With this being the first week of spring, it seems fitting that my first blog entry should be about hope for the coming season. The long-term forecast shows nothing but temperatures on the good side of freezing and, after a very long winter, it is finally starting to feel like spring here in Ottawa.
I had the dog and the cross-country skis out one last time this weekend and as the dog dragged me down the trail that follows the bank of the still mostly frozen Ottawa River, I found myself looking for promising fishing spots.
I am hopeful that in a month's time the skis will be collecting dust in the basement and the dog and I will be out rowing — well, I’ll be the only one actually rowing — and maybe even casting a fly on the river! It also won't be long before I am nervously checking the ice reports for Algonquin Park in anticipation of our annual trout fishing trip. In Algonquin, the late-April start of the trout season is rarely met with open water. Timing is critical for an Algonquin canoe trip — the ice has to be gone and you want to be in and out before the onslaught of the bugs. If you have never experienced the bugs (they work in shifts, black flies by day and mosquitoes by night) of Algonquin, I would suggest a pass. Bugs aside, though, this year is shaping up to be one of my best for fishing with several trips already marked in the calendar.
Supporting Canadian wetlands
Last Thursday, the Ottawa chapter of Ducks Unlimited Canada held their 37th annual fundraising dinner at the LeBreton Gallery at the Canadian War Museum. This year marks the second year that I have donated a net to be auctioned off at the dinner. I am proud to support Ducks Unlimited. This year's winner Julie B. presented the net to her partner Dr. Stephen W. as a gift. The fact that he bought a net for her this past Christmas makes them my first two-net household!