NON-FICTION From January 27, 1990

NORTH OF BELLEVILLE

Unknowingly an acquaintance established a record last summer when he and a friend were fishing for lake trout in August trying out a new depth finder. Trolling a favourite run they noticed three nice sized blips on the screen. Dennis was predicting a strike when his rod dramatically bent at a tremendous angle. Seeing his line run at an ever increasing speed Dennis strongly suspected that it wasn’t a trout. When the fish broke water he knew it to be a bass. Now I might add that he was fishing Weslemkoon Lake, known for its trophy sized bass. James Ruddick, a fellow fishing writer from the early 70s at Outdoor Canada never missed a bass opener on Weslemkoon. Which, by the way, means ‘bank beaver’ for presumeably the beaver den in banks.

Following four or five ‘tail walks’ his fishing buddy netted the trophy sized fish.

“Throw it back,” said Dennis, “we’re after trout.”

“No way,” came the reply, “I’ve got a 6 pounder mounted at home and this would eat it!”

As was his custom, Dennis turned in the head and intestines to the Ministry of Natural Resources office in Bancroft and ate the rest. He hates frozen fish.

In short order the ministry called. It seems the fish, according to the cheek bones, was at least 20 years old. “It may have been older,” said Kathy Irwin, the MNR Biologist who had examined them under a microscope. “The previous record for a smallmouth was 18 years. Considering its length and girth and using two different formulae we estimated that the fish weighed between 7.5 to 7.75 pounds.”

Footnote: The winning entry in the catch/eat category of the Molson Big Fish Contest weighed in at 7 pounds 12 ounces.