Joel52

GOOD JOB!

 

This weekend we went out to Ottawa for the weekend. On our way back we had planned to stop at an East Trib, as my luck would have it. I discovered that I had forgot to pack my rod and gear when we got there.

 

Apon pulling up I could see the fish were in thick, but there were also ALOT of vehicles. My wife was so excited to spectate ( I was mad about forgetting my rod) so we stood at the rivers edge. Saw everything from Spoons to people with heavy weighted lines and multiple treble hooks on their lines.

 

To say the least I was pretty upset but wasn't prepared to say anything to anyone. I had my wife and 7 week old son with me. Really not worth the risk. After seeing a couple of guys standing on the edge of what is clearly marked as a sanctuary, literally the guy was standing below the sign and tossing their line about 30m into the sanctuary and yanking their rods back. Clearly snagging. I called into the MNR tips line, They asked that I take pictures if I could do so safely (which I was able to). 

 

After the phone call ended we left to head back home.

 

Today I am sitting at work, my phone rings "Unknown" which I normally wouldn't pick up, but did for some strange reason. Person confirms who I am, then says he is Conservation officer ...... thanked me for my call, they were patrolling in plain clothes and were able to video record and charge this group of guys for a total of $1700 in fines.

 

I did thank him for calling back, I think its really cool and a very important part of civilians taking the time out to report these kinds of things. End of the day I am looking to preserve this fishery for my son and his friends to enjoy if they so choose to.

 

 

Here's my two cents (which people don't like to hear these days):

 

1) Based on what you described as a non-designated but often used launch area. If there is absolutely no indication or signs that say it is a designated launch, then it is first-come-first-serve. To the people fishing, it is a natural shore fishing spot. For people with canoe/kayak/inflatable, it is a natural launch spot. It's a matter of perspective, and it's a matter of respect. If you arrived first and setting up to pump your boat and get ready your gear, then someone arrives to tell you "hey, this is a natural shore fishing spot. Many people had fished here for many years and now you are blocking it. Bugger off." They have as much right to it as you have to it. The only difference is who was there first. Yes, I understand that you'll only be there for moments to launch and you'll be on the way. But you also would disturb their fish. They can sit in that spot and have a picnic or take a nap there all day for all I care. It was not a designated launch spot.

 

2) Regardless of what people like to do, whether they like to fish in ankle deep water for minnows, or if they like to fish 100 feet of water for sharks, it is really none of your business. Again, it is first-come-first-serve and everyone has a right to the resource and to the water. If they are there first, then lament in the fact you woke up late. You do not deserve more right or respect because you want to chase some big bass or trophy pike. People who like to fish ankle deep water for sunfish has just about as much right as you have. So stop with this ignorance. Calling the security to boot someone out of a natural opening that can be use by anyone for any purpose is pompous and self-righteous. Not everyone has financial capability to afford watercrafts. No everyone spend the same amount of devotion on fishing. To some people, just wetting a line anywhere, regardless of what they catch and how they catch it, is rewarding enough. I travel to Hawaii to catch 2" goby in ankle deep water. What's you point? Again...pompous...self-righteous. Your 6lb big trophy bass is no better than their 3" sunfish...if they truly and simply just enjoy a day out fishing in ankle deep water.

 

3) The actual issue is not with the anglers fishing at a non-designated launch spot. You are fighting the absolute wrong battle. The real issue is the actual launch path that was BLOCKED BY CARS. This is a designated launch area and should not have cars blocking the access. Then you should notify the park security and management that deny of access is occurring and NO PARKING signs should be erected along the launch path to ensure it is always clear. If the designated launch area is actually cleared, we would not be having this discussion.

Yep shear pin. Stop running into sh!t

Joel drennan can be found at a lot of smaller shops, and sail. I believe Mike at Fishheads Canada carries it too

That'd be such a rush. It wasn't on fly equipment was it? I'm hoping to toss around some streamers when I go home in August.

Check out 14:15 and 21:45 - 

I had my heart set to get a bone sightfishing on the fly in Belize too...and had one hooked but it wrapped me around a dock piling. It's fun to watch them chase the fly though.

 

But what I learned that day is that they quickly turned off the fly. I tried to get another one to go and the fish would back off the fly. We're not talking about individual fish in a small pod either...we're talking about a school of 50 bones in shallow, calm and gin clear water right by some busy docks.

 

The thing was...if I switch to my spinning rod and toss a 1/16oz jig head tipped with a shrimp tail, they would swarm all over it. Same school of fish. I tried to switch between fly rod and jig/shrimp and the jig/shrimp always win. Then I tried to cheat and put a chunk of shrimp on the fly just to understand what the factors were. The fish would be interested and they would follow, but they would not hit the fly. Fussy little buggers!

 

Just in my experience, cudas, jacks and grunts are much less picky. Give them some kind of moving target that looks like food and they will usually hammer it. From the sound of it, you were using a red/white clouser type streamer which mimic a baitfish? If the bones are that fussy, they generally shy away from streamers. Streamers are usually tied larger as well.

 

My suggestion...go smaller, less flash and more natural. Try maybe #10 with a black bead or dumbell eyes. Sometimes the dumbell eyes are too heavy in calm waters and the fly sink too fast. If you are fishing seagrass areas, the fly may sink out of sight. So tie a few flies with smaller bead eyes and no lead wraps on the hook shank. Try to have them sink slowly so you can get some decent hang time when the fly is visible. But of course, it all depends on current and wind. If it is rougher and blowing, you may need that weight to get the fly deep...or go with an intermediate sink line.

 

Reefs also tend to hold the species you mentioned. If there are seagrass around, bones generally prefer the seagrass beds. Strangely, Hawaiian bones are mostly reef associated since there is no seagrass bed in Hawaii that I know about.

 

Tide is a tricky thing...it is so spot dependent. Some areas fish better on moving tides and some better on slack tides. I can't really make suggestions. But what I can tell you is to pay attention to what's happening around you. If you start to see bigger predators on the flats (like big barracuda and sharks), chances are that the bones would start to vacate the flats. Generally though, fish shallower as the tide rise and deeper in channels and troughs are the tide drops. Fish moves up onto the flats to feed as the tide rise and drops back to deeper holding areas as the tide drops. Strangely, during my time in Belize, the bones were found by the docks at slack low tide and they would disappear after. Once the tide rose, I saw stingrays working the seagrass beds. Maybe the little bones know to move out when the water gets deeper.

 

That's all I know...I'm still pretty new at this as well but that's what I've observed from the little experience I have.

 

Have fun and share some pictures after! 

Try small, simple flies. If the bonefish are hit hard, they want something that is natural colour and small. I ran into that problem in Belize. I tied my own flies (Christmas Island Special, Gotcha, some crab and shrimp patterns I tied up)...but even #8's were too big.

 

Try to go with natural colours like tan and olive.

 

I know the obsession people have with bones and flies...but bring a travel medium light spinning rod just in case. Sometimes, you run in to bad luck and the wind can blow for days during your vacation. If you can't throw the fly rod, at least you can toss small jigs and shrimp tails to the bones and still have fun.

 

I got my bones and tarpon in Belize on spinning rods and bait...they were way too shy for fly gear. At least I can say I got my bones and tarpon which is more than other fly anglers who went home emptyhanded.

I believe he was using a cigarette butt.

Must have been both presentation & scent that did the job.

under a bobber

or

I always give 5 - 10 seconds before I start the retrieve.

small crab patterns are the best, im not good with naming flies but the (streamer?) the ones that look like pin fish are good, when i go fishing for them i use size  0,1,2 spinners on a M rod 8ft and 14lb mono with alb leader. im not sure if you can but if you can convert that into fly fishing stuff you should be good to go. don't forget to check out the piers there too! you can get sharks, cuda's drum and a lot of other inshore species 

Nice picture - how?

20 second shutter, iso 3200, f3.5 

Epic days, epic nights.

Here's a better solution - know and understand the law, park legally, then walk in from there. That's what I do, never have this kind of problem...

The lesson of the lemming is, just because others are doing something, that doesn't make it okay.

+1...never start a fight you cannot win. It's not worth the hassle. There is plenty of water to cover and lot's of time left.

Had a great day out. Thanks Ringwood fish hatchery.
Fishmyfaceoffs daughter got second place. She was first until last 5 mins.