Natural Heritage / Natural History Inc. acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We acknowledge the support of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s Ontario Book Initiative. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) and the Association for the Export of Canadian Books.

      I would like to dedicate this book to my

      best fishi’n buddy, my lovely wife, Sheila.

       Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword by Paul Quarrington

Prologue

Chapter 1 The Waters of Uxbridge

Chapter 2 Fishing on the Ganny

Chapter 3 Land O’ Lakes and Land O’ Fish

Chapter 4 Muskoka Magic

       Chapter 5 Up Pefferlaw Way

       Chapter 6 The “Pigeons” of the Kawarthas

       Chapter 7 A Mystery At Tedious Lake

       Chapter 8 Blue Lake of Temiscamingue

       Chapter 9 Sullivan–A “Pot-of-Gold” Lake?

       Chapter 10 Poaching Pierces Pond

       Chapter 11 The Phenomenal Echo Creek

       Chapter 12 Pleasurable Pursuits on Grenadier Pond

       Chapter 13 The Magic of Sludge Lake

       Chapter 14 From Novice to Accomplished Angler

       Chapter 15 The Trout of Loughborough Lake

       Chapter 16 Lake Simcoe: A Most Fishable Body of Water

       Chapter 17 I Always Wanted to Fish in a Stream Called Piss Creek

       Chapter 18 A Wonderful Lake With No Name

       Chapter 19 More Trout Fishing in Haliburton

       Chapter 20 Saugeen Country Booty

       Chapter 21 The Mighty Broadback River

       Chapter 22 Other Magical Memories

       Epilogue

       Appendix: Casting Records

       Notes

       Index

       About the Author

       Other Books by Gord Deval

Acknowledgements

      My father, Roy Ward Dickson, an extremely intelligent man who unfortunately never passed those particular genes on to his son, nevertheless set me on my career path prescribing courses I took and giving me a pocket allowance based on a weekly essay I had to write for him, and monitored it accordingly as long as he was able to do so. My parents were separated when I was seventeen.

      My dear mother, Helen, although having few opportunities to wet a line herself, had a love of the outdoors and made the most of every chance she had to go fishing or take a stroll in the countryside. Bob Wilcox, my uncle, loved fishing, especially for trout. His ardent pursuit of trout and different places to go after them was possibly the greatest influence on my love of fishing during my early years.

      I owe much appreciation to my children, Connie, Wendy, Randy and Ronnie, all of whom enjoyed fishing with me during their own early years, I have vivid recollections of my daughters’ times on the water with their old man, while my sons both became experts with rod and reel, learning how to read and appreciate whatever they discovered in the outdoors. Another huge influence in my fishing and casting pursuits was my first wife and the mother of my children, Joan, a fine fisherman in her own right.

      I wish to thank Jim Gifford who suggested I write this book and Bill and Jamie Gairdner who sponsored me for years at the Fitness Institute and to the World Casting Champions, and Clive Caldwell and Steve Roest of the Fitness Institute