Don’t dismiss the classic spots
Everyone knows about the popular fishing holes in their area. There’s nothing secret about them. Usually they have signs posted that are supposed to alert tourists to where they are allowed to fish. If you have lived in the area for a long time. You undoubtedly have stories about trophy catches you made there as a kid. You remember the days when you used to go fishing there on the weekend, and you might come across three or four other people Fishing each day. You can’t even remember when the last time you fished there was. All you remember was that there were so many people Fishing that day that you couldn’t find a spot open enough to have room to cast. Friends you grew up fishing with have told you that too much Fishing pressure there has made landing anything worthwhile practically hopeless. Well if that’s the case, then why are people still fishing there? The answer is simple. Barring an ecological disaster, where there’s been fish, there always will be fish. Trust me when I tell you that the person that goes fishing only a few times a year won’t spend a day casting unless they see other people catching fish. The reason those classic spots are so busy is because there’s always somebody catching something. Sure it may not be anything worth telling stories by the fire about. Still the thrill of the catch is always there when somebody else lands a fish. Now maybe you are more like me, and Fishing is also about getting away from it all, and finding a little solitude. It won’t matter much to me if I land a decent sized fish if there’s a family of tourists snapping pictures of it over my shoulder. I’ve had that happen more than once actually. So then why am I telling you don’t dismiss the classic spots?
The tourist fishing season is over
Now keep in mind that I’m talking about Southern Ontario. When the temperature begins to drop, Thanksgiving turkey is all gone, and parents are focused on getting there kids Halloween costumes. Suddenly those popular spots you no longer consider fishing because everyone, and their dog will be there become totally devoid of fishermen. That’s right, I shit you not. The only people Fishing now are Fanatics like you and me. We are more likely to travel an extra hour or two to one of our secret spots than just take a quick trip down the street to that fishing hole everyone knows about. I figured this out a few years ago by total fluke. I was watching football at a friend’s place who lives really close to High Park. After the second game we decided to take his dog for a walk through the Park. When we walked passed Grenadier Pond where I would normally see at least half a dozen people Fishing at this time, there was no one. Not a soul. The Pond looked eerily still. I found myself wishing I had a fishing rod with me. Was it just a coincidence I thought. I had to know so I came back the next weekend with a collapsible Rod and Reel. My suspicions were correct. There was nobody there. I was rewarded for bringing the Rod with me because it took less than an hour for me to land a nice sized Bluegill. I mentioned in my last Fishing post how I hate Salmon Season. Well as the Salmon running hype slows down, the classic spots begin to open up. Do yourself a favour and save yourself the trip up north. Just pack up a portable tackle box, and give the local fishing hole a try.
