Dave Tibbo has only been on the job for about two weeks, but he already has big plans for Bay Roberts.

Tibbo, who is filling the role left vacant by former director of recreation Ian Flynn, spent 21 years as the Director of Recreation and Leisure Services with the Town of Conception Bay South before retiring last year. In that role he oversaw the town’s many recreation facilities, playgrounds, fields, and special events such as the Kelligrews Soiree and Winterfest. He was also highly involved in many events hosted by the Town of Conception Bay South, including two Grand Slam of Curling events, two NL Summer Games, and a 2011 Kraft Hockeyville title win.

Tibbo himself was present for this week’s meeting to give his first department update to council.

“It’s just been two weeks, but it seems longer because I’ve learned so much,” said Tibbo. “I certainly want to extend my thanks to the former director for his help, and most importantly the staff here at the Town Hall and the stadium and the parks. I’m not sure if they’re used to being asked a hundred questions a day, but I have been asking them, and trying to find out as much information as I can. I will say that staff here are very helpful, and very cooperative. It certainly made the transition easier.”

Tibbo noted he has met with the chairpersons of the Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games committee and said residents should expect to hear much more about the upcoming games in the weeks and months to come, with Bay Roberts set to host the Games in 2024.

He said he has also done an assessment on the town’s facilities, and found them to be in great shape — for the most part.

“But being four or five years removed from the last Games, we certainly need to do a thorough assessment as to where we are now and where they were in 2019,” said Tibbo.

The new director is stationed at the Bay Arena, and praised the passion of the arena’s staff.

He noted that some of the boards and slab are showing their age, and that a former assessment of the rink noted as much. Tibbo said he will meet with the CAO and bring the matter back to council at a later date to discuss pricing.

But there was one matter that Tibbo said shouldn’t be held off much longer.

“One immediate concern I found, and I’m not trying to be negative, just observant, but in talking to some of the user groups, I’ve noted that there are several leaks at the arena, which I think most people are aware of,” he said. “I know there was some work done back in 2017. But that’s six years ago, and it wasn’t a full roof replacement. So, what I’m hoping to do over the next week is get some pricing on a potential assessment and once I get that price estimate I will bring it forward for consideration.”

Tibbo acknowledged the roof won’t be fixed overnight, but will likely need to be done sooner rather than later and it may be cheaper in the long run than continually repairing it.

Tibbo said he’s doing a review of all Town facilities, and plans to provide council short, medium, and long term maintenance plans for the facilities, noting he would prefer council be pro-active rather than reactive.

Tibbo also noted how busy the arena is, and said he was amazed that a town the size of Bay Roberts boasts as many as six or seven rec hockey leagues.

He said he would like to see polices tightened just a little bit to ensure everyone is given the same rates and fees and treated consistently.

Tibbo’s first big event in the town will likely be the Athlete of the Year and Hall of Fame event later this spring. He said last year’s call for nominations deadline was late May, and suggested council bump it up a little earlier.

As to the Bay Arena, and potential upgrades, Mayor Walter Yetman conceded the rink is “the hub of the community, no doubt about it,” and called it the region’s biggest economic driver.

Deputy Mayor Geoff Seymour suggested that, as the arena is a regional facility, council ought to badger the provincial government for funds for the repairs.

Mayor Yetman also passed along his thanks to Flynn for 21 years of service with the Town of Bay Roberts.

“He left our recreation department in excellent shape,” said Yetman. “Tibbo is walking into a good situation.”

Councillor Frank Deering said he felt comfortable with Tibbo leading the department, telling him, “it feels like you’ve been here forever.”

Tibbo joked that things won’t always be rosy, especially when it comes to asking the CAO and council for money.

The post Bay Roberts’ new Rec Director lays out big plans appeared first on The Shoreline News.

Steve Chafe and I spent a night in Mahers last week. We did some ice fishing and caught eight trout between us. They were biting pretty good in the morning, unfortunately we had to leave to go back to St. John’s at 11 a.m., only for that I think we would have had twice as many.

The moose applications must be submitted by March 29th, 4:30 p.m. I’m in pool six this year. The on-line registration system is very convenient.

I guess by now most folks have heard there have been some coyote sightings recently in St. John’s. Of course, over the past few years, there have been coyotes spotted throughout various towns and cities in this province. For example, trappers and hunters often encounter them in the country relatively close to CBS. The fact of the matter is that coyotes can, will and do live close to urban areas. In other provinces and throughout the USA coyotes live everywhere from large urban parks to a huge metropolis such as Los Angeles. They will eat garbage, small pets and pet food left on your patio, bird feed and compost might also attract them.

There have been a few, rare cases across North America where small children and adults have been attacked. Recall that a jogger was killed in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in October 2009, a few years ago by a pair of coyotes. Thankfully, such events are very infrequent. Cats and small dogs out in a bushy back garden are most at risk of a coyote attack.

With regards to coyotes carrying off your pet, we know that owls and eagles might also do the same thing. And here in Newfoundland from time to time moose wander into urban areas, as do foxes and even the usually shy black bear. Remember that a black bear was seen near Ferryland last July?

Personally, I think it’s great to know that we share our homes with our living creatures. Of course, the key when encountering any wildlife is to treat it as a “wild” animal, and don’t approach it for a picture.

Of course an unexpected close encounter can generate worry and fear, regardless of what statistics might say our chances of being killed by a wild animal are. For example, I can remember when I was a child and my parents and my grandmother were staying a few nights at a cabin near Terra Nova Park. We were awakened early one morning by a mother bear with a cub (she may have had two it was almost fifty years ago) prowling around outside. My Mom and Nan were pretty upset, as I was, but Dad tried to keep us all calm and eventually the bears wandered away.

But with any wild animal there is a potential risk. I did a story some years ago for another publication about a guide who was leading some non-resident hikers through Northern Labrador. They were startled from their sleep by a polar bear banging through pots and pans in a dining fly. The guide and hikers were in tents, there were no cabin walls to protect them from the large carnivore. The guide exhibited coolness under pressure and quickly uncased, loaded and fired a high-powered rifle and dropped the bear in the midst of the tents. This was a situation with the potential for someone to have been seriously injured or worse.

In 2004, I wrote a book about the arrival and expansion of the eastern coyote through Newfoundland. The book is called The Newfoundland Coyote and is dedicated to my sister who died in March that year. I chose that title even though the coyote isn’t native to this island, but like the moose and snowshoe hare, the coyote has made its home here.

In the course of conducting interviews for that book, I spoke with a wildlife biologist who told me that, in his opinion, the most dangerous animal on the island was neither the coyote or black bear, but a cow moose with her calf or calves. Cow moose get mean in a hurry when anything or anyone threatens their calves.

I was hiking in a provincial park in western Newfoundland some years back, when I rounded a corner and came face to face with a big cow, with a calf a few paces behind her. I brought up solid and the cow instantly pinned her ears back and glared a look of pure hate at me. I backed up real quick and then turned and bolted. Thankfully, the cow didn’t follow me.

One time when I was out in western Canada, I recall being in one of the National Parks and a large section of hiking trail was closed off due to sightings of a grizzly bear in the area. There were barriers on trailheads and signs warning hikers of the grizzly. It was ironic to think that people were visiting the National Park because of its wilderness, its rugged beauty and varied wildlife, but in order to protect visitors, the grizzly had to be given space.

I’ve hunted coyotes using a caller and bait, and have seen a couple. One evening when I was hunting I had some old moose meat out under a tree for bait and I had made a few calls. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, a coyote started howling. It made the hair on my neck stand up, I’ll never forget it.

But aside from hunting coyotes, I do get a thrill out of seeing them while cutting wood, or trouting.

The post Our complicated relationship with wildlife appeared first on The Shoreline News.

Some of the ponds are starting to open up. I guess that mild day and rain we had last week put the brooks into a heavier flow which ate up ice.

I was fishing the day after the rain and there was about five inches of water on top of the ice. The ice was shiny so you needed cleats and at the same time you had to avoid sloshing cold water into your boots. I only caught four trout that day, but it was sunny and I had a cup of black coffee and a sandwich by the pond.

I was talking to a man who did some trouting in the new cabin area at Ocean Pond. There are several small gullies but he said they never caught any trout in them. However, he did say they caught a few nice trout in Ocean Pond.

The trouting season on inland waters will soon close for a month on April 15th. I think the idea is to keep people off the rotting spring ice. However, I miss trout fishing at the end of April. I used to always find late April and early May as good times for trouting.

This has been the best winter for ice fishing in many years. There has been lots of ice and little snow, so ATVs have been able to travel over ponds and use the old woods paths to go up the country. Undoubtedly, there has been a lot of trout taken this winter and a lot of big trout. We might see smaller catches in the spring season in mid-May as a result.

There’s a new moon set to rise, and that might set the stage for some good fishing. I am hoping to get in some more fishing before the end of the winter season. I might try a couple of ponds where I have caught some big brown trout in the past. When I was a kid about 45 years ago, it was common to hear people say, “brown trout aren’t fit to eat.” I can recall dad saying this to me.

Of course, brown trout are good eating, often as pink as salmon. Perhaps the idea that they weren’t good eating had something to do with the fact that they were first introduced to ponds in St. John’s, and the waterways in the city were used as open sewers. So people may have associated brown trout with dirty water.

The other day as I was crossing a wooden bridge I noticed about a dozen black ducks out in the open water. The pond, whose name I don’t know, was almost half open and the ice is really receding quickly.

One nice thing about spring is seeing the birds return. Of course, those ducks may have over-wintered here, but other birds like ospreys and loons will soon be back to our ponds.

I was out for a walk with Brownie the other day and what a delight to hear the song birds. It was just beautiful and sure lifted my spirits.

While some robins may over-winter, it is always exciting to see the “first” robin of spring running along the ground.

I was speaking to someone who recently spent some time skidooing on the Great Northern Peninsula. They told me that in places where they used to see lots of caribou they never saw a single one this year. That herd is closed to hunting now and it will be probably be decades before an open season occurs again.

A gent who was in the country just west of the Burin Peninsula told me that they saw more caribou than they had in a number of years. This is part of caribou management area 64 – Middle Ridge. Reportedly, they also saw less sign of coyotes.

Do you recall a few years ago when there was a picture in the news of a couple of guys with a pick-up truck full of coyotes they’d caught? You don’t seem to hear as much about coyotes these days, perhaps we are all accustomed to them now and seeing one is not as big a deal as it once was. Sheep farmers and caribou hunters may dislike coyotes but are forced to live with them.

We’ve had a lot of frost this winter and I wonder what effect that will have on dirt roads in cabin areas as the thaw occurs? Will roads be soft? Back in days gone by when the Mahers Road wasn’t plowed in the winter, every spring would see soft spots in the road. Sometimes a car would go right to the top of its tires in the mud and need a pluck from a passer-by.

Have you got any blueberries left from the fall? It’s always nice to have a blueberry dessert this time of the year. When I was a kid I remember an older lady telling me that her family used to pick marsh berries in the spring as the snows melted off the bogs. Of course, the berries would have been frozen all winter and would make some nice jam, the first of the spring.

Tickets are on sale now for flipper dinners at various churches and organizations. Many of these dinners will host two hundred or more people. There’s nothing quite like the dark, oily meat of a fresh flipper topped off with a floury, white pastry.

Is the garbage collection program in cabin areas run by ERSB on its last legs? I called the ERSB office recently and was told the future of the program in some cabin areas is uncertain. How one defines a “serviced road” is apparently the key issue.

The post Cabin Country: Best ice fishing season in years coming to an end appeared first on The Shoreline News.

I had to put one of my beagles down. Ranger was fourteen ( I still have her sister) and it was sad to see her get sick.

When Ranger was young, up to about eight years old, she was pretty good on the rabbits. She had a very loud distinctive howl that you could hear a long ways off, even on a windy day. If she had one bad habit it was that she used to sometimes roam very far from me. Often I had to do a lot of bushwhacking, straining to hear the sound of her bell if she wasn’t barking. When was in her first few years of life, I had another older female called Tiny. Tiny and Ranger made an excellent hunting pair. Tiny was older and slower than Ranger, and didnt roam very far from me. She would hunt along the edge of a path or trail, making her much easier to keep track of. And, Ranger would stick around with the older dog. So Tinys good habits helped contain Rangers wanderings.

Usually if the two dogs began to really hunt an area, and begin to get excited with their tails wagging, you knew a start was coming. Most times it was Ranger who would open loud and clear with her squall mouth. Then the roles reversed and the younger Ranger lead the older Tiny in the chase of the rabbit.

Tiny had a bad habit, if I shot a rabbit and only wounded it she would catch it and bury it. So if I had a shot and the rabbit kept going, Id try to listen to see if I could hear the rabbit squeal. If I heard that I had to hustle to close in on the dogs, or Tiny would bury the rabbit. It was a funny thing about how Tiny and Ranger just clicked as a rabbit-running team. Before I had Ranger and her sister, I had Tiny and another older dog named Blackie. I used to hunt Blackie and Tiny together, but if Tiny started the rabbit Blackie refused to join in and would keep on hunting. As a result, sometimes I would have two rabbits on the go. It’s tough when you’re in the woods by yourself and you have two dogs going, perhaps on opposite sides of a trail. All you can do in case like that is to spread out. So its been my experience that all beagles wont necessarily hunt together. Of course, I cant speak for dogs that are run in field trials because they may be used to running in a pack. One thing I have never done is run beagles in field trials. Ive talked to guys who are very much into the sport, and also read about it. However, I am always more interested in getting in the woods and trying to get a rabbit for the pot. Tiny died in her sleep when she was fourteen. It was a sad loss of an old hunting companion, but it was easier than having to make a decision to have Ranger put down. Just before Christmas, Rangers right cheek became swollen. A trip to the vet revealed that a tooth in her upper jaw was bad and need to come out, along with at least one more tooth. The dental surgery was going to cost over $2000 dollars. I loved that dog, but I just didnt have the money. The vet did give antibiotics to take down the swelling and help with the bad tooth. The swelling cleared up and Ranger seemed fine, but within six weeks the swelling was back, and she began to lose control of her bladder in her sleep and around the house. Then I discovered blood in her urine. With her advanced age and now with blood in her urine, I had to make the tough decision. Ranger was a very shy, nervous dog. She would only hunt with me. If anyone else came along she would sit down and refuse to hunt. She was really afraid of strangers. It was tough to know my beloved pet and hunting dog of almost fifteen years wasnt coming home.

The only bad thing about owning a beagle is when they get sick and you have to make a tough decision.

Presently, I am left with Rangers sister Brownie. Brownie is the same age as Ranger and has gotten slow. I did let her go in the woods a few times this past fall, but after about a half hour shed come out to me and wed walk slowly home. So now she has moved from hunter and pet to just being a pet. But she likes to go for a walk on the leash. However, I have noticed that she gets cold quickly. Of course, when a beagle is hunting and running a rabbit they dont get cold. But in advanced years when moving slowly, they do feel the winter winds.

Therefore, I went to a pet store and bought a fleece lined jacket for Brownie. The exterior is a nylon shell which is water repellent and wind-proof. It also has reflective stripes on the side allowing vehicles to easily see the dog in the dark.

Making the decision to get a beagle pup (or any dog) is a major life decision because you are potentially looking at a fifteen year commitment. Having a dog is a lifestyle choice. Owning a dog can limit your ability to travel and it requires much repetitive work such as cleaning up after them. You have to be ready to have dog`s hair on your clothes. Will you let the dog up on your furniture is another consideration. Some people in your family may be allergic to dogs so this can be a factor.

Years ago, most owners of beagles kept the dogs outdoors. Today, more people keep their beagle inside. Keeping a beagle inside your house is the right place for it. Beagles, like all hunting dogs, can do double-duty as house pets and hunters. In fact, having your hunting beagle live inside with you probably strengthens the bond between dog and man.

The post Life with dogs: They have personalities too appeared first on The Shoreline News.

This winter is an ice-fisherman’s dream. The ponds and gullies are frozen solid, the bogs are like cement and there is little snow. You can get around easily. There will be many trout taken this winter as ATVs can reach out-of-the-way gullies and ponds. And, the new Nalcor roads on the transmission lines also allow access to many ponds.

Someone once said to me that, “There is no sport in ice-fishing.” Ice-fishing for trout is vastly different than fly-fishing for Atlantic salmon on a big, roaring river such as the Humber or the Exploits. And, fishing for sea-trout using a “nail” is very sporting when you’re fighting a big brown trout. But there is something about ice-fishing that has me hooked.

When I was a kid my father told me that when trout are really feeding they will strike at anything. If we ran out of worms, Dad would cut the belly fin off a trout and use it for bait. We caught a nice few trout on belly fins. We often used cut up hockey sticks for our lines.

Sometimes when the trout are really hitting good, you can pull one up, take it off the hook and then drop the chewed up worm and hook back down and get another. This can be repeated several times if the trout are there and hungry.

I’ve had a couple of meals of trout so far this winter. They taste a little different than the mud trout caught in May, but they still make nice table fare with some bread and butter and a cup of tea.

One nice thing about ice-fishing is that it can be a solitary affair of just a few hours, or a day long trip with family or friends. For example, getting together to go ice fishing is a great way to connect with a cousin who you don’t see much of, or even having a conversation with a relative about fishing is interesting.

Ice fishing can take you to the back country, or to a gully on the side of the TCH where the hum of traffic keeps you company while you fish.

My brother Pat, his son Bernard and girlfriend Caroline, and Bernard’s daughter Meaghan recently spent a couple of days at the cabin ice fishing and rabbit hunting. They caught a meal of trout and bagged a couple of bunnies.

I can remember years ago hearing about a guy who used to go into a small gully surrounded with woods. He cut three holes and put out his lines. While he was doing this he’d let his beagle go in the woods around the pond. By the time the third hole was cut and the line ready to set, the dog was often howling on a rabbit. He’d take his gun and go wait for the rabbit. Sometimes the rabbit would come out along the edge of the woods and run along the ice making for an easy shot. In this way you’d get a few trout and maybe a brace of rabbits.

One guy I did a lot of ice fishing with was Robert Adams. We’d strap on snowshoes and hike into a pond and spend the day fishing.

I remember one trip ice-fishing many years ago when Steve Chafe and I were having a boil up on the side of a pond, when a cow moose walked out of the woods and crossed the frozen pond. It was a nice sight to see.

Speaking of seeing things on the ice, my brother Jim and I were talking about years ago when you’d see people drive up Angle Pond to their cabins on the frozen pond. You don’t see that too often now. This is a good winter for ice, but I don’t know if it’s as good as years gone by when winters seemed colder.

I recall a time when I was fishing in a gully I hadn’t fished before. I was drilling with the auger and brought up solid on a rock. Needless to say that ended that day’s fishing. And, I stifled the urge to fire the auger up in the woods.

Sometimes after a mild spurt, there may be some water on the ice. One time I was fishing when I caught a trout and dropped it and it was swimming around in the water on top of the ice.

Here’s a story I heard some years ago. After a day of ice fishing the angler returned home with his catch which of course had frozen while laying on the ice. He put the trout in a sink full of water to clean them and one of the trout’s gills started to move and it began to come around.

I knew a guy who had an old dog that went ice fishing with him. The dog was a pet and would follow him from hole to hole as he checked his lines. The man had to be careful because if he left a trout flopping on the ice, the dog would grab it and eat it. One of my beagles loved trout. In fact, any time I fried up trout I would always save one for Ranger. Another beagle I had called Snoopy, used to go ice fishing with me. That dog would follow me anywhere, and she didn’t seem to mind the cold.

Once in a while you hear of an angler who hooked a trout so large that it couldn’t be brought up through the hole that was cut. That’s the thing about ice fishing because even in a small gully you might strike some nice trout, and the odd one or two-pounder.

I was getting a few pan-size trout one day, and the sun was beginning to set. I was fishing in about eight feet of water when suddenly my line brought up solid. I thought I had hooked into the bottom of the ice. Then the line started moving and I realized I was hooked into a big trout. I was using black fishing twine, which is stronger than monofilament and less easily frayed on the edge of the hole. Anyway I started pulling up the line hand over hand and a big trout fell on the ice. It weighed over two pounds and was as pink as a salmon. Now that got the adrenalin pumping, and my cold feet and hands were quickly forgotten. Who said there’s no sport in ice fishing?

The post Things you see on a frozen pond appeared first on The Shoreline News.

The weekend of February 9th – 10th was very cold and windy. I had planned to go ice fishing on Sunday, however, the very high winds and deep freeze led to the trip being postponed. Being on a wide-open pond with high winds is no fun, unless you can find a sheltered cove to fish in.

More and more anglers are beginning to use tent shelters for ice-fishing. These shelters are great, but personally I’d rather be outside enjoying nature instead of sat on a lawn chair inside a tent all day. But whatever works for you – if you want to fish from a tent, go for it. I know up around Fox Marsh I have seen guys with a shelter framed up from 2 x 4s and covered with tarpaulins. A homemade shelter is less costly and just as effective as a store bought one.

I remember one time some years ago in Alberta when I went ice-fishing with a relative. There were about two dozen pick-up trucks parked on the surface of a large lake. We drove out onto the ice like we were pulling into a parking lot at a mall.

You needed a gas-powered auger to cut the very thick ice-sheet. If memory serves me correctly there was about three feet of ice. We cooked up on a propane stove on the tailgate.

And, I did get to have a look under the ice thanks to the underwater, fish-finding camera of a man with his tent door open. He invited us in for a look around. We did see a nice sized walleye swim slowly over to his baited hook, but the fish just cruised around it indifferently, and swam away.

It was interesting to see how ice fishing differed out in western Canada from here in Newfoundland. I think the increased use of gear such as shelter-tents, gas augers and submersible cameras in Newfoundland today may have to do with so many people working out west, and seeing such equipment. Of course, the prevalence of angling shows which feature such equipment might also contribute to its popularity. But to be realistic, owning such modern ice-fishing gear is also about having the extra income needed to purchase these things.

I have noticed that the cost of fishing gear has gone up. One large retailer was selling two beaded-bait spinners for $5.50. That’s pretty pricey if you ask me. But I have found a gas station that sells a nice tub of worms for $3.50 taxes included.

I had to buy new blades for my Mora five-inch auger, which I purchased in the mid-‘80s. It doesn’t owe me anything, but the replacement blades were hard to find. Outdoor Pros was able to locate and bring them in for me. They cost $30, which I thought was a fair price for a hard to find item.

A veteran angler told me that after you drill a hole with your auger and break into water don’t use the auger like a plunger to clean the ice and slush out of the hole. This man’s thinking was that chipping the blades along the sides and bottom of the hole would only contribute to dulling the blades.

Another thing to avoid with your auger is using it as a walking stick and constantly hitting the blades on the ground and/or ice. When not in use, it’s a good idea to use a blade protector, or at least wrap the blades in an old rag.

A couple of years ago I interviewed a man who, on two different occasions, had coyotes come out onto the ice after his trout. He told me he later cut a tall, straight birch tree. He cut it off at about seven feet long. He cut the flat head off a four inch nail and then drove it into the stick. He used the birch as a walking stick on the ice, with the nail providing traction. It also would help him defend himself against a coyote. And, if he broke through thin ice, the stick could be used to bridge the gap and help him get up out of the water.

You can often see birds around the open water at the edge of ice. It has been reported in another newspaper that a slaty-backed gull is hanging around at Quidi Vidi Lake. This bird is reportedly native to Russia and spends winters along the coasts of Japan or Korea. It’s a long way from home! Bird watching is a good hobby and is another way to enjoy winter. You can combine bird watching with other outdoor activities such as hiking, or fishing. My brother Jim and I saw eleven cormorants, locally known as shags, at the Duck Pond in Bowring Park. Shags eat trout, so the trout in the Waterford River system will be their prey.

Perhaps one of the most controversial issues in cabin country this winter has been the waste collection program run by the Eastern Regional Service Board. I’ve discussed this issue in previous columns. A new twist to the debate over the ERSB garbage collection program occurred on February 8th, when the Province’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment, the Honorable Graham Letto, issued a press release which instructed ERSB to cease garbage collection on un-serviced roads ASAP.

The press release also stipulated that going forward ERSB will limit all outstanding fees and interest (i.e. back fees) charged to cottage owners on their first invoice to a two year period.

Finally, ERSB was instructed to improve its transparency, accountability and engagement. I called ERSB for clarification and was told that more will be known on February 20th regarding the definition of an un-serviced road and how that will affect ERSB’s waste collection program going forward. For now garbage collection will continue on its regular schedule. Minister Letto’s press release also stated that once the comprehensive review of the Provincial Waste Management Strategy has concluded, he provide more direction to the ERSB.

The post Tenting it over the trout hole appeared first on The Shoreline News.

Ice-fishing opened on Friday February 1st. On Monday February 4th, Stephen Chafe and I decided to head west on the TCH and fish a gully we knew of. It was mid-morning when we hopped in the truck, stopped for a java and headed out.

As we drove along we talked about some trips we had made in the past. We sipped our coffees and soon saw the road sign that marked the path to the gully. We were hopeful as we got our gear out of the truck and prepared for the short walk. With the scarcity of snow there was no need for snowshoes.
The ice was as smooth and shiny as a mirror. It would have been perfect for skating, Steve remarked. I was glad that I had visited Outdoor Pros and purchased a pair of cleats to fit on over my heavy rubber boats and provide better traction.

I had a little trouble cutting with my auger on opening day, and sadly on this outing the auger was cutting very poorly. I was mad at myself for not getting new blades, since the auger was not used at all last year, and its dull edge in 2017 had slipped my mind.

I did try to sharpen the twin blades with a small flat file on my multi-tool, but couldn’t get them honed. But in any case after a little sweat and taking turns with the auger we had three holes cut. We decided to fish these holes and take a break from the frustration caused by drilling with dull auger blades. Of course, neither of us had brought an axe, or we could have cut the holes the old-fashioned way. There was lots of ice despite some of the mild days and rain that had appeared during January.

One item we did bring was folding chairs. Pretty soon we were each sat off like we owned the gully. The wind was blowing from the south, but it was warmer than the previous few days. We seated ourselves with the wind at our back. We were using red beads and gold bait spinners with worms. Within fifteen or twenty minutes I pulled up a nice chunky mud trout. It was little we thought that this was the beginning of more or less non-stop action for the next couple of hours.

The trout would strike in and we’d get bites and land some and then for ten or fifteen minutes the action would slow to the odd bite. Sometimes it was like the trout weren’t biting really good but just playing with the bait. Once in a while one of would check the third line to see if there was any action.
Steve lost a couple of nice trout that seemed to just be barely hooked and flipped over at the edge of the ice and darted back into the water. We both also caught a couple of small trout which we did our best to gingerly unhook and release. Of course, the worst thing about fishing with barbed bait hooks is the fact that trout, even small ones, may be hooked badly making an easy release impossible.

We were only sitting about fifteen feet apart and it was almost 2pm before the action really started to slow down so we decided to boil up.
We got in the woods at the edge of the pond and began searching for small dead twigs and sticks. Soon the aroma of woodsmoke filled the winter air and before long the kettle was boiling. We had hot coffee and then heated up beans and wieners in an old saucepan. It was some good.

While we were sitting around the camp fire we chatted about how fortunate we were to be out in the country on such a fine winter day. Getting a few trout was gravy. After our lunch we returned to our lines and each of us quickly pulled up a nice trout. But the fishing just kept getting slower and slower, and the bites were farther and farther apart. By about 3:30 in the afternoon we had a quick chat and decided to fish until 4 p.m. and then call it a day.

By this time we had seventeen trout between us. And, we had each lost a couple of nice ones, and put back a couple of small ones. So with a bit more luck we could have had our limit of a dozen apiece. But as it was, Steve had eight trout, while I had nine, which was enough for both of us to have a good panfry at home. We were grateful to have caught so many trout.

How lucky we are in this province to be able to find some good trouting relatively close to home. Getting out on a pond, drowning worms and having a boil-up with an old buddy really makes you feel good. Ice fishing is good for the body, mind and soul. Ice fishing brings the angler close to nature when the weather is at its worst. Bitter winds, snow squalls, not to mention ice so shiny that you can hardly walk on it, combine to make ice fishing as much a test of endurance as anything. Cold hands and feet and wind burnt cheeks are all a part of ice fishing in early February.

When you’re staring down into the frigid water through a six-inch hole in the ice, and you see the line begin to move, the adrenalin gets pumping.
Ice fishing is a great way to enjoy winter.

The post How lucky are we, at all? appeared first on The Shoreline News.

There has certainly been a lot happening in the province’s great outdoors. What did you think of Mike Cooze’s recent blockade at the Big Triangle Pond Mineral Exploration Access Road? Cooze wrote a letter to the editor of this paper a few weeks ago about the road and his reasons for opposing it. He sure put his money where his mouth is. I say good for him for peacefully standing up for what he believes in. Cooze is reportedly planning another protest at the Confederation Building later this week. It will be interesting to see how many supporters show up, as interest in the project seems to be intensifying.

Last fall I wrote about a gate being put in place on the Great Northern Peninsula to keep resident hunters off a section of a Nalcor Transmission Line Road near an outfitter’s camp. At that time I wrote there is nothing like a gate on a road to rile up a bunch of Newfoundlanders. I know in the case of this road at Big Triangle, the main issue is not the gate and the reduced access, but the fact the road was exempted from an Environmental Impact Statement.

The EIS exemption for this road apparently has a history of being, “on-again, off-again.” Cooze says he is concerned about the environment and the impacts associated with gold mining.
Over the years, I’ve done a little canoeing in the Big Triangle Pond area. It is the start of beautiful canoe routes. I saw a huge caribou stag on the beach near the head of Big Triangle in the mid-1990s when the Avalon herd was reaching its peak. I shot my first moose in the area in the ‘80s. The area is beautiful and the nearby Avalon caribou herd is closed to hunting and struggling to rebuild.

On the other hand, our economy needs jobs. For example, my grandfather made a good living and fed thirteen children while working at the Buchans Mine during the height of the Great Depression.

However, there are environmental impacts. In my recent book Caribou Country I discussed a research paper that examined how caribou moved away from the site of Hope Brook Gold Mine as it was being developed in their range. The same thing happened at Star Lake when that hydro project was built. For example, habitat loss and fragmentation caused by road construction have been recognized by groups such as Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society as negatively affecting caribou throughout Canada.

Environmental controversies are layered and can pit citizens against miners, and citizens against government. People may be allies on one protest such as the Big Triangle Access Road, but then may be at odds over another matter such as catch and release angling. But we may even see various government departments at loggerheads. Hypothetically, the Department of Environment may oppose a project, while the Department of Natural Resources may support it. However, such internal government fighting may be hard to see.

The environment is the site of many political battles. Think about the many outdoor issues on-going now in this province. Of course there’s the concern over the methyl-mercury from Muskrat Falls flooding, and then there is the fight against the ERSB waste collection program in cabin areas. Catch and release angling is a hot potato, as is salmon aquaculture. These are just a few examples of the social issues that are at the fore-front in this province today.

Right across the country in British Columbia there is much controversy over oil pipelines and protesters are trying to stop the Trans-Mountain Pipeline. But I say build the pipeline, but play close attention to environmental protection. Of course, issues such as carbon emissions and global warming are major political battles.

But don’t underestimate Mike Cooze and the movement he is leading. Sometimes environmentalists have succeeded in stopping a project. For example, the late Eugene Conway of Conception Harbour played a lead role in stopping proposed logging south of the Fox Ponds near Hall’s Gullies. Conway helped identify the rare Boreal Felt Lichen (BFL) in the forest after the road was built and logging never happened.

But now some people think that there is a problem all along that resource road with thousands of windfall trees being left to rot. My position on this is that since the road is built, why not let some commercial cutter, or even domestic cutters at the windfalls?

It would be very interesting to hear Eugene Conway’s thoughts on that matter, and on the Big Triangle Pond Road.

I think back in the 1970s environmentalists like Greenpeace with its celebrity protesters were despised by many Newfoundlanders. Now in the 21st century there are many home-grown environmentalists who are much better respected than Greenpeace was.

Even if the Big Triangle Pond Road proceeds and is never put through an EIS, the controversy that has been raised over it will probably lead to greater care being taken. Things such as road construction, design of culverts and bridges, and management of waste by-product creation will probably be much more tightly monitored.

The post Big Triangle Pond and the competing demands of job versus environment appeared first on The Shoreline News.

There was recently a serious accident involving a snow machine with its throttle stuck which crashed into a house. Thankfully no one in the home was seriously injured, although a woman was hit by the machine. The owner of this snow machine is an experienced outdoorsman, so it just goes to prove that accidents can happen to anyone.The incident led to some commentary over whether snowmobile safety needs tweaking.

For example, before a person is allowed to drive a passenger vehicle or a motorcycle, they must pass a road test overseen by Government Inspectors. Likewise, there are special licenses required to drive buses and heavy equipment.

However, a person can buy an ATV or snowmobile and jump on it and start driving. Some of today’s snowmobiles are very fast machines. They can attain high speeds in just seconds and can change direction rapidly. But if you have the throttle open and hit something such as a tree, a rock, a pick-up truck or a man-made structure, life altering injuries or death can result.

Ironically, snowmobile regulations don’t make it mandatory for riders to wear a helmet. It sure seems illogical that ATV riders have to wear a helmet or face a ticket, while snowmobilers don’t have to don a protective helmet.

To shift to ATVs for a moment, the new generation of four-wheeled side-by-sides are very large and fast. It does seem ironic that a person has to pass a test to get a license for a motorcycle, but needs no such test to operate a heavy, fast ATV.

I think there are some good points on both sides of this debate over whether driver training should be mandatory for ATV/snowmobile riders. However, I believe it would be very unpopular if Government implemented road tests for ATVs and snowmobiles, particularly if there was any kind of fee associated with the move. However, has the time come for Government to make helmet use on snow machines mandatory?

Speaking of controversial outdoor issues, the garbage collection program run by Eastern Regional Service Board is again being denounced by some cabin owners. For example, it was recently reported by another news agency that a man who owns a cottage in Western Bay went to court to fight the waste collection fee. Reportedly, the cabin owner lost the case and was ordered to pay the fees with interest.

It seems that the garbage collection program is a real “hot potato.” There are definite benefits such as keeping waste from being dumped in the forest or along the old rail bed, but there are negative aspects as well including the cost passed onto cabin owners. As the province’s population is aging, many people who own cabins are retired and on fixed incomes. Related to this matter is the question of whether having to pay the garbage collection fee leads to some people not paying all of their road fees to their local volunteer road committee?

Does the ERSB program need tweaking? For example, if some people only use their cabin from May to November, should they have to pay the full waste collection fee like someone who lives year round in the country? But would implementing a split payment plan for livyers versus seasonal users pose administrative challenges for ERSB? It is much harder to get an accurate count of cabin and trailer owners in cottage areas than it is to get the same in a municipality. Are some people left off the ERSB list of users?

I personally think the ERSB waste collection program is a good way to keep a lot of old junk out of the country. This is especially true of the bulk waste collection that is part of ERSB’s program. Now there is no reason to dump old water boilers, toilets and the like in the woods.

As I’ve said before, the area bordered by the Salmonier Line, Nine Mile Road, Markland Road and the TCH is saturated with cabins. It’s like a town in the woods. In fact, it would be interesting to know just how many cabins and ATVs there are in this area. I’d say people would be surprised to learn just how many cottages there are out there.

Of course, the use of ATVs and snowmobiles can be related to littering as people may leave garbage behind at a camp site or by the side of a pond. The littering may be accidental in some cases as trash might fall off a machine.

In fall 2017, my brother Jim and I were moose hunting and walked up on a hill over-looking a bog. Someone had boiled up and left empty cans, chip bags, pop cans etc. We picked up enough garbage to completely fill a plastic shopping bag and took it home.

An empty bean can or the like can cause trouble for wildlife such as foxes who might stick their nose into the can to lick at food and then get the can stuck on its snout. Or, a wild animal might cut its mouth or tongue on the sharp edges of a discarded can. Certainly beagles can get serious cuts to the mouth by licking at old food cans left in the woods. And over the years I’ve had some of my different beagles cut the pads of their feet on broken beer bottles. This is painful for the dog and costly for the owner.

We all need to practice the very simple adage: “carry it in, carry it out.”

The post Should snowmobile and ATV drivers pass a test? appeared first on The Shoreline News.

It’s been a great few days, mild and just nice for walking, whether that be in the country or in a municipality.

Up in the country around Brigus Junction, Mahers and Ocean Pond, there is very little snow in the woods. The roads are almost all gravel with some patches of ice. I guess avid skidooers aren’t too happy. But a lot of snow machine enthusiasts take some time off work and head west to get the snow in central and western Newfoundland.

Many people I have spoken with are looking forward to wetting a line come February 1st. But some ponds still have open areas and sections of ice look poorly formed.

Speaking of ice, I was driving along a country road the other day and was just approaching a wooden bridge. The water from the run out had kept ice from forming right to the shoreline. The edge of the ice was probably about thirty or forty feet from the fast flowing water.

I got a pleasant surprise when I saw a mink sitting on the edge of the ice. At first, I just spotted the black clump on the edge of the ice but then it dove in the water, and some seconds later resurfaced and got back on the ice. It walked along the edge with its long tail stretched behind it. The little furbearer was obviously fishing because I watched it for about five minutes and it kept up the cycle of diving underwater and then getting back on the ice. I finally drove away much brighter for having witnessed this small predator at work.

I was out for a walk in Bowring Park the other day with my brother Jim. The duck pond was full of birds of all sizes and shapes, there were swans, ducks of every description, pigeons galore along the beach and there were several “shags” or cormorants fishing in the pond.

The pond was approximately two-thirds ice-covered and Jim and I watched one of the cormorants fishing near the edge of the ice. It used to dive and stay under for some time and then resurface. The white on the throat and upper chest stood out against the black back. The bird has a long, hooked bill and holds its head slightly upright when swimming.

The nice thing about going for a stroll in Bowring Park is the fact you never know what type of bird you’re liable to see in the duck pond, or the brook, or in the many trees.

It’s a good time to get in the country and cut some firewood. The lack of snow makes it easy to get around and you don’t have to worry about obstacles hidden by the snow such as holes in the ground. Also, you don’t leave a big stump buried in the snow. Actually, domestic cutters are supposed to leave a short stump even if there is deep snow. I remember cutting firewood some years ago with Mr. Gord Cooper. There was a nice bit of snow down and we had to wear snowshoes and we took a shovel with us to dig down to the base of the tree to avoid leaving a high stump which is wasting wood.

Speaking of wildlife being right in the heart of an urban area, have you heard about the seals that have become residents in the town of Roddickton on the Great Northern Peninsula? It seems that the seals moved in and the sea ice froze behind them trapping them in the town. I heard one news report that indicated at least two of the seals had been crawling along the roads in town and had been struck by cars.

This seal story out of Roddickton generated much hype and Town Officials contacted DFO in the hopes they would perhaps return the seals to open water. As of Sunday, January 13th, several of the seals had been captured and returned to open water.

The story got me thinking about how much Newfoundland has changed. If a small herd of seals showed up in a town a generation ago, they would have been clubbed and pelted, and the flippers and carcass would have been shared amongst the residents. The seal meat would have been a welcome addition to the winter diet.

Now in the 21st century more people are concerned about the welfare of the seals. Of course, there are many rules and regulations governing the harvest of seals, and a person could get in hot water for disobeying the rules regarding harp seals.

I can remember when I was a young child (about 45 years ago) seeing my mother out in the back garden with a small axe and a knife cleaning up flippers and carcass dad had bought on the St. John’s waterfront. Mom used to say when she was a child in Outer Cover-Logy Bay the men returned from the ice and shared the seal flippers around to all.

But times are changing. If you ever look through magazines such as Canadian Geographic, or National Geographic, you’ll often see pictures of seals and you’ll often see ads for cruises into the Canadian Arctic where observing icebergs, whales, polar bears and seals is the main drawing card.
Today many churches of various faiths have seal flipper dinners as a fund-raiser. But I think as the older generation passes the number of Newfoundlanders eating seal will diminish.

The post Lack of snow in the woods a mixed blessing appeared first on The Shoreline News.