But winter can be fun and, what with the advent of the snowmobile and ATV's, it has made gettlng back into some of these remote lakes a whole lot easier. Winter is a great time to explore some of these lakes, and if you find one or two to your liking with bragging size trout or walleye in them, then it gives you plenty of time to plan a trip where you can get to fish them from a boat or canoe once the ice goes out.

First off let me start by wishing you all a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. In other words, compliment's of the season and may you catch your limit every time out during the 1996 fishing season. Here we are in the midst of a deep freeze and probably the coldest winter on record to date. And, it's only January. We've had snow on the ground since the middle of November here in southern Ontario and, according to the long range forecast, there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight. If you're into ice fishing, you've got to be loving this weather. According to the locals in the Port Perry area of Ontario, there's at least 12 inches of solid blue ice on Lake Scugog, and further north in the Haliburton Highlands, 15 to 18 inches, with lots of snow on the ground making it easy to get back into some of the remote Speckled Trout Lakes via snowmobile.

Years ago, before Wes and I started Let's Talk Fishing, winter and ice-fishing was something we both looked forward to. It extended our fishing season and gave us the opportunity to fish year round. Now, with our hectic seminar schedule during the winter months, we're lucky if we can get out once -- let alone every weekend. It's something we both miss, even though I don 't seem to like the cold as much as I once did, or should I say withstand the cold for an all day outing as I used to. Could it be a sign of age?

But winter can be fun and, what with the advent of the snowmobile and ATV's, it has made gettlng back into some of these remote lakes a whole lot easier. Winter is a great time to explore some of these lakes, and if you find one or two to your liking with bragging size trout or walleye in them, then it gives you plenty of time to plan a trip where you can get to fish them from a boat or canoe once the ice goes out.

However, if ice-fishing isn't your 'thing', then you're still looking at another 3 to 4 months of sitting on the couch watching your favorite fishing shows before you get the chance to put the boat in the water and wet a line. Except, of course, for our cousins to the south of us, where open water exists year round and the only problems they might have to contend with are the coldfronts that originate up here in Canada. Sorry fellas, but if we have to put up with all of this snow and ice for the winter months, then I'd say it's only fair that you get the odd coldfront to shut things down for awhile.

Keeping in mind the cold weather we are faced with at present, we'll try and gear this months fishing tips to ice fishing. And for those of you that don't partake in this cold water angling, you'll have to wait until next month.