Stocking Stuffers- Gone are the way are briefs and socks, I am sure if you were good all year you may find some of these hanging above your fireplace!  

Kopper’s Live Target topwater frog- Is this ice going to be here much longer? Or do I really have to wait 6 months to toss this beauty! www.livetargetlures.com  

Sebile Magic Swimmer- realistic action that fish love, available in a few sizes perfect for everything from bass to musky. www.sebile.com   

For the musky angler in your family, Musky Innovations has redesigned a few classics! The Shallow Raider is now available in a whooping 12” and is introducing a new double tailed Bulldawg! www.muskyinnovations.com  

Ok, we all need something we can play with right away- load up on some of NorthAmFishing tackle’s new Bottom Feding Minnow- Lakers, walleye and panfish have no chance! www.northamfishing.com  

Always a great time to stock up on soft plastics for next season- Berkley Gulp! Has several new baits including the chigger craw, crawler or bat wing frog. www.berkley-fishing.com 

 For the Fly Angler-  

1. Every fly angler fishing in rivers and streams need good waders- why not pick up a pair of Simms G4 Waders? They are breathable and will help you venture out from shore where the big ones are! More info www.simmsfishing.com  

2. Need a new fly reel? The Nautilus NV reel has an amazing drag system and is   available in 5 sizes ( 5/6 ,7/8, 8/9, 10/11 and 11/12) – plus with the Nautilus custom shop you can personalize your gift with personal engraving or chose from 9 color options! The 11/12 weighs only 8.3 ounces! www.nautilusreel.com 

  3. There is no fishing rod getting more hype then the new G Loomis NRX and yes fly  anglers you can have one too- available in loads of different rod weights for many fishing application from brook trout to giant tarpon. www.gloomis.com

4. A new quality line will help you gain a few feet on your cast’s in the New Year- Rio’s Mainstream floating fly line is a great start. www.rioproducts.com  

5. Looks just as sharp as your guide, with Simms G3 Guide Jacket- perfect for heading out for late fall or even winter steelhead fishing. Look the part (You are on your own for casting!). Check them out at www.simmsfishing.com     

 For the angler-

 1. Exofficio’s Men’s Insect Shield Baja Long-Sleeve Shirt- built in SPF 30 protection will protect you from the sun rays and insect shield will have you scratching less and casting more. www.exofficio.com

  2.Buff Headwear- Flats guides in the south have been wearing them for a long time and they are catching on everywhere. Perfect for those hot days on the water. More info @ www.buffcanada.com

 3. Always good to capture you memories with photos, why not take your memories to the next level with HD Video! Go Pro’s Hero is a small affordable camera perfect for your trip from shore or boat. www.goprocamera.com   

4.  Winter can be enjoyable if you enjoy the outdoors. There still are many fish to be caught. Fish in comfort in HT Enterprises PE Shelter. Slide it to your spot with its built in sled! www.htent.com   

5.  Ice Fishing- the Ultimate Guide by Tim Allard. Need an inspiration? Check out this fabulous book on all you need to learn about ice fishing www.Heliconiapress.com for more info  

6. Need some fish related art work for your home? Why not ask for handmade custom fish art made out of recycled materials from Choleena DiTullio. The Muskoka chair turned into wall art is my personal favorite! Check out Choleena’s work at www.choleena.com     

I was a good boy all year, hope to find a few of these items under the tree, if you are looking for a gift for the angler in your family hope these helped make your shopping easier   Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!   Jamie Pistilli        

of snow are hitting my windshield on the way to the Ottawa airport and I have an escape. Edmonton.

Most Canadians do not venture to Alberta when it gets cold; however, I was going for a purpose; to enjoy some urban

fishing in the North Saskatchewan River for Edmonton’s walleye and pike. While most anglers prefer the warmer months, the

late fall can often be some of the most productive periods for catching both size and numbers.

We met our guide, John Kokotilo, at the hotel, and immediately set out to hit one of his favorite spots. We tied on a mix

of crankbaits and various plastics Gulp! and Powerbait plastics and we quickly found what we were after. After a few fish, I

quickly realized that Edmonton had one heck of a healthy fishery. All the walleye we caught were over three pounds and we

caught one in the six pound range. Quite the feat since we were casting from the shoreline right in city limits. Walleye over

10 pounds are quite common and fish surpassing 12 pounds are often caught by patient anglers.

We found most the active fish were in and around faster moving water with a rocky bottom. As the sun was starting to set

the walleye would move in close to shore to feed, I caught one less then a rod length away from where I was standing on the

bank.

We also spent some time casting spoons and swimbaits for the areas northern pike. Although we didn’t catch any that were

20 plus, the action from the smaller fish made for one really enjoyable day on the water. These fish were cruising the

shallow flats and any areas with healthy weeds had these toothy critters waiting to pounce on our offerings.

It was obvious that John knows the local water and also guides on remote lakes in Northern Alberta (*note to self make

plans in the spring). Edmonton has so many angling opportunities right in and immediately adjacent to the city.

For those of you with kids, there are many  "pothole" lakes stocked with rainbow trout. This is a perfect

way to get youngsters involved in the sport of fishing. Most of these lakes are stocked annually but there tends to be a

winter kill and fish do not hold over.

The North Saskatchewan also holds loads of goldeye, a hard fighting, high flying fish that can be caught from early May to

October. I had hooked one and knew I had something special but after a hard run and one quick leap, the fish threw my

barbless hook. The river also is home to sauger, whitefish, brown trout, burbot, suckers and some really large sturgeon.

Off to the infamous West Edmonton mall before my flight back home!

Jamie Pistilli

Host- Big City Fishing
www.fishchelsea.com

Special thanks to Alberta tourism, Edmonton tourism, John Kokotilo http://www.northernspiritfishing.com ,Keith for meeting us for a great

dinner, Chris Hockley at Pure fishing , Camerman Kevin Reid for braving the elements, the fish of Edmonton for being so

cooperative especially when the camera was rolling.

Most Canadians do not venture to Alberta when it gets cold; however, I was going for a purpose; to enjoy some urban fishing in the North Saskatchewan River for Edmonton's walleye and pike. While most anglers prefer the warmer months, the late fall can often be some of the most productive periods for catching both size and numbers.

We met our guide, John Kokotilo, at the hotel, and immediately set out to hit one of his favorite spots. We tied on a mix of crankbaits and various plastics Gulp! and Powerbait plastics and we quickly found what we were after. After a few fish, I quickly realized that Edmonton had one heck of a healthy fishery. All the walleye we caught were over three pounds and we caught one in the six pound range. Quite the feat since we were casting from the shoreline right in city limits. Walleye over 10 pounds are quite common and fish surpassing 12 pounds are often caught by patient anglers.

We found most the active fish were in and around faster moving water with a rocky bottom. As the sun was starting to set the walleye would move in close to shore to feed, I caught one less then a rod length away from where I was standing on the bank.

We also spent some time casting spoons and swimbaits for the areas northern pike. Although we didn't catch any that were 20 plus, the action from the smaller fish made for one really enjoyable day on the water. These fish were cruising the shallow flats and any areas with healthy weeds had these toothy critters waiting to pounce on our offerings.

It was obvious that John knows the local water and also guides on remote lakes in Northern Alberta (*note to self make plans in the spring). Edmonton has so many angling opportunities right in and immediately adjacent to the city.

For those of you with kids, there are many  "pothole" lakes stocked with rainbow trout. This is a perfect way to get youngsters involved in the sport of fishing. Most of these lakes are stocked annually but there tends to be a winter kill and fish do not hold over.

The North Saskatchewan also holds loads of goldeye, a hard fighting, high flying fish that can be caught from early May to October. I had hooked one and knew I had something special but after a hard run and one quick leap, the fish threw my barbless hook. The river also is home to sauger, whitefish, brown trout, burbot, suckers and some really large sturgeon.

Off to the infamous West Edmonton mall before my flight back home!

Jamie Pistilli

Host- Big City Fishing
www.fishchelsea.com

Special thanks to Alberta tourism, Edmonton tourism, John Kokotilo http://www.northernspiritfishing.com ,Keith for meeting us for a great dinner, Chris Hockley at Pure fishing , Camerman Kevin Reid for braving the elements, the fish of Edmonton for being so cooperative especially when the camera was rolling.

While the American shad don’t grow to a fraction of the size of a tarpon, the biggest member of the herring family is pound for pound one of freshwater’s toughest fish. An andronomous fish, just like a salmon, shad spend their time in saltwater and arrive in fresh water rivers to spawn in the spring (runs are from mid-April to late-June and usually last for two or three weeks) then return back to the ocean.

In the Montreal region, there are two places you can catch shad – the Carillion and Pie IX dams. It’s no secret that anglers are shoulder-to-shoulder on shore and boats are tight together during the peak period; however, most anglers will hook a few fish in a day when the fish are running.

For bait, you need to see some of the locals who make "shad darts" which is a long and slender jig that can be worked two ways.

• The first way is to cast the jig at a 45-degree angle in heavy current and jig it off the bottom while the jig drifts with the current.
• The other way is to cast the jig out to the edge of the current and reel in the dart with a straight retrieve. Using a longer rod will help you cast out your lure further and you can experiment with different sized jigs.

There can be many snags, so be prepared to lose a few lures while you are on the water. Remember you can cast a heavier lure further but it will also have a greater chance of snagging the bottom.

While filming with Big City Fishing, Tim and I set up to capture a fish that is only in the water system for a few weeks. I had read all the hype and it was finally time to have a shot at these great fish. We booked a guide, Mike Seguin who had provided me with all the info I needed to catch shad. We were meeting Mike at noon but decided to fish with the crowds from shore in the morning. Our decision was the right one, and my line was screaming about 20 minutes after setting up shop. Angler’s everywhere were hooking up, often at the same time when the schools would pass within casting distance. At times the schools were so thick and the multiple hook-ups ended in multiple tangled lines- hey but that’s part of urban fishing!

After lunch, we hopped into Mike Seguin’s Lund and fished closer to the dam. Mike has been guiding these waters for years and most of his clients are repeat customers and after battling American shad I can understand why.

We tried a few different techniques: first we anchored in a calm rock-filled spot, casting our darts to the heavy current. The fish would hit all over, some even following right to the boat like a musky. We landed a few fish but then decided to try another method of catching these hard fighting fish. We anchored right in the current and let our jigs hang in the fast moving water. Although this way requires less work on the angler’s part it is very productive and a great way to get kids on to these great fish.

It’s always nice to head out and target a new species of fish. With the Montreal Shad, I’ve added a new one to my favorites and return to Montreal next year once they start running again.

Special thanks to Mike Seguin for taking us around and for Fishing Stuff for the rods!

Jamie Pistilli
www.bigcityfishing.com
www.fishchelsea.com