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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Angler Spotlight Review: Troy

From year after year of being anchorman in the front of the boat, he is now joined by his son Andy who has assumed those responsibilities. Thus, he moves to the back of the boat as Captain and is in his second year of this duty. His first year in this role was on unfamiliar waters where the captaining would play less of a factor. How will he handle it up above where the pressure to produce will be exponentially greater? We will see.

I would put his number of trips at around 28 which make him an elder statesmen of the group and his knowledge of the area will serve him well. However, his production in the past may have been more pronounced due to the lack of production from the other half of his boat. With a new boat partner to actually boat some fish he may have to work harder to show up on the leaderboard at the end of the day.

Integrity has been an issue in the past with false claims of how fish were landed, but with an example to set for impressionable young minds and the added responsibility of getting the boat in position to catch fish, this should not be a problem.

Prediction: Troy will have a good week but, for a change, will be cast into the shadow of the production of his boat partner.

Troy did have a great week - Their boat arguably brought in more walleye than any other boat, probably caught more walleye over 20 inches than any other boat. Troy probably gets the unlucky fisherman of the week award for the number of times his big fish was beaten out for the big fish of the day. He wasn't exactly cast in the shadow of his boat partner but his boat partner caught a lot of fish as well. Sometimes probably too many if you ask Troy. He was a busy man. :o)

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Hall Of Fame

I have been thinking that over the years we have made this trip with lots of people. Some have come and gone, some have left there mark. But I think that a few have done more than that, some have made this the trip what we all love. In honor of that I would like to nominate a few to the Chutes Hall of Fame.

First of all the Man who started it all.

Andy Reightman: Over 80 trips, probably hundreds of people turned on to the trip. He has taught all of us Little Joe and the fact that you don't drive all that way just to fish.

Jerry Virtue: Jerry shared Andy's belief that fishing was not the main theme of the trip. He would wet a line in the afternoon and was always ready for a good hand of showdown. He was also your man if you just wanted to stay up late and shoot the bull. Jerry was always the ultimate host.

Bob Couts: He has not missed a trip since 1977, and has made two trips at least 4 years. Dad has become the driving factor of this trip. If not for Dad I'm not sure that this trip still exists. He also has made this trip a major part of Me and Trent's life. Now with Andy Couts making a couple trips, a third generation has begun.

Steve Couts: He made his first trip in 1976 and brought Dad up the following year and the rest is history. Although Uncle Steve missed a few trips over the years, he has been a constant factor in the long term success of the trip. Uncle Steve fishes harder than any of the previously mentioned Hall of Fame'rs and is always in good spirits and very helpful to anyone who needs a hand including Anchor Boy. Uncle Steve also has burned this trip into the souls Ryan and Arron so he has a legacy of his own that will keep the trip alive for years to come.

In my mind those guys were shoe ins, But I have one more that may create some controversy.

Trent Couts: Started making this trip at the age of 6 and has just completed his 31st trip. I think he is more passionate about this trip than anyone else in the HOF and I would say He also fishes the hardest. I think he is our best chance to keep this trip alive years down the road and as I mentioned in earlier postings I think he is the best boat captain in camp with Aaron Couts a close second. But here is the part that is not going to sit well with the older guys and Ryan. After the year that Trent just had I think that he may be the best fisherman in the history of the trip. If not Trent than who? He catches more than his share of fish, but had the rap of not catching any big fish. Well those days are behind us. I mean I think that Ryan, Aaron,and I all catch a lot of fish and you can't leave Bernie out of the conversation. Even though Bernie looks and acts like he does not have a clue he has caught a lot of nice fish over the years. But in a argument over inches our fish are left wanting.

I can't wait to see the comments over this one but before I end this posting I just wanted to thank all of you for treating Andy so well this year. He had a great time and is looking forward to going back, but I know kids can be trying and can even be a wet blanket on every ones fun. You all were very kind and showed great patience. Thanks again.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Just finished my last project

These next 5 hours are going to be excruciating.

Bug Report

I see on the report that the bugs have slowed down and have been down graded to medium for most of the week. I prefer to use Timmins as my city of reference, Chapleau is just too civilized. The Timmins report looks even better. Check it out!

<------ Only Hours

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Day After Tomorrow


Last minute items.

Haircut - Check
Aaron's Passport Card - Check
Wawa Bag - Check
Worms - Picking them up Thursday night. Will call to make sure they are delivered today.
Screen - Also Thursday night
Mentally Check out from work - 2:00 today
Physically Check out from work - 4:00 tomorrow

A couple friendly reminders for whomever needs it:

Towels - I almost forgot to pack em
Trashbag - To line your packed bag. It WILL rain on the trip to or from the Chutes.
Rainsuit packed on top - See reason above
Glasses case (preferably rigid) - I think you know who you are
Paper Towels - For nose blowing on the way up
Pillow - Trent is kind of a wuss
Earplugs - If you are staying in the front cabin, I would highly recommend this
Lie - Tell your wife how much you are regretting sending that deposit because you just don't feel like going anymore
Mark your bills - You may just want to take a pen and write "Ryan" on some of your cash. Just to save you time later.

I look forward to seeing most of you on Friday. This will come to an abrupt halt somewhere around Navarre.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

I see the blog is now complete since Anchor Boy and No Pulp finally got aboard. Just finished packing. Am only taking one necktie and no sports coat. Weather forecast looks good. Van should make it unless Bernie drives over some bricks. New tires and shocks and bearings repacked. Lighter does not work so don't plan on recharging your cell phone in my vehicle. Hope the air conditioning is okay. Haven't tried that yet. Driver window does not work either, so somebody will have to jump out at the toll booth to get the ticket then again to pay. See you all Friday. ring the bell if I'm not up.

I see a pattern

It seems to me that Bernie has a pattern he likes to follow every year.

1. get to camp

2. complain

3. Say he will never come back

4. end up having fun

5. repeat

Poll Question

Where is the first place you want to fish on Sunday Morning?

Weather: An unexact science

Good Lord, I really wish the weather predictors would make up their mind. I may have to repack. Looks now to be pretty warm for us next week. Who knows.

Monday, June 15, 2009

All Good News.

Tractor is running - This is a little shocking to me I must say. That tractor has been up there a LONG time and not run very much the last couple of years.

Water in the back cabin - Good - Having that bathroom is nice.

I think the only question we have unanswered at this point is, "How many nets do we have to take with us?"

I am picking up the worms and the screen on Thursday. Trent and I are going to transfer the worms to the worm cooler on Thursday night.

Also, I noticed in the comments section of Troy's Great White North post there is a comment from one "No Pulp". Wow.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

A few predictions for this year's trip

After some careful thought, I believe the followingthings will happen during this year's trip.

  • We will stop twice before we get out of Ohio for Dad to piss.
  • Bernie and Larry will be caught spooning in bed.
  • Bernie will have the ugliest suitcase on the trip.
  • Larry will use two rolls of paper towels blowing his nose.
  • The tractor will quit running half way up the hill.
  • Someone will catch a 24 inch or bigger walleye.
  • The day someone runs to the pines for ice it will rain like hell.
  • Andy will tell Troy to pull up his own damn anchor by the end of the week.
  • Troy's ears will swell up to the size of oranges from the black Flies.
  • Dad won't catch a walleye all week.
  • Aaron H. will throw Bernie out of the boat for not netting his pot-winner.
  • There will be a black bear sighting.
  • My wrists will be sore from catching so many fish.
  • Ryan will be sorry he didn't take extra rod and reels after he breaks his on a snag.
  • Aaron C. will remain hook free.
  • Andy C. will win more fish pots than everyone, except me.
  • Last but not least, everyone will have another outstanding trip.

A call to the Great White North

Just wanted to let everyone know that the Groceries are bought and packed. I think they came to around $160.00. Not too bad. I did remember the popcorn this year. Went out to see Dad today. He said he called Richard Saturday morning at 8:00am. I mean why call Saturday at 8:00 am? He might as well have called last Wednesday night. What is Richard going to tell us that we didn't already know? I think the report went something like this. Camp is open. Still no ice. Be at Red Pine by noon. Water hooked up at back cabin. End of report. Not that I don't trust Richard, but he is the same guy that forgot to tell us that our cabin had blown up until we drove 860 miles last year. I think some of us were hoping for word from the guys flying out. Something like is the tractor really running. Did the pump start. Was anything out of order at camp say like the fridge or stove. How were the bugs? You know stuff like that. I guess the surprise is still half of the fun. Dad did call Rodney Sunday afternoon. He told us that they did catch some fish last week. The tractor and pump were in working order and water was hooked up in back cabin. Dad said that since we don't have to be to Red Pine maybe we could go to Young's and get our License and get something to eat before pulling out of Wawa.

Ahem. Don't say I didn't warn you when you go unprepared.

Quote from a message board yesterday:

just got back today from kingfisher,cold thru wed. afternoon , then the wind died down and the temps warmed up and the head nets came on.we wore head nets last night while pumping gas in gogama on the way home.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Fishing Weather


Here you go. I am sure it will change some more but here is the first look at the whole week. I don't know why it laid out like this. Just click on the image and it will open up like it should.

One Week From Now

Troy, Trent, Ryan, and Aaron will be complaining to Bob and Steve about the promptness with which they want to leave Wawa. Somehow they always think is takes 5 hours to get from Wawa to Red Pine Lodge. That is assuming the White Fang will accept Bob's credit card. We may just have to end up driving straight through if we don't have a place to stay.

I was down at Dad's last night. I put line on all my reels, got some new stuff stowed securely away in my tackle box. Reels packed. I am ready to go.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Poll Question

How much money will it cost per person, driveway to driveway this year. I know that Ryan and Aaron would prefer their wives not to read the answers to this question.

One Week

It is one week (to the minute as I type) until departure. Time to make a list of everything you need to get done this week.

Pack
Haircut (for dance night at the Pines.)
Pick up last minute items.
Get all your items (Last minute kid)
Get to the bank (Trent)
Get groceries
Organize your tackle box for 11th time
Pick up worms (I'll see if I can remember)
New line on your reels
Tell your wife you are thinking about staying home
Start a hydration regiment

LAST BUT NOT LEAST - If you do not live within the city limits of Gnadenhutten, or on the way to the Soo, BRING YOUR PASSPORT. I am not riding down to Monroe County to pick up somebody's passport.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Posters or Commenters to Date

So far everyone with the exception of Larry and Andy have posted on this blog. Andy may have some internet priviledge restrictions so that is understandable.

Larry may not even know the internet exists. Monroe County isn't exactly Silicon Valley.

Aaron has even made it on with Dial-up access.

Bob even made a comment to say he wasn't going to comment. I applaud that effort. From what I understand he has a crucifix and garlic to protect him from the evils of the internet.

I just got to thinking....

Is there anything we bank on being there when we get there? Matches, toilet paper, sugar, etc? I can't really think of anything but I was just thinking, there has only been 1 group in there for the last 2 years so we may want to take that into consideration.

Format Change

I changed the format so all the posts from the beginning til now can be seen on one page. Last minute kid is on dial up and has started to get serious about this trip now that he knows he is able to go. Hope this helps.

RC

Some of my Favorite Things

Here are some of my favorite parts of our yearly trip.

-Hearing Dad's diesel fire up when it's time to pull out of the driveway.
-A hot hamburg at the upper deck.
-The drive from the boarder to Wawa.
-Getting off the plane at the Pines and giving Rodney a hard time.
-The boat ride to the chutes. (this is my favorite time of the whole year)
-Seeing some of the familiar scenery on every turn of the river for the first time of the year.
-Coming around the last turn and getting the first look at the Chutes.
-The feel of a hook set.

Here are some other thoughts I've had today about this years trip.

-With limited freezer space, maybe we should wait until later in the week to keep our walleye to take home. Also this would give us something to fish for later in the week.

-Since I don't buy a licence for Andy we can only bring home 36 walleye. I say we keep every perch big enough to fillet. Then we will have enough fish to give everyone to take some home and still have enough for a fish fry.

-On the same note if you want to we could keep the pike the day of the Virtue tournament. Heck we could just keep the tail meat if we want and still have a lot of good meat.

- If you think we should take a roll of screen up for the windows let me know. I can get it the day I buy the groceries.

Here are things I think Bob needs to find out this weekend.

Tractor Running?
Cabin Explosions?
Flies? Headnets or Bugspray?
6th Boat?
Back Cabin Habitable?
Water level?

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Worms

How about an update on the status of the worms. I do have a full bag of bedding at home. Last year one was plenty.

Holy Cow!

Aaron's Passport Status now reads
Thank you for submitting your application for a U.S. passport card!

Please Note: The U.S. Passport Card is not valid for international air travel.

Your passport application is in the final processing stages.

Your passport application locator number is xxxxxxx.

When you applied, you requested Routine Service.

This means you should receive your passport on or about 06/15/2009.

If you have any additional questions, please contact the National Passport Information Center with the above locator number. It will enable them to update you on the status of your application.

Poll Question

Who will be the top producing boat this year?

Troy and Andy
Trent and Ryan
Larry and Bob
Arron and Steve
Bernie and Arron H.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

This is how I am going to roll this year

Trent, you can have that Bionic Blade back.

Favorite Fishing Memory?

I can't decide.

Dipping minnows in the fish market with Ultralights?

Having a pike come out of the water to get a red hair jig on a rod that was leaning against the boat?

Or Catching my biggest walleye on that same jig at the moose stand.

<--------Single Digits

The countdown shows single digits. I won't report on the weather forecast today. It isn't favorable.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Did Bob talk to Richard this weekend?

Any thing of interest to report?

EDIT: Nevermind, thought the group flew out on Saturday but they flew in.

Poll Question

Who has been the biggest asshole to make the trip with us?

A new voice heard from?

I beleive we have had our first comment from Aaron. I think that's him commenting on the Poll Questions.

The Tide is Turning

The stars are starting to align.

The weather report looks better. By the way, the forecast for fly-in day has been available for two days and it has changed twice.

The exchange rate is going the right direction. It has gone from 1.08 to 1.12 since Thursday.

Aaron is going to call and expedite his passport today.

This is my last full week of work....er....this is my last full week of GOING to work.

I got an email back from Capt Joel at Air Ivanhoe. The plan is to get us started around 12:30. The upside to that is that there is no one in the Pines that week. 1,2,3 fish might still be a possibility for Saturday night.

My bag is packed. Still need my Wawa bag packed, need to put line on my reels, and do one more run through of the tackle (need to make sure nothing has been vandalized). Don't act shocked, it has happened before.

Report from Chapleau on one of the Walleye message boards is the Black Flies are thick but the Mosquitoes are yet to show up in full force. Water temps are down about 10 degrees from where they were this time last year. It has been very cool so far but it looks like a warm up is on the way.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Poll Question

Train or Plane?

Poll Question

If you had one hour of fishing to catch a pot winning walleye, and you could have your boat on any spot on the river, Where would you fish.

I think I would chose, the mouth where the channel opens up. I have seen 3 wall hangers from there over the years.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Trip Trivia

How many years did it take Trent to catch a walleye that broke the 20 inch barrier?

First Glimpse at Fly-in Day

Absurdly early forecast for fly-in day: High 67 and occasional showers. Subject to change daily between now and then.

In the words of the great John Denver: All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go.

Friday, June 5, 2009

A tribute

Here's to a lot of guys we have shared the chutes with us. They all taught us something(good bad or indifferent). Nelson Glazer, Andy Reichman, Jerry Virtue, Dale Brick, Carl Fivecoat, Dip Jester,Punk Morton, Steve Smith, Paul Beitzel, Jim McConnell, Charlie Homan, Don Altshouse, Jerry Skidmore. I'm sure I've omitted some others. Feel free to add them.

Trip Trivia

Disclaimer - I don't know the answer. Someone is going to have to help.

How many species of fish other than Walleye, Pike, and Perch have been caught on this trip?

I can think of three: Smallmouth, Sucker, That wierd pre-historic looking fish.

Angler Spotlight: Ryan

I know you guys probably feel pretty beaten up by your Angler Spotlight. You also probably think that after ripping you guys, I am going to give myself a glowing review. I would like to think I have a little more integrity than that.

But I don't. I just don't see myself having a lot of hurdles to cross. The competition isn't all that great. The waters haven't changed. I am the only person taking this trip even remotely seriously. To top it off, I have the combined skills and instincts of Babe Winkleman and Al Linder. I would say everyone else's chances are slim to none outside of any hi jinks by my boat partner.

Prediction - I suppose there is a chance someone could stumble upon some fish a few days in a row, but I am going to declare myself the odds on favorite to come out on top in two weeks. Anything else could be considered a huge upset. Good luck to all you fellas...Imagine the fish you will have caught to be in second place. No one will be able to take that away from you.

2 Weeks

Carry on.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Top Ten Lures in Chutes History





Here are the top ten in the history of our trip. Brought to you from a man who has caught more than his share of walleye.

I'm embarrassed to say that I had to go look in my tackle box to remember some of these. If I forgot one of your favorites than that lure must have sucked anyway.

10. Dynamite. Nelson didn't have all day to wait for one to bite.

9. The Swim Wiz. Thanks to Tom Rose, everyone bought one of these. I do not carry one in my tackle box anymore.

8. Thunder Sticks. While I did not fall in love with this lure, I know Steve has a soft spot in his heart for this one.

7. Wally Divers. I still have about 5 of these in my box but haven't tied one on in years. But this could be the year. The walleye have probably forgotten these by now.

6. Fenwick's Wobblin' Minnow. One of my all time favorites. This was the tail dancer of 1995. They no longer make these, but you can still find them on eBay from time to time. I guess not everyone liked them as much as me.

5. The Erie Dearie. I know this sounds like me trying to kiss up to Larry, but this is for real. It wasn't that long ago that I wouldn't leave home without 4 or 5 red and white Erie Dearies. If fished PROPERLY, these would probably still work, but I would rather use something that won't twist my line into knots in ten minutes. As you know some older fishermen are finding different yet less effective ways of using this lure that time passed by.

4. Tail Dancers. These have been hot for 7 years now. Who could forget "Tail Dancer 2002". I left it at 4 for a couple of reasons. One it is made out of wood. These things don't last more than a couple of trips. Secondly, I think they cost about $19.95 each.

3. The Silver Spoon. I know this is a pike bait, but I bet you all have a couple packed for the trip. It is the most reliable lure in your box, It will catch fish any day, time, weather, or fisherman. They are indestructible, and inexpensive. If you do the math of how many fish you can catch on one spoon, this thing pays for itself in know time.

2. The Husky Jerk. My all time favorite. This is the one plug I wouldn't leave the house without. It can be fished a few different ways, and walleye and pike will both hit it. It is not as expensive as a Tail Dancer and is made of plastic so it can be fished for years.



And now our top lure of all time.





1. The Jig. Simple, cheap, versatile, effective and fun. Everyone can use it, but some are better at using them than others.



Now I have seen everything.

Bob comments on this blog before Aaron. Just sad, A.C.

As an aside. Aaron did not get great news when he called about his passport today. I think he got a "maybe, maybe not" answer. Nevertheless he may be slightly detained on the way back.

Trip Trivia

Yesterday's Answer: 25 miles. Trent won with 43. Troy lost because he didn't guess. Steve lied, his original guess was 60. What did we learn here?: I drive faster to work than the plane flies to Pine Lake.

Today's Question - What was the price of camp in 1999?

Angler Spotlight: Aaron H.

Well, well, well. What do we have here? A new guy you say? I normally don't say anything negative about people I have never met but here it goes.

I have no first hand knowledge of this, but word on the street is a boat is a somewhat nauseating place for Aaron. I mean his boat partner isn't gonna want to stay in the cabin if frog lake gets a little chop. I hear he bakes a mean pie though. At least we will get some good Bernie stories out of this mess.

Lets hope Aaron is less tolerant of Larry than Bernie is. Bernie has let him get away with stuff for years. Maybe it is time someone keeps him under wraps.

Between this job, not throwing up, baking pies and being the new guy, I just don't see how anything good can come from this week for him, fishing wise.

Prediction - He will perfect some techniques this week to take home with him and in the long run he will see the value of this trip. But most importantly, the people at home are going to reap the benefits of these techniques as they continue to say, "I have never tasted a pie like this in my life."

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

How to tie the knot!!

Tired of tying the same old knot. Here is a link to a variety of fishing line knots.- http://www.tnoutdoorsmen.com/knots.htm

I am adding this video to your post - Interesting

New Feature: Trip Trivia

Today's Question: How many miles is it as the crow flies from take-off at Red Pine to touch down at Pine Lake? No cheating. Your best guess.

Angler Spotlight: Bernie

If anyone has ever deserved an award more, I don't know who it is. The mere fact that he is even able to fish, let alone catch any, is a miracle in itself. Don't get me wrong, he is not completely innocent of the goings on in that boat but lets be honest, he is not quite influenced properly.

There have been a lot of groups of brothers fish together in the days of this trip:

Ryan and Aaron - Aaron performs surgery on himself
Troy and Trent - Trent nearly gets thrown out of the boat for not netting his brother's fish
Steve and Bob - "I haven't caught a walleye all day"
Bernie and Aaron - I can't hardly wait to see what goes here.

Bernie will have a lot on his mind this week. Do I miss Larry? Have I caused the camp enough anguish? What stories is my brother revealing about me that I haven't already shared? I don't think he can overcome all this.

Prediction - There could potentially be fishing disaster for Bernie this year and the Week's Worst isn't completely out of the question.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Angler Spotlight: Larry

How he ever finds time to fish with the amount of energy he devotes to being a pain the ass to the rest of the planet is beyond me. But, oddly he still finds time to drag that damn Erie Dearie around the bottom of the entire river.

Larry is pretty unpredictable in terms of what he will catch from one year to the next, but one thing is certain; His boat partner will contemplate jumping ship several times throughout the week. With as much crap that spews from Larry's mouth the rest of us may not have worry about the flies, they'll find him.

Somehow though, year after God Bless-ed year, Larry manages to stumble upon one or two big fish while never getting up from the back-side protecting donut he carries with him. I have theories on why that is but we'll save that for another time.

Prediction: I don't think Larry can be counted out of anything...unfortunately. But as I said earlier, if he fishes with Bob, they are both out of the running. He won't win, he'll cry foul, he'll say he isn't coming back, and we'll do it all again next year.

Temps and Bugs

I have been keeping a pretty close eye on the weather situation in Chapleau. (Weather sites don't provide forecasts for The Chutes or Pike Lake.) The good news is the weather looks like it is warming up. That bad news is I don't think there will be enough warm days between now and then to get rid of the black flies. Keep an eye on this. Head Nets might be considered....Are we back to the days of duct tape around the cuffs of shirts and pants?

Inches from taking Rodney's Job

Yesterday I came within inches of having to stay in Canada and become Rodney's apprentice. You see, there are certain things you are going to want to avoid as this fairly expensive and selfish Canada Trip nears.

1. Don't complain when your wife wants to buy a swingset for the kids. "I don't think we really need to be spending money on a swingset right now." is an inappropriate response to this request.

2. Don't put off things she would like done around the house to reorganize your tackle box.

3. Don't post to this blog when there is a baby crying. That really wears on her.

4. Keep the "I just thought of one more thing I need" comments to a minimum. It is best just keep a mental list and say it just once.

5. Last but certainly not least; Don't forget your anniversary. Especially when it falls in the same month as the trip you have been obsessing about all year. This could potentially be bad.

My only saving grace, other than charm, is I wasn't the only one that forgot. She forgot too. We really love each other.

There is only about two and half weeks left but if you can put any of this advice to use, I would recommend it.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Enjoy it while you can!

I know everyone is looking forward to this years trip. Why not there is a lot to look forward to. Just like the Olympics seem to sneak up on you when you lease expect it Ryan and Aaron are making there every fourth year return to the Chutes. The last time they went with us on this trip I think Dad was still married to wife number 3. Also Larry and Bernie have talked another sucker into taking this trip by making promises of a good time and then spending everyday in camp making his life a living hell.

But for me the trip has taken on a more serious tone than in years past. Long gone are the care free days of sun, fish, and beer. I now have the added responsibility of watching over Andy. And I don't just mean not dumping his butt in the lake, cause you know it's just a matter of time before that happens. But also trying to keep him from being influenced by the wrong sort of people. I need to make sure he understands the following is not acceptable behaviour.

1. Taking a nap while you have a line in the water.
2. Drinking more than 32Oz's. of Black Velvet in one evening.
3. Coasting your vehicle across the boarder.
4. Letting Larry hold your wallet.
5. Peeing on the floor in the corner of your bedroom.
6. Hooking a duck just for giggles.
7. Trading fish for beer.
8. Forgetting to bring the popcorn.

As you can see, I will be lucky to do any fishing at all.

Angler Spotlight: Andy

There is a lot of pressure on Andy. Not only does he have the responsibility to look after his Dad, he is wholly responsible for keeping this trip going 25 years from now. There is a lot to learn. There were a lot of lessons learned when we were young guys (most of them ended up in getting in trouble of some sort). We'll show you the ropes. Sadly, there is no need for the ice tongs anymore. Maybe there will be some wood you can split.

I have never been on a trip when young guys went along and they didn't win a fish pot. Early on it was Troy catching a big pike or Aaron and I with a walleye here and there. I think even little Dan and the Garrett boys won some fish pots. I would assume this year will be no different. Andy will win a fish pot or two and if the rest of us don't watch out, or pay his Dad to work some net magic, we could be starring at the youngest guy in camp winning Angler of the Week.

Prediction: Andy makes a serious run at Angler of the Week and goes home with more money than he came with. His Dad will be proud for his son and embarrassed for himself.

Your Canada Trip Related Video of the Day

Watch closely Andy.