Steelhead: Date:  7 March 1999
East and West piers: This was a lucky day for one lad.

I knew that I should have left the warning I post about not trying to get out to the piers without having cleats or a float suit on.

My return trip to check out the west pier today was quickly interrupted with the sounds of sirens screaming up behind me. As I pulled over to let the emergency vehicles pass a vision of a few years ago flashed into my head. I remembered the day I fell into a lake in January and almost froze to death.

Sure enough, an angler tried to make that walk from the parking area, across the icy rocks and out onto the very icy west pier today without boot spikes. Imagine the panic and screams as he hit the cold water knowing that he wasn't wearing a float suit. The skidoo suite he had on soaked up the freezing water like a sponge and was pulling him under the water.

Fortunately for the unlucky fellow, his fishing buddy (who I'll say was a brave lad) was wearing a float suite and dove into the water and made like a life preserver for his friend. Even more fortunate for the two men in the water, there were other anglers (with long handled nets and boot spikes) on the pier. As well one of Port Hopes resident anglers, Kevin Bartley, used his cell phone to call 911. The quick actions of the bystanders and the lad who dove in, saved the life of the fellow in the snowsuit.

As I arrived to the accident spot, I remembered the day I fell into the icy water. I was only at the mercy of the elements for 2 or 3 minutes and it almost cost me my life. (no I didn't have a float suit)
These poor lads had been in icy Lake Ontario for more than 5 minutes. The other anglers struggled to get them to shore, but it's a tricky task trying to get bodies pulled up a 15 foot wall of ice. The two men were finally hauled out of the lake and back to the parking area. There the ambulance attendants wrapped the one fellow (without a float suit) in some blankets and drove him off to the local hospital.   As far as I could tell the men were doing well when they left. It could have been a sad day.

The ice build-up is growing from 10 feet to 12 feet high today and both piers are surrounded with slush and open water.
PLEASE do not try to get out to the piers without at the very least, a pair of spikes on your boots. A float suit is also an important item to be wearing.
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March 19, 1999
This came in my mail box today March19/99. I tried to send a thank you to the sender but my message was returned. If your reading thanks for the note.

I appreciated the graphic description of the fortunate fellow(s) who ended up in the water off the pier.  A few years ago, I nearly went in off the west pier, simply by ignoring good advice.  I saw all these people with rainbows and a few lakers on the snow/ice.....but they were much better prepared than I was in trying to get out to the end of the west pier.  The east pier is always my favourite....but we tried the the west for 'convenience'.  To make a long story short...I slipped at the end of the west pier, on the "glacier"...and would have gone in if my fingers hadn't stuck into the ice/snow at the last second...stopping me, for an interesting moment of thought. Sure, my buddies pulled me up. Sure...my heart rate went "postal".  I didn't have spikes, or a floating "outfit"...my Sorrel boots alone would have sunk me in the channel. Your note about the lucky lad is right on. I don't think I'd go out
again without the proper precautions. I wonder how many other folks have had near misses...but you just haven't heard about them?

Anyway...I'm more interested in the Lakers later on.....I really hope the ice is more forgiving off the piers....

The Lakers update will soon be my next report. I figure another two weeks and I'll launch
Rhombeus 1 for day trips. (DF)
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Corbet Dam Fishway Update:
This is my last Fishway report until the fall. The steelhead upriver migration is complete for this spring.

May 5,1999.
Updated at 3:00 p.m.
The fish counter started working Friday March 27th  when the fishway was opened.
Fish Count: 5,322 at 7 a.m. May 5, 1999
                  1 went through on the 4th of May 
                  Largest fish: 19.25 pounds (hen)
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July 20 1999
Caution and a reminder:
Todays picture is our Coast Guard in action. At approximately noon today a distress call was sent out from Port Hope to the Coast Guard warning of a capsized 19 foot boat. The boat was swamped 3 miles offshore by a 5 foot wave crashing over the stern. The two anglers on board were washed out of their boat and into Lake Ontario. Their 19 foot, low to the water boat took on water and went under.  Luckily there was another another pair of angler working their way back to shore in their 18 foot boat. The scared and wet lads were happy to reach shore.

The Coast Guard was dispatched from Cobourg and within a few hours had the small boat on its way back to Port Hope. As the zodiac pulled into the docking area the boat wet down for the second time. It took a few more hours and some hard work to get the boat out of the water and on a trailer.

A word from an old sea dog. Lake Ontario may appear to be calm in the morning and the waves arriving on shore may be small, but within 5 minutes of a strong wind blowing it can get rough in a hurry.  Do not take any chances on this big water. Know your boat and its limits. A salmon is not worth your life.

As the anglers found out today it only takes one wave and a few seconds and under you may go. Life jackets are meant to be worn On rough water they may be a good thing to have on.
 
 

To rig the peanut tie a treble hook to a three foot piece of line, then thread three or four beads
( plastic, glass what every you prefer) onto the line. The beads should rest at the eye of the hook.
Then slide the peanut down the line to rest at the beads. ( the end of the peanut that is cut at a 45 is
to be facing your rod tip) On the other end of the line tie a snap swivel. I hook the swivel to the split
ring that holds the hook on the attractor. I find that some days the attractor spoon must be a big
flashy spoon and on other days a small dull spoon is best.  That is all there is to rigging the peanut.

I only use the peanut in the spring on Lake Ontario but I have heard that it works well on other lakes all year long.
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