Monday, July 21, 2014

The First Fishing Trip of 2014

Ryan and I headed to Waubaushene to test our luck (and patience) with largemouth bass, pike, pickerel, and anything else in season worth throwing on a grill.

The drive was about two hours north from Ryan's place, and the scenery leading up to our destination was beautiful. There were rolling green hills, farms, and forests to stimulate our sights. When we finally reached the small town of Waubaushene, we prepared the canoe, and launched it. There isn't much to say about this trip in terms of action, as we didn't catch anything; however, Ryan had two large fish on the hook, only to lose them shortly after the fights began. Afterwards, it was quiet. We had fun nonetheless, as we paddled along the weed beds in search of promising fishing spots.

Our legs and backs eventually became sore from sitting in the canoe for over three hours, and so we decided to stop at an island in the middle of the bay. We stretched, walked around, observed the wild flowers and other plants growing on the island, and talked about coming back to Waubaushene despite not catching anything - after all, we knew the fish were there, but it just wasn't our day. That day will come (in 2014, hopefully!). Furthermore, the bay is apparently a great spot for waterfowl hunting in the fall. I've already begun planning the trip in my head. I'll update here when I obtain a waterfowl license.

Pictures of the island:











Friday, July 18, 2014

Into the Wild, and Back Again...

...So we hopped in the car, with the spontaneous notion in mind that we were going to head north, shoot some clays, and call it a day. Everything went well. The ride was smooth. We got there, put on our trekking boots, grabbed the gun, and even a hand axe, as we had hoped to make a small fire. It was but a grasp away, and then, as we entered the trail and into the woods, the mosquitoes came...

Mosquitoes... everywhere - to the point where we had to turn back and go home.

Yep. That's what happens when you pack everything and forget about mosquito repellent in the summer. They ruined it. No shooting. We'll be back though, and we won't forget the repellent this time.

(I counted 19 bites all over my body, and there may be more - I just don't know it yet).


The massacre didn't stop us from taking a quick photo in the woods (though this picture was extremely hard to take).