Category: FISHING

I’m an amateur Angler, that has been shore fishing for as long as I can remember.  Learn from my experiences, and benefit from my instruction.  I’ll share great fishing spots, and stories along the way.

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Why Fishing? The Right Angle RA-13

What do you love about Fishing?

Every now and then I’ll have a friend ask me, “hey what are you up to this weekend”?  “I’m going fishing”, is my answer.

“Fishing”

The way they say it as both a question why, and a confused combination of how and where?  Now I’m sure that a lot of you get that same why response.  I get the confused combination of how and where because I live in the heart of Toronto.  Even though Toronto is situated on Lake Ontario, quite a few people still assume that it isn’t a place to go fishing.  Come on people, it isn’t just any old lake.  It’s a Great Lake!  That being the case I only spend roughly half of my time fishing in Toronto on Lake Ontario.  I fish many of the rivers and ponds in the city as well.  Now keep in mind that I prefer to fish from shore.  If I owned a boat I’d spend far more time fishing Lake Ontario.

“Are they even safe to eat”?

I get this question quite often as well.  Yes the fish you catch in and around Toronto are safe to eat.  We’re talking about Toronto here, not Chernobyl!  Now do I eat the fish that I catch?  Actually I don’t.  I’m strictly a catch and release fisherman.  “Then what’s the point” they ask?  I get this question quite often as well.  It’s usually followed by “what if you don’t catch anything”?  Of course I would like to land that trophy fish every time I go out.  Of course we all know that it just doesn’t happen.  Honestly though it doesn’t really matter.  Whether I catch or not, just being out on a beautiful day with only the sound of the river is satisfying enough.  In fact I enjoy some of the exact same things fishing provides that another one of my favourite sports Golf provides.  You get to escape from the daily grind, enjoy beautiful scenery, feel a sense of solitude not easily found within a city, and challenge yourself to improve a skill not easily mastered.  There is also the possibility of something absolutely amazing happening.  Catching that particular species of fish that’s incredibly rare, or hitting that hole in one.  If that doesn’t keep you coming back then you must be a total pessimist.  Look I’m not a world class professional fisherman by anyone’s standard.  I’m not sponsored by Minn-Kota, or Mepps.

Do I expect to land a trophy Musky some day?  Damn right I do!  It isn’t like I travel up north and fish Musky filled rivers.  People have caught Musky in the Greater Toronto Area before, so why can’t I.  To really be passionate about fishing.  You have to believe that a day will come that inspires a story that you will tell for years to come.  The kind of story that captivates an audience whether they are also Anglers or not.  A story that you are so proud of, that you grin every time you tell it.

If you haven’t read my The Right Angle RA-12 My greatest catch post, then I suggest that you do.  It contains one such story.  This particular story happened when I was still a kid.  Obviously I still tell it.  Like any great fishing story it only gets better the more you tell it.  People can’t stop asking me why I fish?

The sunrise that warms you while you are fishing on the river.

That monster strike when you least expect it.

That amazing story that you never get tired of telling.

The possibility of something truly magical happening at any moment.

Now you know why.

 

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The Right Angle RA-12 My greatest catch!

Grass always seems greener

To really understand the story I’m about to tell you.  You need to know a little bit about my childhood.  Specifically you will need to know what my summer vacations were like.  My parents are avid travellers.  They’ve been around the world and back many times.  So as a child summer vacations were spent in foreign lands.  My father speaks seven European languages so Western Europe was a popular destination.  My mother is from Jamaica so at least every other vacation we would make our way there.  Sounds fantastic right?  Believe me it was.  Just at the time I couldn’t truly comprehend how fantastic it was.  When you aren’t even a teenager yet.  Traveling can be misunderstood, or even exhausting at times.  I didn’t appreciate architecture, or foreign landscapes the way I do now.  Big Ben wasn’t too impressive to me after having already been up the CN tower at home.  Spending day after day on the beach was great, but I’d find myself wondering what my friends were doing back home.

The back to school deception

Summer comes to an end far quicker than we always expected.  I never looked forward to going back to school.  Chances are that you didn’t either.  One of the reasons I hated it so much was different from most others.  I hated when ultimately one of our teachers would ask each student what they did on their summer vacation?  Each student would stand up, and give a brief description of the highlights of their summer vacation.  Where I grew up there was two very popular events that occurred on summer vacations.  The first of those was frequent trips up to the cottage.  They would talk about going fishing, waterskiing, and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows by the fire with their family and friends.  It sounded like a blast to me.  The second event I was certain to hear about was going away to camp.  As amazing as the cottage descriptions were.  The tales I heard about being away at camp were even better.  Fishing, canoeing, Archery, and all types of Sports and Games.  Making new friends, and reconnecting with friends you had made in previous years.  It always seemed to end with some grand party the last day of camp.  By the time it was my turn to describe my summer vacation.  Visiting the Louvre, seeing the miniature city Madurodam in the Netherlands, or spending a day at Piccadilly Circus just seemed lame.  My teachers always seemed interested.  Why wouldn’t they be?  I was describing places that they themselves had hoped to visit someday.  Looking back I’m now certain that quite a few of them were jealous, and my final grades reflected it.  Of course it wasn’t my teachers I wanted to impress.  It was my fellow students.  When I tell you that not a single one of them was the least bit interested about learning what it’s like to see the Mona Lisa.  Think back to when you were ten years old, and you shouldn’t have much trouble believing it.

The greatest mistake

After years of back to school disappointments.  My brother and I begged our parents to send us away to camp instead of accompanying them to whichever country in Europe they planned on visiting.  It didn’t take too much convincing.  Sending us away to camp was only a fraction of the cost of bringing us to Europe.  Plus they would have all of that time away from the kids.  So off to camp we went.  Finally we would get to experience all of the fun, and games our friends had been experiencing for all those years!  The camp my parents chose to send us to was called Camp Bellaleo.  This camp offered two week programs, or you had an option for a full month.  Seizing the opportunity, my parents signed us up for the full month.  During my time there I got to experience everything I had heard about.  Swimming, Canoeing, Archery, Soccer, and many other games.  What they failed to include was how shitty everything else was.  Each and every day your activities were scheduled beforehand.  It was like being at school without the homework.  If soccer was scheduled from 10:00am till 11:00am then right at 11:00am it was over.  Didn’t matter if the score was tied, or you were setting up for a corner kick.  It ends now.  The food was terrible!  Keep in mind that I had gotten accustomed to eating at restaurants in Europe, or having fresh fish prepared for me straight out of the Caribbean Sea.  Kraft dinner, or baked beans just wasn’t cutting it.  No one ever mentioned how uncomfortable those wooden bunk beds were.  How I’d be forced to spend time learning origami, or making paper mache masks.  After about a week I began to wonder if all those years my classmates had been lying.  They weren’t lying.  They just didn’t know any better.  Their parents had been sending them away to camp for so long that it’s all they knew.  Including my brother and I, only three of us stayed for the full month.  Watching the others leave after the first two weeks was liking watching your cellmates get early parole.  I wanted out, but with my parents in Sweden I had nowhere to go.  Thankfully the camp counselors gave me a little more leeway to do what I wanted the second half of my sentence.  I loved Fishing, and the Lake by the camp had a good amount of fish.  Instead of the usual hour, I was allowed to fish from 1:00 till 4:00 in the afternoon.  It was on the third Friday of the month that the only good thing I remember about camp happened.

My greatest catch

The Fishing gear that was supplied to us was substandard to say the least.  I wish I could have brought along my $20 rod and reel from home.  Still I always managed to catch something every time.  Usually it was sunfish, but I also caught the odd Smallmouth Bass, or Catfish.  This day was different though.  Fishing with only corn as bait I saw something big swim past my hook.  I saw it again about 30 minutes later, and was able to point it out to a Camp counselor as it swam into some underwater vegetation.  “That’s definitely a Pike” he said.  I’d never caught a Pike before so I became very determined.  For the next hour I kept Fishing the same spot.  I almost hooked him once more when he peeked out to sniff at the corn.  Time was running out.  I only had another 20 minutes before I’d be forced to call it it a day.  By this point everyone else that had been fishing had stopped.  All eyes were on me.  Willing me to catch that one fish.  Everyone there had seen him by now.  In comparison to what we had caught before, this fish was huge.  Even the Camp counselor was caught up in the moment.  When the activities Bell rang to signal the end of my Fishing session I still hadn’t hooked him.  Fortunately one of the Camp counselors agreed to allow me to continue Fishing for another 20 minutes.  This is the time they usually allotted to prepare for “dinner”.  He stayed with me, and it was only about 5 minutes later that I hooked the beast!  As large as it was, the fight didn’t last long.  The counselor had a net ready, and I hooked the fish only about 7 feet from shore.  Every fish I had caught previous to this we tossed back.  This one we kept.  It measured just over 25 inches from the tip of his nose to his tail.  Still to this day the largest Pike I have ever caught.  They asked what I would like to do with it.  At their suggestion the Camp cooks prepared it for me and the others in my cabin.  Honestly it was the first decent meal I had in three weeks.

I did a quick search, and wouldn’t you know it.  Camp Bellaleo still exists.  Leaving that place was one of the single most satisfying days of my life.  I never went away to camp again.  I’m not saying that Camp isn’t for everyone.  It just wasn’t for me.  There are few things from my childhood that I remember hating more.  Still, if I hadn’t gone off to camp that fateful summer.  I would never have caught that trophy Pike.

 

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FISHING

The Right Angle RA-11 Rainy day blues

Over before it started.

Yesterday the weather was perfect.  Clear skies, on a hot day without it being too humid.  My wife and I took the GO train out to Burlington, and I couldn’t help but stare longingly at every stream we crossed.  It was a bit of a tease but I wasn’t bothered by it too much.  I knew that we had already made plans to go fishing early this morning.  😁 According to the weather report we were supposed to have a similar day to yesterday.  Well that just wasn’t the case.  We woke up to the annoying sound of rain beating against our bedroom window.  So much for our perfect day of Fishing.  It was over before it even begun.

What to do now?

If you’ve ever had a planned Fishing trip ruined by the weather?  Then you’ll know that anything else you might think of doing instead seems lacking.  Go see a movie?  Yippee!  Could always get some shopping done?  Yeah, that compares to the strike a five pound Bass makes.  Binge watch something on Netflix?  Unfortunately I’ve already finished watching anything I’m really interested in.  Although there are a couple of highly rated foreign series I haven’t watched yet.  I so love subtitles!  In the end we decided to stay in, and catch up on house cleaning while NFL preseason games repeat on NFL Network.  Thank God for football.

What happens next?

I’m going to be eager to get out and go Fishing as soon as possible.  It won’t have to be anywhere special.  Just the closest River with Shore Fishing access.  I’ll probably end up night Fishing in the city.  If you have read my previous Fishing post,   The Right Angle RA-10 Old Mill at night  then you will know what I’m hoping for.  It’s when things don’t go my way after a disappointing day like this that the real frustration sets in.  You are probably wondering why that is?  To fully understand you need to know how my mind works.  The day before I go fishing I imagine what I might catch.  I factor in where I’m Fishing.  Which breeds I plan on fishing for.  Which lures I plan on using to catch the fish.  If I have fished there before, then which spots I expect to get strikes.  If I do as well as I expected.  Then the trip is a total success.  If I don’t, well it just wasn’t my day.  Hopefully I had a great time anyways, and learned something as well.  Where things can get weird is when my Fishing trip gets cancelled.  Suddenly everything that I imagined could happen.  Would have happened if I could have gone Fishing.  My mind tricks me into believing that I just missed out on the perfect Fishing day.  At this point I won’t be satisfied until I can replace the imaginary perfect day I missed.  Do you follow what I’m saying?  The next time I go fishing had better be amazing, or I won’t be satisfied.  The weather could be perfect.  I could find a new spot with great access to the River.  I could see a family of deer across the River stop to take a drink, while a Bald Eagle soars overhead.  If I don’t catch that trophy Bass I imagined the day before my cancelled Fishing trip.  Then none of it will matter.

I could go on and on about the monumental disappointment I’m potentially facing my next time out.  With any luck that won’t be the case.  Hopefully my next post will have a picture of me holding a trophy Bass, and this will all be over.  One thing is for sure.  I won’t stop casting until I get that perfect picture.

 

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FISHING Uncategorized

The Right Angle RA-10 Old Mill at night

While the city sleeps

Something that I have always liked about Toronto is how quiet it can be at night.  Sure it stays busy downtown at night on the weekends.  Head a little West, or North of the downtown core.  It can get as quiet as being on a river up North at dusk.  This particular evening I thought I’d give the Humber River a little South of the Old Mill a shot.

I have fished this area quite a few times.  Unless the Salmon are running it isn’t the greatest spot.  I have had some success catching the odd trout there.  That’s what I was fishing for that night.  This was gonna be a new experience for me.  I usually fish in the early morning.  I have never fished this particular spot at night before.  So I really didn’t know what to expect.

I decided to travel light.  I brought my 8ft light flex two piece rod, and spincast Reel with 8lb monofilament.  I only bought 3 lures with me.  A number 3 Blue Fox silver spinner.  A number 2 Panther Martin in the bumble bee colouring.  Lastly a Silver & Blue spoon.

Anyone that’s fished downstream of the Old Mill knows that there are a fair number of potential snags.  I figured that one of three things would happen to signal the end of my night.  There wouldn’t be any action, and I wouldn’t even get a single bite for a few hours.  I would lose all three lures to snags.  I would actually catch a nice sized fish, and satisfyingly call it a night.

I took the TTC subway to Old Mill station and made my way along the path downstream.  There are very few spots with access to the River that are suitable for shore fishing.  Just north of the Toronto Humber Yacht club is one such spot.  It also happens to be my favourite.

You can easily cast to both sides of the River.  I’ve also had some success here before.  Albeit the previously successful visits were in the morning.   I decided to begin my evening of Fishing with the Blue and Silver Spoon.  It ended up being a fantastic choice.  I decided to make my first cast along the near shoreline.  Practically the moment I closed the bail to begin working the lure back in I got a strike!   I didn’t even have to set the hook.  Fish on!  I reeled it in with ease because it was a small 5 inch Trout.  Still if was an indication of the right presentation, at the right time of night.  Then things were looking good.  Well it was a very good example.  Too good in fact.  I spent the next few hours casting, and reeling in fish.  Unfortunately they were all similar to the first one I caught.  Too small to put up a fight.  One thing is for sure.  The Humber River will have a healthy run of Trout for years to come.  I’ve never pulled more than 2 or 3 fish out of this section of the Humber before.  I caught over 6 small Trout in less than 3 hours.

What would have made the night complete was just one fish worth photographing.  Still I’ve had those days where you catch absolutely squat.  So I’m not going to complain.  What I will take away from this is that Fishing the Humber at night is a great idea.  If you live in Toronto, and find yourself with a sleepless night.  Grab a Pole, and head out to the Humber.  You won’t be disappointed.

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The Right Angle RA-9 Wonderful water hazards

Unlikely fishing spots

First of all I stumbled across these locations by total fluke.  If I hadn’t taken up Golf a few years ago. I would never have realized the relatively untapped potential of Fishing the small ponds on Golf courses.  The first time I realized the potential to catch some really decent Bass was during an early Round of Golf with a good friend of mine at Mayfield Golf course.  We were on the 7th Hole of the White course.  While I was preparing to Putt, a greenskeeper rode by with Fishing equipment in his cart.  At first I thought I must be seeing things.  I figured it had to be some strange piece of equipment for course maintenance that I mistook for Fishing gear.  I went back to concentrating on my next Putt, but the image of the Fishing gear was too distracting to hole it.  I ended up two putting for Bogey.  The eighth Hole requires you to hit your Tee shot over a Pond.  After making a really nice Tee shot with my 3 Wood.  I took the long walk around the Pond to find my ball on the Fairway.  From there I could see the same Greenskeeper clearing some debris from the far end of the Pond.  I could see his cart parked off to the side, but it was too far away to get a good look at it’s contents.  I hurried up and took my next shot, which wasn’t a very good one by the way.  I decided to just go pick up my ball, and make my way over to the Greenskeeper.  As I approached I could see that my original suspicions were correct.  He definitely had Fishing gear in his cart.

When I reached him he was almost finished clearing out some plastic from the Ponds edge.  I said good morning as I approached, and he responded in kind.  Immediately he asked if there was something he could help me with.  I told there wasn’t, but that I was interested in why he had Fishing gear in the back of his cart.  He looked a little uncertain of how to answer at first.  Then he just smiled and said watch this.  He proceeded to walk over to his cart.  He opened a tackle box, and pulled out a small jar filled with worms.  He removed one from the jar, and walked back over to the Pond.  He told me to watch closely.  He then threw the worm into the Pond about 6 feet from shore.  I watched it slowly sink to the bottom.  Almost as soon as it touched bottom a Bass swam in and swallowed it completely.  It wasn’t just a little Bass either.  It was easily a two to three pounder.  “Holy shit”! I was shocked.  I never expected to come across any real Game fish in any of these Ponds.  He then told me that in the early morning before the first Tee times.  Him and a couple of the other Greenskeepers fish the Pond for Bass.  They just catch and release them.  They even have a deal that whoever catches the smallest one has to clean the garbage pails at each Hole at the end of the day.  My next question was obvious.  Would it be Ok if I fished the Pond at some point.  He told me if I were willing to show up there at 4:45am I’d be welcome to join them.  I just had to bring my own equipment, and only use barbless hooks.  Done and done!

Turns out that the Pond at Mayfield Golf course isn’t the only one to offer some great Fishing opportunities.  I recently attended a Charity Golf tournament at Granite Ridge Golf course in Milton.  As we were preparing to Tee off on the first Hole.  I noticed that a few of the Tournament organizers had their Fishing equipment with them.  While the rest of us played our 18 holes.  They were going from Pond to Pond catching Bass.  Thankfully I had a pretty good Round that day or I would have been really upset.  I haven’t fished there yet, but it’s definitely on my list of places to try.  Especially after I heard them talking about their afternoon Fishing.  Between the three of them they caught 5 Bass that day.  The majority of their Fishing was in the late morning.  Imagine how well they might have done if they started earlier!

One other place I’ve recently learned about that has quite the Bass population is Glen Eagle in Bolton.  A Friend of mine found out I had taken up Golf.  First opportunity he had he joined me for a Round at Centennial Golf course in Etobicoke.  While we were on the Tee box of one of the Holes with a water hazard.  I mentioned to him that I had come across a couple of courses that had decently sized Bass in the Ponds.  He was surprised I didn’t know about that already.  You see he used to work at Glen Eagle Golf course in Bolton in the summers.  He told me that the Ponds there were full of Bass.  For pure amusement he used to catch leopard frogs, and toss them out to a middle of a Pond.  He was interested in seeing if they could make it back to the shoreline before a Bass ate them.  According to him, more often than not the Frog lost.  I asked him if he knew who to ask if we could fish the Ponds there.  At his next opportunity he’s going to swing by and see if there’s someone there he knows that can get us in.  I really hope it’s a yes.  I’d hate to have to risk getting charged for trespassing.

So if you live near a Golf course, or have one conveniently located for you.  It might be worth stopping in, and asking if they would mind if you tried Fishing their Ponds after hours.  You might stumble across an untapped gem.

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The Right Angle RA-8 Toronto island

Finally the Island is open!

If this was last year.  I would have been over to Toronto island a few times by now.  Unfortunately this year the Spring melt was met with heavy rains.  The islands were completely flooded. It’s taken a lot of money, and a lot of work to make the Islands safe for visitors. Well enough work has been done to finally allow people to visit the Islands.  So my wife and I packed up our gear, and caught the first Ferry over to Wards island.

I was excited for a number of reasons.  First of all if you follow my blog, you will already know that it’s one of my favourite places to fish in Toronto.  Secondly with the Islands having been closed to visitors.  There’s been little to no fishing pressure at some of our favourite spots.  I had a feeling that today was going to be a great day.  I was also very interested in seeing the condition of the Islands after all the flooding.  The evidence of the flooding was everywhere.  Some of the Holes on the Disc Golf course are still underwater.  There are sand bags lining the roadways.  Large areas are still closed off to visitors.  Unfortunately some of my favourite spots were inaccessible.   That really wasn’t a problem though because new locations have been created by the flooding.  I actually saw a small Bass in a shallow pool right beside the roadway.  Our first stop was at a spot we have fished many times before.

St. Andrew’s by the Lake Church on Centre island has a small dock behind it.  There’s enough room for a few people to fish.  My wife and I have always had it all to ourselves whenever we go.  I’ve only seen one other person fish there.  It’s easy to cast Spinners or Spoons along the shoreline from the dock.  You can also have some success jigging off the end of the dock.  I began my day with a #4 Mepps Black Fury from their Pike kit.

We spent about 90 minutes working the shoreline.  I tried a number of different presentations.  Unfortunately though we came up empty.  We continued west along the path to the next spot.

Before you reach the Bridge by the large fountain there’s a mooring point.  You can work the shoreline to the east, cast across the channel, or jig along the mooring side.  I switched to a Shallow Rattler to see if that would get them biting.

After casting for a little under an hour I got my first strike, and it was a monster hit!  I had worked the Rattler under some overhanging trees along the shoreline when the strike happened.  It folded my rod over instantly.  As soon as the moment came it was gone just as fast.  Whatever it was it shook loose after about 10 seconds of fighting.  I didn’t even get to catch a glimpse.  It was enough to raise our spirits, and keep us motivated though.  Took about another 30 minutes before I got my next strike.  This one wasn’t getting away.

This was not the Bass I was looking for.  Still I’ll take something over nothing any day.  Considering that my wife and I had three strikes over the last 30 minutes.  We knew that it was feeding time.  If we we’re hoping to land a trophy fish for the day.  It was going to happen now, or not at all.

I switched back to a Spoon, and passed the Rattler off to my wife.  We took turns working different portions of the channel.  The seconds turned into minutes, and before we knew it.  Another hour had passed, and the sun was high in the sky.  The early morning mosquito layers came off.  Might as well kill two birds with one stone, and tan as well right.  The reality that out Fishing window was closing quickly set in.  Both of us were getting ready to call it a day when finally the beast we we’re hoping to find appeared.  My wife made about a 30 foot cast along the shoreline.  While reeling in she  got caught up in some underwater vegetation.  She was able to jerk the lure free.  She continued reeling it in to clear the hooks, and make another cast.  Just before the lure broke the surface the Largemouth appeared.  Easily an eight pounder, he followed that lure within an arms length from the dock.  That’s as close as we’d get to catching him though.  His nose brushed up against the trailing vegetation, and he turned away, and disappeared.  We continued to cast for a while longer, but to no avail.

Our first trip over to the Toronto islands wasn’t a success, but it wasn’t a complete failure either.  Most importantly we got a glimpse of what’s waiting for us the next time we go.  Every fish you catch makes for a great memory, but it’s the next fish you catch that gets your heart racing.  I can’t wait to go back, and hopefully next time is my time.

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FISHING Uncategorized

The Right Angle RA-7 Casting

It’s all about the cast

Like the majority of you I began fishing with with a short Rod and $2 Reel.  Somehow my line never got Tangled in that tin cup, and plastic buttoned piece of crap.  There’s something to be said about simplicity there.  I’d cast that thing about 10 feet max.  That’s fine when you are Fishing small ponds, or off a dock.  My only bait those days were the worms I found flipping over rocks in the backyard.  That was the deal I had with my Dad.  Find at least 20 worms, and he would take my brother, and I Fishing.

Most of our little Fishing trips were successful.  It was a truly rare occasion that we didn’t catch anything.  Which only increased our desire to go Fishing more often.  It wasn’t long before I was asking for better equipment for Christmas.  A new Rod, and Reel that would allow me to cast way out to where I was sure the Fish must be.  I would soon learn that my predictions weren’t necessarily correct about that.  I decided on a Spinning Rod & Reel because that’s what I saw the majority of serious Fishermen using locally.  Took me a little practice to get used to it.  Once I had it figured out you couldn’t keep me from Fishing every decent day.

I was still using worms for bait, and having a lot of success with them.  Whenever I fished a popular spot though.  I’d see other people Fishing with lures.  Watching them expertly work a lure across a lilypad, or through some thick reeds to entice a fish to strike.  The urge to try this form of Fishing was just too strong to resist.  So the first chance I got.  I tagged along with my Dad to Canadian Tire, and bought a miniature tackle box plus lures kit.  It included some small Spinners, a couple Spoons, a few Jerkbaits, and of course a selection of rubber worms.

I grew up a short walk from the Credit River so I had the most luck with the Spinners, and Spoons catching Trout.  It was mostly dumb luck.  I’d cast my line to the opposite side of the River, and simply Reel it back in.  My ability to cast to a specific point had become quite impressive.  Most of my friends that fished, and even the local kids that were much older were impressed with my casting ability.  Even though I had this considerable weapon at the ready.  The number of fish I would catch was slowly decreasing.  So what was I to do?  Switch back to worms, and start landing more fish of course.

Fast forward to today, and I couldn’t tell you the last time I actually used live bait.  It’s lures only for me.  Every kind of lure you could think of.  My days of simply casting as far as I could, and reeling it straight back are long gone.  I can create all kinds of action with each lure.  My passion is Shore Fishing, but any Freshwater Fishing is fine by me.  I’ve been to so many places, and cast many a line.  I’ve had some very memorable days where it felt like every other cast got a monster strike.   That moment during a day of Fishing when you figure out which lure is irresistible to your target species.  If you haven’t experienced it yet, it’s crazy.   It feels like the Fish are practically racing each other to strike your lure.

One of the most successful days of fishing I’ve ever had was on Lake Simcoe.  Three of us went really early to a spot we new of.  We had fished there many times before, and always landed a few fish.  I knew it was going to be a great day when I hooked a twelve inch Perch with my third cast.  We were there for almost three hours.  In that time we caught 38 Perch including a couple really large ones.  I personally caught 25 of the 38.  Think about that for a moment.  I was landing an average of 8 fish per hour.  After I caught the first fish I knew I wasn’t going to change my set up for the rest of the day.  I bet you are wondering what the miracle combination was?  It was a 7ft two piece rod, with a Spincast Reel, a hook, and a worm.

So why won’t I fish with worms anymore?  Honestly it feels like cheating.  There’s very little effort involved.  If you cast out a worm, and a fish is close by.  There’s a very good chance that you’ll get a bite.  I treat Fishing like exercise.  If my arms aren’t difficult to lift after a day of Fishing then I didn’t try hard enough.  Enticing a trophy Bass to strike by deftly working a Hula Popper is far more satisfying then waiting for a Fish to swallow a worm.

Everyone enjoys Fishing their own way, for their own reasons.  For me it’s Casting every kind of lure until my arms fall off.  For others it’s Casting out a worm, and sitting on the riverbank while reading a book.  Whichever way you like to do it one thing remains the same for everyone.  It’s always exciting to land that first fish.  I caught 25 that day, but the first one was the most satisfying.

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FISHING Uncategorized

The Right Angle RA-6 Harbourfront

Fishing Toronto’s Harbourfront

Last Tuesday the weather forecast was calling for clear skies.  My wife and I figured that it was a great opportunity to try our luck down on the Harbourfront.  We packed up our gear Monday night, and got up early Tuesday morning ready to go.  Got on the Blue Night TTC bus heading South, and made our way downtown.

There are a few decent spots to fish along the Harbourfront.  I personally have a couple of favourites though.  We began our day fishing the first of those.  Just West of the Jack Layton ferry terminal is a short little boardwalk that’s normally a docking point for private Water taxis.

It sits just above the water line.  Well it usually does.  With the Lake level so high from Spring rains.  Lake Ontario was making itself felt by spilling over the edge.

This has always been a great spot for jigging just over the edge of the boardwalk.  I’ve caught a nice sized Pike here in the past.  After about an hour of jigging with s few different lures, it was obvious that there weren’t any fish to be had here today.  That’s something you should know about this particular spot.  If you don’t get a bite, or see any fish early.  Pack up your gear and move on.  Predatory fish patrol the Harbourfront, but rarely keep to one area.  So don’t stay anywhere too long if there isn’t any activity.

My next spot is the welcome exception.  Just West of Stadium road near Stadium road Park is a small harbour with a few boat slips.

Sweet spot

The combination of the boats, boat slips, a dock, and underwater vegetation make for a perfect fish habitat.  It’s kind of an out of the way spot as well, so you won’t have to deal with too many distractions.  I absolutely love this spot!  I’ve caught Pike, Bass, and Drum here.   A quick note before I continue.  If you enjoy Carp Fishing, then anywhere along the Harbourfront is fine.  Just find a spot with calm water, and put out a line.  There are Carp all over the place.  I’m not interested in Fishing for Carp.  Still I see so many I’m tempted to begin.  Honestly I could just bring a long net along, and catch one with that.

I wasn’t out that morning looking to land a Carp though.  It didn’t take long before my favourite spot teased me.  A good sized Bass broke the surface by the boat Slips across from the Dock.  I switched to a heavier Spinner to make casting beyond that point easier.  I went with a number 4 Mepps Gold Spinner.

After about thirty minutes of casting I got a strike.  It was a hard strike, and I set the Hook well.  Really well in fact.  I know this because immediately after the Hook set the fish got Tangled around a Slip support post.  What should have been a minute at most to bring it in turned into twenty.  I was tempted to just cut the line a couple of times.  This was the first fish of the day though so I was determined to land it.  Fortunately my perseverance paid off and I was able to bring it in.  Looks like our luck had changed, or had it?

What I had assumed was a good sized Bass turned out to be a small Catfish.  Shit!  You think I’d be happy with at least catching something only a couple hours into our day.  Well I wasn’t, and neither was my wife.  What you don’t know about our previous Fishing trips is that my wife and I have a Catfish jinx.  Sounds like bullshit right?  Well it isn’t.  Whenever one of us catches a Catfish as our first catch of the day.  You can pretty much guarantee that it will be our last catch of the day as well.

Might as well just pack up our gear, and call it a day.  My wife did just that.  Packed up her rod, found a Park bench to relax on, and wait for the morning sun.  We had been out for such a short length of time that I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.  In the end I probably should have.  Not another bite for the rest of the morning.  There is a silver lining to this catfish cloud though.

Fishing downtown definitely has it’s advantages.  You are never too far from bathroom facilities.  Getting there, and back is really easy.  If you are craving a snack, or something to drink you don’t have to walk far.  Today’s advantage though, if you get Catfish jinxed you can just pack up, and find a decent place for breakfast.  We chose the restaurant at St. Lawrence Market, and got a spot on the patio.

All in all it wasn’t the best morning Fishing, but still managed to be a pretty good day.

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The Right Angle RA-5 Cheltenham

A totally fantastic Fishing hole!

Less than an hour Northwest of Toronto.  Provided you aren’t driving during rush hour of course.  Realistically you shouldn’t be driving during rush hour if you are hoping to catch a few fish.  There is  a little known spot that’s fantastic for Brook, and Rainbow Trout.  Along a stretch of Creditview road between King Street, and Olde Base Line in Caledon lies the small village of Cheltenham.  Unless you are from Cheltenham, or somewhere else close by.  You’ve probably never been to the great little stretch of the Credit River that runs alongside Mill Street in Cheltenham.

Beginning just behind the Cheltenham General store, and continuing Southwest to Mississauga road.  This small stretch of the Credit River is perfect for casting lures, fly fishing, or drifting worms with a hook and bobber.  There is a campsite Park at Mississauga road by the river which gets busy at times.  Personally I prefer to avoid fishing in groups, so I tend to stay closer to Creditview road.  As an added bonus, having the Cheltenham General store close by is really convenient.  It’s a great place for an early morning coffee, or lunch after fishing.

http://www.cheltenhamstore.com/

If for some strange reason the unthinkable happens!  You’ve been fishing for a few hours, and haven’t caught anything.  Don’t worry about it.  You are within a fifteen minute drive of a number of great spots.  About a five minute drive away is another great spot on the Forks of the Credit. There’s available parking, and one of the most picturesque spots on the river below the trestle bridge.

If you have read my previous The Right Angle posts then you will already know about my favourite spot in nearby Belfountain. Refer to my previous post for the exact location.

The Right Angle RA-2 Guelph Lake fishing

I’ve had the most luck in this area casting with Spinners.  A number 3, or 4 Blue Fox Silver Spinner has worked well.  Try whatever you prefer.  If you find something that works particularly well for you.  Please leave a comment and let me know.

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Keep landing Lunkers!

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FISHING

The Right Angle RA-4 Toronto Fishing

Fishing in the city of Toronto

Living in the center of the city has its advantages.  I’m a five minute walk from St. Clair station.  I can walk to the Eaton Centre in under an hour.  If you are familiar with Toronto, you’ll know that walking south on Yonge street is practically all downhill.  It makes for a very easy walk.  I have access to fantastic restaurants, galleries, theatres, festivals, and other amazing forms of entertainment.  This is supposed to be a fishing Post though.

Unfortunately the amount of conveniently located fishing spots in Toronto is sorely lacking.  Of course if you go out at just the right time of year.  You can get some pretty decent Salmon fishing in on the Don, or Humber Rivers.  If you like fishing for Carp?  I sure as hell don’t.  But if you do, then take a ferry over to Centre island.  Guaranteed you will catch some great sized Carp.

I’ve fished Grenadier Pond, and landed the odd sunfish.  Sorry I didn’t take a picture.  I recently fished Topham Pond.  All I got to show for it was a small catfish.  I actually have a picture of it.  If you would like to see it just send me a request.  I tried Centennial Park Pond in the west end, and came up empty.  I’ve fished all along the Lakeshore.  Sure I’ve landed the occasional fish.  Nothing worth bragging about mind you.  Sounds pretty hopeless doesn’t it?  I should just pack my gear in a car, and head North like everyone else right.

Well not so fast.

There is a spot accessible by TTC that never seems to disappoint.  The Rouge River mouth is a fantastic spot to fish for a number of species.  You can have a fair amount of success fishing from shore.  I’ve landed a number of very nice trout casting from shore.  I generally access the Rouge River by entering through Rouge Park.  There’s an entrance to the park at the Easternmost end of Lawrence Ave.  I’ve caught everything from Trout, Pike, Crappie, Catfish, and Suckers on the Rouge River.

There are a number of shallows, and weed beds to fish along the river mouth that are accessible by canoe, or inflatable.  If you have access to one.  I would suggest trying it for sure.  You will also be able to access some of the deeper water where trophy Salmon, and Trout can be found in late summer to early fall.

Even though I haven’t had much luck fishing many of the Rivers, and Ponds in Toronto.  I still try fishing each one a couple of times each year.  I don’t have to land a trophy fish every time out.  If I felt that way I’d absolutely hate fishing.  A nice calm day on the river making a few casts is enough for me.  Feeling the first rays of the sun warm my face in the morning is almost as satisfying as that first catch.

The days I’m determined to land something that’s picture worthy.  Those are the days I head out to the Rouge.  She’s never let me down.  So if you feel like fishing, but don’t feel like taking a trip out of the city.  Catch the TTC Blue Night, and head on out to the Rouge.