating.

The long wait...

Well,

Summer is here and the Steelies are somewhere in the deep.

Only three more months or so...

I hope they are packing on the pounds.

'Til then I have been filling my days with Bass fishing, the Walleye harvest and diaper changes.

Awesome.

Morin and I did a little Bass fishing today and it was fun.


I figure I am Bob Izumi and he is Roland.

There are worse ways to spend a morning.

My New Fishing Partner..

Yesterday my Daughter surprised me by asking to go fishing!!!
<><
I guess I had been watching quite a bit of fishing on TV. Kimi is still a wee bit laid up so I have been sticking around the house quite a bit Ella and were able to skip out for a few hours and beat up on the Bluegills a bit.
She showed great patience and a genuine interest.



My son is only interested in Spiderman at present and won't fish with me even if I beg him.

Rotten kid.
;o)

Oh well..maybe Ella will be hittin the tribs with her old dad.

Oh YaH!!! JFL and I are crazy to think there is a CAT in there.....

Shame on all of you!!!
LOL
I may have to start packing heat this fall.


GRRRRRRR

Bear Sightings - Thu. June 12 07:52 am
Huron O.P.P. officers are working with the Ministry of Natural Resources investigating several reported sightings of bears in the area. Police say that not all sightings have been confirmed, but say some are valid. The latest unconfirmed report came yesterday in Bayfield.

And then there were three...

Sunday June 8th 13:42 Avery Elizabeth Norland was born in to this mad world and I love her.


I had come home from work Saturday night exhausted after working three horiffic 12 hr shifts in a row in the worst heat imaginable. The last thing I had said to my co- workers on our walk out to the parking lot was "you watch,..tonight will be the night".


Kimi was due on the 15th ...so we knew it was close and our other two kids were a week early as well.
Oh well....thats about how it usually goes.
Baby is here ...all is now well...or on the road to well and the good news is that I am off for right around 39 weeks.
I am not sure what I am more excited about....the baby ...or the time away from work.
Kids are a blessing and I am going to try my hardest to savour this year and take advantage of something that most parents ...particularly fathers ...don't get the opportunity to do.


The fishy side of things has been very slow.



I did take Owen down to the hatchery on kids day. This is the day where the club members release the pond fish to the wild(lol)..and before they do that they let some of the kids in the neighbourhood catch them.


It kind of gives me the creeps but smiling kids can make anything sweet.
Some of the Steelhead in the pond were easily in the teens and there were a couple that were an honest twenty.



Owen caught a Brown Trout for his fish and it went around 15 lbs....3 pounds bigger than my biggest...



:o)
We should start the assault on the Walleye shortly.
The water just needs to warm up a bit on the Canadian side.

The word from the commercial fishermen is that the numbers and size are even greater this year...although I don't see how that is possible.

Any way....I hope we get some sleep tonight.

The Return of the Kings!!

Well....

May be not exactly...

However the fish are bigger and better than last year and there are more of them.

This is good news for the open water shitrat armada.

We can break out the Monkey Pukes and Kevorkians and get busy with the Chinooks in the spring.

For a while there the fishery was looking very dismal.

A salmon in double digits was a thing of the past and the sound screaming line was a distant memory.

The derby is in full swing and we just finished the third day on the water.

The wind kept us on the beach for one and for another day I had to work (ugh) but the three days that we did fish we have been hitting fish consistantly...and it has been a blast!!!

I had fogotten how much fun and how relaxing trolling for salmon can be.

Although we have yet to tag anything really big I know we are in the right area and we have as good a chance as any.

Tomorrow we'll be at again.

One bit of bad news is that we have been seeing alot of these things lately.

One of the Kings we got had so many on him that he looked like an octopus.

Call me Ishmael<><.