Tag: Shorefishing

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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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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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Selecting the right Reel – The Right Angle RA-18

The three things to consider

(Cobe Life has recently switched to a new Subscription service.  I strongly advise current Subscribers to resubmit their follow request)

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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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.

 

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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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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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FISHING Uncategorized

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.