October Walleye - Picture to view!

Thanksgiving weekend turned out to be a bright and warm weekend this year. After working for most of the Saturday morning, it was high time I headed out side for some fresh air and sun as I noticed many others on the river passing by in their boasts. My office window is not far from the river, so now and then I take a peek outside to see whats going on, and also to stretch a bit which helps relieve the constant sitting at the computer working. The temperature seemed warm enough for shorts and t-shirts, so what better time than to launch my old orange canoe and get in some more fishing before the season was over.

The river is a few hundred feet from the house as I dragged the old canoe along the tallish grass field down to the water - some more good stretching and cardio exercise - yes? Into the water I slid the canoe and off I paddled, which this afternoon was easy as the current was gentle.  However it did make fishing at the same time difficult, unless I tied down the canoe to a log, tree stump, or old tree branches jutting out into the river, every now and then to get in some good casts.

It took me a while to get to as far as I wanted to, and  with out much luck along the way. Not even any bites to say well the journey up river was worth it!  Still the sun kept shining and many an adventurous boater passed by, some even slowed down so as not to create too many waves for me to negotiate and stabilize the canoe.

I was into my third hour by now and had headed around the island to my next favourite fishing holes.  The current was swifter by now and it was heading the way back home.  Nevertheless, once again I tied down the canoe at the spot I thought I’d surely catch something - I always did before, during my evening expeditions, so why not give it a try in the afternoon as well.

Cast after cast, changing by rubber jigs, no head just shot sinkers for weight, but not my luck. By now the sun was beginning to hide slightly lower behind the trees and I figured that maybe it was time to head back home, which shouldn’t take very long as the current was with me this time. But no, not me. I had to catch something, even though the whole outing was very pleasant for an October afternoon, and out on the river too. While most of the time battling the swift current, I managed to position the canoe at a slightly better angle for a few more castsl; my stubbornness had got the better of me by now.  Well, it paid off. Although I was close to the shore and trees, and there were still weeds to draw the jig through, I managed to get a really good strike.

Never sure what you’ve got until it decides to leap out of the water, and I wasn’t going to find out this time because it decided to go the other way, deeper and harder. A tight line on the flexed Shimano Signature Series power light fact action 6′ spinning rod maintained the strike, as I reeled it in on the noisy Shimano Solstace 2000 spinning reel.  Both performed very well again for me and the catch - only catch of the day - was a nice just under 3lb walleye.  I smiled a lot as usual, and once thought of my girl friend who was suffering another kind of heat all the way in India. You missed it again baby -so hurry home please.

Now the paddle back wasn’t so bad after all. Of course I tried my luck all the way home at one collection of stumps or weeds, but it didn’t really matter if I wasn’t successful. I had landed a nice pickerel, the afternoon was warm, and the exercise paddling altogether made for a nice October Saturday.

How many can say they’ve had the same amount of exercise and pleasure unless they were enjoying fishing in the Kawarthas as well.

Happy fishing in the Kawarthas!