Port D construction

[fish_nut]

There are construction gates up, closing the parking lot between the dam and SCFG.  

[bigugli]

They are nearly finished the park side, next is the reconstruction of the east side.

[PUMP KNOWS]

What are they fixing?  Or are they trying to prevent anglers from fishing?

[JonnyButts]

Just got back in from Port D. Parking lot is closed off and the break wall is Gated from lighthouse rd. The waterfront trail is closed off from Michigan ave and has no trespassing signs. Only access is to fish Port Dalhousie is from Port side to the green bridge and also the parking lot next to the new condos. I’m hearing that construction is going to last 2 months , and they are placing structures in the water so who knows what fishing will look like after this. Also the 2 month timeline is from the same city that told us the restructuring of the piers would be completed last year. I guess it doesn’t matter since there are no fish in Port Dalhousie anyways ...... 🙄

[PUMP KNOWS]

They’ve started dumping rocks along the concrete walls for support.  I just wish they started the construction all throughout the summer instead of doing it during the fall.

The locals who fish there must be so pissed.

[BillM]

Now everyone is fishing the Niagara lol

[Snidley]

There have been aborted efforts to stop fishing at the Whirlpool and Glen this year as well. The oldtimers tell me that the west side of Port D will eventually be reconstructed...as covered parking for the East Side condos since they can't put underground parking beneath the condos for some reason We shall see. My bet more territory for dog walking, latte drinking, P3TA Yuppie promenading etc. Get rid of those old dirty fisherman who hurt innocent animals (fish),

 

 

 

[knightfisher]

Yeah it's a big loss to many of us. Where else can you park, walk 20 feet and get into trout.

I can see no fishing signs down the road when the condos are complete.

[Snidley]

We will know it's all over when Homestead Doughnuts turns into a Starbucks and LuLu Lemon replaces Peter's Bait and Tackle. It's then time to move to Sault St Marie and fish the St Marys.

[misfish]

8 minutes ago, Snidley said:

It's then time to move to Sault St Marie and fish the St Marys.

Sounds like a solid plan to me.

[Mr Greedydrift]

5 hours ago, Snidley said:

We will know it's all over when Homestead Doughnuts turns into a Starbucks and LuLu Lemon replaces Peter's Bait and Tackle. It's then time to move to Sault St Marie and fish the St Marys.

A similar thing happened at the Beaver rivermouth in Thornbury. Blocked parking and more trails for dog walking condo owners. That town used to profit from fishermen, now they are not welcome.

[Snidley]

I was in Thornbury Thursday last and Tuesday last . There's still lots of fishing, I myself got two nice rainbows, one from shore at the mouth and one from my toon in the lake by the first green can . The whole place is very toney now though. There's dueling bespoke  coffee shops on the main drag not Starbucks but fancy wannbees and Porches, Bimmers and Benzes galore. Lots of walking around, taking in the sights by geezers and their mutts. No bait shop at  Pennys, but my only real complaint was that the fancy coffee shop I chose had an elaborate plan to get a coffee under social distancing protocol,. Actually getting the coffee in hand was a 2 step process that took forever and in the end the fancy coffee was crappy.  One of the locals did have a complaint that after Dec 31 the rules for fishing the mouth of the Beaver have changed and essentially you would have to wade into the lake to legally fish. Water levels at this point would make that a life threatening adventure As always the biggest complaint was that overall the fishing is slow at Thornbury and even slower at Meaford. I did not get any reports about the Saugeen or Notty.

[BillM]

The 'Geen is a shitshow.   If you want shoulder to shoulder fishing go there.  Still not cold enough for me to make the trip.

[misfish]

6 hours ago, BillM said:

The 'Geen is a shitshow.   If you want shoulder to shoulder fishing go there.  Still not cold enough for me to make the trip.

True dat

 

Son was out there last weekend. 4 am and there were 50 guys at the dam. Day light he said there was 200+ all over the place. I seen 3 anglers this morning.

[misfish]

6 hours ago, BillM said:

Still not cold enough for me to make the trip.

He is always asking me to go there. Told him I do not need to relive the my past of the credit and humber.LOL

[huzzsaba]

On 10/15/2020 at 6:22 PM, misfish said:

Sounds like a solid plan to me.

Ive been seriously thinking about the Sault ste Marie idea 😀. I think that's the first time and place I ever casted a line when I was little boy. 

Edited October 30, 2020 by huzzsaba

[Snidley]

Atlantics (big ones), Steelies, Chinook, Pinks, Pinooks, Walleye, Smallies and mmm.... whitefish. All just a stroll from downtown. The place to be if you have a 'toon or a Mirage drive Yak  Only place I've seen where Steelies favor crayfish but I have not been there in years. I'd hate to pick up and go to find that ,like almost everywhere else, it's gone to seed.

[porkpie]

On 10/16/2020 at 10:46 AM, Snidley said:

I was in Thornbury Thursday last and Tuesday last . There's still lots of fishing, I myself got two nice rainbows, one from shore at the mouth and one from my toon in the lake by the first green can . The whole place is very toney now though. There's dueling bespoke  coffee shops on the main drag not Starbucks but fancy wannbees and Porches, Bimmers and Benzes galore. Lots of walking around, taking in the sights by geezers and their mutts. No bait shop at  Pennys, but my only real complaint was that the fancy coffee shop I chose had an elaborate plan to get a coffee under social distancing protocol,. Actually getting the coffee in hand was a 2 step process that took forever and in the end the fancy coffee was crappy.  One of the locals did have a complaint that after Dec 31 the rules for fishing the mouth of the Beaver have changed and essentially you would have to wade into the lake to legally fish. Water levels at this point would make that a life threatening adventure As always the biggest complaint was that overall the fishing is slow at Thornbury and even slower at Meaford. I did not get any reports about the Saugeen or Notty.

What has changed around the rules regarding the mouth other than water levels?  

[Snidley]

Essentially you cannot fish from the shoreline or point, you must be in the lake. This used to be possible, you just waded out into the lake or stood on the exposed lake bottom, exposed because of low water levels. It was possible in the old days to wade upwards of 75-80 yards out into the lake but no longer. The higher levels in the great lakes has covered the lake bottom with water and every time I go to Thornbury now there is serious wave action that would make standing in the lake beyond the point of the parking area almost impossible. I have not seen the spot with a strong south wind but it might be possible to stand in the lake close to shore in such a wind. I have not seen those conditions so I can't say for sure. I should also point out that I was told this by locals that fish the parking lot point with their bait pinned to the bottom. I did NOT get this info from a Ministry official but it makes sense from what I know of the law for extended seasons for trout in general. In the past the interpretation had been that the line used to determine what was legal at Thornbury was a tree NEAR the end of the point  that left a small section of the point available to a small group of anglers to squeeze in to fish without having to wade. It's similar to the rules on the "Geen that allows winter fishing downstream from the old bridge abutments The interpretation is likely an arbitrary decision of the enforcement officers for the area. They probably got sick of seeing locals fishing in the morning and taking fish home and then returning in the afternoon and taking fish home then as well. A check of homes in Thornbury would likely turn up lots of overstocked freezers 

[porkpie]

Ah I see.  So yes it’s still possible to fish that area and people do all the time, but yes depending on the wave action it can be challenging, however the huge riverlike drift that was below the line in lower water is absent that’s true.  But that’s a Mother Nature thing.  Also, there has been a sign just above the mouth on and off for as long as I remember, and that’s a long time.  Now I haven’t been down to the mouth this year as I generally fish the space between first and second bridges just above the mouth, and it could’ve been removed by an eager late season angler (wouldn’t be the first time). However I suspect nothing he changed in that respect.