Art and Aaron with an "average size" blue shark

Now tell me, honestly, how do you ever get excited again about catching 5 and 6 pound walleye, 3 and 4 pound smallmouth bass, even 20 and 30 pound northern pike, muskies, lake trout and salmon after you battle a 12-foot long, 279-pound blue shark for 1 1/2 hours and then hand land it by grabbing the leader inches from its gigantic tooth-filled mouth and pulling it through the back door of the boat in a wild, crazy, frothy mass of Atlantic ocean sea water?   

It is all enough to blow your mind.  But that is exactly what Outdoor Canada Managing Editor, Aaron Kylie and I did on Wednesday and Thursday this week when we fished with Captain Art Gaetan.  Art operates Blue Shark Charters www.bluesharkcharters.com out of Halifax, Nova Scotia and for an outdoor writer like myself, he creates a terrible dilemma.  I mean, the last thing I am suppose to be is at a lost for words, but Art left me speechless. 

The fishing is that good!

If you don’t believe me, consider this.  Since July 1st, Art and his clients have landed more sharks than the entire charter fleet operating off the eastern coast of the United States.   Aaron and I landed 17 giants on Thursday alone, and we would have caught many more had our behemoth blue not tied us up for 1 1/2 hours!   I mean, this is crazy fishing for giant fish! 

After 1 1/2 hours our big blue shark is about ready to come into the boat with us

And it gives an entire new meaning to the term, toothy critters!

Part of the reason for the phenomenal fishing is that few anglers know how good the shark fishing is off the coast of Nova Scotia … so Art and his clients have it all to themselves to enjoy.  We never saw another boat the entire time we were fishing.  It just may be the last virgin saltwater sport fishery left on earth. 

Indeed, the Maritime provinces of Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland) are much better known for their blue fin tuna, cod, haddock, mackerel and a whole host of other species, but the reality is this is also the best place on earth to catch monster sharks.  Partially because the Gulf Stream is right next door, blowing up a vast steady stream of warm, tropical water.   When we were fishing this week, the water temperature off the coast was 72 F. 

Another reason for the phenomenal fishing is that it is 100-percent catch, tag and release.  Not a single shark is injured or killed.   Indeed, Art works closely with the senior staff at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax, so after he hand lands every shark (the bigger brutes are pulled in through the back door) they are measured, carefully tagged and the data is recorded.  So, not only is a day with Art Gaetan the fishing adventure of a lifetime, you’re actually collecting valuable scientific information that is helping to conserve one of the most remarkable animals on the face of the planet.  Talk about a win-win-win.

Art ... are you really going to bring that thing in the boat?

“A shark can detect a single drop of blood in an Olympic-size swimming pool,” Art tells Aaron and me as our chum pot works its magic.  “Eventually a shark will smell the slick and follow the trail.  Sometimes they’ll swim away from the boat, but I’ve watched them turn right around when they realize they’re going in the wrong direction and then follow it to the boat.” 

At 12-feet long it is the biggest fish Aaron and I have ever caught

Of course, with the chum pot oozing out its fishy fragrance and Art tossing chunks of bait overboard, black-back gulls, Shearwaters and ”Jesus birds”, so named because they seemingly walk on water, are attracted to the boat.  Art calls them all “my friends”, for good reason.  They help him detect the sharks. 

Indeed, while we’re watching our giant floats trailing behind the boat, Art says, “There is a big fish around the furthest orange float.”  He knows it because the birds appear agitated and lift off the water in unison squawking at whatever is cruising just under the surface.

“There it is,” Art says, pointing a finger right beside the boat.  And Aaron and I look over just in time to see a huge blue shark open its mouth and crush the chum bucket.  It is a scene right out Jaws! 

Grandma, what big teeth you have!

Art grabs the 12 weight fly rod, pitches it over the side of the boat and the shark swirls around to eat it.  But it is cautious and only bumps the hook with its nose.  It does the same again, two or three more times, so Art grabs a small piece of herring and adds it to the hook.  Over the side it goes and the big blue devours it.  My gawd, does it get any more visible or any more exciting than this?

Well, yes, it does, and that is the story Aaron is going to tell you about in the March edition of Outdoor Canada Magazine when he reveals the full story of our trip with Art.

Ummm, Art, do you count your fingers when you go home at night?

In the meantime, just let me say, if you have never caught a big fish before, give Art a call and you will not be disappointed.  I can say that because when my arms started to ache at about the 20 minute mark into the fight with our big behemoth blue, I passed the rod over to Aaron so I could grab my camera and start shooting photos.  I honestly thought I’d passed the rod to Aaron at about the half way point in the battle.  But I was wrong.  Aaron proceeded to fight the big toothy leviathan for over another hour.  He started wearing his raincoat and bibbed pants, stripped to his sweatshirt and by the time the fish was almost ready to come in, he was down to a soaking wet undershirt and he was yelling for me to take the rod again because his arms were locking up and he could no longer turn the handle on the reel. 

The scenery back on shore is not too shabby either. This shot was taken from the bedroom window.

Brett Eberts (left) and Braeden Welcher (right) were two great young men and great anglers

If you’ve lost faith in today’s youngsters, you’d have regained it in spades if you had attended the Angler Young Angler (AYA) International Championship held this past weekend (Friday and Saturday) in Kenora, Ontario on the shores of world renown Lake of the Woods.  It was simply fantastic.

The Angler & Young Angler Walleye series began in 1998 when Andrew Klopak, President of LUND boats wanted to fish a competitive style tournament with his young son but couldn’t find an event that catered to adult and young anglers.  Everything was geared to the highly competitive pro style of fishing.  So, Klopak created his own tournament series with the objective being to introduce and educate young anglers to competitive sport fishing in a fun-filled environment surrounded by family and friends.  Klopak also wanted to create memories that would last a lifetime and believe me, on that score, he has been wildly successful.

From its humble beginnings in 1998, the AYA movement has grown by leaps and bounds, while other tournament series have struggled or failed.  AYA events are now being held across North America and this weekend the 26 regional champions from across the United States and Canada gathered in Kenora for the 2009 National Championship on Lake of the Woods.   The first place prize included an exclusive fly-in fishing trip to Miminiska Lodge on the Albany River in Northwestern Ontario, as well as a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. 

The LUND Pro Staff/Guides included many of the best walleye anglers in North America including PWT winner, Perry Good

Each regional championship team in the tournament consisted of a adult angler and two young anglers, 17 years old and under.  Many of the kids were 5, 6, 7 years old but believe me, age meant nothing.  These kids are keen and, man, can they ever fish.  

Do you think the kids were excited? 

Team Travers Dam, Alberta waves to the crowd on shore as each of the 26 Regional winning teams files past the docks just prior to take off

I was privileged to be asked to present a short orientation seminar at the banquet and rules meeting on Friday night and to be paired up with Team Travers Dam from Alberta, which consisted of adult angler Brian Eberts, his young son Brett Eberts and Brett’s good buddy Braeden Welcher.  Man, talk about nice people.  Despite thunderstorm after thunderstorm rolling through the area on Saturday, and almost constant rain, there was absolutely nothing that was going to dampen the spirits of these anglers.  Brian and the boys were flying sky high, on Cloud 9, from start to finish, and despite the fact they looked like drowned rats at the end of the day, their smiles stretched from one ear to the other.  

For good reason, too.  We hit the walleyes big time. 

Primarily using Lindy Max Gap and X-Change jigs and live bait, (we caught a couple of fish pulling spinner rigs as well), we stung a bunch of big ‘eyes.  A lot of experienced anglers have never caught 5, 6 and 7-pound plus walleyes but these kids were nailing them like pros.  As well as a bunch of really nice 2, 3 and 4 pound fish.  By 11:00 o’clock in the morning we had a fantastic three (3) fish limit of big ‘eyes swimming in the livewell.  And here is the best part, Brian, Brett and Braeden each caught one of the big fish.  You couldn’t have scripted it any better!

Then, Braedon set the hooks into a near 30-inch giant that in a few more weeks time, after it fattens up, would easily weigh close to 10-pounds.  And he did it on cue, as the camera boat was filming us.  It was the fish of a lifetime and it was also time to start culling.  Imagine, the boy’s excitement as we “balance beamed” 5 and 6-pound walleyes to see which ones stayed and which ones were let go.  Heck, I’ve been doing this sort of thing all of my life and I was as pumped.  Every time one of the boys hauled in a big fish we hugged each other, exchanged high-5s and pounded fists.  Talk about an adrenaline rush!

Then, before we knew it, it was time to head back to Kenora to weigh-in our fish.  I figured our 3 biggest walleyes weighed 17-pounds but Brian thought they weighed closer to 20-pounds.  I secretly hope he was right.  We’d know soon enough. 

Jason Gauthier interviews the boys at the banquet and rules meeting on Friday evening

You think the Bassmaster Classic is glitzy?  It doesn’t compare to the excitement at the AYA International Championship weigh-in.  And none of the tournament emcees you watch on television can hold a candle to Jason Gauthier.  Let me tell you, this guy rocks!  Jason had the crowd roaring, up on its feet cheering wildly as each team walked onto the stage.  He, literally, brought down the house. 

Jason …. you are the man, brother. 

The smiles tell the story. An AYA official inspects our fish to ensure they're alive and well before we head up onto the stage

Because we had a “pretty good” weight we were held back toward the end of the weigh in process.  But then the time came.  The announcement was made for Team Travers Dam, Alberta to “bag up your fish and bring them up onto the stage”.   To say that Brian, Brett and Braeden were wound up tighter than coiled springs is an understatement.  I know, because my knees were shaking too.

Up on stage, in front of the crowd, we passed our bag of fish to Andrew.  Braeden’s 30-inch giant walleye was so big it wouldn’t fit inside the basket!   Team Dryden Ontario was sitting in the hot-seat as the current leader and we needed 17.6pounds to take over the lead.  Andrew put our fish onto the scales, waited for the needle to settle, hit the “lock” button and up flashed 18-pounds 8-ounces.  With only two teams left to weigh in we were the new leaders and Brian and the boys took the honoured hot seat at the front of the stage.

Unfortunately, our excitement didn’t last as long as we’d have liked, as Team South Dakota weighed in a marvellous limit that was 8-ounces heavier than ours.  Ouch!   Then Team Green Lake, Wisconsin, the final team to hit the scales weighed in a prize winning 19-pounds 15-ounces.  We came close, finishing third and missing the top spot by a mere 23-ounces.   Had Braeden’s 30-inch (7-pound 7-ounce) monster weighed anywhere close to what a 30-inch walleye would normally weigh, the boys from Alberta would be on their way to Disney World.

With only 2 teams left to weigh in, Brian, Brett and Braeden take the "hot seat"

Still, as I said at the end of my seminar on Friday evening, when you fish an event as special as the Angler Young Angler International Championship there are no losers.  There are only winners.  

And speaking of winners, I take off my hat to Andrew Klopak who had a special vision and saw it through to its wonderful conclusion.  Take my word for it, the Angler Young Angler tournament concept is the hottest thing going and there is no question in my mind but that one day soon, we’re going to be seeing AYA teams from Europe, Asia and South America participating in the event.  By the way, if you’re interested in fishing an AYA tournament next year, or organizing a tournament for your region or local area, here is the link to the AYA website www.angleryoungangler.ca/

I would also be totally remiss, if I didn’t give a big special thanks to AYA Coordinator, Michelle Trudeau, for inviting me to be a small part of the weekend events.  

And finally to Brian, Brett and Braeden, let me say, boys, you’re very special.   You can share a boat with me any day!