Wild_Guide_Spring2016

Premiere 

Issue 

FISHING GEAR PRO TECHNIQUES GAME RECIPES 

RODS, REELS & TACKLE FISH LIKE THE PROS FROM CHEF ALFONSO 

Wild Guide 

SPRING 2016 

FISHING 

ISSUE 

THE 

OUR FAVOURITE 

FISHING LURES 

DOES LURE 

COLOUR MATTER? 

SPRING BASS, 

CRAPPIE, TROUT, 

WALLEYE, CHANNEL 

CATS & STURGEON 

$7.95 CAD 

10 

THINGS YOU 

CAN’T SURVIVE 

WITHOUT 

SPRING 

BLACK 

BEAR

Volume 1 Issue 1 

PUBLISHERS 

Brad McCann 

Tony Griffiths 

FOOD EDITOR 

Chef Alfonso Maury 

COPY EDITORS 

Carman McCann 

Bill Coker 

Nancy Griffiths 

EDITORIAL 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Jamie Bruce 

Patrick Campeau 

Jason Dyck 

Dave Kozyra 

Todd Longley 

Craig Stapon 

Steve Starling 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Gerry Webb 

facebook.com/wildguidecanada 

@wildguidemag

SPRING 2016 

WHAT’S FOR 

DINNER? 

Canadian Angler 

Hall of Fame 

inductee, Patrick 

Campeau teaches 

us how to imitate 

the forage fish 

want to get them 

hooking’ up even 

when the bite 

turns off. 

23 

DEPARTMENTS 

5 GEAR 

GUIDE 

All the latest 

gear and 

gadgets. If 

we’ve got it, 

you’ll want it 

16 

47 27 

40 

11 WILD 

GUIDE 

We ask the 

pros for tips 

to help us bag 

bigger, better 

trophies 

47 SURVIVAL 

GUIDE 

Handy tips 

and life-saving 

skills every 

outdoorsman 

should know 

SPRING 

FISHING 

The pros give 

their advice 

on taking 

advantage of 

spring patterns 

for the best 

catch of the 

season. 

TAG A BRUIN 

Learn to use a 

bears powerful 

sense of smell to 

your advantage 

to tag a trophy 

bruin this spring. 

10 THINGS 

YOU CAN’T 

SURVIVE 

WITHOUT 

Be prepared 

when the 

unthinkable 

happens with 

these backpack 

essentials. 

RECIPES 

Chef Alfonso 

Maury cooks up 

delicious game 

recipes that will 

have even the 

pickiest eaters 

coming back for 

more. 

54 TALL 

TALES 


readers share 

their tales 

of triumph 

and woe 

along with 

photos of their 

trophies and 

adventures 

FEATURES 

11 

41 47 59 

Wild Guide . Spring 2016 2

FROMTHEPUBLISHER 

Tony Griffiths 

& 

Brad McCann 

Welcome to the premier issue point. The first is that Canada has a lack 

of Wild Guide Magazine and of good information for hunters and 

thanks for reading. We are anglers, particularly those who are new 

so excited about the launch to the sports. While the internet is a trove 

of our new magazine and we of information, it is often difficult to find 

hope you are too. For the rich, informative material that applies 

premiere issue I want to walk you through specifically to the areas in which we hunt 

the concept behind Wild Guide Magazine and fish. So our first objective is to bring 

and the reasons we exist. 

educational content from across Canada 

First off, who are we? Wild Guide that will help you become more successful 

was started by myself, Brad McCann in the wilderness. 

and long time friend and hunting and The next realization we have come to is 

fishing partner Tony Griffiths. We are that there are a lot of inhibitions to hunting 

avid outdoorsmen, devoted husbands and and fishing that keep people from enjoying 

fathers and passionately dedicated to each them. These range from, thinking they 

one of those things. From this passion is can’t do it, or that they don’t know how, 

born Wild Guide Inc. 

to not liking the taste of game meat. So 

So why Wild Guide? At first glance it our next mandate is to strive to tear down 

may look like we are simply trying to turn these walls, teach them that everyone can 

our passion into a career, and yes there is do it and help them to find the joy in laying 

an element of that, but more accurately, we out a table with meat and forage they went 

wanted to turn our career into something out and got on their own. 

that allows us to share our passion with The last realization we have come to is 

others. 

that the privilege we have to be able to hunt 

Tony and I recently came to some and fish is constantly under attack. These 

realizations which have lead us to this attacks come in the form of conservation 

and wildlife populations, economic attack 

and even social attack. All of these have 

the ability to threaten what we love. These 

threats can be minimized with proper 

education and accurate information. 

Educating people in best conservation 

practices supports wildlife populations 

to ensure that we have a sustainable 

ecosystem for generations to come. This 

also includes easing the social threat 

of attack by educating the non-hunting 

members of society in the importance 

of controlling species to prevent overpopulation. 

Wild Guide also takes a pro-industry 

approach in everything we do. This means 

always striving to support and promote the 

businesses in the industry that are so vital 

to it’s sustainability. Every outfitter and 

tackle shop, guide service and gun dealer 

plays a vital role in the sustainability of 

our resources, both economically and 

ecologically. So the more we support them, 

the better the industry is, thus ensuring the 

safety and long term security of this great 

privilege. 

To help fullfil these mandates, we have 

developed an editorial plan that will deliver 

informative, knowledgeable content on key 

subjects to help you become more successful 

in your outdoor endeavours. Gear Guide 

(page 5) - If you’re like me, you can never 

have enough. We will constantly keep you 

informed on the latest and greatest gear. 

Visit www.wildguide.ca to watch review 

videos for many of the products we feature. 

Survival Guide (page 47) - The most 

important skill set and knowledge base 

that every outdoorsmen should have. You 

will learn survival techniques, equipment 

and skills that could very well save your 

life one day. Wild Guide (page 11) - 

Your personal guide service to the great 

Canadian outdoors. Each issue will contain 

helpful how-to articles from pros to help 

you become a better hunter and angler. 

Tall Tales (page 54) - This is a place for 

our readers to share their triumphs and 

failures. Because learning from someone 

else’s mistakes is a lot easier than learning 

from your own. Recipes (page 59) - From 

cooking in the field to gourmet table 

dinners, our recipes will keep everyone 

coming back for more. 

We sincerely hope that you enjoy this 

first issue of Wild Guide Magazine and that 

you keep reading because we know it will 

only get better and better. We welcome 

your feedback and suggestions and are 

always happy to hear from our readers. 

Wild Guide Publisher and CEO 

Brad McCann 

3 

Wild Guide . Spring 2016

SPRING 2016 

CO 

NT 

RI 

BU 

TO 

RS 

Jamie Bruce 

Jamie Bruce is an accomplished tournament angler, fishing guide, and outdoor writer 

out of the heart of Ontario’s Sunset Country in Kenora, Ontario. Logging over 270 days 

a year on the water and ice has allowed him to really gain an understanding of how fish 

act on Canadian Shield lakes. This understanding has led to multiple tournament victories 

and top tens in the area, Including winning the Kenora Bass International in 2014 as 

well as the Bronzeback Classic in 2015, breaking one day catch records in each event. 

Jamie spends his time on the water trying new, off-the-wall tactics and enjoys introducing 

others, old and young, to the world of fishing. 

Patrick Campeau 

Patrick Campeau is the only full time professional fisherman in Quebec specializing in 

promotion and education. He is recognized as being a leader and a resource person 

in the industry. Patrick was named a 2014 Canadian Angler Hall of Fame inductee. In 

2016, he will celebrate a 30 year career as a full-time professional fisherman. Patrick has 

a radio segment called Expo Nature which is broadcast every day on 55 radio stations 

across Quebec. 

Jason Dyck 

I’ve been a big game hunting guide for the past 26 years. I eat, sleep and work hunting. 

Everything from backpack sheep and goats to prairie whitetail and mule deer to 

horseback grizzly and moose hunts and everything in between. Guiding has not been my 

only career in the outdoor world. I’m also an outfitter, taxidermist, hunting consultant and 

outdoor writer. I’ve hunted from Kyrgyzstan to new Zealand and all over north America. 

As you can see my passion is in the outdoors and I have enjoyed helping hundreds of 

clients and friends fulfill their dream hunts. 

Dave Kozyra 

I am an avid multi-species angler based out of Stonewall, Manitoba. I target almost every 

species Manitoba has to offer from slab crappie to sumo channel cats, from slob Trout 

to gigantic sturgeon and of course the beloved greenback walleye. I also have my own 

small tackle business called DNA Jigs, where I hand tie Marabou, Bucktail and Feather 

Jigs. I fish roughly 8-10 tournaments a year and I spend approximately 150 days a year on 

the open and hard water and 365 days a year planning and preparing for fishing. Being 

a father of 3 has also opened my eyes to how wonderful it is to teach young children the 

importance of proper catch and release techniques, and the value of conservation. So 

needless to say I eat, breathe and live fishing. This is a full time passion for me. 

Todd Longley 

As a young kid growing up on the mean streets of Winnipeg, I would hop on the bus 

with my rusty tackle box and go to Lockport to fish. In 1999 I started a guiding service 

called CITYCATS. I was different from other guides with my long hair and eventually 

became known as the Rock and Roll Fisherman. I guide mostly on the Red River in 

Selkirk Manitoba for channel cats and walleye. In the winter I guide for walleye through 

the ice on Lake Winnipeg aka Big Windy. I’m big on getting our youth fishing so, with help 

from some good friends, I started Generation Next Angler, an event that gets the whole 

family out fishing. Not long after that the urban fishing derby was formed to get inner-city 

families out shore fishing at the Forks in Winnipeg. This year I’m putting on a first of its 

kind fishing derby in Manitoba called Keeping It Reel. It’s a fishing derby for handicap 

children and their families. 


Cast Away 

CASTING GEAR HAS BUILT A REPUTATION 

AS BEING “JUST FOR THE PROS”. THE SKILL 

REQUIRED TO USE THIS EQUIPMENT IS 

FEARED BY MANY ANGLERS WHO STEER 

AWAY FROM IT AND SIMPLY AVOID USING IT 

ALTOGETHER. THERE ARE MANY COMPANIES 

OUT THERE SHATTERING THESE MYTHS 

WITH USER FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGIES AND 

EXCELLENT ENTRY LEVEL GEAR THAT YOU 

DON’T HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF ANYMORE. 

SHIMANO CAENAN This bait casting reel 

is tough to beat on all fronts. The 6:5:1 gear ratio will 

handle many different lure types including worms, 

jigs, spinnerbaits and even those fast and furious 

cranks baits. 6 shielded stainless steel ball bearings 

will retrieve those baits with a smooth reeling action. 

The VBS braking system and lo-mass spool create 

easy start up inertia making this reel ideal for casting 

even the lightest baits easily. All this ringing in under 

$100 means this reel is worth a second thought. 

www.fish.shimano.com 

Ignore the perception that in order 

to avoid the dreaded “rats nest” of a 

spooled out reel you have to break 

your bank and buy the top dollar 

gear. The number of options on 

the market can make the decision 

making process overwhelming, 

but we’ve compiled a few of our 

favourite consumer friendly rigs 

that should be on the top of your 

shopping list. 

These rigs are intended as all 

arounders that will suit a number 

of situations. Once you become 

comfortable with the mechanics 

of casting gear you can start 

tailoring these rigs to more 

specific applications like flipping 

and pitching, cranking, jerking, 

jigging etc. 

While learning something new 

is always rewarding, the level of 

control and finesse casting gear 

will add to your fishing will not 

only add a new level of enjoyment 

but just may give you the edge you 

need to land that trophy you’ve 

been chasing. 

SHIMANO CONVERGENCE 

From the graphite construction to 

the Custom Shimano Reel Seats, the 

convergence series rods have all the high 

end features without the high end price 

tag, coming in well under $100 again. 

The convergence is available in a variety 

of technique specific actions for bass, 

trout and salmon. The 6’8” medium-heavy 

power, fast action “Worm & Jig” version 

is a great all arounder to pair with the 

Caenan reel. www.fish.shimano.com 

5 


13 FISHING INCEPTION 

The Multi-Material construction with rigid 

aluminum frame and high performance 

re-enforced graphite side plates provide 

strength to power fish, and also the 

stability needed to maximize spin 

rate increasing cast-ability. With it’s 

centrifugal braking system and optional 

6:6:1 or 8:1:1 gear ratio, the Inception is 

a fish catching workhorse anglers of all 

skill levels can appreciate. With it’s top 

of the line features and an impressive 

price point coming in just over $100, 

boutique shop gear is within reach. 

www.13fishing.com 

13 FISHING OMEN BLACK 

Japanese Toray blanks with PVG 

technology (Poly Vector Graphite) has a 

tighter composition providing increased 

strength and sensitivity. The Zirconia 

inserted guides promote greater casting 

capabilities while the Evolve Engage reel 

seats and Portuguese cork handle deliver 

light-weight all day comfort. The 6’7” 

medium-heavy is great for most styles of 

fishing and at just over $100 you can’t go 

wrong with this entry-level boutique shop 

rod. www.13fishing.com 

DAIWA TATULA 

This rod features Daiwa’s exclusive SVF (Super 

Volume Fiber) Graphite technology X45 bias 

construction. This prevents twisting of the rod blank 

for far greater strength, sensitivity and hook setting 

power. The rod is designed with technologies, like 

the custom reel seat, that are designed to take 

advantage of the technologies built into the Tatula 

casting reel. The 7’ medium-light mod. fast is a great 

multi-purpose for many styles of fishing. With a little 

steeper tag ringing in around $170, this is still a 

consumer level rod, but packed so full of technology 

you’ll be fishing like a pro. www.daiwa.com 

DAIWA TATULA 

If you’re willing to spend a little more money, this 

reel will give you a spectacular bang for the buck 

at around $160. The technology packed into this 

reel will keep it performing flawlessly cast after 

cast. The T-Wing aperture and 8 bearing system 

yields long, worry free casts and smooth, torque 

free returns. With gearing available in 6:3:1 and 

7:3:1, this reel is a great all arounder for all types 

of baits. For a consumer level reel, the Tatula is a 

real performance machine. 

www.daiwa.com 


OUR 

FAVOURITE 

LURES 

by Brad McCann 

One of the first things 

people want to know 

when they find out we’re 

anglers is “what’s in 

your tackle box?” So we 

thought we would share 

a few of our favourite 

staples for some of the 

different species we fish. 

LURE 

PowerTeam Lures Food Chain Tube Jig. Our 

favourite colour is pumpkin green with light 

blue swirl. www.powerteamlures.com 

SPECIES 

Smallmouth bass gorge on crayfish 

regularly, so it’s no surprise that tube jigs 

are so effective when fishing for them. 

RIGGING 

There are two ways I rig a tube depending 

on how and where I’m fishing. In deeper, 

more turbid or faster moving waters, weight 

is key. I will use a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce jig seated 

fully up into the body of the tube. 

When fishing shallower, calm waters I like 

to use a lighter jig, 1/4 ounce, and I will leave 

about a 1/4 inch space in the head of the 

tube allowing an air pocket at the top. This 

creates a slower presentation. 

ACTION 

The key to a tube jig is to mimic a crayfish, 

so work this bait across the bottom with a 

rise and fall action. For a fast action, use rig 

one. When a slower action is desired, use 

the second rig. 

Remember this is a finesse bait so don’t 

be in a rush, however erratic behaviours 

can often entice a picky fish. Work the bait 

at different speeds with a pop and pause 

cadence. Make the bait “jump” off the 

bottom with varying height, distance and 

pause duration. 

LURE 

Gary Yamamoto 5” Senko Worm. Our 

favourite colour is a traditional pumpkin 

green. www.baits.com 

SPECIES 

This is one of my favorite go-to baits for 

smallmouth bass, but also effective for 

largemouths. 

RIGGING 

I like to Texas rig this bait on a 4/0 wide 

gap offset hook and a lead bullet weight 

snugged up tight to the hook and bait. This 

is a great weedless rig. 

ACTION 

This is a great finesse bait and there are a 

few different ways you can use it. If you are 

fishing a target depth or running through 

brush or weeds, simply let it sink to the 

desired depth and slowly crank it back to 

the boat. A light fluttering motion up and 

down provides a nice presentation. 

Alternatively, if I’m fishing shallower 

waters, I will work the bait off the bottom 

with a nice rise and fall action. Again, this 

is a finesse move so I generally don’t do 

anything too erratic with it. 

One of my favourite uses for this rig is as 

a follow-up bait. When tournament fishing, 

if my partner is throwing a topwater, and a 

bass short-strikes it, an immediate targeted 

cast on the same spot will almost always 

result in a solid hook up. 

LURE 

LiveTarget Lures Hollow Body Frog. Our 

favourite colours are green/yellow and 

albino/white. www.livetargetlures.com 

SPECIES 

There’s nothing more exciting than catching 

a largemouth bass on a topwater and this 

lure will not disappoint. 

RIGGING 

Tie it on and let ‘er rip. I use a heavy braid 

line, at least 40-50lbs. If I find the fish are 

short striking a lot, I will sometimes cut the 

tails down a little bit. 

ACTION 

The beauty of this bait is it’s weedless 

design and ability to slide across the top of 

the worst muck you can find. Throw it deep 

into the thick of it and ‘walk’ or ‘hop’ it back 

to the boat. Make sure to pause frequently 

for a few seconds in the gaps between 

weeds and pads. This is most often when 

they’ll strike. 

The key to remember when using a soft 

frog like this is to resist the impulse to set the 

hook immediately on the strike. When you 

do this you’ll most often pull the bait from the 

fish. Once they strike, give them a second 

or two to take it down before giving a good 

hook set. Once the hook is set get ready to 

crank like there’s no tomorrow. You’ll want 

a long 7’ medium-heavy to heavy rod to rip 

the fish out of the weeds. 

7 


LURE 

Rebel Pop-R. Our favourite colour is blue/ 

silver. www.rebellures.com 

SPECIES 

These are killer on both largemouth and 

smallmouth bass. 

RIGGING 

For poppers I like to use a good old fashioned 

monofilament line. The stretch makes casts 

a little more accurate and allows for better 

hook ups on the bite. 

ACTION 

The action we’re looking for here is similar to 

that of a jerk bait. You want to hold the rod 

parallel to the surface of the water and jerk it 

downward creating a popping sound in the 

water. The bait should only move forward 

from the jerk motion and not from reeling. 

Use the reel only to take up slack in the line. 

The goal here is to aggravate the fish into 

biting so don’t be afraid to make a lot of 

noise with this bait. 

LURE 

Rapala X-Rap. Our favourite colour is silver. 

www.rapala.ca 

SPECIES 

This is a great all around bait for most 

species but we like it for smallmouth bass 

and walleye. 

RIGGING 

This bait is best used on monofilament line 

or a fluorocarbon leader. 

ACTION 

The idea here is to mimic an injured bait fish. 

To do this, hold your rod parallel to the water 

surface and retrieve the bait by jerking the 

rod downward while simultaneously reeling 

up the slack in the line. Remember the bait 

should only move forward from the jerking 

and not from reeling. A shorter rod, no more 

than 6’6” is ideal as a longer rod will hinder 

the full range of motion between you and the 

water. 

The traditional cadence for this lure is jerk 

jerk pause, but you can play with this until 

you find an action that works for you. I tend 

to mix it up some with jerk jerk pause, jerk 

pause. You can allow the bait to rest once in 

a while as it will suspend at it’s current depth. 

LURE 

Northland Tackle Jungle Jig. Our 

favourite colour is black and blue. 

www.northlandtackle.com 

SPECIES 

This is one of our favourite rigs for largemouth 

bass. 

RIGGING 

Feed a soft plastic creature, craw or “chunk” 

bait onto the hook of the Jungle jig. If you’re 

going to be punching a lot of weeds then 

use heavy braid. In cleaner water, add a 

fluorocarbon leader. 

ACTION 

The weedless brushes make this bait great 

for punching weeds or throwing under 

docks. This bait is designed for fishing 

heavy cover. We are once again mimicking 

a crayfish here so work this bait along the 

bottom with a rise and fall action hopping it 

along the bottom. 

Because this is often fished in the 

shallowest of waters, the trick is to let the 

bait enter the water as quietly as possible. 

Use a short underhanded ‘pitching’ cast 

and guide the lure to the water as soft as 

possible to avoid spooking nearby fish. 

LURE 

Berkley Powerbait Pre-Rigged Atomic 

Teasers. Our favourite colour is pink lady. 

SPECIES 

These little tidbits are deadly on crappie out 

of the boat or through the ice. 

RIGGING 

These come pre-rigged so tie ‘em on and 

drop ‘em in. 

ACTION 

Fishing for crappie is tricky business. 

Depending on time of day or year, weather, 

water temperature and I swear sometimes, 

seemingly, their mood. I have yet to catch 

a fish more difficult. Too much action can 

actually spook them away and not enough 

action can leave them disinterested. 

Electronics will come in handy here. Once 

you determine the depth they’re at, drop your 

bait just over their heads. Now very slowly lift 

the bait a few feet and pause. This is when 

they will most often strike, If they don’t bite, 

drop the bait slowly right in front of their face. 

? 

WHAT’S 

YOUR 

FAV 

LURE 

We want to know what 

lures you use, how you 

use them and what you 

catch on them, much like 

we have done here. Send 

along your best fishing 

photos and a great story 

of how your favourite 

lures prevailed and we 

will share it with our 

readers on wildguide.ca. 

It may even appear in the 

next issue of Wild Guide 

Magazine! 

Send your submissions to 

editorial@wildguide.ca 


IRONIC 

MISHAP 

AVOIDANCE 

Any serious fisherman will tell you that 

there is nothing more frustrating – nay 

irritating – than a messy, over crowded 

boat full of tripping hazards. 

A messy boat is not only annoying, it’s 

dangerous. We’ve got some tips for 

straightening up your boat this spring before 

putting it on the water to help ensure a safe and 

enjoyable boating season. 

LIFE JACKETS 

These are the most essential piece of equipment 

you carry in your boat, but also tend to be the 

biggest space hogs. However, thanks to the 

advances of modern science and technology, 

there are a number of options on the market 

that help minimize this clutter while also 

making them more comfortable to wear. For 

these reasons, self inflating life vests such as 

the Mustang M.I.T. 100 Inflatable PFD are 

becoming very popular. They take up a lot 

less space and don’t encumber anglers while 

fishing. 

While we recommend wearing your life 

jacket at all times while on the water, we know 

that it often comes off while fishing. When not 

being worn, make sure they aren’t causing an 

ironic hazard onboard. Take the time to slide 

them over the back of your seat so its out of the 

way, yet accessible. 

STORAGE COMPARTMENTS 

Most of today’s boats come equipped with 

ample storage space. We recommend making 

the most of these storage compartments by 

organizing them as best as possible. Use plastic 

tubs/bins to store similar items and keep things 

organized. These can be purchased from your 

local hardware store or places like Walmart 

and Canadian Tire. Make sure to measure your 

boat’s compartments before purchasing so you 

can be sure they will fit. It’s also a good idea to 

make sure that you buy water tight containers 

to keep everything dry. 

ROD STORAGE 

Possibly the most frustrating mess you will 

ever come across in the boat is a tangled up rod 

locker. Not only can it be very time consuming 

to untangle, it often ends in sorrow over a 

broken tip on your favourite rod. Thankfully 

this struggle is over with the introduction 

of products, such as The Rod Glove to help 

organize your rods, keep them from tangling 

and to help prevent broken line guides. 

The Rod Glove 

www.therodglove.com 

TACKLE STORAGE 

While large tackle boxes may seem tempting 

to the fishing hobbyist, they may not always be 

the most boat friendly option for storing tackle 

onboard. We tend to favour sleeve style boxes, 

such as the Plano 3600 that can be stored 

directly into your boat’s compartments. These 

are often transparent so it is easy to see what’s 

inside and quickly find what you’re looking for. 

For convenience you can even write on these 

boxes with a permanent marker to note what’s 

inside if storing like items in the same box (for 

example “5 inch worms”). This is an incredibly 

convenient way to store baits as it makes them 

easily accessible, keeps them organized and 

promotes better onboard habits to keep your 

vessel organized and tidy. 

ROPE 

This is another one of those absolute essentials 

that tends to cause problems onboard. The key 

to avoiding hair pulling frustrations is a good 

rope management system. The first key is to 

buy a good marine quality rope. These ropes 

float to meet marine law standards but also 

tend to be more supple and flexible, allowing a 

neater bundle. Next you want to wrap/tie your 

rope in a manageable manner. The gasket coil 

is one of the more preferred methods. 

There are also a number of handy solutions 

on the market such as the Fox 40 Rescue Throw 

Bag which conveniently stores a rescue rope in 

a floating bag. 

TOOLS 

In any boat there are certain items that need 

to be kept accessible and handy. Safety items 

such as bail cans, oars and signaling devices 

should be kept in the cockpit area of the boat 

for easy reach. Tools such as pliers and knives 

need to be handy at a moments notice while not 

being under foot and creating tripping hazards. 

Solutions such as the Rapala Magnetic Tool 

Holder keep your tools secure and ready when 

you need them. 

M.I.T. 100 Inflatable PFD 

Mustang Survival 

www.mustangsurvival.com 

Magentic Tool Holder 

Rapala 

www.rapala.com 

9 


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FISHING GEAR 

RODS, REELS & TACKLE 

FISHING 

ISSUE 

OUR FAVOURITE 

FISHING LURES 

DOES LURE 

COLOUR MATTER? 

SPRING BASS, 

CRAPPIE, TROUT, 

WALLEYE, CHANNEL 

CATS & STURGEON 

PRO TECHNIQUES 

10 

GAME RECIPES 

FISH LIKE THE PROS FROM CHEF ALFONSO Premiere 

THINGS YOU 

CAN’T SURVIVE 

WITHOUT 

Issue 

SPRING 2016 

SPRING 

BLACK 

BEAR 

subscribe today and enjoy 

BIG SAVINGS off the cover price 

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FISHING 

ISSUE 

{SPRING 

IS HERE} 

“ 

IF YOU JUST GOT THAT “AHH YEAH” FEELING, THEN 

YOU KNOW, FISHING SEASON IS HERE. THE WATERS 

HAVE OPENED UP AND IT’S TIME FOR SOME OF THE 

BEST FISHING YOU’LL SEE ALL YEAR. 

We’ve asked the pros for tips on catching 

some of our favourite spring time species. 

Here’s a collection of when, where and how to 

catch crappies, bass, trout, walleye and even 

sturgeon. So string up your poles, sharpen 

your hooks and get ready for some of the best 

spring fishing you’ve ever had! 

11 



FISHING 

ISSUE 

LAST 

ICE 

TROUT 

by Dave Kozyra 

Last ice trout is a unique and often times forgotten gem. 

March 31st spells the end for most anglers ice fishing 

season in Manitoba as the southern general closure 

takes effect. However, fishing isn’t entirely over at this 

point. Stocked trout lakes are open year round as the 

fish are sterile and cannot reproduce. 

13 


You are able to find a list of stocked 

trout lakes in the Manitoba Anglers 

Guide. More specific stocking 

reports can be found online as 

well. There are over 50 lakes and 

ponds you can travel to and enjoy 

fishing, with 6 different species 

you can target. These include: 

rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, Arctic 

char, tiger trout (brown/brook trout hybrid), 

and splake (brook/lake trout hybrid). 

The fishing at last ice only gets better as the 

conditions get worse. Even better, the hot bite 

doesn’t end once the ice is off, so this offers you 

a great chance to take your boat out ahead of 

most others and experience outstanding fishing 

before the general season opens on May 9. 

It’s been a long winter for stocked trout, due 

to the fact that they slow down significantly 

during the late winter months. This is generally 

from January 1st until mid March. They 

slow down due to low light caused from an 

abundance of snow on top of the ice and 

shortened day time hours, making it more 

difficult to feed. Secondly, they slow down 

due to lack of oxygen in the water. Once we 

start to see some above zero temperatures and 

sunny days the snow will melt on top of the ice. 

This does 2 things, giving the trout some much 

needed light for feeding and a boost of oxygen 

from the run off water for energy. The trout 

now have everything they need to start feeding 

heavily again. 

During this time, trout on most lakes will 

move in close to the shore along weed lines, 

drop offs, or flooded wood. These areas will 

be loaded with fresh oxygen and food from 

the recent runoff. Depending on the lake you 

choose to fish, the food source could vary 

between minnows and different types of 

bugs, because just like the trout they are also 

springing back to life for the same reasons. 

Choosing a lure that is effective will also 

depend on what food source is abundant on 

that particular body of water. A great perk to 

last ice trout fishing is you are still permitted 

to use 2 rods at a time. A common strategy for 

when you start your day off is to use different 

lures on each rod and set them about 15-20 feet 

apart from one another. Some stocked trout 

lakes don’t allow the use of natural baits, such 

as minnows live or salted, shrimp, corn, worms 

or leeches. Be sure to check the regulations, 

it’s much better to spend that money on more 

tackle instead of fines. If the lake you decide 

to fish doesn’t allow natural baits there are 

plenty of other lure options to help represent 

a minnow. Some of the more commonly used 

ones are soft plastics like ripple shads, gulp 

minnows and tube jigs. Marabous, tinsel jigs, 

and hair jigs are also great options. When the 

fish are very aggressive small rattle baits are 

highly effective at calling trout in and sealing 

the deal and are a blast to use. 

When it comes to representing bugs, the 

most commonly used are flies like a bead head 

nymph. Flies some days just cannot be beat, 

either by slowly letting it sink and waiting for 

it to get smashed by a trout or even floating it 

under a bobber. Some other unnatural baits that 

can be used and should not be overlooked are 

jigging spoons or flutter spoons, either tipped 

with a piece of minnow or a plastic minnow 

head or tail. Another commonly used bait is 

trout paste, just scoop some out and make it 

into a ball and place on either a bait hook or 

small jig. If you are fishing with a group of 

friends get everyone to try something different. 

Finding that hot bait the trout want that day can 

double or even triple your success. 

There is one last thing that is very important 

during these last ice situations and that is 

safety. The ice is rotting from below so even 

though the top looks fine it may just be a thin 

good layer with slush underneath. Use a spud 

bar to check ahead of you especially along 

the shore lines, this is where the ice will rot 

the fastest because the ground and weeds are 

warming first. 

So this year when you think it’s time to hang 

up the ice fishing gear, or you and your fishing 

buddies are bummed out because the season 

is closed and you finally have nice weather, 

remember that this is a fantastic time to head out 

and experience some amazing fishing on some 

of Manitoba’s beautiful stocked trout lakes. 


FISHING 

ISSUE 

LAST ICE 

GREENBACK 

HUNTING 

by Craig Stapon 

Expert fisherman, Craig Stapon takes us out on Lake Winnipeg 

for some monster walleye during early spawning season. 

There’s only one thing to do 

when its 30 below zero and 

the soft water has turned 

hard – time to get out and 

rustle up some big fatties! 

Lake Winnipeg is one of 

the premier trophy walleye 

fisheries in the world. 

Every time you go out you stand a serious 

chance of getting a walleye in the teens. 

Thirteen and fourteen pound fish are 

caught regularly throughout the system 

in ice fishing season. December through 

February can give you some great action, 

but it is really just a warm up for what 

the lake has in store for you in March. As 

spring approaches the big walleyes school 

up heavy in the shallow sandy bays for 

the spring spawning ritual. You are often 

drilling through 6 feet of ice to fish 3 feet 

of water. This is the time of year that the 

true giants come down from the north 

basin to mingle with the local fish. These 

huge emerald walleye are nicknamed 

“greenbacks” because of their unique color. 

A wide variety of presentations work, 

some traditional and some crazy out of 

this world methods. I am not sure there 

is another place on the planet that has 

made using summer plugs in winter so 

popular. Bass rattlers and various other 

crank baits are fine tuned and painted and 

redesigned for ice action. Extra split rings 

added, salted minnows wrapped carefully 

around the rear trebles, and salty baits 

added on 2 foot trailers attached to mono 

with Gamakatsu’s Swivel Shot Hook with 

a built in swivel to prevent line twist. 

Those that fish the lake regularly 

understand that noise and scent are the 

keys to success. Pro-Cure trophy walleye 

scent is the best on the market and I really 

like their garlic product. I have had the 

opportunity to shoot many TV shows on the 

ice and I would not venture out without it! 

Hawg calling as we call it involves 

ripping the traditional lipless bass crank 

up and down making tons of noise. This 

method brings in the curious walleyes to 

check out what’s going on. We have been 

doing this on the lake for about 10 years 

now and at first many anglers thought we 

were nuts until they saw what we were 

catching. The promotion of this tactic 

through various local fishing clubs “Hawg 

Calling” has revolutionized ice fishing as 

we know it today. We take walleye, pike, 

lake trout and even musky by using this 

method! To make this method even more 

effective, try drilling a second hole a few 

feet away and placing a live bait rig down 

it. Watch your flasher for striking fish and 

be ready on both lines to set the hook. 

Along with lipless rattle baits like the 

Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe, we have found a few 

other very effective baits over the years like 

the LiveTarget Golden Shiner Rattlebait. 

Colours vary but I find fire tiger and natural 

black and silver to be the best. Spoons 

of any shape and size work well too, like 

Northland’s Buck Shot Rattle Spoons. I 

caught my biggest walleye ever 3 years ago 

on the baby, weighing at 15 pounds 4 oz! 

She hit like a Mac truck and when I set the 

hook I could not move her off the bottom! 

After a 10 minute heart wrenching battle 

she got stuck in a 10 inch hole 2 feet from 

the surface. My buddy Jay stuck his arm 

in the water to bring the monster up for a 

picture. Nothing like posing with a 34 inch 

walleye! 

The fish move with the currents so it is 

important to be mobile. A great general 

rule of thumb is to fish shallow, 6-8 feet 

15 


GEAR 

Guide 

Rattl’n Vibe Hot Tiger 

Yo-Zuri 

www.yo-zuri.com 

Craig Stapon 

early in the morning and move to deeper 

water, 12-16 feet in early afternoon and 

back to shallow for the evening bite! March 

full moon will put more fish on the ice than 

any other time of year! 

There are many reasons I like fishing 

Lake Winnipeg but the biggest one is the 

quality of the fish. Understand that an 

average 28 inch walleye should tip the 

scales at 8 pounds. An average 28 inch 

Lake Winnipeg fish will tip the scale at 10 

lbs! And the general rule of thumb is to add 

a pound for every inch in length after that. 

That’s how big and fat these tanks get. The 

average size 22 inch fish will generally tip 

the scales at 4-5 pounds! I love catching 

those babies and if you hit the right spot 

you could easily have a 100 fish day! 

Buck-Shot Rattler 

Northland 


Swivel Shot Hook 

Gamakatsu 

www.gamakatsu.com 

Golden Shiner Rattlebait 

LiveTarget 

www.livetargetlures.com 

WARNING It’s is 

essential to be 

prepared before 

heading out. The 

lake can turn nasty 

quickly at this time 

of year and days can 

go from crystal clear 

conditions to total 

white out within an 

hour! It’s imperative 

to have the right 

gear and if you are 

unfamiliar with the 

area, hire a guide. 

If you do decide to 

venture out on your 

own, always carry a 

gps to find your way. 

Gamin eTrex Tough 35t 

www.garmin.com 


FISHING 

ISSUE 

WELCOME TO SPRING. 

IN ONTARIO’S SUNSET 

COUNTRY AND MANITOBA’S 

WHITESHELL REGION THE 

SPRING BRINGS LIFE. IT IS 

HANDS DOWN THE BEST TIME 

TO FISH FOR MOST SPECIES 

IN THE AREA AS SPRING 

PRODUCES UNBELIEVABLE 

NUMBERS OF FISH AND A 

CHANCE AT YOUR BIGGEST 

CATCH OF THE YEAR. 

The 

Spring 

Advantage 

by Jamie Bruce

I like to switch it up in the spring and fish for all major species using their predictability and 

aggressiveness. ‘Spring’ is a vague term as there are many different stages of the season. The key to 

putting on the spring smackdown is to break the season down into smaller segments from ice-out until 

late June when summer begins to set in. All species hit a peak in the spring and the idea is to fish for 

each as they’re near that peak. The following is a break down of how I like to spend the spring. 

Lake Sturgeon 

From early April until early May as most of the 

anglers in the region are awaiting ice out there 

is a boom happening on the Rainy River. I’m 

talking about the largest species of freshwater 

fish, and being able to target them from a boat 

while most of the lakes are still frozen. I’ve 

made the Rainy River Sturgeon hunt an annual 

trip for the last few years, launching out of 

Baudette, MN. Lake Sturgeon are legal to fish 

for in the Minnesota waters of the Rainy River, 

and you can get a one day license to make it 

legal to target these ancient giants. 

I am far from an expert when it comes 

to targeting sturgeon, but from what I’ve 

experienced it is relatively simple and the 

numbers can be surprisingly high for a one day 

catch. The rig I’ve always used is a 3/0 sliding 

weight on a 80lb braided main line. I then tie 

a swivel to the braid and then a 3 foot 30lb 

fluorocarbon leader to a 6/0 circle hook. Buy 

a pile of nightcrawlers and thread 2 or 3 full 

worms on to the circle hook and really try to 

ball them up. I always use a 8’- 9’ musky rod 

with lots of braided line. That’s it for the rig. 

To target sturgeon I’ve always fished 20’-30’ 

holes on the main river channel. Electronics are 

vital in finding these holes, I typically target 

individual fish using a Humminbird Sonar 

and Side-Imaging unit. A Lakemaster chip 

will show all of the little holes in the river and 

definitely saves you some time on the water 

Once you’ve found a spot you want to fish, 

simply throw out a digging anchor, drop your 

line to bottom, and wait for a ‘tic’. They don’t 

hit it hard and you won’t feel a whole lot. Once 

you feel them, give them a few seconds to chew 

on the bait and then apply a long sweeping 

hook set. Now you’re in for it! 

The Bait 


Black Crappie 

The Bait 

From late May until early June there is a short 

window of 3 or 4 days where you can literally 

get sick of catching crappie. I’m talking about 

pre-spawn crappie, days before they make 

spawning beds. 

Crappies are similar to bass in their spawning 

habits, but the really good bite is typically later 

then the above mentioned smallmouth bite. 

You find pre-spawn crappies in water typically 

2’-5’ deep right before they spawn. 

The key areas for these paper-mouthed piglets 

are deeper reed lines, reed rock, and submerged 

wood. If you can find a combination of these 

features in a suitable environment then you are 

in for it. 

Like smallmouth bass fishing, I like to use a 

one-two punch for spring crappie. On one rod 

I’ll have a 1/16oz marabou jig for a fast-fishing 

search bait. I like to quickly scan areas with 

the hair jig hoping to just catch one ‘scout’ to 

give up the entire school. Once you catch one 

you can usually see a defined feature of the 

structure you are fishing that the fish was near. 

Target said feature with a slip-bobber and a 2” 

crappie tube afterwards and you won’t believe 

how many you can catch. I’ve got close to 

75 crappies off one reed clump, and similar 

numbers off one single tree. 

One key to this tactic is stealth. A Minn- 

Kota Talon shallow water anchor is the most 

effective piece of equipment ever developed 

for this type of fishing. You can put the poles 

down, stay locked in to one area making the 

exact cast, and not have to worry about trolling 

motor noise which can spook the school. 

Flit 100 Ghost Minnow 

IMA Lures 

www.imalures.com 

The Bait 

Smallmouth Bass 

From ice out until the spawn smallmouth bass 

fishing across Northwestern Ontario is good. 

I don’t look for ‘good’ in the spring, I want 

excellent! The absolute best time to target 

smallmouth bass is about two weeks after ice 

out when the water reaches the mid 50’s. 

For smallmouth you want to focus on the 

‘buffer’ zone between main-lake wintering 

zones and the areas where they will spawn 

in the coming weeks. Long points are the 

ol’ stand-by when it comes to pre-spawn 

smallmouth. Ideally the point would be at the 

mouth of a spawning bay and extend out to 

depths of 12’-15’. Isolated rock piles in the 

center of a spawning bay are also a great place 

to look. Another place to check out is mainlake 

shoreline on the outside of a big bay. 

There are really only two baits you need to 

fish for spring smallmouth; a hard jerk-bait and 

a 3” tube. Start your search fishing fast with 

a jerkbait in a jerk-jerk-pause motion. Vary 

the length of your pauses and take note on 

each bite. I like the IMA Flit 100 series for 

searching, but something like an X-Rap will 

do as well. Once you catch one on a jerkbait, 

there are likely a lot more in the area. The best 

approach now is to follow up throwing a 3” 

green pumpkin tube jig with an 1/8 oz head. 

Try to cast on the edges of the rock or point as 

that is usually where the large concentration 

of smallmouth are. 

Catch them until you get tired or can’t 

catch any more, and then keep moving on. 

These days in the spring are when you can 

catch over 100 smallmouth in varying sizes. 

Typically any spots you find during this time 

are good every year, unlike summer spots that 

vary from year to year. 

PowerBait Pre-Rigged Atomic Tube 

Berkley 

www.berkley-fishing.com 

These are just a few examples of taking 

advantage of fish at their peak bite in the 

spring. Lake trout, walleye, largemouth bass, 

brook trout and any other species in the area all 

have their time to shine throughout the spring. 

The key is to find out when they bite best, and 

record that information for coming years. 

Enjoy the season, it won’t last long! 

19 


FISHING 

ISSUE 

SPRING 

CRAPPIES 


Dave Kozyra 

Fishing for Black Crappie in the spring 

can be one of the most enjoyable 

and rewarding times to catch them. 

There are many reasons why anglers 

prefer this time of year as well. When 

the ice comes off and the sun starts 

to warm the water, crappie begin to 

filter into the shallows and look for areas to 

spawn. These areas are typically shallow reeds, 

rocks and sunken trees along shorelines. This is 

one of the main attractions to spring fishing for 

crappie as it is easy to see and find where the 

fish will be. To make it even easier these days 

is the technology we now have available to us 

with side imaging and 360 imaging. Where 

you can simply pull up to an area you suspect 

crappie to be, and you can see very quickly 

whether or not they have began staging in that 

area to spawn. 

There is also two sides to this staging period. 

The first is the pre-spawn when the water 

temperatures are between 50 to 55 degrees 

Fahrenheit. You can usually find ferociously 

feeding crappie, which is every anglers dream 

come true. During this period most lures will 

catch fish. Majority of anglers are using a 

smaller variation of baits to try and match 

the hatch, 1/32 oz and 1/16 oz marabous, or 

road runner style jigs in 1/16 oz, tipped with 

1.5” to 2” plastics like ripple shads and Gulp 

minnows. These baits are great for casting into 

and around the reeds and sunken trees. The use 

of a spring bobber or slip bobber with a 1/16 oz 

tube jig underneath it are amazing for getting 

right into sunken trees and the pencil reeds. A 

7’ medium light rod is ideal for this as you will 

be able to cast further, allowing you to keep a 

safe distance away from the structure and not 

spook the fish. 

The second side of this staging period is the 

nesting phase. This will typically take place 

when water temperatures are between 55 and 

60 degrees Fahrenheit. Crappie will begin 

building and ultimately guarding there nests 

and forfeit aggressive feeding and focus on the 

spawn eating only as they need. They can still 

be caught during this time, but you will have 

to put that bait right in their face. The same 

lures as mentioned before will still work, either 

casting and retrieving 1/16 oz marabou jigs 

or soft plastics, pitching bobbers with small 

tube jigs or even live bait hooks with either a 

minnow or worms can be very effective. 

Some other factors to look at during the 

spawning period is the amount of daylight and 

even the lunar phases. There are plenty of lakes 

where this can be the tell all of when fish will 

turn on, more so than the temperature of the 

water. Keeping a journal and making notes of 

the water temperatures, amount of sunlight that 

day, lunar phases and any other weather factors 

can help amount to greater and guaranteed 

success in the future. 

So this spring, get out there and put these 

practices to work and see for yourself what an 

amazing time of the year it can be for targeting 

these aggressive fish. Not to mention you can’t 

beat the amazing colours of a spawning black 

crappie. 


FISHING 

ISSUE 

I’ve been a channel cat fishing 

guide since 1999 and to this day 

I’m still learning more about these 

huge fish that live in Manitoba’s 

world famous Red River. I have 

to tell you, I never get tired of 

watching my guests reeling in 

these monster fish. It’s a total 

adrenaline rush for them as well 

as me. I’m going to share some of 

my favorite techniques for landing 

the biggest and baddest fish in the 

Red River so you can experience 

this rush for yourself. 

CHANNEL CATS 101 

with the Rock and Roll Fisherman by 

Todd Longley 

21 


When To Fish 

Let’s start with the time of day and season 

that they are the most active. I like to fish first 

thing in the morning. As the sun starts to rise 

the cats strap on the feed bag. Cats are also 

active at night but so are the bugs and I’m not 

a fan of things that bite me. They have poor 

eye sight but a great sense of smell so low light 

fishing can be hot. Mid day the cats slow down 

a bit but evening time is when things will heat 

up again. 

Time of year will play a big factor as well. 

Mid May through the last week of June is prime 

time as they’re feeding hard before spawn. 

They will spawn around the end of June until 

mid July so the bite will slow down during that 

time of the year. After the spawn is over is in 

my opinion when they are the most aggressive 

and will hammer the bait hard. From August 

until early October the bite is good. As it 

gets cold the cats will find deep holes and go 

dormant. Every once in a while some one gets 

one through the ice but not very often. 

Where To Fish 

Now let’s talk about where your going to 

find them. I’ve said it before and I will say it 

again cats love structure and current. If you find 

rocks, that’s a good place to fish cats. They like 

to hide behind rocks to get out of the current as 

this provides an ideal spot to ambush their prey. 

In the spring they will move to the Lockport 

Dam and feed heavy on their favourite food, 

the Lake Winnipeg Goldeye. 

use egg sinkers as my go to lead weights to get 

the bait on the bottom of the river. As far as 

fishing line, 25 pound Berkeley XT line is the 

way to go. I don’t use braided line as it cuts the 

cats up if they roll. 

Method 

Now that you have your tackle and bait it’s 

time to fish. I will always fish with the stern 

of the boat facing down river keeping the bow 

nosed into the current. I will cast one rod off to 

the left and one to the right. Then one or two 

rods down the middle depending on how many 

anglers I’m guiding. If you feel taps on the tip 

of your rod don’t set the hook. All the cats are 

doing is testing the bait. This is an important 

tip. Wait for a nice steady pull down before 

setting the hook. Once the cat is in the boat get 

a photo and get it measured. 34 plus inches is 

a master angler. 

Todd Longley 

Bait 

Speaking of gold eye let’s talk bait. Cats 

will eat just about anything that smells good to 

them. My choice of bait for the spring would 

be goldeye. I will cut the Goldeye into little 

steaks and put them on my Reelbait Catfish Rig 

that I helped design, held on by a big game Bait 

Button. Also the head of a goldeye is your best 

piece. That’s where most of the flavor is. Tiger 

prawn shrimp uncooked with the head on is my 

go to bait until mid August. Then it’s frog time 

and the cats just love them, in fact they hammer 

the frog hard. 

ReelBait Catfish Rig 

www.reelbait.com 

Tackle 

Your choice of rod and reel is very important. 

I’m a big fan of the 9’6” MH Shimano Talora. It 

has a soft tip so you can watch the rod load up, 

but all the backbone you will need to fight these 

huge fish. My reel of choice is the Shimano 300 

Corado bait caster, largely because they are so 

indestructible. 

You will also need a big net. I’ve seen way 

to many people lose fish at the side of the boat 

because of a small net. I use only the best catfish 

rigs on the market. The ReelBait Catfish Rig are 

strong and the hooks are super sharp. I always 


FISHING 

ISSUE 

What’s for 

DINNER? 

ANGLERS HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT TO BE 

SUCCESSFUL, IT IS CLEVER TO TRY TO IMITATE 

THE AMBIENT FOOD. IN ORDER TO DO THIS 

WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE 

SUB-AQUATIC FOOD CHAIN AND WHAT EACH 

SPECIES IS REALLY AFTER. 

Imagine a starving man, he hasn’t eaten for several days when 

suddenly, on a table, he sees a steak on a plate. It doesn’t seem to be 

very fresh, it is not his favorite cut and it isn’t cooked to his liking, but 

he will devour it without thought or hesitation. 

When fish are very active, they act 

much the same way, even if they 

are not necessarily hungry. In fact, 

they will gobble up various sources 

of food with little discernment. 

When targeted species are less active, they 

become more selective, and thereby, more 

difficult to catch. If we take the previous 

example of the man who would have devoured 

the less than perfect steak, in this case, imagine 

he has just eaten when he comes across the 

steak. He will analyze his potential meal a little 

longer before deciding whether to eat it or not. 

The presentation will have to be a lot more 

attractive in order to entice him. 

Then, when the conditions get tough and 

as predators become downright inactive, it’s a 

whole different story. The fish will then become 

selective and will eat only what they like or 

something that annoys them to the extreme. 

Almost as if the man cited in the two preceding 

paragraphs wanted nothing but filet mignon, 

medium rare, perfectly aged, and nothing else. 

When the fish are active, anyone can play 

them out relatively easily. In more severe 

conditions, anglers will need more strategic 

approaches. When the fish become completely 

inactive, only technicians and crafty anglers 

can play them out because they know what to 

serve them to make them react. 

by Patrick Campeau 

THE FOOD CHAIN 

The food chain describes the order in which 

living beings will nourish themselves by eating 

one another to survive. 

For gill-breathing aquatic vertebrates, the 

primary source of food consists of plankton. 

This name is from the Greek word “planctos”, 

meaning wandering. These organic materials 

can not oppose their movement in the water so 

small fish simply swallow them in their path. 

Then there are the phytoplankton (from 

Greek phyton, or “plant”) or seagrass or if you 

prefer, all plant organisms suspended in water. 

On the next level up in the famous food chain 

is zooplankton, of animal origin. It is made up 

of living matter. Be aware that certain species 

are herbivores and other carnivores. 

During their first year of existence, the 

greys, the speckled, the bass, and walleye all 

feed off of these live micro-organisms that float 

in the water. However, their diet will drastically 

change as they begin to mature. 

23 Wild Guide . Spring 2016

LAKE TROUT 

Grey trout can be in some cases planktivores. 

That is, they do not have access to a high energy 

food source and they must settle for plankton. 

They then grow much slower. 

Fortunately, the majority of the grey trout are 

ogres who devour terrestrial and aquatic insects, 

shellfish of all kinds, worms driven by the spring 

flood and various species of small fish, such as 

perch, sucker, sculpin, stickleback, whitefish, 

rainbow smelt, lake herring, etc. The menu of 

these large predators can change from a body of 

water to another depending on local species that 

live there. When yellow perch is present in large 

numbers, for example, it is important to present 

something that really represents this species, 

either by the color or by its movements. Today 

there are manufacturers who are real artists. 

For example, LiveTarget, whose mission is to 

reproduce with the most accuracy possible, the 

look of different bait fish. Thus, when we present 

the grey a yellow perch in the form of a Jerkbait 

or Crankbait, it really mimics this species, 

making it much easier to entice these beautiful 

fish. If we return to the example of the steak, in 

comparison with the famous Yellow Perch, is the 

filet mignon to lake trout. 

You can opt for a range of offerings such as the 

Yearling Jerkbait, Emerald Shiner, the Sucker, 

the Rainbow Smelt, the Blueback Herring, the 

Mepps Syclops, the Dartee, the Sassy Shad, the 

Williams HQ, the Whitefish C80, the Crusher 

Savant Spoon, the Stramnag L1, L15, or L14T, 

and several other models to achieve your ends. 

Yellow Perch Crankbait 

LiveTarget 


Rainbow Smelt Banana Bait 

LiveTarget 


Whitefish 

Williams 

www.williams.ca 

Yearling Jerkbait 

LiveTarget 


Dartee 

Williams 


Bluebak Herring Swimbait 

LiveTarget 


Syclops 

Mepps 

www.mepps.com 


SMALLMOUTH BASS 

The bass is a little more routine, since 60% of 

its diet is composed of crayfish. This fighter 

will surely love a lure like the Crawfish 

Crankbait C52M or C64S. It will not deign to 

put in their mouths several small fish species 

such as suckers, horned mules, aquatic or 

terrestrial insects, tadpoles, frogs, salamanders, 

etc. Present them with the Baitball Yearling 

Crankbait, the Threadfin Shad, the Squarebill 

LiveTarget, the Frog Popper, the Double Tail 

Mister Twister, the shrimp Streamnag, etc. 

Frog Popper 

LiveTarget 


Yearling Crankbait 

LiveTarget 


Crawfish Crankbait 

LiveTarget 


Threadfin Shad Squarebill 

LiveTarget 



BROOK TROUT 

The speckled lady, for her part, 

depending on her size, will opt for 

terrestrial and aquatic insects, minnows, 

crayfish, amphibians, earthworms, small 

snakes, mice, leeches, etc. A variety of 

flies of all kinds is obviously suggested 

to tease these beautiful trout, like the 

YSB50S. Also effective are the Yearling 

Squarebill, the LiveTarget Trout, the 

Twister Tri-Color Mini Tube, the 

Mooselook, on Streamnag L15 or Blue, 

the Williams Wabler, the Mouse Hollow 

Body, etc. 

Tri-Color Mini Tube 

Mister Twister 

www.mistertwister.com 

Trout Jerkbait 

LiveTarget 


Wabler 

Williams 


Wobbler 

Mooselook 

www.mooselook.ca 

Yearling Squarebill 

LiveTarget 


Mouse Hollow Body 

LiveTarget 



WALLEYE 

Walleye are gregarious, that is to say that they 

live and hunt in colonies. They can thus form 

a sustained and effective attack squad. These 

percids crave sticklebacks, perch, rainbow 

smelt, sculpins, lake herring, frogs, leeches, 

crayfish, as well as several other flying bugs, 

terrestrial or aquatic. To thwart these percids, 

garnish your tackle box with offerings such as 

the Rainbow Smelt, the LiveTarget Blueback 

Herring, the Emerald Shiner, the Mepps Aglia 

No. 3, the Sassy Shad, the LiveTarget Gizzard 

Shad, the L14T and L1 Streamnag, the Crusher 

Savant Spoon, the Double Tail and the Split 

Double Tail Mister Twister, the Power Leech, 

etc. 

Whistler Jig 

Northland Tackle 


Rainbow Smelt Jointed Bait 

LiveTarget 


Emerald Shiner Jerkbait 

LiveTarget 


Double Tail 

Mister Twister 

www.mistertwister.com 

Aglia #3 

Mepps 

www.mepps.com 

Gizzard Shad Crankbait 

LiveTarget 


27 


WRITE 

for 


We always love to hear from our readers and industry professionals. 

So if you want to educate our readers, give us a tip or two or maybe 

even just share a story, we would love hear from you! For more 

information visit www.wildguide.ca/editorial-guidelines. 

SPOT N’ STALK 

BLACK BEARS 

When most hunters think about 

black bear hunting, they see 

images of sitting over a pile 

of bait waiting for a bear to 

come and eat—not that there’s 

anything wrong with that of 

course. But there are many 

places where baiting bears is either impractical 

or illegal. That’s where spot n stalk or calling 

spring and fall bears becomes the way to go. 

Hunters looking for a little added adventure 

should consider hunting black bears by stalking 

them, It adds an element of excitement when 

the animal you are stalking is able to kill you. 

This can be a huge advantage for hunters 

because black bears aren’t afraid of much, 

it’s actually much easier to stalk a bear than 

animals like deer or elk. 

Bears are high up on the food chain and 

as a result, they do things and react to things 

differently than deer. When they walk next to 

bush lines or boulders for example, they don’t 

spend much time worrying about what might be 

sneaking up on them. As a result, the advantage 

goes to the stalker. 

A bear’s eyesight isn’t that great, so you can 

get away with a fair amount of movement when 

stalking. The wind on the other hand is what 

you must pay close attention to. A bear has a 

better nose than almost any other game animal, 

and one whiff of human odor will cause a bear 

to take off, so you must always hunt the wind 

when hunting bears. 

Sounds simplistic, but to spot-and-stalk 

bears, you must be able to see them from a 

distance, which means you must be hunting in 

fairly open terrain—In the prairie’s or farmland 

country where cereal crops grow are a great 

place to start. In mountain country look for 

lakes or river edges and south facing slopes of 

mountains along avalanche shuts or basins to 

find feeding bears. 

Stalking black bears provides a great 

introduction to the world of spot-and-stalk 

hunting, the success rate is high. In fact, if 

you’re hunting in an area with abundant food, 

you’re likely to see a lot of bears and get 

several stalking opportunities. When my kids 

get old enough to hunt, I plan to take them on 

a spot-and-stalk bear hunt. It’s just plain fun, 

with an added dose of excitement. 

Another bait-less bear hunting tactic that is 

gaining in popularity is calling bruins in with a 

predator call. Think of it as a reverse stalk—an 

animal that could kill you is actually hunting 

you down. 

Calling in black bears in the fall is a killer 

tactic, especially in the late fall, when bears are 

hungry, After all the crops that are harvested 

in the fall are gone and most of the acorns 

by Jason Dyck 

Science of Colour 

photograph by Gerry Webb 

and other foods available in the woods have 

been cleaned up, bears get desperate for food, 

especially just before they hibernate. They 

need to pack on some pounds. 

First, I like to use a fawn-in-distress call 

followed up with grunts of a boar or imitate a 

bear snapping its jaws. If you want to outsmart 

a bear, make it sound as if there is another bear 

already in on a fawn in distress. A real bear will 

often come running to investigate. Calling in 

bears works well, but remember to work the 

wind and spray down with some type of human 

odor eliminator, because bears often come 

from downwind. 

I call in bears during the spring and the fall, 

and even when hunting over bait. Sow-in-heat 

calls work well in the spring when hunting over 

bait because big boars will come in to a bait 

pile during daylight to see if there is a “hot” 

sow on it. 

Regardless of which method you choose, 

one thing is certain. If you want a hair-raising 

experience, hunt bears spot n’ stalk style! 

MOST KEEN ANGLERS HAVE A FAVORITE LURE COLOR, 

AND SWEAR THAT THEIR CHOICE WILL OUT-PERFORM 

ALL OTHERS. BUT JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS COLOR WHEN 

IT COMES TO LURE SELECTION? WELL, ACCORDING TO 

SCIENCE, NOT AS IMPORTANT YOU MAY THINK. 

“ 

visible 

Wild Guide . Spring 2016 44 

by Steve Starling courtesy of www.fix.com 

Water progressively absorbs or blocks light of different 

wavelengths, meaning that colors effectively “vanish” 

one after another as “white” sunlight travels through 

the water column. The overall intensity or brightness of 

light also diminishes rapidly underwater. 

FISHING 

ISSUE 

LAST 

ICE 

TROUT 

15 

Wild Guide . Spring 2016 


Last ice trout is a unique and often times forgotten gem. 

March 31st spells the end for most anglers ice fishing 

season in Manitoba as the southern general closure 

takes effect. However, fishing isn’t entirely over at this 

point. Stocked trout lakes are open year round as the 

fish are sterile and cannot reproduce. 

29 

Wild Guide . Spring 2016 

@wildguidemag 


WWW.WILDGUIDE.CA

FISHING 

ISSUE 

fly-introutfishing 



WILD GUIDE WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON A FLY-IN 

TROUT FISHING TRIP TO AN UNFAMILIAR NORTHERN ONTARIO 

LAKE. WITH LITTLE EFFORT WE WERE ABLE TO PATTERN THE 

FISH AND LAND A TON OF THEM. HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON HOW 

TO FIND AND CATCH THESE DEEP WATER DELICACIES. 

When an opportunity like this presents itself, it’s difficult to say no. 

So we did the easy thing and said yes. We were wings up at 7 am on 

a sunny September morning bound for a small lake in north western 

Ontario approximately 60kms north of Kenora. We had heard the 

lake trout bite was good here but that turned out to be a dramatic 

“understatement. 


While the weather started out 

beautiful, it wasn’t long 

before it turned into a windy, 

overcast day with periods of 

heavy rain. Weather for which 

we were not entirely prepared. 

Since we were flying in and 

out on the same day, we packed light so we 

could move fast while keeping weight down in 

the aircraft. So the first lesson to share from this 

experience is, always pack a rain suit, even if 

the weather looks good. 

We also didn’t bring a fishing net. Since this 

was a scouting trip in prep for guiding guests 

on this lake a few days later, we didn’t plan 

too heavily and missed the net on the packing 

list. While this didn’t slow us down a ton, some 

of the nicer fish of the day managed to escape 

boat-side while trying to get them on board. 

Lesson 2 is – bring a net. We recommend 

the Attwood Fold-N-Stow Fishing Net for a 

compact, space saving solution. 

The beauty of a remote fly-in lake with 

no road access is that it truly is a virtually 

untouched piece of creation that is able to 

thrive. We joked that you could drag a bait right 

across the middle of the lake and still catch 

them, which proved to be true. On an 80ft flat 

we dragged our baits for several hundred yards 

and still got bites and landed some nice fish. 

For the most part, however, what we were 

looking for was structure that contained steep 

drop offs which is where we were locating 

the best schools of fish. They also gathered on 

saddles between two points or small islands. 

If you are lucky enough, as we were, to have 

a topo map of the area, look for points where 

topo lines stack up tight or pinches that do 

the same. Otherwise, a depth finder, flasher or 

graph will help you find these locations. 

Depth can be a little tricky. While it’s no 

secret that lake trout swim deeper than most 

fresh water trophies – weather and time of 

year can affect their depth. We were searching 

between 50-80ft, average for the time of year we 

were fishing. Our theories were proven correct 

when we nailed a pile of fish immediately upon 

arriving at the first spot we targeted, a shelf 

dropping from 40ft straight down to 160ft. 

A good graph helped us locate the fish and 

depths they were swimming but we recommend 

jigging at various depths throughout the water 

column. 

A neat discovery we made was that our ice 

fishing flasher worked right through the bottom 

of the aluminum boat. This is a handy way to 

carry a minimal, compact system for reading 

depths and marking fish. Just make sure the 

transducer gets a good seal on the bottom of 

the boat. 

By the time the plane arrived to pick us up 

we had endured gusting winds and driving rain 

for several hours. But we also caught a lot of 

lake trout, had a first class shore lunch (see 

recipe on page 38) and a load of fun doing it. 

It’s hard to let something like weather get you 

down on such a fantastic adventure. 

31 


GEAR 


We tried a few different baits but quickly found a couple clear winners. 

The first winner was a blade jig, such as 

the Heddon Sonar Flash. Drop this to 

the target depth and use sharp, upward 

jigging motions. This is an effective bait 

year round that will work for ice fishing as 

well. www.heddonlures.com 

Another winner was a white tube jig such 

as the Zoom Bait Salty Super Tube, White 

Pearl Silver Glitter. This was fished using 

the same method as above, the difference 

being that the falling action of this bait is 

slower, offering a different presentation. 

www.zoombait.com 

Sitka Dewpoint Jacket 

www.sitkagear.com 

Attwood Fold-N-Stow 

Fishing Net 

www.attwoodmarine.com 

For trolling we ran the edges of the drop offs with some diving crankbaits like 

the Bagley Lures Bang-O-B Crankbait. Give these lots of line and let them drag 

behind as you troll. If need be, add some snap weights to the line for more depth. 

www.bagleybait.com 

Marcum LX-5i 

www.rapala.com 


Science of Colour 

by Steve Starling courtesy of www.fix.com 

MOST KEEN ANGLERS HAVE A FAVORITE LURE COLOR, 

AND SWEAR THAT THEIR CHOICE WILL OUT-PERFORM 

ALL OTHERS. BUT JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS COLOR WHEN 

IT COMES TO LURE SELECTION? WELL, ACCORDING TO 

SCIENCE, NOT AS IMPORTANT AS YOU MAY THINK. 

“ 

visible 

Water progressively absorbs or blocks light of different 

wavelengths, meaning that colors effectively “vanish” 

one after another as “white” sunlight travels through 

the water column. The overall intensity or brightness of 

light also diminishes rapidly underwater. 


Because light absorption is greater 

for longer wavelengths (the red 

end of the spectrum) than for 

shorter wavelengths (the blue end 

of the spectrum), perceived colors 

are rapidly altered with increasing 

depth or distance through the water. 

The precise rate at which this loss of color 

occurs varies depending on the intensity 

of the sunlight, whether the sun is directly 

overhead or low on the horizon, the amount 

of cloud cover, as well as the clarity and 

color of the water itself, and the presence 

of any suspended matter such as weed or 

plankton. Even in very clear ocean currents 

far from shore, less than 25 percent of 

available sunlight hitting the sea’s surface 

will penetrate much beyond 30 feet or so. 

By the time we reach a depth of 300 feet, 

the remaining light may be as little as 0.5 

percent of that available on the surface. In 

other words, it’s a pretty gloomy place down 

there! In freshwater lakes and rivers, this loss 

of light with depth is even more dramatic. 

As already mentioned, red is the first 

color visible to our eyes to disappear, and 

is typically gone within 15 or 20 feet of the 

surface. Much less in turbid water. Orange 

disappears next, then yellow, green, and 

purple. Blues penetrate deepest of all, both 

the tones visible to our human eyes and also 

the shorter, ultra-violet wavelength many 

fish can see. 

This phenomenon has a profound 

impact on the way things look to us, and 

also to fish underwater. White objects will 

appear bluish or gray underwater, and the 

darkness of that blue/gray appearance 

increases rapidly with depth. Red objects 

will begin to look dark brown or even black 

within a few meters of the surface. Down at 

40 or 50 feet, even in very clear water, the 

world appears to be composed entirely of 

shades of gray, blue, and black. 

It’s worth stressing that this loss or 

alteration of visible colors occurs in both 

the vertical and the horizontal or diagonal 

planes. So, 40 feet of vertical depth has 

roughly the same impact on light waves and 

color perception as 40 feet of horizontal or 

diagonal separation between object and 

observer. In other words, a red lure may 

look black when viewed at a depth of 40 

feet, but it will also appear black, or at the 

least brown or very dark grey, when viewed 

from the side at a distance of 40 feet, even 

if it’s traveling right up in the surface layer. 


OTHER EFFECTS ON LURE COLOUR 

Water Conditions 

Silt & Clay 

A Storm can bring runoff from rivers that 

stirs up silt and clay. Black lures work best 

in murky water. 

Algae 

Appears seasonally due to sunlight and 

increased human activity on the water. Twotoned 

lures allow fish to spot the contrast. 

Tannic Acid 

Nearby pine trees cause an influx of tannic 

acid. Dark coloured lures work best in 

brown water. 

Weather 

Sunny Days 

Silver and gold lures work better on sunny 

days with more direct light to reflect. They 

become almost invisible on cloudy days. 

Cloudy Days 

UV light is stronger on cloudy days. A 

fluorescent lure will become especially 

bright on a cloudy day as the UV rays hit 

the lure. 

Distance 

Width 

40 feet of horizontal distance has the same 

impact on colour perception as 40 feet of 

vertical or diagonal separation 

0 ft 

10 ft 20 ft 30 ft 40 ft 

Light Absorption 

LIGHT ABSORPTION & LURE COLOUR 

10 ft 

20 ft 

30 ft 

40 ft 

50 ft 

60 ft 

70 ft 

80 ft 

90 ft 

At face value, this 

phenomenon of light and 

color loss underwater makes a 

mockery of the importance of 

color in lures anywhere beyond 

shallow, ultra-clear scenarios, 

yet anglers the world over will 

continue to argue that one 

color is better than another, 

even in deep-water jigging. 

The funny thing is, if you ask 

half a dozen fishers for their 

opinion on the most effective 

lure color, you’re likely to 

receive six different answers. 

Perhaps it’s time we moved 

color to the bottom of the 

list of criteria when choosing 

a lure or fly, and placed far 

greater emphasis on the size, 

action, profile, and speed of 

our offerings. 


Fireside Baked Lake Trout 

This is a delicious shore lunch that can be made over the fire year round. We love it 

because you can easily carry everything in your pack that you need to make this dish. 

Ingredients 

4 Lake trout fillets, skin on 

Lemon pepper, to taste 

Montreal steak spice, to taste 

1 Apple halved and sliced 

1 Lemon halved and sliced 

1 Lemon cut into wedges (for serving) 

Butter 

Method 

1. Lay out a piece of tin foil large enough to fit 

4 filets, cover surface of tin foil with butter 

2. Lay filets skin down on top of buttered foil 

3. Sprinkle fish with lemon pepper and steak 

spice to taste 

4. Lay lemon and apple slices on top of fish 

and wrap up tight in tin foil. 

5. Poke a few holes in top of tin foil packet 

and lay skin side down on a grate over fire. 

6. Bake until fish is opaque and flakes apart 

easily. This should only take a few minutes. 

7. Serve fish with fresh lemon wedges. 

Yield 4 servings

START 

‘EM 

YOUNG 

“ 


THIS AGE OLD ADAGE STILL RINGS 

TRUE FOR SO MANY PARTS OF 

OUR CHILDREN’S LIVES. WHETHER 

HUNTING, FISHING, OR BRUSHING 

THEIR TEETH, THE BEST WAY 

TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN GOOD 

HABITS IS TO START THEM YOUNG. 

Upon observing an elephant at a 

circus, a child asked the handler how 

the small rope around its neck could 

hold such a large animal. The handler 

explained that they had used this rope 

since the elephant was young and could 

not break it. Now that the elephant is 

grown, he still believes that he cannot 

break the rope so he doesn’t even try to 

break free. 

I 

don’t tell this parable to say that we should 

tie up our children or force them to like or 

do something. Nor am I comparing your 

child to an elephant. I tell it to demonstrate 

a point about imprinting on our children 

from a young age. Or in other words, the 

things you teach them now, will stick with 

them. 

For so many of us, catching that first fish or 

shooting your first critter is a right of passage. 

I have 4 children and there is nothing more 

thrilling than that moment. If you are new 

to parenting or even to angling, you may be 

wondering where and when to start with your 

children. 

So how young is too young? Well that 

answer may vary from child to child, or more 

accurately, probably varies more from parent to 

parent. I believe that good, healthy habits and 

character forming influences begin at day one. 

That’s right, the moment a child is born, they 

are learning. So it’s important to start teaching 

from the moment their little eyes open. Now 

this may not be the time to teach them to tie 

a proper arbor knot or how to reload a 30.06 

cartridge but it is a good time to teach them to 

love spending time with mommy and daddy 

and to enjoy the fresh air of the great outdoors. 

Once your child begins to walk, things start to 

change. You know by now that they are full of 

unrelenting energy and on the prowl for constant 

stimulation. So the best way to channel that 

into your little hunter/angler is to get outside. 

Go for short hikes or outings to local wildlife 

preserves or ponds and let them walk as much as 

they can. Just bring along a stroller or carrier for 

when their feet get tired. Take the opportunity to 

point out wildlife and get them excited about the 

sighting. A child at this age has a short attention 

span however so keep moving and keep the 

outing short, no more than a half hour or so. 

Wild Guide Publisher 

Tony Griffiths with 

son Heath (age 3) 

catching his first fish. 


It’s a good idea to teach your kids to cast while shore 

fishing or even in your yard before trying it in a boat. This 

will minimize the risk of hooking themselves or someone 

else. It’s best to use a weight or heavy lure with the hooks 

removed for safety sake. 

Teach them to overhand and sidearm cast. The sidearm 

is useful for shore fishing to avoid snagging trees and the 

overhand is best suited for boat fishing to avoid snagging 

someone else. 

You can even make up a little game by placing targets for 

them to hit like a hula-hoop. Step it up by placing a small 

bucket or pail in the centre of the hula-hoop and award extra 

points for a bullseye! 

By the time a child reaches about age 3 they 

have the ability to develop lasting memories. 

This is when the fun really begins and they 

start to truly appreciate the experience. The 

most important thing here is to keep things fun. 

You could start out by introducing a small net 

to catch minnows at the beach. You can also 

begin introducing a fishing rod. Fish from 

shore and if you hook a small fish, let them 

help you reel it in. Don’t focus too heavily on 

the fishing, especially if you aren’t catching 

anything. Like the elephant, a child won’t soon 

forget a boring or frustrating fishing trip which 

will sour future outings. Once they start getting 

a little older (4-5 years), as you hike, look for 

wildlife, explore different types of plants and 

even teach them to identify tracks and how 

to follow them. A game of guess that animal 

will be fun and educational and will have them 

feeling involved while actually teaching them 

a valuable skill. 

Once your child is reaching age 5, you can 

start introducing a boat to your fishing. This will 

be determined by your child’s attention span and 

ability to sit still and remain safe on the water. 

It’s critical that both you and your child wear a 

properly fitting life vest at all times. 

39 Wild Guide . Spring 2016 

If you have a fish finder on board, teach them 

how to identify a fish on it and let them watch 

and tell you when they see one. This is a trick I 

use when they seem to be getting fidgety which 

keeps them entertained a little longer. Other 

games such as “name that fish species” when 

you catch one will help keep things fun and 

interesting for them. You can also let them help 

you hold a fish and even measure and weigh 

them (especially when there is a slot size in 

effect). This will again keep them interested 

while teaching them important skills. 

By about age six kids are old enough to 

learn the skills to turn them into full fledged 

anglers. They can learn to cast and tie proper 

fishing knots. They can now readily identify a 

number of fish species and even release their 

own catch, though it is still recommended that 

you help them with removing hooks to avoid 

injuries. But don’t be afraid to let them to help 

you. 

Just as catching their first fish is a right of 

passage, so is their first trip to the tackle shop 

to buy their first rod or tackle box. I would 

recommend involving them in the process as 

it will help them to engage in the sport that 

much more. Allow them to pick out their gear 

themselves while guiding them in the decision 

making process to ensure they select products 

that are appropriate for the species you’ll be 

fishing for. 

Our advice is to set them up with some proper 

gear from day one rather than attempting the 

toy like fishing rods. You don’t have to spend 

much more money to upgrade your child to a 

full fledge rod and reel combo (starting around 

$30) which will not only last a lot longer, it 

will promote a much better learning curve and 

actually be easier for them to use. Make sure 

the rod fits them well. A narrower handle and 

smaller reel will help keep their hands from 

fatiguing throughout the day and a shorter rod 

may be easier for them to carry and cast. 

When it comes to bait, you can let them have 

a little more fun and be somewhat experimental 

but you still want to guide them in the process. 

Bear in mind that kids tend to spend a lot more 

time snagging lures on bottom than catching 

fish so you may want to take that into account 

before filling their tackle box with $15 lures. 

No matter what age your child is, it is 

important to remain patient and let them do 

things at their pace. Pushing your kids to enjoy 

something will more often have an adverse 

effect. If you want them to share your love of 

fishing, great, but let them come to it on their 

own, guiding them along the way. Don’t be 

discouraged when you head out and they won’t 

fish. If they are happy just being along with 

you, you’re already winning the battle.

GEAR 


TACKLE BOX The Kids 

Satchel from Flambeau Outdoors is 

a great introductory tackle system 

for kids. It even includes some 

beginner tackle and an instructional 

CD-rom to teach them fishing tips, 

fish identification and knot tying. 

www.flambeauoutdoors.com 

LURES Spoons are a great 

choice for young anglers as they 

are actually effective at catching 

fish and their weight makes them 

easy to cast. Parents will love them 

too because they are inexpensive 

to stock up on or replace. The 

Devil Bait spoon from Lucky Strike 

comes in a wide array of colours 

that your kids will enjoy selecting. 

www.luckystrikebaitworks.com 

ROD & REEL The Quantum Gen-X2 rod and reel 

combo is a great rod for beginners. It comes in a few 

different sizes including an ultra-light 5’ which is perfect 

for your little angler. www.quantumfishing.com 


THE BLACK BEAR, NATURE’S ULTIMATE SCAVENGER. 

THESE OPPORTUNISTIC GIANTS HAVE THE BEST SNIFFERS 

ON EARTH - A FACT THAT CAN HELP OR HINDER YOUR 

PURSUIT OF THEM. IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO TAG A BRUIN 

THIS SEASON, HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR SUCCESS. 

by Brad McCann - photography by Gerry Webb 

tag a 

BRUIN

A BEAR’S SENSE OF SMELL 

This is the single 

most important 

aspect of black bear 

hunting and for good 

reason – bears have 

the best noses on the 

planet. 

how good is it? 

Well lets put it 

into perspective. 

Mammals process 

scent through 

olfactory receptors 

in the back of the 

nasal cavity. Humans 

have approximately 

6 million olfactory 

receptors in our 

noses. A bloodhound, 

known for their 

impeccable sense of 

smell, have around 

1.8 billion. That’s 

a lot, making their 

sense of smell 300 

times stronger than 

ours. A black bear 

has 12.6 trillion 

olfactory receptors 

making their sense 

of smell 2100 times 

better than ours. 

Black bears have 

been seen to travel 

18 miles in a straight 

line to a food source, 

so you can bet that 

no matter how ‘scent 

free’ you think you 

are, a black bear can 

smell you from miles 

away. 

That said, there 

are a number of 

steps you can take to 

ensure that you are as 

scent free as possible. 

scent control 

Start with the clothes 

that you will be 

wearing. Wash every 

article in scent-free 

detergent and then 

run them through the 

wash another time or 

two with no detergent 

to thoroughly rinse 

them. Because fabric 

softener scents tend 

to linger, do not dry 

your clothes in the 

dryer, rather hang 

them outside to 

dry. Once dry, store 

them immediately 

in a plastic bag. 

Large zip-style bags 

are best as they 

lock odours out. 

As an extra level 

of precaution, store 

the bags in a tightly 

sealed plastic or 

rubberized bin. 

Before heading out 

on the hunt, shower 

with scent free soap 

and shampoo, but 

don’t forget to brush 

your teeth. Bears 

love the smell of 

mint, so use this to 

your advantage. 

Your hunting 

clothes, especially 

outer layers, should 

remain sealed in their 

bags and bins until 

you arrive at your 

hunting destination. 

Once dressed, take 

one last preventative 

step and spray 

yourself with scent 

blocker from head 

to toe. 

Remember to pay 

attention to wind 

direction and always 

stay down wind of 

your prey. 

A BEAR’S DIET 

There are some interprovincial 

differences 

surrounding the 

matter of how to hunt 

a black bear because 

not all provinces 

allow hunters to use 

bait. Regardless of 

the method you plan 

to use, baiting vs 

stalking, it warrants 

some knowledge of 

a bears forage and 

habits before you set 

out. 

what do they eat? 

While black bears 

are known to be 

omnivores, plant 

matter such as 

berries, nuts and 

farm crops make up 

about 90 percent of 

their diet. Once bears 

locate a food source, 

they will generally 

frequent that spot 

until the forage is 

depleted. 

This knowledge 

alone probably has 

you thinking about 

some likely bear 

buffets in your area 

but the best way to 

know what the bears 

are eating is to do 

a little pre-season 

scouting. A quick 

look at a bear’s 

droppings will 

quickly shed light on 

it’s recent intake. 

Now that you know 

what the bears are 

TIP 

Hang a rag soaked in 

your favourite bug repellant 

near your treestand. Not only 

will this help ward off bugs, the 

bear will come to associate the 

smell with the food source and 

won’t notice anything different 

when you’re sitting there 

wearing the same 

repellant. 

eating, it should 

give you some clue 

as to where they are 

eating. Now we just 

need to know how to 

apply this knowledge 

to put us in the right 

place at the right 

time. 

when do they eat? 

If you want to know 

the best time of 

day to catch a bear 

gorging on their food 

of choice, you will 

need to research your 

local population a 

little more. 

The general 

consensus is that 

bears typically eat 

at dusk, so hunt 

late afternoon until 

sundown. But this 

is largely dependant 

on what and where a 

bear is eating. 

A black bear that is 

focusing his foraging 

efforts on a crop of 

corn will usually only 

enter standing corn 

after dark, making it 

difficult to ambush 

him on his way to the 

field. So your best 

bet is to locate his 

exit routes and put up 

a nearby tree stand. 

Black bears tend to 

bed down for the day 

so plan to ambush 

him as he leaves 

the crop early in the 

morning in search of 

his napping spot. The 

use of trail cameras 

will come in handy 

here to determine 

what time he’s 

moving. Of course, 

there won’t be any 

crops in the spring 

but a tactic to bear in 

mind for the fall. 


BAIT SITE 

According to 

Kim Hoffman of 

Holt Lake Lodge 

Adventures in 

Saskatchewan, 

the best time of 

day to hunt black 

bear may be a 

matter of little 

consequence. 

“With the use 

of trail cams, I 

have learned 

that the myth of 

evening hunting 

is just that, a 

myth. Bears are 

more active at 

all times of the 

day then I once 

believed. We 

have hunted 

specific bears at 

first light, some 

midday and of 

course the usual 

evening hunt.” 

While bears may not 

be picky about what 

they eat, you’re bait 

site requires a bit of 

careful consideration. 

There are a few 

things that every 

bait site should 

have. Three main 

components are, of 

course, the bait, an 

attractant of some 

sort and a treestand. 

bait 

Of course your site 

needs bait. This 

is what you will 

actually be feeding 

the bears. This is 

usually a belly filler 

of some sort placed 

into large steel drums 

or plastic barrels. 

attractant 

An attractant helps 

spread scent into the 

air and get the bears 

coming in. There are 

a number of ways 

to do this, such as 

spreading things like 

molasses and peanut 

butter on trees and 

logs around the bait 

site. 

For something 

that will keep bears 

coming in 24/7, try 

hanging an attractant 

between trees out of 

the bears reach. This 

can be created by 

taking a small bucket, 

drilling a few small 

holes in the bottom of 

it and filling it with 

things like berry pie 

filling or vanilla icing. 

On hot days this will 

slowly melt and drip 

out the bottom of the 

bucket giving bears a 

teasing little taste. 

You can also hang 

things like animal 

carcasses, or try 

filling the bucket with 

fish entrails. 

pacifier 

This is an optional 

component, but one 

that can be quite 

effective for keeping 

the bear on the bait 

longer. 

The idea here is 

to create a bait pile 

that the bear has to 

work at. This can 

be accomplished by 

digging a small pit 

about 6’ across and 2’ 

deep. Place your bait 

in the bottom of the 

pit and cover it over 

with large rocks and 

logs. Use the biggest 

objects you can and 

really pile them on. 

This also serves as 

a great way to gauge 

the size of the bears 

coming into the bait. 

You can tell this by 

the paw marks they 

will leave around the 

pit as well as by the 

size of objects they 

are able to move. 

tree stand 

The placement of 

your treestand is as 

important to your 

success as anything 

else at your bait 

site. This needs to 

take into account 

the wind direction, 

the direction from 

which animals will 

be entering the site, 

and the angle to the 

animal when you 

take the shot. 

Your treestand 

should always be 

downwind of your 

bait to help avoid the 

bears detecting your 

scent and as far from 

the entry points as 

possible. 

shot alignment 

The last thing to 

consider when 

setting up your bait 

site is your desired 

shot. You should 

set up your bait in a 

manner that the bear 

will be broadside or 

quartered slightly 

away from you when 

he is at the bait. You 

can do this by using 

logs and boulders to 

funnel the bears to 

the bait in the desired 

direction. Just be 

certain you don’t 

inadvertently obstruct 

your shot. 

Another trick is to 

securely fasten your 

bait barrel to a tree 

at the right angle to 

set the bear up for the 

shot. 

site management 

Now that your bait 

site is set up and 

baits are full, you 

want to give that site 

a week or two before 

you start hunting it. 

This gives bears time 

to find the site and to 

get comfortable with 

eating there. 

Bears are big eaters 

and will clean a site 

out pretty quickly. 

Once a bear cleans 

out a bait, it generally 

won’t return to the 

site so it’s important 

to check regularly 

and re-fill baits as 

needed. 

BEST KILL SHOT ON A BLACK BEAR 

A wounded bear is 

an angry bear, and an 

angry bear is much 

more likely to attack 

and kill you. While 

the threat of danger 

may be part of the 

allure to hunting a 

big bruin, a wounded 

bear is not something 

you want to find 

yourself faced with. 

The best way to 

ensure your safety 

is to make sure your 

first shot is a kill 

shot. This is true for 

bow and rifle hunters 

alike. A black bear 

can run as fast as 

55kmh which makes 

firing a second shot 

unlikely should he 

decide to run at you. 

So what is the best 

kill shot placement? 

While a head shot is 

a certain immediate 

kill, the brain is a 

small target and a 

miss can injure a bear 

or miss completely 

and simply anger 

him or frighten him 

off the bait never to 

return. Even if your 

shot finds it’s mark, 

it’s going to cause 

irreparable damage 

to the pelt which may 

be of interest for a 

rug or mount. 

The same is true 

for a neck or spine 

shot. The target is 

small and with it’s 

thick fur and layers 

of fat, can be difficult 

to find on a bear. 

For these reasons 

we say a lung shot is 

best for bears. It’s a 

big easy target and 

will ensure a clean 

kill. Be aware that 

the lungs are further 

forward on a bear 

than on a deer so 

keep your shot nice 

and close to that front 

shoulder or you could 

end up with a meat 

spoiling gut shot. 


BEAR BAIT 

Since most provinces 

allow bears to be 

baited (the exception 

being B.C. and the 

Yukon), it is the most 

common method of 

hunting black bears. 

The types of baits 

used however, vary 

drastically from 

hunter to hunter. 

Though I believe that 

it’s difficult to go 

wrong here since a 

bear will eat nearly 

anything. 

sweets 

Sweet treats are the 

most popular baits 

for black bears. 

They’re scent is 

strong and nothing 

is more alluring to 

a hungry bear than 

a jelly donut. Many 

hunters have their 

own brand of sweet 

concoction, often 

referred to as “bear 

crack”. This will 

contain anything 

from popcorn 

mixed with melted 

marshmallows and 

cherry drink crystals 

to dog kibble soaked 

in molasses or maple 

syrup and old fryer 

grease. 

Many hunters will 

use a mix of these 

layering a kibble 

blend with layers of 

old donuts. 

Other additives 

such as peanut butter, 

jams, pie filling, 

melted gummy 

candies and vanilla 

are common as well. 

These items are 

often melted down 

together so that when 

it cools it creates 

a sticky mess that 

gets all over the 

bears paws and then 

tracked back through 

the bush and spread 

around. This in turn 

attracts more bears to 

the bait. 

meats 

Proteins are an 

important part of a 

bears diet and meat 

will definitely attract 

bears to a bait. 

That being said, 

many hunters tend to 

stay away from using 

it because, well let’s 

just say, it’s the less 

pleasant side of bear 

hunting. The smell 

of rancid fish guts 

may be tantalizing 

to a bear, but will 

definitely spoil the 

hunter’s lunch. The 

other reason is that 

sweets aren’t as 

unpleasant to clean 

out of a bait barrel 

afterwards. 

There are some 

ways to implement 

meat into your 

bait site that are a 

little more ‘hunter 

friendly’ yet still very 

effective. We have 

already mentioned 

using fish guts or 

a rancid carcass as 

an attractant, but 

it’s also a good 

choice for a pacifier 

bait as you won’t 

have to clean it up 

afterwards. 

I like to freeze 

my fish guts and 

small game and fowl 

carcasses for use 

during bear season. 

BUILD A BAIT BARREL 

Every hunter seems to have their own version of the bait barrel with slightly different 

modifications, some more elaborate than others. Here is a basic versions that you can 

easily make with minimal tools and handyman know-how. 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED 

The first step is 

finding the right 

barrel. We Prefer 

steel drums as 

they are a little 

more bear proof 

and will last longer. 

Try to find one with 

a removable lid 

which will make it 

easier to fill and 

clean. 

You will also need a few tools like an 

angle grinder with a cut off wheel and 

grinding wheel. A drill with large bit or 

hole saws. A file and some wrenches 

or ratchets (size determined by 

hardware you select). 

Last you’re going to need some 

chain to secure your barrel to a tree. 

The length will be determined by the 

size of your barrel and the width of the 

tree so buy extra. You will also need a 

few nuts and bolts long enough to join 

the chain together. 

DIRECTIONS 

Step 1 Cut a hole in the side of the barrel 

large enough for a bear to fit one paw in. 

Step 2 If you are planning on keeping 

the pelt for a rug or mount, you will want 

to treat the sharp edges to avoid hair 

loss around the leg. This can be done by 

making a small 

45 degree cut 

in each corner 

of the hole 

and bending 

the edges in 

on themselves. 

Be sure to 

hammer them 

flat inside 

the barrel to 

avoid the bear 

scraping on it. 

Step 3 Using 

your drill, 

make several 

1”-2” wide 

holes around 

the top edge 

of the barrel to 

allow scent to 

escape. 

CAUTION If your barrel was filled with a flamable or toxic 

substance, make sure to wash it out throughly before use. 

Now that your barrel is complete, chain it securely 

to a tree using a few bolts to bind the chain ends 

together. Make sure the barrel is snug and secure. 

A bear’s strength is astounding and they will try to 

move this barrel. As an extra precaution, you can 

pass the chain through the holes you drilled on the 

top of the barrel so it can’t spin or be pulled out of 

the chains. 

1. Start with a filler such as popcorn, dog 

food or grain. We like to use 60:30:10 

livestock feed which is a steam rolled grain 

mixture made up of 60% oats, 30% Barley 

and 10% corn and is already coated in 

molasses. 

MAKE YOUR OWN BEAR CRACK 

2. Now choose some sweet, sticky 

additives. A couple bags of large 

marshmallows, some maple syrup, 

molasses and a few pouches of Jell-O mix 

are a good start but find whatever is cheap 

or on sale and use that. 

3. This step should be done at your bait 

site. Using your propane camping burner 

and a large throw-away foil tray, melt 

marshmallows over the heat and add Jell-O 

mixes and a few bottles of syrup. Dump the 

filler into the bait barrel and add the sweet 

mixture while still hot. Mix this together well 

and secure the lid to the barrel. 


SPOT N’ STALK 

BLACK BEARS 

by Jason Dyck 

When most hunters think about 

black bear hunting, they see 

images of sitting over a pile 

of bait waiting for a bear to 

come and eat—not that there’s 

anything wrong with that of 

course. But there are many 

places where baiting bears is either impractical 

or illegal. That’s where spot n stalk or calling 

spring and fall bears becomes the way to go. 

Hunters looking for a little added adventure 

should consider hunting black bears by stalking 

them. It adds an element of excitement when 

the animal you are stalking is able to kill you! 

This can be a huge advantage for hunters 

because black bears aren’t afraid of much, 

it’s actually much easier to stalk a bear than 

animals like deer or elk. 

Bears are high up on the food chain and 

as a result, they do things and react to things 

differently than deer. When they walk next to 

bush lines or boulders for example, they don’t 

spend much time worrying about what might be 

sneaking up on them. As a result, the advantage 

goes to the stalker. 

A bear’s eyesight isn’t that great, so you 

can get away with a fair amount of movement 

when stalking. The wind on the other hand is 

what you must pay close attention to. A bear 

has a better nose than any other game animal, 

and one whiff of human odor will cause a bear 

to take off, so you must always hunt the wind 

when hunting bears. 

Sounds simplistic, but to spot-and-stalk 

bears, you must be able to see them from a 

distance, which means you must be hunting in 

fairly open terrain—In the prairie’s or farmland 

country where cereal crops grow are a great 

place to start. In mountain country look for 

lakes or river edges and south facing slopes of 

mountains along avalanche chutes or basins to 

find feeding bears. 

Stalking black bears provides a great 

introduction to the world of spot-and-stalk 

hunting as the success rate is high. In fact, if 

you’re hunting in an area with abundant food, 

you’re likely to see a lot of bears and get 

several stalking opportunities. When my kids 

get old enough to hunt, I plan to take them on 

a spot-and-stalk bear hunt. It’s just plain fun, 

with an added dose of excitement. 

Another bait-less bear hunting tactic that is 

gaining in popularity is calling bruins in with a 

predator call. Think of it as a reverse stalk—an 

animal that could kill you is actually hunting 

you down. 

Calling in black bears in the fall is a killer 

tactic, especially in the late fall, when bears are 

hungry, After all the crops that are harvested 

in the fall are gone and most of the acorns 

photo by Gerry Webb 

and other foods available in the woods have 

been cleaned up, bears get desperate for food, 

especially just before they hibernate. They 

need to pack on some pounds. 

First, I like to use a fawn-in-distress call 

followed up with grunts of a boar or imitate a 

bear snapping its jaws. If you want to outsmart 

a bear, make it sound as if there is another bear 

already in on a fawn in distress. A real bear will 

often come running to investigate. Calling in 

bears works well, but remember to work the 

wind and spray down with some type of human 

odor eliminator, because bears often come 

from downwind. 

I call in bears during the spring and the fall, 

and even when hunting over bait. Sow-in-heat 

calls work well in the spring when hunting over 

bait because big boars will come in to a bait 

pile during daylight to see if there is a “hot” 

sow on it. 

Regardless of which method you choose, 

one thing is certain. If you want a hair-raising 

experience, hunt bears spot n’ stalk style! 


10 

THINGS YOU CAN’T 

SURVIVE WITHOUT 

Mother nature can be relentless and unforgiving and even the most experienced 

outdoorsmen can be caught off guard and find themselves in life threatening 

situations. When the unthinkable happens, the key to surviving is being 

prepared. Wild Guide has curated a list of essential gear that should be in every 

outdoorsman’s pack when heading out into the wilderness. 

WATER is the single most 

important element to your survival. 

Simply put, without it you die. 

Never run out of water again with 

LifeStraw. You can refill your supply 

from any water source or even drink 

straight from the source. 

www.buylifestraw.com 

SHELTER is important when 

battling the elements. If you find 

yourself unable to build a proper 

shelter, the SOL Escaper Bivvy will 

keep you warm and dry until 

rescue arrives. 

www.surviveoutdoorslonger.com 

LIGHT If you are stranded at night, 

you are going to need to be able to 

see. The safest and most convenient 

way to light what you’re doing is with 

a hands-free headlamp. We love the 

XEO 19R for its ability to shine up to 

2000 lumens of clean, clear, powerful 

light where you need it most. 

www.ledlenser.com 

FIRE keeps you warm, fed and feeling safe and 

comfortable. It can be used to signal passers-by or dry 

out wet clothing. Where matches and lighters may fail 

to provide this life saving element, the Bear Grylls Fire 

Starter will never fail. www.gerbergear.com 

KNIFE A good knife is paramount in survival 

situations. Its uses are nearly countless, from building 

shelter to providing food. It can also cure boredom 

by keeping the mind occupied. We like the SOG 

Tangle-Black FX32K-CP. It’s strong, it’s balanced, 

it’s lightweight and comes wrapped in 7 feet of 

paracord. www.sogknives.com 

47 


FIRST AID When fighting for survival, 

even the smallest of wounds can become a 

hindrance. Always carry a basic first aid kit for 

treating ailments and be sure to include some 

pain killers to help keep you comfortable. 

The Sportsman Bighorn medical kit contains 

everything the outdoorsman needs for basic field 

treatment. www.adventuremedicalkits.com 

SIGNAL When venturing beyond the realm of cellular 

service, it’s critical to carry a means of communicating when 

things go wrong. The JetScream whistle’s 122dB will ensure 

you’re heard while the StarFlash signaling mirror will make you 

visible to potential rescuers and aircraft. www.ustbrands.com 

CORD Having a good length of 

rope or cord is always a life saver, 

whether hoisting food from bears, 

setting traps, building shelters or 

splinting a broken bone. We like the 

Survival Belt from Survival Straps for its 

impressive 100-150 feet of paracord. 

www.survivalstraps.com 

To watch and read reviews on 

many of these and other products, 

visit wildguide.ca/gear. 

COMPASS Many wilderness 

mishaps start by getting lost. This can 

be completely avoided with some good 

old-fashioned orienteering. While a GPS 

is a great tool, never rely on battery life 

to keep you heading the right direction. 

Invest in a good compass, learn to use 

it and never leave home without it. The 

Guide 426 Graphite compass will help 

you find your way and keep you safe. 

www.silvacompass.com 

FOOD While food can be foraged in the wild, extreme hunger can 

cause weakness, disorientation, loss of judgement and even affect 

fine motor skills. This can make it very difficult and even dangerous 

to go foraging. Always carry some form of high energy/protein snack 

to help stave off hunger while you search for a more sustainable food 

source. The Bushman’s Bar is packed full of delicious nutrition, is 

Canadian made, and will fill you up quickly when in need. Read our 

review at wildguide.ca/the-bushmans-bar. www.borealberrybar.com 


Get cookin’ 

by Tony Griffiths 

THE ART OF MAKING A GOOD COOKING FIRE IN THE WILDERNESS IS NOT 

AS SIMPLE AS IT MAY SOUND. WHILE KNOWING HOW TO MAKE A CAMP 

FIRE IS A VITAL OUTDOOR SKILL, THE FIRE YOU USE TO KEEP WARM 

MAY NOT BE THE MOST SUITABLE FIRE FOR COOKING. HERE ARE A FEW 

SIMPLE WAYS TO CREATE A GOOD COOKING FIRE USING MATERIALS YOU 

ALREADY HAVE OR CAN FORAGE FROM THE BUSH. 

Begin by searching out the 

driest tinder available. Birch 

bark is one of nature’s best fire 

starters and is available in most 

of north America’s wooded areas. 

Small dry branches also make 

good kindling and fuel for your 

cooking fire. 

Traditional Fire – This may seem 

straight forward but it’s surprising how many 

people get this one wrong. The key is to 

make a small fire and keep it burning until a 

good coal bed has been accumulated. Start by 

lighting some birch bark and begin piling the 

smallest pieces of kindling you have on top. 

Continue to fuel the fire until you have the 

coals you need to proceed. Move the ember’s 

into a pile in the middle of the area. Place an 

equal-sized piece of wood on either side of 

your coals to create an even surface to lay 

your pan on. Place your pan on top and you’re 

ready to cook. Remember you don’t need a 

big fire to cook over, just a small bed of good 

hot coals. 


Split Single Log Stove- Split an 

eight to ten inch diameter log lengthwise 

into four equal size pieces. Place your pieces 

standing upright all spaced approximately 

3/4 to one inch apart from one another on 

flat, even ground. Place tinder in the center of 

the X you have created on top of the log and 

assemble your small fire by lighting the tinder 

and placing small pieces of kindling on top. 

The objective here is create a self feeding fire 

within the log. Then simply place your pan on 

top of the log to cook. 


Swedish Fire Torch- Start with an 

eight to ten inch wide log. Stand log upright 

and, using your chainsaw, cut grooves three 

saw blades wide halfway down the length of 

the log creating an X . Place tinder on the X, 

light and place dry kindling on top. Once small 

branches or shavings have began to burn down 

and coal’s are created, push everything down 

into the center of the log. Place pan on top and 

begin cooking. 

51 


Tin Can Rocket Stove - Start 

by assembling a variety of tin cans. 

Preferably one soup can, one coffee or 

paint can, and one large tomato sauce can. 

Take the paint/coffee can and trace the 

diameter of the soup can at the bottom. 

As clean as you can, cut the hole at the 

bottom of the large can. Repeat this with 

the medium sized can. Cut the bottom off 

the soup can and push the can through 

the hole you’ve just cut in your large and 

medium sized cans with the medium can 

sitting in the center of the large can. Fill 

all around the sauce can with sand or 

gravel. Place tinder in the soup can and 

ignite. Flames should exit the top of the 

sauce can. Continue stoking fire as needed. 

Place a grill on top of the can and your 

rocket stove is ready to cook. TIP: You 

can buy empty, unused paint cans at your 

local paint store and they come with a lid 

which helps keep your stove contained for 

transportation. 


TALL 

TALES 

IF NOBODY WILL LISTEN TO YOUR STORIES OF ANTICS, BIG FISH 

AND UNBELIEVABLE HUNTS ANYMORE, DON’T WORRY, WE’D LOVE 

TO HEAR THEM. SEND THEM TO US AND WE’LL TELL EVERYBODY! 

We absolutely love hearing from our readers and could sit around all 

day listening to stories about hunting and fishing and great outdoor 

adventures. If you have a story you’d like to share or picture of your 

big catch or hunting trophy, please share them with us. If we love your 

story as much as you think we will, we will publish it right here in Tall 

“Tales for everyone to enjoy. 


Prehistoric Hunt 

by Jason Dyck 

It was August and the snow had not yet 

fallen as our floatplane landed high in the 

arctic of Victoria Island, Nunavut. We 

were here to hunt the prehistoric Muskox 

that few have hunted before. Most people 

believe that to hunt Muskox, one must 

endure dog sleds and extreme cold arctic 

weather. Well not in our case. This was an early 

season hunt and the time when the long silky 

hair on these ancient animals are clean looking 

and can make a beautiful trophy. We arrived at 

the lodge only to be greeted by the guides and 

a welcome sign buried in caribou antlers and 

Muskox horns. Finally we were here! 

After a hot meal and orientation, we were 

introduced to our guide Tommy. Tommy has 

been a guide for Muskox, Walrus and Polar 

bear for the past 20 years and calls the arctic 

“home”. He took us out behind the lodge and 

asked us to fire a few rounds with our rifles so 

he could get a feel for our shooting. When the 

echoes from our 300 magnums died out our 

guide calmly spoke “we now go find BIG boss” 

(The boss is the mass of horn on a Muskox head 

like antlers on a caribou). The weather in the 

arctic can change in a heartbeat; today it was 

ranging from –10 C to +10 C with a lot of wind 

so we needed to dress in layers. We headed for 

the boats with anticipation of hunting our first 

Muskox. 

We traveled in our 18ft alumarines along 

the shorelines looking over a few small herds 

of Muskox and the occasional Island caribou 

(Perry caribou) from the boat but none the 

monster we were after. 2-3 hours had past when 

Tommy whispered “there’s the big heard I’ve 

been looking for.” Dale, my brother-in-law and 

hunting partner had won the coin toss and was 

going to be the first to take a trophy. Our eyes 

stayed fixed on the herd of 25-30 animals as 

our guide quietly maneuvered the boat through 

the rocky shorelines to dry land. “Load up and 

follow me but stay close, this is the rut and 

these guys can get real mean.” Dale walked 

crouched down behind Tommy and I following 

with the camcorder. We moved to within 250 

yards and sat down behind the largest piece of 

cover we could find, a shrub no higher than my 

knee. 

It was amazing to see these prehistoric 

animals that dated back to the ice age grazing 

only a short distance from us. After carefully 

choosing the largest bull in the group, Dale 

set up his bipod and took aim with his 300 

Remington mag. ”He’s the furthest one to the 

left” replied Tommy, ”big boss”. I quickly got 

into position to catch the whole thing on video. 

I could see the excitement coming from Dale 

as he was preparing to shoot. “Ok, are you 

ready jay, I’m going to take him” as he quietly 

turned off the safety. “Ready!” I whispered. 

Dale waited as the Muskox grazed the tundra. 

The anticipation was high but finally, after 

what seemed like forever, the shot rang out but 

was quickly swallowed up the howling winds. 

The shot hit its target as the bull ran only 50 

yards and fell over like a freight train derailing. 

The adrenaline flew as we approached Dale’s 

trophy, “unbelievable” were the first words 


from Dales mouth. “Big boss” came from 

Tommy. The bull had a huge boss on its head 

with long sweeping horns that faded into ivory 

colour with black tips. The long hair on it’s 

back started off blonde and faded into chocolate 

brown at the ends. “Beautiful animal” were 

the words repeated. Minutes later the camp 

floatplane flew overhead and landed near our 

boat. The pilot had heard the shot ring out as 

he was loading up another hunter’s animal that 

had been taken a short time before and only a 

mile away. ”Busy morning” replied the pilot, 

as three other hunters had already tagged out. 

Day two of the trip began with pancakes, 

eggs and bacon and stories of the previous day 

hunt. All 7 of the hunters in camp had tagged 

out on trophy size Muskox the day before. I was 

the only one left without my animal but that 

was ok because today was to be my anniversary 

bull. A year today I was married and my wife 

was not too happy that I was going to spend 

my one-year wedding anniversary with the 

Muskox. Hey, what better way to never forget 

an anniversary again then to have it associate 

with this day. 

Travelling the shorelines like the day before 

we looked at several herds with great bulls in 

them that would have without a doubt made the 

books. It was early in the day and I had time to 

find that one that I wanted. We rounded a bend 

in the shoreline to find two big bulls standing 

on a hillside grazing on their own. We stopped 

the boat and looked them over to see if it was 

worth a stalk, “Big boss” replied the guide but 

unlike the other bulls we saw that day he was 

standing up. As we were taking a closer look, 

Dale had noticed more Muskox about a quarter 

of a mile away, “Let’s check out that herd first 

before anything to make sure there’s not a 

bigger one in that group” Now we could tell 

our guide was getting excited as this was the 

most he had spoken so far. As we looked over 

the herd Dale spotted, I had noticed that the two 

big bulls on the hillside we had just looked at 

turned into three. There were some real nice 

bulls in this group but that third spot on the 

hillside just had to be check out. The closer we 

got to the animal the larger it appeared and soon 

I realized that this was the trophy I was after.” 

Good thing we came back” replied dale, “Big 

boss” replied Tommy with his binoculars glued 

to his eyes. We pulled the boat up on shore and 

followed Tommy in the direction of the bulls. 

Now picture this, Tommy never left the boat 

without his life jacket on and Dale and I could 

not figure out why, but we were soon about to. 

We crawled within 200 yards of two of the 

bulls, “where’s the third one?” I asked “not 

sure” replied Tommy. One of the two was 

exactly what I was after, he was larger than 

the other two we had originally seen earlier. 

I set up my shooting sticks and got ready for 

the shot as Dale began to video the set-up. My 

bull was bedded down next to the other one but 

still no sign of the third one. “ Be ready guys, 

things can change in a hurry,” replied Tommy 

as he was glassing the tundra. Seconds later 

Tommy yelled out “RUN!!” and began to run 

for the boat, now I’m thinking, are you crazy? 

What for? My trophy Muskox is still here! But 

as an experienced guide myself I know better 

than to argue with your guide, so if he runs than 

so do I. Things were happening so fast that the 

only thing we ran with were our rifles and the 

video camera in Dale’s hand, the rest stayed 

behind. “Hurry, hurry get in the boat” Tommy 

replied with excitement in his voice. As we 

were quickly climbing into the boat I could 

hear the heavy footsteps of a charging Muskox. 

We pushed the boat off into the water and 

looked back to see the bull only feet from the 

waters edge hoofing at the ground and rearing 

his head back and forth, It was now clear to us 

that wearing a lifejacket while hunting Muskox 

may not have been such a bad idea especially 

if the boat is not close enough to get to. The 

bull slowly made his way out of sight over 

an esker. Tommy decided to move the boat a 

couple of hundred yards along the shoreline to 

head them off again as now they were on the 

move. Again, we parked the boat and made our 

way up a steep shore bank. Just as we crested 

the hill we spotted all three Muskox quartering 

away from us at about 250 yards. I quickly set 

up my shooting sticks for the shot with my 300 

Weatherby mag. I asked Tommy and Dale to 

tell me which one was the big one as I wanted 

to make sure I was looking at the right bull 

being difficult to tell with their heads facing 

away and all three being so big. “The one on 

the far right” replied Tommy, “That’s the one 

Jay” from Dale. A deep breath and a squeeze 

on the trigger, my shot rang out followed by 

the sound of a solid hit, the Muskox stopped 

and stood there as if nothing had happened. A 

second and then a third shot all on target and yet 

there stood my trophy Muskox. “What’s going 

on, I hit him all three times didn’t I?” “Yup! 

He’s about to go down” replied my guide. Sure 

enough seconds later he tipped over. Now I 

have been on several hunts from east to west, 

north to south but this was the most excited I 

had ever been. This was definitely going to be 

an easy day to remember for the rest of my life. 

We spent the next hour or so taking pictures 

and video as our guide got ready to cape out the 

hide for the life-size mount I was after. I was so 

overwhelmed in the whole experience. What a 

rare trophy to hunt, one of Canada’s exotics! 

We had tasted the meat the day before in camp 

from another hunters harvest and could hardly 

wait to try it again. As Tommy was caping out 

the Muskox, Dale and I walked back to the 

place we had left behind our gear after being 

chased back to the boat. It was easy to laugh 

and joke about it now but at the time it was no 

laughing matter. From here we could see the 

camp float plane flying towards us and within a 

few minutes like before he had landed near the 

boat and walked to us.” I see you got one” with 

a smile on his face. “Yup!” I replied. We loaded 

up everything and headed back to camp. That 

night in camp everyone was celebrating the 

awesome experiences we had all encountered. 

The rest of the trip was spent fishing for 

huge lake trout and photographing Muskox 

and caribou and not to mention the occasional 

Arctic fox. On our last day at the lodge, the 

outfitter flew us by floatplane to fresh water 

rivers that flow to the Arctic Ocean that hold 

huge Arctic Char. We would wade out into the 

river and cast down stream only to have these 

bright red bellied char fight like there was 

no tomorrow. We stopped at several of these 

places and caught loads of fish. At the end of 

the river where the fresh water and salt water 

meet are Polar Bears hunting for seals on the 

Ice fields that move with the tides. Later that 

day back at camp we had the experience of 

trying some raw arctic char dipped in soy 

sauce, fantastic!! 

Our five-day adventure on the Arctic seemed 

to fly by, we enjoyed the hospitality from 

the outfitter and all his staff and learned to 

appreciate their life style in the Arctic. I’m 

glad I had a chance to experience it all and 

one day plan to do it all again! 


TAke it 

alL In 

When we fill our heads with delusions of grandeur 

about how many fish we’re going to catch or how 

many birds we’re going to drop or how many 

points will be on our trophy buck, we often end up 

disappointed. But if we learn to enjoy experience 

regardless of the outcome, then even a bad day 

of hunting or fishing is still a good day. 


57 


On a recent hunting trip I was 

reminded of how rewarding 

it can be to stop and take it 

all in. While returning from a 

disappointing morning of duck 

hunting, I began wondering 

why I had bothered beating the 

sun out of bed and freezing my tail off on an 

early morning, pre-dawn boat ride for nothing. 

While sitting there, feeling a little bit sorry for 

myself, the boat driver suddenly cranked the 

wheel hard left, nearly throwing me from my 

seat. That’s when I looked up to see two wolves 

swimming across the bay, a rare sight indeed. 

I quickly grabbed my camera and was able to 

snap a few spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime shots 

while the boat passed the younger of the two. 

This was clearly a mother and her pup. 

After the excitement calmed down and we 

floated away allowing the wolves to continue 

their swim safely to shore, it hit me that if I hadn’t 

endured the early morning disappointment, 

I would have never experienced this rare 

moment. What a treat it was to able to witness 

such a rare sighting and to capture a memory 

that I could share with my children. 

Since then I have learned to appreciate 

everything about the hunt, beyond the kill or 

catch. Whether it’s pausing to appreciate my 

natural surroundings or to take in some other 

local wildlife or simply stare in awe at the sky 

as the sun rises and sets. 

Last season, my wife and I sat in the snow 

under a tree on a deer hunt freezing ourselves 

for seemingly nothing. But after a while a 

heavy fog began to roll in and we sat watching 

it roll in over the trees, down the small valley in 

front of us and back up the other side and into 

our faces. It looked like ocean waves breaking 

over the forest. It was a spectacular sight to 

behold and a memory we reflect on often and 

won’t soon forget. That was better than any 

deer we would have shot that day (or so I’d like 

to think). The time we spent together that day 

made it all worth it too. 

There are many other things I take time to 

enjoy while I’m out as well. I can sit in the boat 

all day and never even put my line in the water 

and I’ve had a great day. I love to watch bald 

eagles fly, and seeing deer come to the water’s 

edge to drink. Sometimes we will beach the 

boat and go for a hike. You would be amazed at 

the things you can find on an island. Everything 

from abandoned mine shafts to the ruins of a 

WW2 prison camp. And what a great time to do 

a little mushroom picking along the way. 

There’s always something to be discovered 

when you simply shift your focus a little or 

at the very least, remember to keep your eyes 

open along the way. So when things are slow or 

not quite meeting your expectations, change it 

up a little. Go for a hike or explore a new bay 

you haven’t been to before. Take out the camera 

and do some nature photography. Perhaps it’s a 

good time to brush up on your plant knowledge 

and try discovering something edible to take 

home and add to the table tonight. Perhaps 

some lobster mushrooms and fiddleheads. 

This all may sound a little cheesy but when 

you think beyond the end game and make 

it about the experience, you will always be 

gaining something. 

A CAMERA is a great addition to your gear. Not only can 

you take great photos and videos of your trophies, but you will 

have it at the ready when that spectacular moment happens. 

The Nikon D5500 is a great choice as it combines the benefits 

of a DSLR with a small, lightweight design that will pack nicely 

without slowing you down. www.nikon.com 


FIELD 

TO 

TABLE

SPRING IS HERE AND THAT MEANS 

WE’LL BE EATING A LOT MORE FISH. 

BUT, IF YOU’RE LIKE ME THEN YOU 

STILL HAVE A FREEZER FULL OF 

GAME FROM THE FALL HUNT THAT 

NEEDS TO CLEAR OUT. WE’VE ASKED 

CHEF ALFONSO MAURY, OWNER AND 

EXECUTIVE CHEF AT CORRIENTES 

ARGENTINE PIZZERIA IN WINNIPEG 

FOR SOME 5 STAR RECIPES TO 

HELP US ENJOY THOSE LAST FEW 

MORSELS. 

“ 

Our mission here at Wild Guide is to help 

tear down people’s aversions to hunting and 

fishing, and one of the biggest road blocks 

for so many people is that they don’t like the 

“gamey” taste of wild meat. I believe this notion 

comes from a few different places. The first 

reason people say this is most likely because 

they have had poorly prepared meat that 

wasn’t cooked properly (usually overcooked). 

The second is simply the rumour mill and preconditioning. 

If you are told something tastes 

a certain way, you’ll believe it. Our goal is to 

destroy that myth by bringing you delicious 

recipes for your game meat that will have 

even the pickiest eaters begging for seconds.

Moose Sirloin Stew 

61 


Goose Breast with 

Apricots and Leek 

Sauce with Anna Potato 


Moose Burger with 

Smoked Gouda, 

Deep Fried Oyster 

Mushrooms and 

Pickled Onion Mayo 


Paprika Marinated 

Duck Breast with 

Rutabaga Puree, 

Fried Orange Wedges 

and Chimichurri 


Moose Sirloin Stew 

Ingredients 

4 pounds of cubed moose sirloin (cut the 

cubes in 1 inch cubes). 

1 pound of small diced carrots. 

1 pound of small diced celery. 

1 pound of small diced white onions 

1 pound of small diced red onions 

1 pound of shallots. 

4 Oz of grape oil. 

4 Oz of tomato paste. 

8 Oz of Shiraz wine. 

3 liters of water (or beef stock) 

2 pounds of white long rice. 

Salt, pepper. 

Fresh tarragon. 

Method 

1. Sautée the onions, carrots, celery and 

shallots. 

2. Once it turns a golden brown colour, 

add half of the wine and let rest. 

3. Sautée the meat until the cubes are a 

dark brown colour in all sides. 

4. Add the rest of the wine and deglaze. 

5. Add together in a pot the Sautée 

Mirepoix with the meat. 

6. Reduce the wine 50% and add 

the tomato paste. Stir until paste is 

incorporated into the stew. 

7. Add the liquid (water or stock), lower 

the heat and cover the pot cooking for 2 

hours. 

Rice Pilaf 

1. Sautée the rice in a pot with oil and add 

2 parts of boiling water for each part of 

rice 

2. Turn heat to low, cover and continue 

cooking. 

3. After 2 hours open the stew pot and 

check the consistency of the sauce, you 

can use a thickener or reduce the sauce 

until it thickens. 

4. Plate the rice and top with the stew. 

5. Garnish with the fresh tarragon. 

Goose Breast with 

Apricots and Leek Sauce 

with Anna Potato 

Ingredients 

4 goose breasts 

4 medium size Desiree potatoes 

6 Oz of leeks 

6 Oz of apricots 

8 Oz of chardonnay 

4 Oz of extra virgin olive oil 

14 Oz of chicken stock 

Fresh thyme 

Coarse salt 

Salt, butter, pepper 

65 Wild Guide . Spring 2016 

Method 

1. Sear the goose breasts in a hot pan until 

they reach a dark brown colour. 

2. Remove the goose breasts and add half 

of the wine to the pan. 

3. When the wine is reduced, add the leeks 

and apricots until all the liquid is gone. 

4. Add the chicken stock and turn to boil. 

Reduce the liquid to 50% and retire from 

the fire. 

5. Peel the potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch 

strips. 

6. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes strain and 

let cool. 

7. Put butter and oil in the pan and add 

potato slices. Cook until each side is 

brown. 

8. Add the coarse salt and fresh thyme 

leaves. 

9. Return the leeks, apricots and stock to 

the heat. When it comes back to a boil, 

place the goose breast in for 7 minutes. 

10. Plate the potato as a base, add the 

goose breast on top and garnish with 

sauce and a spring of thyme. 

Moose Burger with Smoked 

Gouda, Deep Fried Oyster 

Mushrooms and Pickled 

Onion Mayo 

Ingredients 

2 pounds of ground moose meat 

1 pound of fine chopped white jumbo 

onions 

½ pound of fine chopped spring onions 

1 Oz of ground caraway seeds 

3 Oz of melted lard 

2 Oz of chopped fresh marjoram 

4 Oz of panko breadcrumbs 

Salt, pepper 

Deep fried Oyster mushrooms 

Cherry tomato marmalade 

Sliced Smoked Gouda cheese 

Pickled onions mayonnaise 

Brie burger bun 

Method 

1. Sautée the white and spring onions until 

the onions are translucent. 

2. Mix the onions with the meat, 

marjoram, caraway, lard, panko, salt and 

pepper. 

3. Mix thoroughly with your hands until 

you have a creamy consistency 

4. Make 8 Oz meatballs and let them rest 

in the refrigerator for 2 hours. 

5. Once the preparation is well cooled, 

make the meatballs into patties and place 

on a tray separated by parchment paper. 

Pickled onions mayonnaise 

Blend 3 Oz of pickled onions with 5 

tablespoons of mayonnaise until you have 

a smooth creamy spread. 

1. Always cook your burgers on low 

temperature after having seared each 

side. If you plan to cook them on the grill, 

be certain that there is a minimum of 8” 

between the burger and the flame to avoid 

burning. 

2. A properly cooked burger on low 

temperature will take 6-8 minutes per 

side. 

3. Spread the bottom side of the bun with 

tomato marmalade. Place the burger on 

top of the tomato marmalade and then top 

with the smoked Gouda. 

4. Crown the Gouda with the crunchy fried 

oyster mushrooms. Spread the top bun 

with the pickled onions mayonnaise. 

5. Serve with fried sweet potato. 

Paprika Marinated Duck 

Breast with Rutabaga 

Puree, Fried Orange 

Wedges and Chimichurri 

Ingredients 

4 duck breasts 

Sweet paprika 

Truffle oil 

1 pound of rutabaga 

4 whole oranges 

2 eggs 

4 Oz flour 

4 Oz breadcrumbs 

1 bunch of fresh fenugreek 

6 Oz heavy cream 

Butter, salt, pepper to taste 

Method 

1. Marinate the duck breast with the sweet 

paprika, salt, pepper and truffle oil over 

night. 

2. Peel and slice the oranges into wedges 

and place them in seasoned flour, eggs 

and breadcrumbs, ready to fry. 

3. Peel and cut the rutabaga in small cubes 

and boil them until they are completely 

tender. 

4. Strain the rutabaga and let it rest until 

almost dry. 

5. Put the rutabaga, cream, butter, salt 

and pepper into a blender and blend into 

a puree. 

6. Sear the duck breast in a pan until each 

side of the breast is a dark brown colour. 

7. Deep fry the oranges. 

8. Place the rutabaga puree as a base on 

the plate, adding the orange wedges and 

the duck breast. 

9. Top with a spoon of chimichurri and 

chopped fenugreek leaves.

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