Tag: Fishing

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Fishing Grenadier Pond in High Park – The Right Angle RA-21

So Inviting

I will begin this by saying that there are many places to fish in and around the city.  Few are as inviting as Grenadier Pond in High Park though.  Easily accessible by car or TTC.  There is plenty of free parking available.  Restaurants on site in case you are hungry, or in desperate need of a bathroom.  Most of all Grenadier Pond has an abundance of fish.  With all that to offer you would probably assume that I fish here often, but I don’t.  Grenadier Pond does have one thing I’m not very fond of, an abundance of fishermen.

Sharing Space

Something I’ve never quite understood, and I’ve come across it many times in many places, is the attraction to fishing off of a dock or pier.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand why you would select that spot.  It usually has deeper water, a comfortable place to sit, creates a shaded safe haven of sorts for fish, and is easy to get to.  The issue I have isn’t with the actual location. It’s with the number of people that try and share it.  What makes anyone think that their bait will be the one selected when a fish happens to swim by.  I’ve seen relatively small docks with 20 people fishing from it.  The are practically sandwiched together shoulder to shoulder hoping to book the big one of the day.  It just seems ludicrous to me!  Keep in mind that I don’t use live bait either, and a lot of the people fishing from docks do.  I could have the newest lure on the market from Rapala, and it’s still less likely to be as enticing as a live bait.  No offence to Rapala, but they are called artificials for a reason.  Now as ponds go, Grenadier Pond isn’t a little one.  There is a lot of area available to be fished.  Due to it’s location in High Park there are some areas that are off limits to fish.  Those areas are clearly marked though so they are easy to avoid.  Still whenever I go there’s always a large collection of people casting their lines from the one pier of sorts available.

So where to fish?

Like I said Grenadier Pond is quite large.  IvI’ found a number of spots that aren’t to difficult to reach by foot that have yielded me some excellent catches.  The two best in my opinion are at the southernmost end alongside the Queensway Blvd, and the north end casting from the west bank.  Time of day plays a role as well.  If you plan on giving the northern tip a try, I would suggest early morning just before sun up.  Later in the day the predator fish tend to move south, although you can catch a variety of sunfish all day long.  In the evening the southern section of Grenadier Pond yields the best catches.  I’ve  pulled very nice sized Bass and Crappie in the evening from a spot just off of Ellis Ave.  There are a number of easily accessible places to cast all around Grenadier Pond, but it’s always best to pick a location less frequented by tourists.  Unless you enjoy constant questions about what you have caught that day, what you are using for bait, and don’t mind being photographed.  Now I’m quite photogenic (at least my Mom tells me so) but part of the reason I enjoy fishing so much is the solitude.  Fishing is a brief respite from the chaos of the city.  It takes a little bit of effort but you can even get a sense of being away from it all if you pick the right spot on Grenadier Pond.

 

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FISHING Uncategorized

Finally the weather cooperates! – The Right Angle RA-20

It’s about time!

It only took until late April for the weather to hold long enough for my wife and I to consider going fishing.  It honestly feels like a year has passed since the last time we went.  Winter feels like that in Canada at times.  Like the cold weather is neverending.  Well it finally did, and on a quiet Monday morning we decided to give the credit river mouth a try.  Fortunately for us access to the river is conveniently reached by transit.  Less than 20 minutes on the TTC, and then another 30 minutes or so by GO train, and you are only a few minutes walk from the river.  There are restaurant and coffee shops nearby, and an arena with public washrooms only a short walk away.  On a weekday it’s relatively quiet in the morning.  Only the occasional local taking their dogs for a walk come across us fishing.  In other words it’s a perfect spot to cast, and hopefully catch something on a weekday morning as the sun rises.

Pleasant company

This portion of the credit river is better known for rowing than fishing.  Periodically we would take a break from casting spinners and spoons to watch the rowers zip by us.  A couple of swans made their way to us out of interest but quickly moved on.  For about an hour we saw another gentleman fishing from the opposite bank with worms.  He had a folding lawn chair with him, and just cast out his line then settled in.  There was a cool breeze coming in off the lake, but the rising sun provided just enough warmth to keep us comfortable.  Early on it seemed as though our efforts weren’t going to be rewarded. For the first hour we hadn’t even got as much as a nibble on either of our lines.  Normally that would be enough to sour my mood, but with this being our first time out on what was sure to be a beautiful day I didn’t mind.

Would our luck change?

There’s always that moment when you have been fishing one area long enough that you struggle with moving on.  Especially when fishing from shore.  You wonder if there might be a shallow rocky pool, or tree that’s fallen into the river a little further upstream where the fish could be hiding.  Have you been endlessly casting into a section of the river that’s totally devoid of fish?  Well in this case that seemed impossible being so close to the river mouth.  There had to be fish there.  Stubbornly I stood my ground, and continued to cast until my shoulders and arms hurt.  Finally after about 3 hours my determination was rewarded.  Unfortunately for me the reward wasn’t mine.  It was my wife’s.

“I got one” she exclaimed!  I was in the middle of my retrieve so I looked over my left shoulder to see her rod severely bent, a look of pure determination on her face, and the fat body of a fish splash back into the river.  She had hooked a serious lunker!  Now we caught some pretty nice Bass last year, but just a glimpse of what she had on the line was enough for me to realize that this beauty was going to eclipse all of those.  The catch of the year might well be the first one we make!  I quickly reeled my line in as she fought to bring the lunker in.  To get to where my wife was I had to carefully traverse some rocks that made up the shoreline.  When I was merely 6 feet from her I saw the beast jump clear out of the river once more.  Almost definitely a lake trout, it’s scales reflecting the sunlight.  That last jump was so close to shore that my wife could have probably reached out and caught that fish.  She didn’t catch it though.  That last jump proved to be just what the beast needed to shake the lure loose. One last splash and the lunker was gone.  The only evidence that it was ever there was the look of astonishment on my wife’s face.  In the end we didn’t land anything that day.  Even so the urge to return to Port Credit and try our luck again couldn’t be greater.   On a day that we actually caught nothing, I doubt that I could have been more satisfied if we did.

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The one that got away – The Right Angle RA-19

Promises Promises

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I’m sure some of you are expecting a recap of what my first Ice Fishing experience was like.  Well sorry to disappoint you but that hasn’t happened yet.  There has been a number of reasons as to why I haven’t made my way out on to the ice yet.  I’m not afraid to admit that the greatest of which is my resistance to spending quality time freezing my ass off on a frozen lake.  Does that make me a little bit less of a Canadian?  If it does, so be it.  IdI rather be a poor excuse for a Canadian than frozen on a lake to prove a point.  Don’t completely give up on me yet though.  My resistance to participate in anything that requires a Parka isn’t the only reason.  I’ve had health issues to deal with this winter.  I had a business opportunity related to my website that was too good to pass up.  Finding someone else interested in going Ice Fishing is actually more difficult than I expected it to be.  Keep in mind I expected it to be tres difficult!  It’s down right next to impossible.  There aren’t too many people that live in Toronto that think hanging out in a hut on a frozen lake in the middle of winter is an entertaining idea.

My intentions are good

As unappealing as Ice Fishing sounds to me.  I have a very strong suspicion that it would make for some great material.  Could there be better video content of me totally unimpressed, and pissed off with a situation I have no way out of?  What if I actually enjoy it?  I know that’s highly unlikely, but I’m not completely dismissing the possibility.  That could actually make for better material.  I’m willing to bet that one Ice Fishing trip would equal a two part, or maybe even three part Blog series.  No other fishing trip has provided that.  So if you think I’m looking for ways to avoid doing this, you’re wrong.  I really do want to try Ice Fishing. My intentions are good.  I just haven’t had the opportunity present itself.

It’s not all bad news

On a lighter note, the temperature outside has been slowly, but steadily increasing.  It’s already beginning to feel like Spring is on itsi way.  My window for Ice Fishing is closing, but so what.  With Spring comes easy access to rivers, and a lot more fishing for me.  That also means a lot more The Right Angle posts for you.  I already have a couple of Fishing trips planned so you will have some original content to look forward to.  That also means that I’ll be taking some fantastic pictures as well.  I can’t wait.  Hopefully neither can you.

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FANTASY FISHING GAMING GOLF

In case you didn’t know – Winter Sucks!!!

I’m Canadian so I know

For those of you that don’t really experience winter as the cold, dark, snow and ice filled hell that Canadians know it to be.  Well lucky you.  You really don’t have a winter Season.  What you experience is more of an extended fall, or if you are truly blessed, a cool summer.  The Winters that I’ve experienced in my lifetime range from mild (below zero with light snow) to severe (an entire city frozen in ice without power).  It’s during this abhorrent time that I go from an active sports enthusiast to an out of shape couch commando.  I’ve wondered what kind of shape I would be in if I could just keep doing the things I love (golfing, fishing, walking the city) year round.  Of course there are the many winter sports that so many find enjoyable.  Obviously something terrible has had to have happened to each of them at some point in their lives.  Why else would they subject themselves to such torturous endeavours. Strapping two thin planks to your feet and sliding down a snowy hill.  Fast enough to make the -10 degree temps feel like-20. If you prefer one wide plank that’s available.  Maybe you prefer strapping blades to your feet so you can slide across ice instead.  Desperately working on keeping your balance well enough to keep your ankles from breaking.  You could always head far enough up North to mount a tobaggan equipped with a high powered engine and really freeze your ass solid.  As appealing as some of those activities may sound to some of you.  They sure as shit aren’t for me.

Indoor Sport

So what’s an athletic guy to do?  I’ve considered joining the red and white GoodLife Fitness gym bag carrying crowd.  Unfortunately I can’t enjoy working out.  Especially when I know that playing a sport achieves similar results.  I have a collapsed arch in my left foot so simply joining an indoor soccer, or basketball team is out of the question.  I could take up swimming, but I’d trust the toxicity levels in Lake Ontario more than a public pool.  I’ve considered many potential activities, but not one fit the bill.  Winter has got me totally euchred.  I spend most of my days  in an area not much larger than a squash court.  I still Golf. Got a quick 18 holes in after Morning Drive yesterday.  Of course that’s 18 Rounds on my single hole putting mat in my living room.  There are times during the year that I look at my PS4 and think what a waste of money.  Well my opinion changes rather quickly as soon as the first snowfall hits.  Hardly a day passes without one of my PS4 controllers requiring a recharge.  I had the unfortunate situation where a label came off one of my blu-rays inside my PS4.  I played digital downloads for a couple days, but missed playing Tom Clancy’s The Division way too much.  So after about a week I broke down, and proceeded to take my PS4 apart to clear the drive.  It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I expected it to be.  Less than an hour later I was back to playing The Division.  Winter can do that.  It can motivate you to try things, or buy things you wouldn’t normally.  This is the weekend before the Superbowl so my favourite spectator sport isn’t available either.  I find myself watching movies galore.  Now I love film so that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  The problem is that I know I’m going to be spending so much time watching movies that I specifically select Trilogies or ongoing series.  I’ve watched the Bourne trilogy, the Millennium trilogy, the first six Star Wars films, the Hobbit trilogy, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, all of the Die Hard films, and I’m four films in to the Harry Potter series.  Can you see how this might be a problem.  Some of those movies I’ve seen so many times that I can quote every key line.  Not a single moment in any of those films surprises me anymore.  I find myself watching what’s going on in the background more.  Hoping to see something I might have missed the first 30 times I watched the movie.  Did you know that Michelle Monaghan was in the Bourne Supremacy?  I didn’t either until I noticed her as an FBI analyst at one of the terminals in the background.  That was the highlight of the film for me.

I’m in the dark here

Yes that was a Scent of a Woman quote, but it’s very relevant during Canadian winters.  If you leave for work before 8:00am, and return home after 5:00pm.  Then there’s a very good chance that you never experienced the light of day.  It was dark when you left, and dark when you returned.  I found myself yawning at 6:48pm last Thursday.  By accident last week my wife and I had dinner twice.  It got dark so early that we mistakenly had dinner at a little before 4:00pm.  By the time 8:00pm came we were hungry again, and realized that sleep might be impossible unless we ate again.

A sudden reprieve

Suddenly without any warning the temperature has been rising the last two days.  It actually got up to +8 degrees today.  Opportunity is knocking, and provided the temperature holds for one more day.  I am going to grab my clubs and make my way out to the Range to do what winter denies me.  Get outside, get some enjoyable exercise, and see the light of day.  If it doesn’t hold, and the winter weather forces me back indoors.  Well I only have to wait a couple more months before the sun begins to shine again.  Until then I have every Marvel movie to watch in chronological order.

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FISHING Uncategorized

Selecting the right Reel – The Right Angle RA-18

The three things to consider

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First of all this post is about helping you choose between the three complex Reels.  If your particular interest is in Fly fishing then this post isn’t for you.  Although Fly fishing Reels may differ in quality.  They are all essentially of the same design.  In this post I will help you understand the differences between Spincast, Spinning, and Baitcast Reels.  Selecting the correct one for you will depend upon how you intend on using it, where you will be fishing most often, and how skilled you are at casting?  In some cases it may be beneficial for you to own more than one type of Reel.  I will discuss why this might be the best option for some of you.

The three types of Reels

Spincast Reel

Spincast diagram

This is by far the easiest of the three Reel types to use.  Activated by simply pressing and holding a button during the cast to allow the line to release.  Then letting go of the button to stop the line from continuing to cast out.  It can easily be operated single handed, and as such is most often the Reel packaged with children’s fishing kits.  It’s most likely the Reel you learned to fish with.  It was for me.  Although easy to use, it does have some limitations.  The line is coiled around the Spool hidden beneath the Spool cover.  This means that you need to be careful to not add too much line to the Spool, or you risk the line getting jammed during the cast.  Another issue some fisherman comment on about Spincast Reels is their inability to provide visual feedback because everything is enclosed beneath the Spool cover.  Another weakness to the design is that a considerable amount of friction is caused by the Spool cover during casting so you lose a bit of distance and accuracy.  It may sound like there’s a lot of negatives to using a Spincast Reel, but used correctly it is extremely easy, and the most durable and reliable of the three Reels.

Spinning Reel

Spinning diagram

Just looking at a Spinning Reel the differences between it, and a Spincast Reel is obvious.  Where everything was enclosed with a Spincast Reel.  It’s the total opposite with a Spinning Reel.  The Spool, line, and bail are all in view.  This has advantages, and disadvantages.  One of the obvious advantages is being able to see everything that is happening while fishing.  If your line were to get knotted during a cast or retrieve you’ll notice it quickly.  That way you can take care of the issue right away before it develops into a serious problem.  Casting with a Spinning Reel isn’t nearly as easy as casting with a Spincast Reel.  First of all it’s a two handed affair.  Where everything with a Spincast Reel is practically automatic.  A Spinning Reel requires you to open the bail, pinch the line, release the line at the correct time during the cast, and then close the bail when you are ready to either stop the line, or prepare it for retrieval.  In other words, don’t expect to be great at casting with a Spinning Reel the first time out.  A little bit of practice will definitely reward you though.  I’m able to make pinpoint casts with a Spinning Reel that I wouldn’t even attempt with a Spincast Reel.  Another advantage to the Spinning Reel design is the open Spool generally allows for a lot of line to be coiled.  Quite a few models are sold, or at least designed to allow the Spools to be quickly interchangeable with another Spool.  This means that you could quickly switch between different weights of line, or types of line dependant on conditions.  The Spinning Reel has quickly become one of the favoured types of Reels by many.

Baitcast Reel

Baitcast diagram

At first glance the Baitcasting Reel looks like a combination of the Spincast Reel, and Spinning Reel designs.  To a certain extent it sort of is.  The casting motion is similar to a Spincast Reel, but even more complicated than casting with a Spinning Reel.  That can be the first issue that some people have with a Baitcast Reel.  They aren’t easy to master, and unlike the other two Reels on this list can become really troublesome if you use them incorrectly.  Most of the difficulty associated with casting Baitcast Reels is actually in their set-up.  Unlike the other two designs that only require you set the amount of drag correctly.  Baitcast Reels require you set the correct tension adjusted to the total weight of your bait, weights, or lure.  You also need to set the brake adjustment correctly to avoid line overrun or birdnesting.  Done correctly a Baitcast Reel is the most accurate of the three Reel types.  The design is limited to heavier line though.  Light line will have a tendency to unspool incorrectly during the cast and lead to birdnesting or tangles.  With adjustability comes an increase in potential issues so constant maintenance is also important.

Category Rankings

   Easy to use –

1: Spincast

2: Spinning

3: Baitcast

Maintenance –

1: Spincast

2: Spinning

3: Baitcast

Casting Accuracy –

1: Baitcast

2: Spinning

3: Spincast

Long Casting –

1: Spinning

2: Baitcast

3: Spincast

Tackle Adjustability –

1: Spinning

2: Spincast

3: Baitcast

Conclusions

The first thing you should consider is how often you intend to fish?  If you are only going out a couple times a year then a Spincast Reel is probably all you need.  Now if you intend to fish far more frequently I would suggest that you consider one of the other two.  Which one you choose will probably depend on whether you intend to fish from shore, or from a boat.  If larger predatory fish like Musky, Pike, or Bass are what you are after, and you intend to cast into tight spots then maybe a Baitcast Reel is what you should be looking for.  If you plan on going deep Sea fishing for really big fish than a Baitcast Reel is by far the best option.  In my personal opinion though, the additional accuracy that can be gained by using a Baitcast Reel doesn’t out do the versatility of a Spinning Reel in most situations.  If this was Middle Earth the Spinning Reel would be the One Reel to rule them all.  Light or heavy line is fine with a Spinning Reel.  Casting from shore, or a boat is not a problem.  It’s easy to maintain, doesn’t require a perfect set-up, and with only a little bit of practice quite easy to master.  If you are only going to buy one Reel, I suggest you buy a Spinning Reel.  Now if you are one of the few fishing enthusiasts that intend to fish every type of water.  I would suggest that you own a Baitcast Reel for large trophy sized fishing, and one of the other two for a little casual shore fishing.

 

 

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FISHING

The End is Nigh – The Right Angle RA-17

It keeps getting colder

Every morning I get out of bed, and the hardwood floors feel a little bit colder.  I can deny it as much as I want but the floors don’t lie.  Winter is coming!  The Starks would be happy.  I’m sure as hell not.  Winter and I don’t mix.  I tried to enjoy snowboarding enough to make winter just a little bit fun.  It didn’t work.  The bitter cold, snowstorms, and brutal winds make anything outdoors it’s own form of torture.  So begins the countdown till spring.  For those of you that visit my website hoping for a new post on fishing.  Winter is like the break before your favourite television show’s final Season.  You wait patiently in anticipation of what will happen next.  Will it be what everyone expects, or some crazy twist?  Of course they could ruin everything you’ve watched by totally screwing up the ending like they did in Lost.  During the off season you don’t just sit alone in your basement and wait.  You fill the void that’s left with whatever substitute you can find.

. Did I mention that I fell through the ice of the pond behind my house as a child?  Well I did.  Twice actually.  All I can remember is how brutally cold it was.  Especially when the legs of my jeans froze solid and stuck to my thighs.  I wasn’t afraid I’d drown.  The Pond wasn’t that deep where I went through.  The walk back to the house in the freezing cold could have probably killed me though.  Now I imagine falling through the ice while fishing out on the middle of some lake.  If I didn’t drown I’d probably die from setting myself on fire.

The sad reality

Now here’s the Kicker.  I don’t want to leave everyone hanging until spring.  Sure I’ll probably take at least one fishing trip, and definitely go to the Toronto Sportsman show.  That will provide me with a few things to write about, but it’s far from enough.  So maybe, just maybe mind you.  Purely for those of you that are dedicated to my Fishing posts, and because it could be the most brutally entertaining video I end up posting on YouTube.  I might actually go Ice Fishing this winter for the very first time.  If I go please wish me luck.  If I don’t return?  When people ask about me.  Tell them that I was the kind of guy that would risk it all to make everyone else’s life just a little bit better.

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Top 8 Fishing gifts – The Right Angle RA-16

The Most wonderful time of the year

It’s getting closer, and closer to Christmas.  Before it’s too late to find the perfect gift for the Fishing enthusiast on your list.  Take a look at a few of the great gifts available this year.  I have no interest in ice fishing, so there’s nothing better for getting over the winter blahs than a Fishing gift at Christmas.

Top 8 Fishing gifts

1 – Assorted Lures kit

I’ll spend a good 15 minutes looking over a new lure.  I’m not even kidding.  I compare it to the lures I already have that are similar, and try to imagine what the subtle differences will do.  I will end up picking the perfect spot for it in my tackle box.  Imagine how much time I would spend with a new 275 piece kit!  I’d probably make my way out to Bass pro shop on boxing day to buy a new tackle box to fit it all.

2 – Fishing Reel

Those of you that regularly read my The Right Angle fishing posts know that I’m a Spinnning reel guy.  So much so that I haven’t really considered trying another type of Reel.  What if someone got me a baitcast Reel for Christmas.  Honestly I think I’d be itching to try it out.  What we buy for ourselves can be very different than what we receive as gifts.  The right gift can make a lot of difference.

3 – Chest Waders

The first thing you should be aware of is that Waders take a lot of abuse.  Even the highest quality Waders need to be replaced eventually.  If the Fishing enthusiast on your list doesn’t own a pair of Waders.  I guarantee you that they have stories about the potentially perfect Fishing spots they found.  That they were unable to access because they didn’t own a pair of Waders.  I promise you that their eyes will light up when they see them.  Their mind will be busy remembering all of the spots they could have fished, and now they will because of you.

4 – Inflatable Boat

Unfortunately we don’t all have a cottage with a dock, and boat.  For most of us the cost is just too prohibitive.  The compromise for some of us is a high quality inflatable Boat.  I stress the high quality stipulation.  Fishing gear and cheap inflatables don’t mix very well.  Unless your idea of fun is seeing if you can paddle back to shore before your boat and all your gear sink to the bottom.  I’ve seen it happen.  It was quite hilarious, and interesting to watch.  I couldn’t help but feel bad for the couple swimming back to shore though.  Now this is far from an inexpensive gift, but if you enjoy fishing as well.  It might be worth talking with your significant other about investing in a great gift for the both of you.  Just saying.

5 – Fish Finder

Now in case I’m on your Christmas list, and you aren’t already aware.  I consider Fish Finders as a way to cheat while fishing.  DO NOT GET ME A FISH FINDER!  Now for those of you that are looking to maximize the number of fish you catch each and every time out.  Fish Finders are almost as important as your Rod and Reel.  The technology keeps improving so find out what the Fishing enthusiast currently has, and buy them something better.  If they don’t have one yet, and constantly complain about coming home empty.  This could be the perfect gift to spare you hours of aggravation.

6 – Fishing Kayak

For similar reasons to the Inflatable Boat, a Kayak provides a less expensive option for getting out on the water.  In most cases Fishing Kayaks are designed for one.  So if you aren’t interested in going fishing with the recipient.  This could be the best way to avoid it.

7 – Fishing Rod

Can you have enough Ugly Stik rods?  Seriously can you?  I mean if you already have a Medium Spincast Rod, an Outrigger Rod, Fly Rod, and Collapsible Rod.  Is there any reason to add another Rod to your arsenal.  The answer is no, you can never have enough Ugly Stik rods.  The more the merrier.  Pun intended.

8 – Fishing trip

This is obviously the gift that can be a huge benefit to you.  Even if fishing isn’t your thing.  There are plenty of resorts down south that don’t only offer fishing.  While your significant other is out catching trophy Bass, or deep Sea fishing.  You can be relaxing at the Resort, or on the beach with your favourite libation in hand.

 

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FISHING Uncategorized

Popular spots – The Right Angle RA-15

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.

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FISHING Uncategorized

Salmon Season – The Right Angle RA-14

I hate this time of year

Every fall quite a few of our Southern Ontario Rivers are overrun with Salmon.  For many fishermen this is an exciting time of year.  Well it isn’t for me.  Part of what got me interested in fishing was the difficulty of it.  Making your way up and down a River hoping to get a sudden strike.  You won’t find me on a boat with fish finders, or depth gauges.  I don’t have thousands of dollars of high tech equipment to locate exactly where each fish is hiding.  I don’t fish in stocked ponds in order to guarantee a catch.  I’m a purist.  Not a total purist because I don’t Fly Fish.  I have huge respect for those of you that do.  It’s something I’d like to try one day out on the River with an experienced Fly Fisherman.  I just haven’t had the time or opportunity to do so yet.  I use a Spincast Rod and Reel.  It’s what I’ve used for years, and I’ve become very adept at the subtleties of casting with it.

Dumb questions

Quite a few of my friends know how serious I am about fishing.  When word gets out that the salmon are running they inevitably give me a call.  These are people I rarely hear from.  Usually our correspondence is through Facebook or Instagram.  As soon as I answer the phone I know what question is coming.  “Which lures would you suggest for Salmon”?  It doesn’t sound like a dumb question does it?  Actually if they asked me the exact same question at a different time of the year I would provide them with a serious answer.  During the few weeks that the Salmon are running though.  It’s got to be one of the dumbest questions ever.  I’ll tell you what I tell them.  Whichever lure you own with the greatest number of large hooks.  It doesn’t matter the colour, style, brand, or size.  As long as it has a bunch of hooks on it, and adding a trailing hook wouldn’t hurt either.  This is my advice, and I’m sure you know why.  You are far more likely to snag a salmon while they are running then get a legitimate strike.  In some cases you can land far more fish with a long handled net.  Just leave your Rod and Reel at home.

Zero challenge endeavor

If something is far too easy, then why do it.  As I mentioned earlier, one of the reasons I love fishing is the difficulty of it.  Although I have done it on occasion, I don’t enjoy sight fishing all that much.  I’d much rather get a good hook set off a sudden strike than watching for when a fish is about to take my lure.  The more information you have before a fish strikes, the less enjoyable landing it becomes.  Fishing for Salmon during the run is like sight fishing on steroids.  It’s so easy to land a fish that the satisfaction of doing so is gone.  What makes it even worse is that the same friends that ask me what to use.  Subsequently post pictures of their “catch” after.  That’s like playing a game of one on one basketball against a six year old, and then bragging that you beat them handily.

It had to be Salmon

Here’s the kicker.  If you were to ask me what my favourite fish to eat was.  I wouldn’t even hesitate.  I’d tell you it was Salmon.  I absolutely love Salmon.  So much so that I was on a cruise to Alaska, and one the highlights was having fresh Alaskan Salmon fried for me with only Salt and Pepper as seasoning.  If we weren’t on a schedule I could have just stayed there, and continued to eat salmon until I passed out.  The temptation to just take a quick trip down to the river to snatch a few salmon is huge.  So why don’t I?  First of all the majority of salmon that are making their run aren’t the best to eat.  Secondly you will know that I don’t keep what I catch.  I am a catch and release fisherman.  Thirdly, and this is essentially what this post is all about, it’s just too damn easy.  Now I enjoy watching the Salmon Running as much as the next person.  I just hope that I don’t go down to the river, and spot an “angler” taking a selfie with their trophy fish.

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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.