http://www.manitobaanglers.com/ en-us Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:16:23 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=353.html Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Barrin Simpson sets out for a day of fishing at last week's Fish for a Cure event at the Lac du Bonnet town dock. The derby is held to raise money for the Never Alone Foundation. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers converged on the Lac du Bonnet town dock June 18 for the third annual Fish for a Cure derby. Despite a thunderstorm warning, the day ended up being perfect for the football players and participants who took part. The Bombers all looked forward to a great day of fishing as they strode onto the town dock at around 9:30 a.m. after getting off the team bus. “Hopefully we’ll catch even more fish than last year,” team defensive tackle Doug Brown said. Bombers president and Fish for a Cure founder Lyle Bauer told the Leader the derby was again a huge success, with over $20,000 being raised for the Never Alone Foundation, also founded by Bauer to assist cancer patients and their families through research, education, and support services. “We always have a great time out in Lac du Bonnet,” Bauer said. “It’s such an important event for us and this year was no exception.” Continued After Advertisement Below Advertisement Teams of two pay $2,650 for a day of fishing with a member of the Blue Bombers and their very own pro fishing staff (courtesy of Lund) on hand to assist. Teams begin the day at Winnipeg’s Sun Centre before coming to Lac du Bonnet for the main event. They then head back to the Sun Centre for dinner. This year, boats used in the derby were raffled off to families with children battling cancer. The winner of the derby was nine-year-old Fransesca Abiusi, who caught a nine-pound walleye. Source: http://www.lacdubonnetleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1629920 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:16:23 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=352.html OAK HAMMOCK MARSH -- Robert Kristjanson's family has fished on Lake Winnipeg for five generations. Kristjanson, himself, has fished for 61 years on the sixth-largest lake in the country and he has witnessed its decline from a relatively clean body of water to one where half the surface is covered with huge blooms of toxic blue-green algae. Enlarge Image Kristjanson, who listened as Treasury Board President Vic Toews announced during a press conference here that 14 projects to help Lake Winnipeg would get a total of $1.1 million in funding, said the biggest announcement was unspoken, but easy to see. "The biggest step is now we have the federal people here," Kristjanson said on Thursday, pointing at Toews. "The province has to be given credit for what they've done so far, but you have to have the federal government in this. This is monstrous for us. It's a good first step. "This is one of the most important things that has ever happened to Lake Winnipeg." Kristjanson, who was named to a new federal advisory committee to give advice to the federal environment minister on future project proposals to be funded, said he looks at the $1.1 million, which came out of a previously announced $18 million, as the first of more money to come. "It's the opening of the door," he said. "Lets keep doing it." Earlier, Toews said the 14 projects to receive funding "will help ensure a healthy future for Lake Winnipeg. "We support projects that show demonstrative results." The projects include: "ö $25,000 to reduce runoff of nutrients into the Icelandic River and Washbow Bay Creek by putting up fencing and providing different water sources for cattle "ö $25,000 to the University of Manitoba for a study to look at Lake Manitoba's water quality to get a basis for gauging nitrogen and phosphorus reduction, which could also be used to measure initiatives on Lake Winnipeg "ö $132,000 to put a greenhouse-type structure over a waste-water pond to adapt it to the province's climate "ö $379,000 to Ducks Unlimited to study the Broughton's Creek watershed, north of Brandon, and figure out a way to put a monetary value on wetland restoration. But Liberal MP Anita Neville criticized the Harper government, saying it has taken more than two years since the cash was announced for the first projects to be funded. The Harper government announced $7 million in March 2007 for the lake, but after criticism in this province that Ontario's Lake Simcoe -- 33 times smaller than Lake Winnipeg -- received $12 million, the federal government added another $11 million in November 2007. "It's part of this government's pattern of smoke and mirrors," Neville said. "They announce, re-announce, and re-announce again... they are dribbling it out." Toews said the total $18-million program is added to the "tens and hundreds of millions of dollars we intend to put into water and sewer projects across the province. He said a portion of the money was spent last year and this by Environment Canada, which is studying the lake using the Namao research ship. "Virtually every sewer and water project in the province can help out Lake Winnipeg," he said. "If it was only $18 million, I would agree with Anita Neville, but there's more." Henry Murkin, of Ducks Unlimited, said he's hoping their project will in future help governments determine the real costs of allowing developments or expanding farmland on wetlands. Greg Bruce of Ducks Unlimited said the loss of wetlands in the province means the amount of phosphorus currently getting into Lake Winnipeg each year is now the equivalent of 10 semi loads of commercial agricultural fertilizer being dumped into it. Other members of the advisory committee include Chief David Crate of the Fisher River First Nation, Al Kristofferson of the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium, and Marlene Cook, Selkirk's deputy mayor. Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/11m-for-lake-winnipeg-49170002.html Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:09:47 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=351.html By Mark T. Buss Kids Fishing For a Cure will be getting their lines in the water one way or another this weekend. The local not-for-profit group dedicated to bringing smiles to the faces of children battling cancer will be holding their 14th annual fishing derby June 6 at Selkirk Park. The only snag this year appears to be the Red River itself. Because the river current is moving too fast – approximately 21 km per hour – the park’s boat launches are not in the water. As a result, young fishers and their guardians may be casting from the shore, but that won’t deter event executives like longtime volunteer Bobbi Carter. “We may not have the boat launches but this is something the kids look forward right after Christmas,” Carter said. “It’s a fun day for the kids and it lets them forget about their treatment for a while and just lets them be kids.” Kids Fishing For a Cure is a non-profit organization based in Selkirk that raises money for youths battling cancer. The organization was created by the late John Harber, who used to drive cancer patients to Winnipeg for treatment and was heartbroken to discover the amount of children suffering with the debilitating disease. Enlisting the services of three avid fishermen to run the derby in 1996, the group has continued to host the annual event, which has grown from an inaugural field of 11 youths to an estimated 95 participants registered for this year. To date, they have raised and donated over $68,000 back to CancerCare Manitoba’s pediatric unit. Carter said the derby would not have reached its 14th season without the support of the business community and volunteers. “The local support we get is amazing,” Carter said. “People have come to know what we do and that we’re a good operation, so when we ask for anything we usually get a good response.” Continued After Advertisement Below Advertisement Organizers will begin setting up shop at the park around 6 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. After registration, children and their chaperones will fish from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where they will return for lunch, a magic show, presentations and awards. “We’ve got mascots, clowns, displays set up by the fire department and police. They’re going to have a great time,” Carter said. “And the fishing’s not bad either. Last year eight kids caught master anglers.” At a special presentation at this year’s derby, Carter said organizers will be donating $1,000 raised at their annual Fishing For a Cure social in April to CancerCare Manitoba for Kendra’s Walk For Kids – a fundraising event organized by 17-year-old Kendra McBain, a St. John’s Ravenscourt Grade 12 student who has spent her high school years battling cancer Determined to give back to CancerCare Manitoba, McBain held the event at SJR May 29 in an effort to raise enough money for a teen room in the pediatric clinic. Kids Fishing For a Cure has also recently purchased one year’s worth of Intenet services for the clinic. Carter said they’re also looking to purchase parking passes – at $150 a month – to ease the financial burden on the families involved. For more information on the derby, contact Carter at 785-8526 or CancerCare Manitoba at (204) 787-1800. Article ID# 1602286 Source: http://www.selkirkjournal.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1602286 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:03:10 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=350.html For those of you that have been trying to get ahold of me I havent been ignoring you, I had to leave town for a week or so on some family business,I am back and I will get to your emails and pm's hopefully in the next day or so. thanks Steve Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:41:58 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=349.html We waited as long as we could, but it is now time to update the website. It will be done over the next few days. thanks Steve Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:29:38 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=348.html Morden Game & Fish Association is hosting a family fishing derby June 13 from 11 at 9:00 am adults $10.00 Kids $5.00 Family $20.00 All proceeds will go towards the new dock Prizes for big fish Adults & Kids Catch and Release Fish will be measured and returned to the lake live. Take a picture With your digital camera of the fish and measuring tape. Manitoba fishing regulations will apply. All fish must swim away. Prizes and BBQ to follow Music by Mo-sound For info Contact Vaughn Mayert 822-3768 Cheryl Doney 822-5299 or Email Cheryl cheryled@sdnet.ca Mon, 25 May 2009 01:58:03 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=347.html Recommendation consistent with existing regulations for Clearwater Bay Posted By Reg Clayton Kenora district Ministry of Natural Resources is proposing to close the winter lake trout season on Lake of the Woods in 2010 – excluding Whitefish Bay – to protect the species from over fishing during the ‘harshest angling period of the year’. The recommendation is among management options listed in the Lake Trout Lake of the Woods report dated April 30 and consistent with existing regulations for Clearwater Bay. If adopted, the trout season on Lake of the Woods would extend from the third Saturday of May to Sept. 30. Report author MNR Lake of the Woods area supervisor Scott Lockhart notes the ministry anticipates under taking a review of its lake trout management objectives and strategies with a lake specific management plan for Lake of the Woods. However, it is anticipated that a lake-wide planning process will not be undertaken for at least a year. The report refers to anglers citing concerns regarding the Lake of the Woods lake trout fishery as indicative to MNR of public interest in having an interim strategy in place for 2010. The report notes although protection for lake trout applies within a defined boundary under the Clearwater Bay lake trout regulations, anglers have discovered areas just outside Clearwater Bay where trout can be found during the winter months. The seasonal movement to Ptarmigan Bay and other areas adjacent to Clearwater Bay occurs due to the cooling of lake temperature in the fall providing suitable living conditions for trout. “As a result there has been an increasing harvest of the Clearwater Bay lake trout population when they are caught outside of the area where the specific lake trout regulations apply,” the report states. It adds alternative fishery management options, including status quo – doing nothing, would likely result in an increased harvest as more anglers become aware of trout moving out of the Clearwater Bay protected area during the winter. A catch and released option was also rejected due to concerns of fish mortality from handling and exposure to harsh winter weather conditions. Source: http://www.lotwenterprise.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1570260 Tue, 19 May 2009 17:18:26 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=346.html Have you ever felt like you had it in you to write a good outdoor story? Whether it be about fishing, camping, hunting or anything related to the outdoors? Want to see it published in a local outdoor magazine? Well, now is your chance! We are in the process of creating Manitoba's first member driven magazine. What does that mean? It means that all of the content is going to be based on members stories and photos from this website. So if anyone wants to see their story in the magazine (or kids photos) please send them to magazine@manitobaanglers.com if you want to keep anonymous that is fine as well, please just say so when you send in you story. Try to keep articles anywhere between 300-700 words. Also, please try to include any photos that you have to go with it. All articles that are used will be given a prize (not sure what yet, maybe a shirt or something?) If you would like an idea to write about simply email us and we will give you a few to choose from. Thanks Tue, 12 May 2009 03:15:06 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=345.html THE oldest cliché in the political phrasebook is "there's no such thing as a free lunch." But some of the people you've elected think you love nothing more than soup and sandwiches on the house. Back in late March, when the Doer government announced its spending plans for 2009, the provincial budget included a warm-and-fuzzy user-fee cut that sounded like a great deal, on the surface. Over the next two years, anyone who visits a Manitoba provincial park won't have to pay the regular entrance fee, which was $7 for a three-day pass or $25 for an annual pass last year. Until May 1, 2011, you can just roll up to the gate and slide on through. "In tough economic times, families may look for recreation closer to home, so we would like to encourage all Manitobans and visitors to Manitoba to enjoy and explore our provincial parks," Manitoba Conservation says on its website. Personally, I believe the gesture is counterproductive. While there's no question a $7 entry fee might dissuade some people from visiting parks, this temporary suspension of a user fee seems like an odd financial move to make when all government departments are starving for revenue. Obviously, the populist gesture is an attempt to maintain some voter loyalty between provincial elections. But it's also irresponsible, given the fact provincial parks in Manitoba desperately need an infusion of more cash. Manitoba's parks are beautiful, popular places, but their infrastructure is crumbling and out of date. Trail systems, roads, townsite amenities, back-country campsites and marketing programs are all in desperate need of a 21st-century upgrade to bring them up to speed with state and provincial parks in other jurisdictions, where political leaders understand the tourism potential of better services. In 2008, park admission fees generated about $2.5 million for Manitoba Conservation, which could have represented a big chunk of the $40 million the province will spend on Parks and Open Spaces this year. While cutting off a revenue source may not negatively impact parks -- Manitoba Conservation insists services won't be affected -- it's precisely the wrong message to send when wilderness advocates have actually been clamouring for more user fees. As any avid canoeist or backpacker will tell you, the number of back-country campsites in Manitoba parks is disappointingly small, which is annoying because back-country travellers are not allowed to bed down anywhere in most provincial parks. In the past, Manitoba Conservation has said they can't expand the number of back-country sites because the ministry does not have the resources to protect people in wilderness areas or conduct more enforcement of wildlife and environmental regulations. But this is circular reasoning, because Manitoba doesn't charge back-country camping fees, which other jurisdictions levy to cover the costs of running a park. To camp in northwestern Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park, one of the most popular canoeing destinations in North America, back-country paddlers pay anywhere from $4.50 to $20 a day, depending on the season and the access point. The fees help pay for park rangers, emergency services and fire prevention and essentially sustain the eco-tourism within the park. Even driving a vehicle into Quetico will also set you back $10 to $18 a day, which is considerably higher than the $2.33 you would have paid in Manitoba last year. At a national level, Parks Canada charges even higher entrance and back-country camping fees. At Riding Mountain, Manitoba's only accessible national park, every adult pays $7.80 a day to merely enter the gates, plus $9.80 a night to use one of 19 back-country campsites. In the United States, national park fees vary according to the number of visitors a given park receives. But even seldom-visited parks like North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park charge $10 for seven-day access, or $20 for an annual pass. In 2007, a Theodore Roosevelt superintendent told me she'd like to see the fees rise so rangers could better patrol the stunning North Dakota badlands. Park maintenance and enforcement is an issue everywhere in North America, it seems. As public interest in wilderness travel explodes, Manitoba could capitalize, as paddlers, hikers, cyclists and wildlife-watchers grow tired of crowded destinations in better-known Canadian tourism destinations such as the Rockies or the Maritimes. But in order for Manitoba to compete, we need better amenities in our parks, which haven't been upgraded significantly since the 1970s. Only Whiteshell provincial park has a significant number of back-country campsites, mainly because the wilderness zone was established decades ago. There are a handful of back-country sites at Turtle Mountain, Spruce Woods, Grass River and Paint Lake provincial parks, but Duck Mountain and Hecla/Grindstone are underdeveloped. Manitoba Conservation can't build on this network without more funds, but no more tourism dollars are going to roll in unless the province spends even more than the $17 million it intends to spend on capital projects inside parks this year. That's why suspending admission fees sounds like a foolhardy plan. Manitoba Conservation should be charging more and offering more, not offering up parks on the cheap for whomever happens to roll through the gates. bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/entertainment/not-so-great-outdoors-44633422.html Mon, 11 May 2009 16:37:59 GMT http://www.manitobaanglers.com/News/article/sid=344.html A spokesman for Gov. John Hoeven said North Dakota won't accept a Canadian offer to resolve two long-standing water disputes between the state and Manitoba. Manitoba Premier Gary Doer has said if the state puts a US$15 million filter on its Devils Lake outlet, the province will invest more than $10 million to improve drainage along the North Dakota border. "The premier has actually brought this up before," said Lance Gaebe, a spokesman for Hoeven. "From our perspective, these are separate and distinct issues. They are two different places and two different issues." Doer said he outlined his offer in a letter to Hoeven. Gaebe said Friday the governor has not received the letter. Earlier this week, Hoeven urged the U.S. State Department to press Canada to remove or change a 48 km stretch of road that North Dakota officials say acts as a dike, flooding northeastern North Dakota. Manitoba opposes the Devils Lake outlet in north central North Dakota, which was built to ease lake flooding. Manitoba officials worry the outlet will transfer harmful material into their waters. North Dakota officials say those fears are unfounded. "It's clear that the boundary dike is causing grave personal and agricultural issues for lots of folks in North Dakota," Gaebe said. "The Devils Lake outlet is not having a negative impact. "(Doer) is trying to link one issue that is really causing harm to folks with one that is not," Gaebe said. "No way are they related." Source: http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/manitoba/2009/05/09/9404816-sun.html Sat, 09 May 2009 16:15:57 GMT