justin elia

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_hPgTgZF9Bs Not too long ago CRAA was working towards a common goal of creating an amazing fishery on the Credit River. We were able to transfer wild fish to a tributary above Norval. It created an amazing fishery for 2 years only to have it railroaded by Trout Unlimited Izaak Walton MNR Aurora and other stakeholders. I came across this video today. Bittersweet it was to watch this clip.

How much would one have to spend in one year to achieve 7-8k in rewards?

Never miss.

I'm not sure why you're thanking me. I do believe that lake anglers harvest more fish based on what I see at boat launches across the north shore of lake O and in the rivers. The NY side has its own creel data to gather info from, it doesn't mean that the stream anglers that fish the north shore of Lake O are more likely to harvest a fish. With a 5 fish limit per person and no slot size, it doesn't take long for the numbers to add up from the lake. My point to OFAH was that it's not rocket science, a reduction in limits WILL increase fish numbers therefore increasing fishing opportunities and making the resource better. There are studies based on the tribs of the north shore of superior that back this up. Craig made some interesting points about BC and the rebound of the Coho from selective harvest.

You want scientific data to explain why a reduction in harvest limits could be good for the fishery??? Really??? Give me a break. I think it's time OFAH changed their policy. Even NY has a lower lake limit than ON, and they stock the bejesus out of their tribs.

Just to clearify, there is no mention of an additional extended season above the 407 in the fall.

Hi all, Please take a few minutes to read CRAA's proposal to MNR to open full access for all species of fish (native and naturalized) in the Credit River. Please post any questions, comments or discussion in this thread. http://www.craa.on.ca/pdf/CRAA-CRFMP-OpenAccessProposal-Dec2011.pdf Justin

Good times! That day was a blast!

A lot of guys are hesitant to do this in the scenario the OP has given. By far it is the best way, and sometimes the only way. Float fishing set-ups are run vertically, bottom bouncing set-ups are run horizontally to the surface of the water. Thats how you get under log jams, over hanging tree's etc. Good tip Mike

We have done tree plants and dam removals on the river you mentioned; but the Credit River watershed keeps a lot of us very busy for the most part. There is so much going on that our own time is spread thin and we cannot address issues on other rivers. We are always looking for groups of guys to mentor who can use government grants to help rivers; Bronte especially, and other tributaries across the North Shore. Its hard to believe with the amount of pressure Bronte Creek gets, there aren't 3-4 guys in each area willing to help make their home river a great fishery. A very good friend of mine who fished Bronte for 20+years; well before steelheading was as popular as it is today, would boast about 100 fish days, and good levels of water throughout the fall. Its a shame that the river has been going downhill for years. Golf courses having extremely high rights to taking water, development etc. It is a beautiful river and a piece of wilderness so close to Toronto that is not had by other north shore tributaries. I have to thank Ron for his kind words. A lot of people see a thread like this that gives CRAA a bad name. Its quite the opposite, and Ron is a perfect example of the group of anglers that understand all of our work. He is probably right though, most anglers would much rather go fishing then spend a few hours giving back.

Here is what John meant more specifically. He didnt say that Dave was poaching, I doubt Dave would do that. The same rule that Dave is referencing about OOS fish, is clearly stated the same for fish in certain size restricted area's. They must be released immediately. Catch a Brown over 20" in the forks, no pictures right? Very bottom of page 8. http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@letsfish/documents/document/198219.pdf Lets let it go.

Outstanding Mike. Great to see.

I find it hard to agree with you when you are saying it is a black and white issue and your previous post referencing the MNR response to a question CLEARLY states that that it is a grey area and would be up to each individual Conservation Officer to make that decision on the spot depending on how the fish was treated. That said, I really don't care for your opinion. Some people would take pictures (many have and sent them to John for verification), and some wouldn't. Who cares. Go fishing!

One major improvement to the river has been the construction and completion of the new fishway at Norval. It was funded partly by a group out the US that donates to projects like this one. John and I wrote a lengthy application requesting funds for the project and we were awarded partial funding for the entire project. Another aspect that most are unaware of is the amount of paper work that comes with even the smallest job. John can probably touch base as to where trees have been planted, banks have been stabilized, etc etc etc. As far as the a monetary figure associated with fish rearing, I haven't the clue. We have our own hatchery with Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Coho Salmon and Atlantic Salmon that is managed by volunteers of CRAA and funded through government grants. They are always looking for people to help out with daily chores if you're interested. Justin

J-M, you're right and I should address what I meant. The only hard evidence I have are my own reports and pictures from various anglers on the river. John gets emailed frequently with angler catch reports for Atlantic Salmon in the river. I am not saying that we have 1000 Atlantic Salmon running the Credit, but they have become quite common, my guess would be around 500 this year. How they are managed by the MNR and OFAH is out of our control and sometimes the best resource of information is by anglers fishing the river itself and not necessarily based on one capturing area in Streestville. Those that know the river well, know that fish do get over Streetsville. There is a huge gap between Streetsville and Norval and south of the Dam in Streetsville to the Lake. We have had numerous reports of spawning Atlantic Salmon in the lower river and based on the catch numbers, I have no idea where these fish are. Between the guys in our club, we have probably put 100 Atlantic Salmon to the bank this fall. Unfortunately, a lot of Atlantic Salmon do not get accounted for in the MNR's numbers. I do not benefit from the program personally, I just agree with it and have seen over the past 4 years the increase in reported catches outside from what MNR numbers show. Those who choose not to believe me, its really no sweat off my back. The Credit RIver is thriving, the watershed is changing for the better, more anglers are starting to fish the river and benefitting from the work being done by various groups. Catch rates are up for all species. Thats what matters to me most.

Great discussion everyone. Its always a hot topic on most chat boards. Sounds like we have some very passionate anglers in Ontario wanting to make a change for the better no matter how we all view things. As per Craigs comment: Not that I have to justify anything to anyone, but I noticed one comment asking if I was fishing in a sanctuary while catching Atlantics this fall. Just because CRAA, OFAH and MNR had sanctuary permits to capture and transfer Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow and Brown Trout a few years back does mean we have a free run of the sanctuary every year. FYI Craig, I would have much rather landed and released fish at my feet opposed to humping sometimes up to 500 yards with 60lbs bags of water and fish, truck them 20 miles up stream just so they have an opportunity to spawn. Its the everyday angler on the Credit and Lake Ontario that benefits from our work. I choose to give back to a resource I use quite a bit. You may want to reconsider your thoughts on the whole sanc process and what CRAA has done. As for the Atlantics this year, the Credit has seen very high levels of returns for Atlantic Salmon. Aaron is correct in mentioning that one morning in early September after a rain I had landed 6 Atlantics between THE 403 AND THE LAKE. There have been countless reports of Atlantics in the Credit since the Summer, in fact anglers are still catching them to date in the lower stretches. To those that are opposed to the Atlantic Program, all I can say it is working! The north shore of Lake Ontario and its watersheds will benefit substantially from this program. Every river will eventually benefit from this and your steelhead numbers will increase, brown trout numbers will increase, habitat will improve etc etc. I have seen it first hand and before anyone makes a snap judgement simply based on what a few 'nay' sayers think, I encourage them to spend a little more time on the Credit River to see what's really happening.

Email Colin at [email protected] He is a great guy and can answer any questions you might have.

I hope those reels get you into some fish Brian. They are great. As for the OP, I would stay away from Okuma altogether. They are at the very low end of the spectrum. Islander and Raven SST are the way to go. If you look hard enough, you can probably get a new Islander for 300 and change. Best of luck.

Just a quick report from last week. I went out with with a friend last Wednesday morning, decided to sleep in a bit and start a little later than usual. We had lines down at 7:30 and within 20 minutes we had 3 hits. One rip on the dipsy.....no one home. One knock off and then first fish of the season. These fish were full of piss and vinegar, very surprising for fish around the 20lb mark. Great fights, good times and its just what the doctor ordered. We fished until noon and went 6/11 with 3 knock offs, 2 dropped fish, 4 Chinnies , 1 Rainbow and 1 Atlantic. Details - We fished from 70-120 feet, best depth was 20-40 down in 70-80 fow in front of the cement plant. It was a spoon bite today, all but one hit came on spoons. Best spoon of th day was the famous lemon-lime pro king which by far has produced more kings in my boat than any other spoon.

I agree with Mike on the RV9, its a great rod but does not have that "feel" for bottom bouncing. You may want to get something in the 10' range so you can do both. The Rapala North Coast Series and Magnum Series are pretty good rods too. I have used them both for chucking spinners, bottom bouncing and floating big rivers. Prices are very reasonable; you can probably buy one specifically for floating and bouncing Good luck with your purchase.

Ideally, every fish (and I mean all fish, not just steelhead) SHOULD have the ability to use their home river as they choose, whether it be up to Streetsville, Noval, Ingelwood or the Cataract. We should not have to decide for them, but in the interest of the various stakeholders on the Credit specificaly, we (CRAA) always try to come to a fair compromise when dealing with issues like barrier placement for example. The fact of the matter is, is that only the groups that represent the UC, dont use the whole system and are only interested in one fish (Brown Trout). I agree with you Dave on your point, no angler who fishes the UC would want to see unlimited access for all fish. And in my opinion, its quite an "elitest" attitude by those anglers. It really should be about whats best for the FISH, not whats best for me. If we all thought that way I think our fisheries would be in much better shape and every group would have more opportunities to catch fish.

Building the ladder is the first piece to the puzzle and we are now working on implementation and agreeing on a location for the barrier so that Steelhead and other migratories can access a higher reach in the system. This is a huge step in the right direction and the Credit is becoming a great river with a lot of positive change. Anyone who fished the Credit frequently this fall would agree that this has been by far the best year in quite some time. Im not sure many people are aware of the time and politics involved with an endeavour like this but it took 13 years of work to get here. Another great point is that we won't have to transfer fish as far (previously from Streetsville), and eventually we can sit back and watch the fish do their own thing. Which is what its all about. If we give these fish access, they will pay us back many times over. By lifting at Norval, we will also be able to determine more accurately how many Steelhead and other migratories make it above Streetsville on their own as well. This is a very good thing for the Credit! Kudos to John for his persistence.

The Credit River is open to the south side of HWY 403 year round. Please read the regs carefully.

When you look at the NYDEC fisheries budget, it dwarfs ours. No wonder every ditch gets choked with stockers. Im sure if the MNR had the money NY does to put into its fisheries, we would have the same opportunities. Its simply comes down to money. My advice would be to do as Aaron mentioned or lend a hand with a conservation group to seriously make a difference.

I actually conversed with my contact at Islander yesterday. They're still talking about it but right now they are working on a new spey reel design for the time being. 5" float reel model is on the horizon but not anytime soon.