Author: John Toone

Start at the boat show when ready for a serious relationship. Others may question your commitment and mock your impulsive nature. Take comfort that you and your boat, your new love, can always cast off to where the current leads and where others’ voices are distant. I was told as a boy “the sea is in your blood”. Seems fate leads one to the boat show. The first boat I remember was made by Fisher Price and arrived with water ski and scuba gear, dolphin and mini sub. The experiences we shared proved transformative. Next, I captained our robin’s egg…

Illustration by Sara Wilde We started with walks in the woods. When he was real young, my father gave him a hatchet (a family rite of passage from infant to toddler). His enthusiasm for wild swings and near misses soon rid our forest of the rotten, broken and weak. Always on our romps we studied signs of game, whitetail deer in particular, and fantasized about successful hunts, the potential for the upcoming season, and inherent dangers. Then, suddenly, he earns his tag and his twelve-year progression from thumb/index finger to dart gun to BB to .22 is about to get…

Nothing is more inviting than a Manitoba winter. Pack the lawn chairs and SPF 30 because the sun will be shining. What better time to introduce your non-outdoorsy friends to fishing, like the land-lovers and non-swimmers, those of a klutzy/spastic order, goofy-footed or born under a bad sign. (Full disclosure: I am a well-recognized member of all these elite forces). Rejoice and be freed from water wieners, muscles, or noodles. Ice fishing is at your level, rock bottom almost impossible to reach, and winter is the friendliest time of year to explore Manitoba’s lakes and rivers. When it is safe…

Illustration by Sara Wilde Grandpa owned the road in his Town Car. Expansive like a rec room, it carried steel and velour so fine as to cushion him from the crashes and sirens of an outside world. It was twice the car that I had ever been trusted with. Through the city, up Highway 6 North, then West to The Narrows, Eddystone, away on my first goose hunt. From the backseat Grandpa roars for me to speed up and pass (and some choice words), and my Uncle laughs like he’s heard it all before. Grandpa was a farm boy and…

When it comes to family, beggars can’t be choosers, so best make yourself comfortable and learn your place. Fishing promises the unexpected, and how you manage to land a fish by hook, line and rod will be compared to all those proceeding and following. A good fishing story will decide your place in family history (especially a story about the one that got away). To claim your fame and survive family, recognize the cast of characters and manage their limitations. And be very afraid. Dad is passionate about knives, but his filleting skills are that of a human Slap Chop.…

Illustration by Sara Wilde The more I get into fishing, the more I want my hands in every step of the process. I’m not so far gone that I’m hammering spoons or weaving super line (yet), however I think good fishing begins with catching bait. Nothing man-made can match the attraction of the smell, texture, and action of a living creature, and trophy fish have refined tastes. But catching your own can bring about a new set of challenges. As a parent, you may not want to spark that food chain/circle of life conversation before your Saturday morning coffee on…

Illustration by Sara Wilde Parents never grow out of the idea that if unattended their baby can drown in inches of water. And fishing involves sharp things and whipping motions and stains that can put laundry detergents to the test. In their worried minds, fishing requires a survival suit, welding mask, Kevlar gloves, and perhaps a ground spike and tether. Is it worth the risk? Kids do a spectacular job of being complete ramrods day in and day out. They exercise their ability to jump off everything, to run everywhere, and to show utter disregard for quiet and order. Proven…

Illustration by Sara Wilde Take it serious when you take on fishing with the kids or risk being reduced to the laughingstock of the family, and I know this from experience. Jackson was nine and Gloria was seven when their old man demonstrated such a lack of maturity and grace that I’ll admit I may have ruined them. We were shore fishing from that spot in St. Vital Park known for a mixed bag, reliable bite, and snag-free waters. I whistled the theme from Andy of Mayberry to annoy the kids as we scoured amongst the dogwoods for a stick…

By John Toone   One of my favourite pursuits is to cast for northern pike in shallow weed beds. There’s no mistaking their bite and fight, and as table fare, they are among the best. The northern pike trophy appears prehistoric-strong and often rather perturbed. Yet in spite of their majesty, the northern pike is of a mixed reputation. Guides favour walleye to pike, because pike lures have multiple treble hooks and clients have multiple issues with coordination. Also, the Y-bones along the back of a pike can challenge the average filleter. And despite their larger size, too many people mistake…