Conserving trout
When it came to brook trout, in my younger days it was always felt that ‘a fish caught was a fish kept’ but it doesn’t need to be that way anymore. To safely release a brook trout requires patience and a soft touch at canoe or boat-side. Barbless hooks and a good set of long-nosed pliers are a must. To witness a beautiful brook trout swimming away after a nice battle is an incredible feeling. Sure, you can keep enough smaller fish to bring home but doing your part for conservation will surely pay off in the end. If you had asked me 15 years ago about letting a two to three pound brook trout go, I probably would have laughed. Practising conservation of the species requires self-control but offers copious long-term reward.
Bear hunt across the river
With all the hubbub around pike and pickerel, don’t forgot about the spring bear hunt across the river which also got under way this past weekend. Hunters need ‘bear’ in mind that in certain sectors of the Outaouais the season closes on June 15, two weeks earlier than for rest of the province which allows bear hunting until June 30. With the month of June fast approaching, the once cautious animals will have become accustomed to feeding regularly at bait sites, and with the onset of mating season, adult males’ travel extensively in search of a mate. Both of these factors will have a positive effect on a hunter’s success rate. For more information on bear hunting across the river, contact Tourism Quebec: 1 877 BONJOUR (266-5687).
Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine spring issue
The spring issue of Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine is now available at over 130 outlets across eastern Ontario and Western Quebec FREE of charge. Our exciting new issue features black bear, spring trout, steelhead, turkey filming, ATV events, shed antler hunting, fly-fishing tips, an interview with ‘Uncle’ Ted Nugent and more. Pick up your copy of FHR in such towns as Barry’s Bay, Killaloe, Forresters Falls, Golden Lake and Madawaska up the Ottawa Valley, and across in the Pontiac, at Fort Colounge, Gracefield and Low. In Pembroke, look for copies available at Pembroke Esso, Suny’s, Bee Line Wreckers and more, or in Petawawa at Petawawa Guns and Petawawa Pizza. For more information on where to find an outlet near you, check out our website: http://www.fishhuntandride.ca.