OUTDOORS GUY


JEFF MORRISON


around the corner, the coveted trout season is finally within reach. I have no logical explanation for why I adore trout so much. There is just a certain Je ne sais quoi about Salvelinus fontinalis that makes them an appealing sport fish. I have logged so many hours in pursuit of these little spectacled beauties over the years, it’s actually a bit embarrassing. And now, with trout season mere


Spring adventures: fishing, hunting… and bears


(L TO R): SR. OUTDOORS GUY RATHWELL MORRISON, YOURS TRULY, BRUCE ROGERS & STEVE ENRIGHT Spring is generally considered a time of renewal


and rebirth. Nowhere is this more true than in the Great Outdoors. One of my personal highlights each spring is our


annual trout fishing trek into north-western Quebec. It’s a 23-year tradition for my Dad, brothers-in-law and me, and though camping in the north woods may not seem fancy to some, it is as close to being born- again as I’ve found yet. We sleep in an old army tent with ground cots,


use Coleman lanterns and Woods four-star thermal sleeping bags − not what you might call the Ritz, by any means. Rowing the old Sportspal canoe around my


favourite trout lake, enjoying the sights of ospreys flying overhead and the sounds of a loon’s call in the distance: They are the small but priceless moments that make a great fishing trip. Playing cards and horseshoes with the boys and traveling on an ATV to discover new trout waters or scouting for moose. It’s all part of the experience. Regardless of what activity you enjoy, there is something magical about springtime in the north woods to make you feel alive.


Shed Hunting Another one of my favourite early season activities − one very popular with white-tailed


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deer enthusiasts − is hunting for sheds. If you’re a non-hunter, you might ask what “sheds” are. Well, during the winter months, when a whitetail buck casts off his crown, each side of the antler falls to the forest floor where they rest quietly under the snow until spring, when the warm weather makes them magically appear. Finding sheds serves as a good tool for gauging


the quality of deer woods. Shed antlers found in the spring typically give an indication of the bucks that made it through the hunting season and part of the winter season, hopefully to live another year and pass on their genetics. Hunting for sheds is, to a whitetail aficionado,


like mining for gold to a Klondike prospector. Trust me, on that rare occasion when you do find one, it is like gold! Finding sheds requires a few key elements. First


you need a prime area where deer have wintered; and second, you need to be quick about it. Soon after the snow has melted, small critters like squirrels and porcupines will be out in full force making short work of these tasty calcified bone. Some of my best sheds were found with a bit of snow still on the ground. Good luck and happy hunting!


Trout fishing With snow melting like crazy and ice-out just


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weeks away, I feel like a child on Christmas morning. All those bitten by the trout bug generally go to great lengths to find a lake teaming with brookies. I have stumbled over hill and dale and tackled some rough terrain in my day − doing my best impression of Mr. Canoe Head. How great it feels to eventually catch a glimpse of water on the trail ahead, because you know you’ll soon be chasing nature’s most perfect fish. Trout fishing, to me, is more of a part-time career than it is a sport − a career that rewards with personal gratification instead of money.


For me it’s trout. But for you, it could be walleye or steelhead.


Valley Fishing Show The Valley Fishing and Outdoors Show is another sure sign of spring – an event that really draws local sportsmen and women out of the woodwork. The Valley Shows are the brainchild of ex-Conservation Officer Dave Arbour, and this year’s show gets runs from April 13−15 at the Carp Fairgrounds and Arena. The Valley Fishing show features everything from casting ponds to archery, shooting and fishing simulators − with more than 100 exhibitors on-site and more hunting and fishing equipment than you can shake a seven-foot flippin’ stick at! The special thing about the Carp show is that, being surrounded by so many like-minded individuals, you are bound to run into someone you know. For more information, please contact: Dave Arbour at (613) 257-7489.


YOURS TRULY WITH A 21.5” BROOK TROUT FROM “LAC PERDU” IN NW QUEBEC


A CLASSIC AND COMFORTABLE “WOODS 4-STAR” TENT SET-UP WITH AWNING


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