http://www.manitobaanglers.com/ en-us Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:00:19 GMT 1440 CPG-Nuke Dragonfly www.ManitobaAnglers.com News http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.manitobaanglers.com/images/blacklogo.gif http://www.manitobaanglers.com/ http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=319.html A southeast Manitoba aboriginal band is refusing to hand over fishing licence revenue to the province in an effort to reel in far more cash it says it needs to patrol for illegal anglers. Buffalo Point First Nation told Manitoba Conservation in a letter this week that it has given nearly $3 million in revenue from fishing licence sales at the reserve to the government since 1980, while seeing "no monitoring and absolutely no enhancement" of provincial enforcement. "We need to put our foot down and say enough is enough," John Thunder, chief of the reserve on the shore of Lake of the Woods, said yesterday. "They never go out there and do anything." Buffalo Point will keep its licence cash -- between $110,000 and $130,000 a year -- to itself until it sees the conservation department do more to prevent illegal catches, Thunder said. He estimated $300,000 worth of fish are illegally taken annually near the reserve, near the Minnesota border, largely by U.S. anglers. The governing New Democrats said only that they will talk to Buffalo Point's officials about any problems. Source: http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Manitoba/2008/07/04/6063896-sun.html Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:00:19 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=318.html With summer officially here, Canada's lakes, rivers and waterways will be flooded with activity. But those on the shore are left to dream of a better life - a life with a boat. For anyone ready to turn that dream into a reality, here are four easy steps to get started in boating. 1. Find the Right Fit. When deciding on a boat, ask yourself a few questions...what type of activities are you interested in? Where will you be boating? Who will you be boating with and how many people? The answers should help you narrow down the boat types that are right for you. 2. Do Your Homework. One of the best places to shop for a boat is at a boat show. Or, jump on the DiscoverBoating.ca website where you can use the boat selector tool to search a variety of boats to find the perfect one to fit your needs. 3. Test the Waters. Find a dealer that sells the brands that you are most interested in and ask for a "test drive." This will let you experience how the boat performs. 4. Get Educated. Complete a boater's education course with family members prior to launching your boat into the water. Everyone will have more fun with confidence in their abilities as smart boaters. Source: www.newscanada.com Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:35:07 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=317.html Despite the obvious benefits to boating, some still need help convincing their significant other (S.O.) the time has come to buy a boat and get out on the water. Discover Boating has developed a seven-step boat ownership program that, if executed correctly, can help you help that special someone understand why life is better with a boat. 1. Approximately eighty percent of Canadians live within a two hour's drive of a body of water. Talk to a local boat dealer or check out popular boating destinations on DiscoverBoating.ca to find your local water escapes. 2. Snuggle up and watch the free Get Started in Boating DVD available at DiscoverBoating.ca or plan some 'window shopping' at a local boat show. 3. Plan a day with friends who own a boat - get them to brag to your S.O. about how much better life is with a boat. 4. Help your S.O. understand how affordable boat ownership can be. Depending on the size of the boat, monthly payments can be as low as $105 per month. 5. Set up a time with your S.O. and a dealer to test drive a few boats. They'll be hooked the minute wind starts blowing in their hair. 6. Talk to your S.O. about all of the family time you'll be able to spend together on the boat - this will definitely help convince them. 7. By now your S.O. should be as excited about a new boat purchase as you are. Sit down with your S.O. and make the decision together. Life is short and it's better with a boat! Source: www.newscanada.com Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:43:51 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=316.html Manitoba Water Stewardship’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre has issued a high water advisory for the Manitoba portion of the Winnipeg River in eastern Manitoba. The river has been rising steadily since early May after several significant rains in the area. The level of Nutimik Lake has already risen 0.8 metres (2.6 feet) since early May and is expected to rise at least 0.5 metres (1.6 feet) more. A crest of 905.2 feet is expected at Nutimik Lake sometime around June 20. The normal summer level of the lake is 901.5 feet. The anticipated crest will affect low-lying portions of some recreational properties, parks, docks and some boathouses. Cottagers, boaters and fishers along the Winnipeg River are advised to take necessary precautions to protect their properties. The strong current will make boating dangerous so extra caution is advised. Inexperienced boaters and canoeists are advised to stay off the Winnipeg River. This advisory will be updated during the coming weeks if the flood prospects change significantly. Information on water levels is available at www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship. Source: http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?archive=week&item=3856 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:11:22 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=315.html Residents of one of Manitoba's top tourist areas say their roads are being ignored by the provincial government and are worse every year. "Someone said driving from West Hawk to Rennie is like going through a minefield. That's something I heard from a customer who came in," said Carol Surowich, owner of the West Hawk Lake Resort. Surowich said that particular stretch of Highway 44 is in terrible shape, as is the portion of the highway that forms the main drag in the West Hawk townsite. "It's just holes and lumps. It's in really, really bad repair," she said. "We've had an older gentleman walk across the parking lot to the bar and fall in a pothole." Lionel St. Godard, who owns the nearby Keystone Resort, said the West Hawk road is so bad the province might as well just gravel it. "People are losing boats off their trailers," he said. St. Godard pointed out that provincial Transportation Minister Ron Lemieux is the area's MLA. "People have phoned his office and nothing's being done about it," St. Godard said. "Even Tourism should be pushing the government to fix this." St. Godard said spot-patching and other "band-aid" repairs are done, but the roads need major work. A spokesman for Lemieux said although major repairs are not currently scheduled for those portions of Highway 44, part of the government's infrastructure plan includes a strategic resurfacing fund and a flexible response fund. Manitoba recently announced a $2-billion infrastructure renewal program that includes Highway 307 through the Whiteshell, and on portions of Highway 44 much farther west, the spokesman said. By PAUL TURENNE Source: http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Manitoba/2008/05/20/5613881-sun.html Tue, 20 May 2008 18:29:16 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=314.html Commercial fishers in Grand Rapids will be peacefully stopping traffic on Highway 6 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. today. They said in a new release they will greet motorists with a coffee, along with a pamphlet that implores the provincial government to increase their “archaic” quotas. The fishers say that they need higher quotas in order to earn enough to feed their families. Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4172749p-4761163c.html Tue, 13 May 2008 15:06:57 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=313.html We want to wish everyone a safe and successful fishing season this year. A friendly reminder to get a new fishing license (and provincial park pass if needed) because lasts years is no longer valid. We will be having some contests this summer, so be sure your digital cameras are go to go Steve Sat, 10 May 2008 19:38:01 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=312.html Thanks to Boomer42 for posting this in the forums: Written by Bill Redekop of the Winning Free Press: The young aboriginal woman holding a fishing rod spoke with a passion and conviction that would make any parent proud. Never mind that she was telling me off. And never mind that other aboriginal people, including her parents, were leaning in trying to catch every word. At issue was aboriginal people fishing in the pickerel spawning grounds that feed Dauphin Lake. It's an aboriginal treaty right to fish outside the sport fishing season, but if these fish aren't allowed to spawn, they will be wiped out. On this night -- four days before the official sport fishing season -- about 25 aboriginal anglers are casting into the main pickerel spawning grounds on the Turtle River that feeds Dauphin Lake. One woman admitted she caught 25 pickerel in one day. She also admits to catching and keeping pre-spawn fish filled with hundreds of thousands of eggs. Then the young woman mentioned above, who did not give her name, but whom someone called Stacey, stepped in. "You wiped out our buffalo," she charged. "You took away our land. You'll never stop. You'll try to take everything. Now you're trying to take away our right to do a little bit of fishing." She spoke faster than I could take notes. "We feed ourselves. We're not doing anything wrong." And: "There's millions and millions of fish. A few people catching for family use isn't going to hurt. People are trying to pin something on us, but they should take a look at the big picture." But what if she's wrong? What if it is destroying the future fish population? "You guys wiped out our buffalo. What goes around comes around," she said. The annual spring spawning season for fish has become the unofficial aboriginal fishing season. There are seven tributaries into Dauphin Lake. The fish leave Dauphin Lake and swim up the tributaries. The females dump their eggs, the males fertilize the eggs, and all head back to the lake. Aboriginal people dot the shoreline of the tributaries catching the fish before the official sport fishing season starts this weekend. As Shane Lynxleg said, while fishing Valley River, another tributary into Dauphin Lake: "In another four days, the sport fishers will be everywhere." How good is the fishing during spawning season? It's unbelievable. "Every cast," says one man from Pine Creek First Nation. That's at its peak, mind you, which was a couple of weeks ago. Two weeks ago, someone counted 57 aboriginal anglers at the Turtle River spawning pool. Fishing is so good because fish are vulnerable at this stage in their life cycle. They're in clear, shallow water, and more than willing to bite the hook. That's why laws keep sport and commercial fishermen off the waters. As one might well imagine, resentment is rising in the non-aboriginal population. Fishing has crashed on Dauphin Lake. Just sit in Sticky's Bait and Tackle Shop in Dauphin and hear the sob stories. "Sticky" is what everyone calls owner Don Stokotelny. "Terrible. Brutal," said one man. "I went ice fishing 15 times this winter and got one keeper. It's just a disgrace." But there's more to the issue than just fish stocks. This lake was dead 30 years ago. It took thousands of hours of volunteer work, and fundraising hundreds of thousands of dollars by the Intermountain Sport Fishing Enhancement group to bring the fish back. Volunteers built riffles so fish could spawn, shored up riverbanks, and stocked the lake annually with fry, which they still do. It's a massive lake, covering over 320 square kilometres. So it's not just a resource the aboriginal fishermen are harvesting. It's also someone else's labour, part of the quotient in most resource matters. The province isn't willing to concede yet that there's a correlation between falling fish stocks and aboriginal fishing. More population surveys are needed. Also, some anglers are comparing today to peak fishing seasons of 2004 and 2005, officials say. Water Stewardship Minister Christine Melnick said there has been greater monitoring of aboriginal anglers this year, and conservation officers have been out talking to them and educating them. For example, when they catch pickerel during spawning season, they should press down on the belly. If eggs discharge, or a milky substance called milt, the fish hasn't spawned yet and should be thrown back. Hunting and fishing rights are constitutionally-protected treaty rights for aboriginal people. There must be compelling conservation needs to infringe on treaty rights, as stated in the Supreme Court Sparrow decision of 1993. Melnick maintained that sustainability of the fish supersedes all people's rights. If necessary, the province could issue a ban on fishing during spring spawning from March 31 until the start of the sport fishing season. She acknowledges that is a big step. It certainly would be. Considering the depth of feeling on both sides of the issue, here's hoping something can be worked out. The problem is that aboriginal fishing during spawning season has taken on a life of its own. bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/story/4170071p-4758160c.html CLICK HERE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS Thu, 08 May 2008 00:36:24 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=311.html The “Kids Fishing for a Cure program” is an event which allows children who are diagnosed with cancer, a day of fishing on the Red River with family members, as well having the chance to participate in some fun and games. The derby will be held on Saturday June 7th at Selkirk Park. The Kids fishing for a cure organization requires boat operators to help with taking children and their parents out on the Red for a few hours of fun. If you can help out and supply a boat/guide, please contact: Jim Bais jimbais1@mts.net for more information Wed, 07 May 2008 15:05:36 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=310.html Reports are going around that the fishnline magazine's editor (Steven Wintimute) has gone on to start a new project. From what I understand, Steven sent out a mass email announcing a new magazine that he is going to try to start (to compete or replace?) the fishnline magazine. I have contacted/spoken with Steven, details are vague at this time but we will keep you informed. From what we understand the fishnline was bought out by Angling Masters International a year or so ago and Steven became the editor at that time. Either way we wish all parties involved the best of luck. Mon, 05 May 2008 14:59:28 GMT