Canadian Open champ: Derek Strub

A big shout out to my friend Derek Strub-the Elora, Ontario, angler won the Canadian Open of Fishing yesterday on Lake Ontario. Strub hauled in 60.75 pounds of bass over three days to claim top bragging rights and the main prize of $40,000 in cash. While he’s placed in the top 10 before at the prestigious catch-and-release event, this is the first time he’s owned the podium. Bravo, buddy. It’s well deserved.

Second place and $15,000 in cash went to Sault St. Marie’s Rob Laframboise, who bagged 56.60 pounds of bass, while Chris Johnston of Peterborough came third with 53.65 pounds, earning $7,500. As for the co-angler/non-boater division, Stuart Naylor’s 57.8 pounds of fish earned him a $20,000 boat, motor and trailer package. Remarkably, it was his first-ever fishing tournament.  Darren Izumi followed in second with 52.15 pounds, while Dave Miller came third with 51.75 pounds. Payouts were made down to 20th spot in both the Pro and Co-Angler divisions.

Held out of Kingston, Ontario, the three-day tournament raised $22,000 for Soldier On, an organization dedicated to helping injured Canadian soldiers and their families. Colourful hockey commentator Don Cherry did the honours, handing over the cheque to Warrant Officer Andrew McLean.

The Canadian Open of Fishing is run by the Competitive Sport Fishing League.

Fish on! A quick reminder to everyone across the land that National Fishing Week kicks off this Saturday, running through to July 11. Coinciding with this great Canada-wide celebration of angling are family fishing weekends in every province and territory, complete with special events and other incentives to encourage folks to try their hand at wetting a line.

In Ontario, for example, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has more than 120 locations across the province for anglers to borrow rods, reels and lure through its TackleShare program. Several provinces are also offering licence-free fishing days.

If you know of people interested in taking up the sport, National Fishing Week is the time to get them out on the water-especially if they’re youngsters. The event is coordinated by the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association.

Honoured: Bob Izumi is the public face of Izumi Outdoors

The folks at Izumi Outdoors Inc., along with Normark Canada’s retired head honcho, Roger Cannon, were honoured this morning at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show during the annual general meeting of the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association.

Bob and Wayne Izumi and their crew at Izumi Outdoors, along with Cannon, were this year’s recipients of the CSIA’s Chairman’s Awards for their contributions to the Canadian angling scene. Cannon, who spent 33 years putting Rapalas into the nation’s tackleboxes, is a champion of sportfishing in Canada and continues to serve on the CSIA board.

Izumi Outdoors, meanwhile, produces TV’s Real Fishing Show starring angling icon Bob Izumi, as well as Real Fishing magazine. The company is also the driving force behind the Fish For Ever Foundation, which raises funds for fisheries conservation projects in Ontario, and the popular Kids, Cops & Canadian Tire Fishing Days, a grassroots program designed to get children interested in fishing. Congratulations, folks! Well deserved.

Also during this morning’s AGM, Shimano Canada executive Phil Morlock brought CSIA members up to speed on the controversial plans in the U.S. to potentially ban  sportfishing in so-called Marine Protected Areas—giant swathes of ocean and inland waters—under the guise of conservation. Morlock wrote about the issue in the Fishing 2010 edition of Outdoor Canada; he was also interviewed about it on ESPN (click here for that story).

Finally at this morning’s meeting, the slate of directors for the next year was formally approved. Set to serve one more year in their current two-year terms are:

• Kim Rhodes (President), Lucky Strike Baitworks, Manufacturer
• Tom Brooke (Chair), Shimano Canada, Manufacturer
• Steve Dorey (Vice-President), Maurice Sporting Goods, Distributor
• Ray Sriubiskis (Sect/Treasurer), Cnd National Sportsmen’s Shows, Media
• Roger Cannon, Normark Inc Manufacturer
• Cam Thomson, Pure Fishing Canada Ltd., Manufacturer
• Shawn Glowka, KTL Canada Ltd Distributor
• Nelson Murakami, Natural Sports, Retailer
• Jim Estabrooks, Fishing World, Retailer
• Mark Harrison, Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd., Retailer
• David Johnson, The Fishin’ Hole, Retailer
• Jim Gourlay, Eastern Woods & Waters, Media
• Mark Stiffel, Brecks International Inc., Manufacturer
• Brent McCallum, Redl Sports, Distributor
• Salim Sachedina, Canadian-Sportfishing, Media
• Steve Sherman, Shimano Canada, Manufacturer

Father and son: Shawn and Chase Galea

At the recent Spring Fishing and Boat Show’s Conservation Dinner, among the folks sharing my table was Shawn Galea from Advanced Taxidermy & Wildlife Design. I’d certainly been aware of Shawn’s reputation as a masterful artisan when it comes to replica fish mounts. In 2002, in fact, we here at Outdoor Canada magazine named Shawn and his business partner, James McGregor, among the 33 most influential people in the Canadian outdoors (click here for the article).

The way we continue to see it, their incredibly lifelike mounts have no doubt played a significant and positive role in the catch-and-release movement. I’d never spoken to Shawn personally, however, so it was great to finally get to meet him.

You can learn a lot about a guy just by the way he talks about his kids, and sure enough conversation turned to children, and in particular Shawn’s two-year-old boy, Chase (he turns three later this month). Like any good father, Shawn speaks of his son with immense admiration. But what really struck me was how proud he was of his little boy, in particular his determination.

You see, Chase was born with quad cerebral palsy, as well as auditory neuropathy, a condition whereby the signal from the inner ear to the brain is impaired. But even at age two, Chase has shown a remarkable capacity to make the most of his life, his physical impediments notwithstanding—and Shawn’s admiration is palpable. “He does therapy five hours a day without one complaint,” Shawn told me, his eyes welling up at the thought of what his son must endure. “He’s amazing.”

Of course, it’s not cheap to properly care for kids with such disabilities—the therapy alone costs $1,000 a week, and then there’s the specialized and expensive medical equipment, such as walkers, hearing ads, bath chairs and so on. So, to help raise funds for Chase and others like him, as well as raise awareness about CP and the attendant financial burdens, Shawn and his family launched the Chase Galea Fund.

Among other things, they’ll be holding a gala fundraiser event—“Chase” the Dream—on March 27 at La Primavera in Woodbridge. Tickets are just $125, which includes giveaways, live entertainment, a four-course dinner and open bar. There will also be live and silent auctions.

So far, the response has been overwhelming. “I’ve been doing taxidermy for 25 years, but I didn’t realized how many people knew us—and were willing to help,” says Shawn. “I really didn’t expect it.”

Visit www.thechasegaleafund.com for complete details regarding tickets and donations.

The only thing I can think of that would beat going fishing this weekend is taking a trip to the International Centre out on Airport Road in Mississauga for the third annual Spring Fishing & Boat Show. Actually, the best scenario for this weekend would be to go fishing and go to the show.

Yeah, I’m banging our own drum a tad here—Outdoor Canada has a booth at the show, and our very own Fishing Editor, Gord Pyzer, is hosting the Master Angler seminar series. And let’s not forget the $50 Outdoor Canada Show Bucks, handed out hourly to lucky visitors. But seriously, if you’re into fishing, boats and some smokin’ deals, you can’t miss this show.

I was talking to show organizer Andy Pallotta this morning, and he was even more excited than he usually is. “It’s going to blow your mind,” he promised, described the various bells and whistles he has in place to great the public. Click here for a sneak preview.

And when you do go to the show, be sure to stop by the Outdoor Canada booth. Gord Pyzer himself will be on hand at appointed times on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to provide one-on-one angling advice and sign autographs.

Plus, we have a great contest going: if you subscribe to the magazine (or renew your subscription) at the show, your name will go into a draw to win one of four Rapala rod, reel and tackle kits. Each kit will include a Rapala TS2 fishing rod, Rapala Volt fishing reel. Sufix Fuse fishing line and an assortment of Rapala, Storm, TriggerX, Terminator, BlueFox and Luhr-Jensen lures. Many thanks to our good friends at Rapala Canada/Normark for providing these great prizes.

Watch this space for reports from the show over the course of the weekend. I hope to see you down there.

Honoured: The NRA's Scott Olmsted (left) accepts the first annual Ian McMurchy award from Glen and Darlene McMurchy

Well, that’s yet another SHOT Show finished for me; I fly back to Toronto tomorrow. I put a lot of miles on my soles, met lots of people, did some networking, saw plenty of cool new gear and caught up with some old friends—just what SHOT is all about from my perspective in the media.

The highlight today was the presentation of the first annual Ian McMurchy Award from Nikon. If you are an avid reader of Canadian outdoor magazines, including Outdoor Canada, you’ve surely read at least one of Ian’s articles over the years. The widely published writer and photographer was also an accomplished marksman and expert on firearms, as well as a member of Nikon’s pro staff. Sadly, Ian passed away in late 2008. To honour Ian and his contributions—and to award outdoor writers who exemplify his passion for the outdoors—Nikon presented the inaugural award today to Scott Olmsted, editor of the National Rifle Association’s American Hunter magazine. Congrats, Scott.

On hand for the ceremony was Ian’s widow, Darlene, as well as his children Glen, Joey and Katie. It was nice to finally meet Darlene, as she was extremely helpful late last year in digging up photos of Ian from his last African hunting safari (a piece Ian wrote for Outdoor Canada before he passed away was finally published in the recent Winter 2010 issue).

You know you’re at the SHOT Show when:

A. Your dogs are dead tired and sore from walking the show floor.

B. You run into fellow Canucks from the outdoor media industry.

C. You find yet another new product (and then some) well worth telling folks back home about.

D. You can drink that first end-of-day beer in less than 10 seconds.

E. All of the above.

The answer, of course, is E. Yes, the beer part is true. I ran into Outdoor Canada Field Editor Brad Fenson around 4:30 and we made our way up to the Sportsman’s Lounge, a private oasis set up by Field & Stream and Outdoor Life magazines at the SHOT Show. There we found F&S Editor Anthony Licata and a tub of ice-cold beer. I recommend the Fat Tire brew out of Colorado. But I digress. We had a good chat with Anthony before finally calling it a day and heading back to the hotel.

And yes, I saw lots of cool new products today. One thing I can safely bet will be included in Ken Bailey’s roundup of the best new gear for 2010 (due out in the May issue of Outdoor Canada) is the new Omni-Heat outerwear lining from Columbia Sportswear Company. Put in their wigeon and big-game jackets for 2010, Omni-Heat promises 20 per cent more heat retention, a real boon to guys sitting for hours on end in the duck blind or treestand. As Columbia General Merchandise Manager Joe Boyle put it, Omni-Heat is a “game changer for the industry.”

Also somewhat revolutionary in the outdoor garment category is the new Scent-A-Way technology from Hunter’s Specialties. Without getting into too much detail, HS says the new silver antimicrobial fabric yarn will remain active for the lifetime of the garment (wash it as much as you like) and keep the human stink at bay. For 2010, they’re offering Scent-A-Way socks, gloves, toques, caps, travel bags and base layers. The way the techies at HS see it, this new scent eliminator will take over where carbon scent reduction systems left off.

There was piles more great stuff, of course, and I expect much of it to be included in Ken’s May roundup (for example, I thought Quaker Boy’s new, smaller diaphragm turkey calls designed just for females—with pink foam, no less—were a great idea). Stay tuned for more.

Firing form: Walsh tears up the range

First, the hunting gear highlight. Today at the Bass Pro Shops Media Day at the Range (the hands on warm-up to the SHOT Show kicking off tomorrow), Hunting Editor Ken Bailey and I shot the new Beretta A400 Xplor semi-auto. Two words: sweet and light. We were shooting Federal target loads, so there was no real need for the Kick-Off system, but it was clear the two oil hydraulic absorbers inside the stock can more than the trick when it come to all but eliminating recoil. Ken liked the Xplor so much he’s as much as decided to include it in his round-up of the best new gear for 2010 (to appear in the May issue of Outdoor Canada magazine).

For Canadians like us who enjoy things that go bang, it was a real treat to fire some of the stuff we normally don’t get our mitts on—namely, handguns and fully automatic rifles. We shot the likes of Glocks, revolvers, the .410 Judge, some cool Ithaca offerings and several different ARs from outfits such as Steyr and Sturm Ruger. Bucket list item #43: Shoot machine gun. Check.

We also made our way over to the long-distance range, where both Ken and I went two for two, ringing the bell at 880 yards with the .338 Lupwa, the same round preferred by U.S. snipers in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was something else to ping a target I could barely make out with the naked eye. No wonder the bad guys never know what hit them.

Finally, what would a day out in the desert be without peeling through the hills on a quad? Yamaha suited us up with boots, gloves and helmets and let us tool around on the latest Rhino side-by-sides, as well as the new Grizzly 550s and 700s with auto steering. Smooth rides all, and no bones were broken.

All in all, it was a cool way to spend a cool (and wet) day in Nevada. Thanks to Bass Pro Shops, the numerous suppliers and the Boulder City Pistol and Rifle Range for putting it all together. Now, time to go lose some money on the tables…

Nice catch: Pat and a fine specimen

Fresh fish: Host Randy and a scrapper

On the button: Jon's killer shot

Winning form: Gord takes aim

On the board: One of my nice ones

Well, the 1st Annual Haverhill Boys’ Bass, Poker and Sharpshooting Tournament is now all but history. All went according to plan, which is to say no one followed the tournament rules (catch fish, tape fish, take photo, release). The upshot is, we’re a little shy on photographic evidence that any fishing actually occurred. Truth be told, we did fish hard and manage to boat a few scrappy smallies. Many thanks to our host, Randy, and his neighbour, Panger, for kindly lending us a second boat for the weekend.

So, who won the fishing component of the tournament? The only guy who actually measured a fish—Pat. Rules are rules. As for the poker, I took the big pot on Friday night and Gord stole the second night. Gord, our relative newbie to fishing, also came up big on the pellet rifle range, blasting the pollen off our bulls-eye daisy. Pretty impressive for a rookie. Jon was the next most accurate flower killer, also potting a few petals.

As for the other cottagers who happened to be on our tiny tournament lake (which shall remain unnamed so as to protect the resident smallie population): our apologies! We’ll give you a heads up prior to the 2nd Annual. All in all, it was a great bookend to Canada’s National Fishing Week.

I’m sure most of you know this already, but we’re currently in the midst of National Fishing Week, which began on Saturday and runs through to July 12. Designed to encourage folks from all walks of life to wet a line, especially non-anglers, kids and city dwellers, National Fishing Week features numerous workshops, tournaments and tackle sales in more than 100 communities across the country.

If you know a kid who would like to go fishing, or a buddy who doesn’t fish, now’s the time to get them on the water. Check out the National Fishing Week Web site for special events in your area. Me, I plan to take my son down the pond tonight to catch a few largies, then it’s off to my buddy Pat’s cottage this weekend for a couple of days of fishing. And yes, we’ll be initiating a non-angler (you ready, Gord?).

National Fishing Week is spearheaded by the Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation and the National Recreational Fishing Task Group, which comprises representatives from the provinces and territories.