Bill Anderson - Muskoka Outdoors - Muskoka Outdoors

Photo: Young angler scores nice trout

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:11:47 -0400

Congratulations to, Jacob Duncan, for catching a great looking spring Lake Trout at the mouth of the Big East River (in Vernon Lake). The five pound laker was caught on a Gulp minnow and the photo was captured by his father, Ian. Great job guys!

Ultimate Fishing Town Finalists

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:29:27 -0400

The finalists have been announced for the 2013 WFN Ultimate Fishing Town! One town in the U.S. and one town in Canada will be crowned the 2013 WFN Ultimate Fishing Town and win a $25,000 community donation to be used towards fishing-related causes. Plus, there are eight $3,500 regional prizes up for grabs as well.

Is your town in the mix? Here is a list of Canadian finalists:

Port Colborne, ON
Gananoque, ON
Campbellford, ON
The Pas, MB
Flin Flon, MB
Deseronto, ON
Hampstead, NB
Woodstock, NB

Click here to vote for your town

700 towns in the U.S. and Canada received nominations and were eligible to advance in the quest to become the next Ultimate Fishing Town. That number is now down to the final 19 towns - 11 in the U.S. and 8 in Canada. Visit UltimateFishingTown.com to find out if your town made it through to the finals!

A recipe for your smelt run catch

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:25:40 -0400

It would seem the smelt are 'running' in Muskoka and Parry Sound. Emails from various night anglers have confirmed that the season is here.

Smelt are small, shiny, torpedo like fish that spawn each spring. They can be caught, in the dark of night, using dip nets to scoop them up out of their massive schools. The smelt usually run in streams, creeks, and small rivers. Cleaning them is the hardest part of the work. At least, only until you have cleaned your first hundred or so.

Personally, I am not a fan of smelts. In fact the only thing I like about them is the schooling lake trout that feast on them every spring. If you want to catch lake trout – find the smelt and match your lure.

For those of you who are braving the cool evenings to gather and score some smelt, you may enjoy this recipe (and photo above) recently sent to me from Devin Mark (from Parry Sound). To prepare a feast of smelt, Devin suggests the following:

Clean your catch by clipping the heads off just behind front fins toward the top of the head. Then, cut down the belly - insert your thumb and slide to remove the guts. Rinse. When you have processed your smelts, start preparing for your feast by:

in a large ziplock bag combine flour, bread crumbs or corn flakes, your favourite chip salt, pepper, and garlic powder until you get a desired flavor
insert prepared smelts and shake bag contents
pour a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil in a fry pan and heat it up
fry smelts until they spread open and are curled

Serve with hot sauce a ranch dip and a side of mayo or any thing you like your wings with and enjoy

Canadian Lake Monsters

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:49:00 -0400

In a typo that I made using Wikipedia, I came across an entry about Lake Monsters. I am not talking about big fish (although the presence of big fish may help explain some sightings), but I am talking about monsters of unusually large sizes that mysteriously appear in fuzzy, dark pictures.

The kind of lake monsters that keep keep cryptologists employed. It seems that large lake trout and pike are not the only creatures we may be swimming with.

Obviously, the the most classic monster of lake monsters is, Nessie, of the Loch Ness in Scotland. The mention of, Nessie, should give you an example of what I am talking about. While continuing my reading on Lake Monsters, I was happy to find out there is a listing of Canadian and American monsters that have been ‘reported’ in our North American waters. This link will take you to the listing about these cryptological mysteries.

Lake Simcoe – Igopogo

Muskrat Lake – Mussie

Lake Ontario – Kingstie

I wonder if these ‘beasties’ will triggered into striking at spoons, plugs or crankbaits. I would think a blue, jointed rapala would work. It will catch anything that swims.

*Image Right - Image taken by the Barrie examiner of Igopogo, in Lake Simcoe, 1976.

Finding a Quality Breeder for Your Next Puppy

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:41:15 -0400

Spring is finally in the air! With spring comes that urge to find a new four-legged hunting companion. But where should we look, and which breed should we pick from?

Personally, the Labrador is our favorite here at Soggy Acres Retrievers. There is nothing better than sending a Lab pup home as a future champion to their new family. Now that may be a champion of the couch, field, or riding shotgun in the truck, but it’s a champion to the new owner nonetheless.

How does a novice entering into the dog world find a quality pup? Look no further than this article for a few strong tips.

First, locate several kennels to form a pool of potential breeders. There are many areas to pull from in this search: breed groups and clubs, internet searches, word of mouth, and hunting magazines to name a few places to begin our quest. Try to identify four or five kennels that appear to have a solid breeding program and reputation.

Interview the potential kennels and talk to them about their philosophies and methods in pairing potential parents for a litter. What are the strengths and weaknesses being addressed by the pairing? What can be expected with the pups in the house and field with the parents’ combination? Is this a repeat breeding with pups from past litters in the world? Are there references to past clients from the parents and other litters to contact?

The most important part of the conversation now takes place! What is the health guarantee if something is wrong with the pup? A good health guarantee covers certain breed-specific issues the pup may suffer from in the future and lasts for a certain duration of time. A 30-month guarantee on a pup’s hips for dysplasia and 14-month guarantee on a pup’s eyes for inherent problems are common. But what if there is a problem on the above mentioned? How are you, the consumer, made whole and comfortable with your choice?

A certain number of kennels will ask for the dog back if there is a problem. The reasoning: there is no way that you would ever part with your family member! This is dishonest, and quite honestly it’s immoral as well. Buy from a business that offers a replacement puppy and doesn’t demand that the “imperfect” family member be returned. It is fair, right, and the standard a new buyer needs to have before purchase.

The excitement of buying a pup can at times lead to irrational decisions. Use the above tips and a good dose of common sense to guide you on your journey to find that new companion for the next fifteen years!

This Article Written By: Jeff Fuller of Sporting Dog Adventures and owner of Soggy Acres Retrievers. Jeff started breeding and training Labrador Retrievers in 1998 and continues to dedicate his life to dogs through his TV show that airs on the Pursuit Channel.

*Images used with permission: Soggy Acres Retrievers

The problem with good fishing

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:05:04 -0400

Nothing beats the discovery of finding section of water that holds enough ‘hook-yearning’ fish that give your reel hand a monster set of cranking blisters.

The same feeling holds true for those of us who find, or own, a plot of land that oozes wild game from bushy shadows.

We call the spot our own and like sly foxes our eyes make a quick sweep of the area to ensure the secrecy of our newly added GPS way-point. If your are like me, this hunting or fishing ‘sweet spot’ becomes one of our most closely guarded secrets. It remains unknown to all but a few close friends.

Herein, lies the potential problem with good fishing and the dilemma that it causes in my mind.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in keeping our secrets with ‘the few’ – that we forget the benefit of sharing the experience with ‘the many’.

I am guilty of this. Big Time!

An angler approached me, before a local fishing tournament, and asked me to mark some great fishing spots on Vernon Lake. At first, I marked all my favorite spots except for one. I struggled for several seconds before I could get my hand to mark the last and most secret of my spots.

Why?

I think it was because it is nice to have that spot on a lake where you can go and expect to catch some fish – without having to worry about another angler being there before you were. With my new found love of fly fishing, I can really appreciate the importance of solitude in your favorite fishing spot. After all – it is part of the experience of fishing.

I guess what I am wrestling with is how can we as ‘anglers and/or hunters’ expect to propagate the excitement we enjoy (and cherish) in our conservation activities if we become tight-lipped about where all the ‘good’ spots are?

Am I alone? Possibly. Ask yourself this: Could you easily hand over a GPS coordinate list of your top 5 fishing spots on your favorite lake? If your answer is yes – stop reading...deserve a peace prize.

Imagine if the NHL, NBA, or NFL expected to share the excitement of their sports by keeping the venues for these high impact sports for just a select few of the population who happen to know where the next event was taking place? Does it seem realistic to expect future anglers to get ‘cranked’ about fishing when their first experiences are spent ‘fish-less’ in the great wide open of a new body of water?

Some of you are now saying, “What about the enjoyment of the experience of, the newcomer, learning to find their own fishing spots and techniques?”. I can’t disagree with you. I am just wondering if that is making fishing one dimensional? Could we also add to the teaching process of the outdoors a clause that encourages us to share that extremely productive bend in the river with someone else – without the need to be tight lipped? This would, in turn, encourage a more complete 2-dimensional fishing experience because it has been shared and enjoyed by others who caught just as many fish as you did.

This is not sour grapes. As the keeper of my own secret spots and a fantastic technique for catching lake trout in Algonquin Park, I am still thinking this through. I’d appreciate your thoughts.

Interview: Columbia Sportswear Canada

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:32:54 -0400

Ontario spring fishing weather brings some interesting challenges with respect to the kind of outerwear you should wear while fishing. Whether you are in the rustic wilds of Algonquin Park or the open water of the Great Lakes, you don't need to clutter up your fishing boat with numerous clothing layers to stay warm.

Columbia Sportswear is great place to start for products that can enhance your spring fishing experience. Columbia's Brand Marketing Manager, Jordan Dilworth, took a few moments to answer some of my questions about Columbia Sportswear. Jordan also sent my questions off to Canada's Pro Angler and host of the Real Fishing Show, Bob Izumi, for his recommendation on a spring fishing jacket.

1) What do you feel makes Columbia outdoor products unique from other companies in the industry?

Columbia products are packed with innovation and style while offering great value to the end consumer. Our latest innovations are unique, visible technologies versus ingredient technologies used by other brands. Omni-Heat, Omni-Wick EVAP and now Omni-Freeze ZERO are perfect examples of how Columbia is differentiating itself from it's competitors and offering consumers real benefits to help them stay warm, dry, cool or protected while enjoying the outdoors.

We have a Performance Innovation Team (PIT) that thinks up this stuff… Here's a bit about them:

-The PIT, or Performance Innovation Team is the research and innovation division of Columbia Sportswear Company (CSC) tasked with developing new, revolutionary consumer solutions for the company’s entire brand portfolio, which includes Columbia, Sorel, Mountain Hardwear, and Montrail.

-The PIT is an innovation center that provides solutions to consumers with the purpose of outdoor enjoyment. The PIT’s vision is to enable consumers to head outside on a stormy day, a freezing day, or even in a heat wave and enjoy their outdoor experience.

-The PIT will service the needs of the portfolio by continuing to create innovation platforms for the development of unique and revolutionary consumer products. Some of their ideas will be for a specific brand’s needs, others will be shared.

2) Without giving your "Research and Development" secrets away, what would the time frame be from brainstorming to full production of a new jacket style (or innovation).

As an example, Omni-Freeze ZERO was over 4 years of research and development by our PIT team and that's not uncommon.

3) What 2013 product or innovation excites you the most? Why?

Omni-Freeze ZERO is definitely exciting for us. It's an industry first and unique to Columbia (and Mountain Hardwear). Little blue rings absorb your sweat and cool the material of the shirt. It's pretty awesome! Similar to our Omni-Heat Reflective’s little silver dots, Omni-Freeze ZERO’s little blue rings are visible and easy to understand. Omni-Freeze ZERO’s little blue rings position an active cooling agent next to the skin that reacts with sweat to lower the temperature of the fabric and accelerate wicking, creating an instant and prolonged cooling effect.

4) If you were spring fishing in the Canadian wilds (where temperatures reached below freezing [-5 C] in the evening and shifted to above freezing [+10C] by day) which Columbia jacket system (product) would you recommend to pack/wear and why?

I'm going to kick this one to Bob Izumi for some help. He will probably recommend some very specific products. My recommendations would be omni-heat baselayer and then 1 or 2 layering pieces over top (could be as simple as a puffy down jacket which is very light and packable and then a lightweight, thin shell for if it's rainy/windy. As the temperature rises, you can remove the layering pieces and the Baselayer is still good. If it goes well above that, you don't need a shirt anymore! The other option is to just wear a long-sleeve wicking shirt as a base (without Omni-Heat) and then the same layering pieces above as if it truly is going to get to 10 degrees (or more), the standard wicking shirt will still be fine where the baselayer would become too warm at that point.

Bob Izumi's Recommendation:

I would say that the Bugaboo Interchange jacket would be a good choice because:

waterproof and breathable outer shell for spring rains
hood for rain and wind
drop tail for sitting on the bank or damp boat seat
Zip-in interchange system-wear only the outer shell for wind or rain and just the zip-in liner if it warms up

These original Columbia jackets are versatile yet practable for Canadian weather conditions.

Ontario's New Hatchery Program

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:36:52 -0400

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) has partnered with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to deliver the new Community Hatchery Program (CHP).

The MNR will provide $250,000 annually over a three-year agreement for OFAH to deliver the CHP. The CHP will offer a more targeted approach to funding and technical support for Ontario’s community hatcheries. For more details about the changes - visit the OFAH website.

Muskoka Outdoors take on this: This shift in funding and implementation will allow the MNR to focus on other issues and allow OFAH to do more at what they do best - enhancing fishing opportunities in the province.

Fishing Tip: Icy Trout Finders

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:28:16 -0400

Dad and I have only tried this a few times (so it is hardly good science) while lake trout fishing in some Algonquin Park lakes.

When we were looking for starting spots to fish on an unfamiliar lake we would initially target spots where rock faces entered the water. Specifically, these rock faces still had residual melting ice on them.

It could have been co-incidence, but it sure seemed like we were successful while others in our party were not. If true, it could be for a few reasons:

The surface water temperature was colder as ice melted down the rock face and into the water
‘Biologics’ – Perhaps there were organisms falling into the lake (from the ice) that baitfish fed on
The rockface itself usually meant a deeper section of water and it may have had nothing to with the ice

Fact or Not. It seems to work. If you are looking for a place to start on a cold northern lake fish this spring. Look for ice sheets on rock faces. Of course, this tip may be better timed for early spring in 2013.

Anyone else have a similar experience or thoughts? Comment below.

Photo: Bald Eagle in Dwight

muskokaoutdoors@gmail.com (Bill Anderson) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:22:51 -0400

A local Dwight, ON resident's trail camera recently captured a photo of a bald eagle. It's a great and rare sight to see. Thanks for your photo Kevin!