people who dont care about the f ishing regulations

[chewy]

drove by the grand in brantord[cocksut bridge] lots of fishing goin on so i stop to see how its going they say we are fishing for wallye but throw them back other people taking fish home.so i say they are closed for now and thy say so go get lost.ok so i went home caled the mnr hope they went down there becuse i make a effert to obey the laws so should everyone. TIGHT LINES

[steelheader42]

l hear you there! its the same on the Thames to...l took my dog for a walk along the Thames river. there where a few people out fishing walleye....l guess they dont read the regs..

[purekgw]

people think if there closed you just cant take them home so they keep fishing for them, and the MNR probably didnt go down i have called the MNR a couple of times in caledonia for pouching

[bigfish1965]

You can also call your local police if the MNR is too busy. The police are allowed to enforce fishing and hunting regulations.

[grt1]

When I was a kid growing up in brantford the only place you would catch walleye (back then everyone called them pickerel) was at the dam by the lorne bridge and under the cockshutt bridge you only caught big red fin suckers.

 

HOwever, my grandfather told me that when he was a kid the fishermen used to string rope between the shores at the cockshutt bridge and hang big hooks with bait and get sturgeon on the lines at night.

[bigugli]

You can also call your local police if the MNR is too busy. The police are allowed to enforce fishing and hunting regulations.

The OPP will enforce in a pinch, but you can forget about the local donut patrol. To quote one constable, "It's not in our jurisdiction".

[hammercarp]

I have had my license checked by the police here in Hamilton in Bayfront Park and today two guys I know were checked down by the High Level Bridge.

[ozaibak1]

Well guys in fishing as in everything it seems these days, there is a lot of ignorance going around. Many of these people don't know, and if they know don't care! The people who understand will follow and the people who either don't understand or don't give a damn won't. Just the way it is, but it all balances it out in the end!

[Photoz]

Hamilton seems to be the only place where the local (city) police take an active interest in policing the game & fish laws. I had one of the mountain bike patrolman several years ago tell me going on 'parks enforcement' detail required about 2 weeks of reviewing the local game & fishing laws, and was a much sought after position. The only other place I've ever been asked for a boo at my license was at the mouth of the Credit, where a Peel constable often checked licenses. Very British . . . . very friendly typa guy, who knew his regulations. (He was also an avid carper.) But . . . . if you had no license, you could usually depend on being sent away from the river to get one . . . . he wasn't much interested in writing anybody up . . . . just checkin' out the fishin.' I once spoke to a Metro cop down at the Rouge, while we watched a guy carry an out of season pike to his car, but was told by the cop he didn't have a regulations book, and couldn't tell a trout from a pike, so he'd have no idea what to write him up under. Then he asked if I was 100% sure the guy was breaking the law. When I assured him he was, he said he'd try it HIS way, as he punched in the car's plate number . . . . and it was registered to somebody under suspension . . . . when this brazen clown left the park, the cop went after him, and pulled him over. Within about 10 minutes he had the cuffs on him, and had him sitting in the cruiser. At least the cop found a way to ding this mutt . . . as they usually can. Made my day!

[bigfish1965]

The OPP will enforce in a pinch, but you can forget about the local donut patrol. To quote one constable, "It's not in our jurisdiction".

 

Remind this constable he is obligated to enforce all laws of the Crown and it is indeed in his jurisdiction and failure to act on a complaint is dereliction of duty.

Just make sure you don't have a beer in your hand at the time

[Photoz]

Many of the municipal forces are discouraged from enforcing Game & Fish laws . . . . like the Metro guy I tried to get to nail the 'pike poacher,' who admitted he knew NOODNIK about fishing regs, and couldn't even identify a very common fish species. However . . . . the fact that this poacher was nervy enough to take this fish, illegally, right under his nose, kinda irked him. So . . . . . he found a way he was familiar with to whack the guy. Port Hope is the same way . . . . the local cops GOTTA know SOMETHING about the legal & illegal fishing (snagging, fishing the sanctuary, overfishing) but they'll occasionally stop and watch this happening, right in front of them, while having a smoke or coffee! NOT THEIR TERRITORY they say . . . . the MNR get paid to do this. Kinda like a C. O. tagging you for exceeding the speed limit, or other fairly minor HTA infractions . . . . they have the authority & power to do it . . . . but it isn't their department?

[Toronto_Angler]

Many of the municipal forces are discouraged from enforcing Game & Fish laws . . . . like the Metro guy I tried to get to nail the 'pike poacher,' who admitted he knew NOODNIK about fishing regs, and couldn't even identify a very common fish species. However . . . . the fact that this poacher was nervy enough to take this fish, illegally, right under his nose, kinda irked him. So . . . . . he found a way he was familiar with to whack the guy. Port Hope is the same way . . . . the local cops GOTTA know SOMETHING about the legal & illegal fishing (snagging, fishing the sanctuary, overfishing) but they'll occasionally stop and watch this happening, right in front of them, while having a smoke or coffee! NOT THEIR TERRITORY they say . . . . the MNR get paid to do this. Kinda like a C. O. tagging you for exceeding the speed limit, or other fairly minor HTA infractions . . . . they have the authority & power to do it . . . . but it isn't their department?

 

 

I'm still in Shock someone caught a pike at the mouth of the rouge! Thought there was only carp and bullhead left in there these days.

[john_C]

My issue on this is that for those of us who DO FOLLOW THE REGS.. The few Misfits out there ruin it for us all !!!

 

As a shore fishermen I'm noticing more and more fishing spots I regularly go to get closed down due to the few individuals who take it for granted. It's just the easier thing to do I guess. In this country lately as the Ministry has experienced major cutbacks, conservation seems to have taken a step back. So rather than implementing new and tougher laws to inhibit such acts of poaching, or at least enforce the laws we already have in place, it's easier to simply close the fishing spot for everyone; including the more than 90% of those who do respect the regulations...

 

Of course another reason for the closure of these areas is due to the overwhelming amount of garbage left by those same ignorant individuals.. Of course that's another Topic altogether!

[packrat]

drove by the grand in brantord[cocksut bridge] lots of fishing goin on so i stop to see how its going they say we are fishing for wallye but throw them back other people taking fish home.so i say they are closed for now and thy say so go get lost.ok so i went home caled the mnr hope they went down there becuse i make a effert to obey the laws so should everyone. TIGHT LINES

 

I live in Brantford as well and you dont have to go too far from where you were to find other cars parked at another HOT spot. Didnt go check it out but wouldnt be surprised if there was some funny business going on. Dont know about now but a few years ago was out scouting the area, saw "the man" at the bridge and after when I went to another spot same guy pulls in and flags me down. Wanted to know if I had been fishing and after a short chat found out at this time of year they keep a close eye on a few of the local hot spots.

[Snidley]

I'm an ex bailiff who has worked with the cops in the past and it should be understood that cops work well when a) the laws being enforced are clear and understandable to the cops, there is a high likely hood of conviction c) where there is executive direction leading the way. Fish and Game laws are complex, there is very likely little executive direction to enforce fish and game from police bosses and conviction rates are likely to be spotty because the cops probably are not very familiar with the actual statutes.

 

I'm known on other fishing sites particularly ones concerned with Steelheading to be a very strong advocate of local GTA tribs becoming roe free and C&R only ALL THE TIME. My reason for believing this is that after decades of fishing local tribs for Bows/salmon/Browns I have observed that most of the bad behavior on our tribs here in the GTA is attributable to roe and its collection by traditional anglers, poachers and all round hillbillies that don't seem to recognize that they are killing the Golden Goose, so to speak, by utilizing the future of the fishery as bait. This is very unpopular with many anglers especially the type that uses extra long rods, floats but there you go. IF these rules were introduced one of the major spinoff benifits would be a dramatic simplification of fisheries regs locally. If an angler was fishing with roe, he would be breaking the law. If he had a stringer of even one salmonoid, he would be breaking the law. If he was fishing prior to the Trout opener he would be breaking the law. Easy to understand and easy to enforce which could result in local police enforcement (because right now there is little to no MNR enforcement).

[BillM]

It wouldn't matter if those rules were in place, there aren't enough CO's to inforce them anyhow..

[Snidley]

The reasons most frequently given by the local police for not enforcing fisheries laws is their complexity and consequent low conviction rate. They allocate resources as well you know. Give them clear rules and possibly point them in the right direction as to where offences are occuring and they will enforce the law. Simplify the law by making the use of eggs, possession of any salmonoids and fishing at all before opener and you have an easily understood and therefore easily applied law that the cops and more importantly the police management will enforce. It would be simpler for anglers as well because I frequently catch experienced anglers here in Oakville breaking laws they don't even know exhist. Laws like party fishing, sharing stringers, stream limits vs lake limits for trout, culling from stringers, and the one virtually all the floaters ignore limits as it pertains to roe (ie it IS part of your limit even though it is seldom enforced) Snidley

[BillM]

You are talking about simplifying the law but consistently bring up the roe argument? If anything, it completely skews what you are trying to achieve by a simple law that's easy to follow....

 

The KISS rule applies here....

[Snidley]

Fishing with eggs would be illegal. How is that complicated? Truth is i'd be happy with complete C&R only. That way anyone carrying out a fish is breaking the law...at anytime. It would remove the main motivation of the idiots that use limited natural resources as a free grocery store. Another part of the solution is to post obvious areas with proper signs as well. The best example I know of is Montsberg reservoir. It's illegal to fish on the train levee but lots of people do (with wives, kids and pets wandering around on very active train tracks). The current fine there for trespass only is now $525 per person plus whatever other infraction (no license, over the limit etc) and it is occasionally enforced by CO's and more frequently by CPR Police and occasionally by an outright taskforce of those 2 plus OPP. If they really wanted to stop the trespassing they should post a sign that explains not only is it illegal to fish there but the significant fine that is involved. most of the people I observe on the levee are of the poor variety and $525 would be a definite motivator. Currently there are some small discreet signs saying no trespassing but they are easy to ignore. It's almost like they would prefer people to trespass (and risk their lives) rather than get people to stop fishing there. Maybe they are seeking the fine money to finance something else.