staffman

If you choose to use a net make sure it has a "fish friendly" bag and not a coarse nylon type bag.

At Port Dalhousie I have had success using my 10'6'' rod which is a 5/6 wgt fly rod tied as a spinning rod. My 9'6" HMX Fenwick rod has more backbone and works just as well and will land fish quicker so release is easier on the fish. On the Niagara river I think the 9'6" Fenwick would work for bottom bouncing ,but I have never tried it there. My guess would be that your not using sharp hooks and that is why you are missing fish . Try using Diiachi 1150 hooks or Raven Specialist hooks. When bottom bouncing you have to inspect your hook after every hang up to ensure the hook hasn't lost it's point.

Sounds like they got what they wanted.

The cast that he is using is known as a BC cast. It originated on the west coast, likely in BC, and out there they use large floats (20to30g) which require a lot of lead and that is why they can cast with one hand. If you Google BC cast I'm sure you will find Youtube videos of it.

I do not believe that common carp cause any problems in the waters that I fish. With higher gas prices predicted in the future travelling long distance for steelhead may cause many anglers to turn to carp fishing as a economical alternative. I know that I purchased a "carp" rod and a bait runner reel to pursue them. I haven't fished for them with this outfit , but I view carp fishing as a alternative which has its own following of dedicated anglers. I've watched ,in awe, some of the match fishing that occurs on the Thames river in London. I haven't actually fished my outfit for carp but I have used it for catfish. The carp that have infiltrated the southern US and waiting to enter the G lakes through some sewage canals state side are what you need to fear not the common carp.

Fly reels do look like Centre pin reels. A Fly Reel is to basically holds your backing,fly line and leader. You have to pull line off the reel as you prepare to cast your line. I think that all fly reels come with some sort of Drag to help ,when you need it, to land large fish. A centre pin reel is designed to allow your line to peel off as your float drifts down stream. to do this with a fly reel you would have to constantly pull line from the reel. With a CP You act as the drag by applying pressure to the edge of the spool. there are a few CP reels with drags, but not many. I would say that the free spooling aspect of CP reels would constitute the biggest difference between the two types of reels. With fly reels the weight of the line is what allows you to cast, where as the float and the split shot under your float allows a centre pinner to cast.

Always try to avoid troubled individuals on the river, because you never know who you are dealing with. If you have a camera film their antics, but don't make it obvious enough for them to come after you as mentioned already and get a picture of their plate if you can. Send it to the MNR and leave it at that. Confronting these types of individuals only gets you upset and serves no purpose because they never listen to reason. You cannot educate retarded individuals, as to what should happen on the river.

We should get some MNR input on that, bows are one of the hardiest fish in the world, that's why they can live in subzero temps and in small stocked ponds that get up to 85 degrees in the summer. They beat the piss out of themselves to spawn and still make it back to the lake. I'm sure trying to jump a waterfall for days straight is a lot harder on them then a 15 minute fight.

You need to read the thread " Make Sense" at www,floatfishing.net in the Anything and Everything section. After you educate yourself you won't use 2 pound test unless your after perch..

Two pound test leaders kill trout , so you better keep them all. Fish build up lactic acid during prolonged fights , which leads to their death , even if you take the time to revive the fish and it swims off briskly it will die in the next couple of days. People that fish for numbers using two pound test destroy the fishery for the rest of us.

I always hook through the tie point as Blair suggested. I've never used the egg loop knot when running bags. My rule is small bags small hooks and larger bags larger hooks.

A centrepin reel allows you to control your float better than you can with a spinning reel. I've spent 35 years fishing steelhead with spinning gear and another 6 with the pin. I enjoy fighting the fish better with the centrepin where it's one on one. Because I'm older and seem to feel the cold more I will likely go to my spinning gear for the rest of the season. There are days when I cannot get anything to hit under my float when pinning that I regret not having my spinning gear to throw flatfish or spoons or spinners to coax a few fish into biting,and no I'm not going to start carrying 2 rods nor am I going to carry a spinning reel in my vest to switch. I accept the limitations on both methods of fishing and am quite willing to live with them. I must admit that I love both methods and if I could only choose one it would be pinning.

There are all kinds of catfish in the Thames and they can be caught anytime during the day. I would suggest that you go to a grocery store and buy a package of chicken livers to use as bait. Find a nice slow deep run thread your chicken liver onto your hook,cast out and wait for a cat to take your offering. I usually don't fish for catfish at this time of year,but I have had great success from May to August fishing the Thames.