Blast from the Past

[CrowMan]

A little history for the young guns (and reminiscing for the old farts)...how the terminology for the species has changed here in Ontario.

The "Ontario Fishing Regulations" from 1960....what the gov't called them back then: 

"YELLOW PICKEREL (Dore, Pike-Perch, Walleye-Pike)"

"PIKE (Great Northern Pike and Grass Pike)"

"SPECKLED TROUT"

"BLACK BASS"

 "MASKINONGE"

Those are the terms I grew up with....the Ontario regs changed the names to Walleye, Northern Pike, Brook Trout, Smallmouth, Largemouth and Muskellunge, I believe sometime in the late 70's.

...and looking at the photo, it seems folks  kept and ate Musky...lol

[dave524]

The name Walleye didn't become common here till we started watching American fishing shows. Never heard it before about 1970. 

[CrowMan]

On another note...the reg's were a lot simpler back then...a one page tri-fold. Today it's a 143 page (I just counted) novel...

Which can be interpreted as a political comment too...government just keeps getting bigger and bigger..

Edited June 15, 2023 by CrowMan

[Cast-Away]

I remember on the In Fisherman Al Lindner referred to a Rapela as a "Wrapalah".

[Spiel]

To add to the confusion they still refer to Brookies and Lakers as trout, they're not.

And further more, Walleye are not Pickerel even though I grew thinking they were.  😆

[Spiel]

And ya, "Black Bass" was also a familiar term from youth. 

[CrowMan]

On 6/15/2023 at 4:42 PM, Spiel said:

And ya, "Black Bass" was also a familiar term from youth. 

My in-laws (of all ages), in the Niagara area, to this day still call them "Black Bass"...

Edited June 19, 2023 by CrowMan

[CrowMan]

My Dad and his fishing buddies would call any small (hammer-handle) Pike a "Grass Pike"...and anything over say 30" was a "Northern Pike".

[John Bacon]

2 hours ago, Cast-Away said:

I remember on the In Fisherman Al Lindner referred to a Rapela as a "Wrapalah".

I think that's the proper pronunciation.  Listen to their commercials.

[Barry Willis]

 There are still some anglers that call Walleye, Pickerel.  I remember back in the 60's my Dad showing me the difference between Pike, Pickerel and Walleye, and yes he did call the hammer handles Grass Pike.  

[Barry Willis]

Haha, I just thought of another one, my Dad and a couple of his buddy's showed me and that is - Chain Pickerel.

[akaShag]

4 hours ago, dave524 said:

The name Walleye didn't become common here till we started watching American fishing shows

Darryl Choronzey took this on as a crusade.  He convinced me.........

Doug

[Barry Willis]

Darryl lived just down the shore from me.

[Beans]

 5 hours ago, dave524 said:

The name Walleye didn't become common here till we started watching American fishing shows

 

My grand pappy called them pickerel...Dad called them pickerel...I call them pickerel... my sons call them pickerel...my grandson calls them pickerel and his son will probably call them pickerel...Long live the name pickerel !!!l

Edited June 16, 2023 by Beans

[porkpie]

3 hours ago, Beans said:

 5 hours ago, dave524 said:

The name Walleye didn't become common here till we started watching American fishing shows

 

My grand pappy called them pickerel...Dad called them pickerel...I call them pickerel... my sons call them pickerel...my grandson calls them pickerel and his son will probably call them pickerel...Long live the name pickerel !!!l

The tradition continues in our house!  No Americanisms here!

[BillM]

My oldman still saying pickerel   

[AKRISONER]

The colloquialism is strong in Ontario. Basically anywhere north of muskoka they are still pickerel. It’s only once you get too close to the border people start saying walleye. 
 

I can assure you that the pickerel river is not named after the chain variety lol

If you really want to confuse Americans, we tell them that we fry up pickerel and they are lossstttt lol

here’s one of my favourites, in Manitoba pike are called jack fish. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by AKRISONER

[Cast-Away]

So in Manitoba they know "Jack" right!

[AKRISONER]

Funny I’m thinking back now and I realize talking to some old timers, they referenced grass pike as well, I’d never heard that before. 
 

when I moved to Ontario I’d never heard of a “pike” in fact I think I probably didn’t start using the term until I started fishing with my friends regularly here in Ontario. My old man still calls em a jack.

im glad I started fishing more with my friend Zac. He prior to fishing with me did more of his fishing for pickerel up near timmins, so I’ve gotten away from calling them walleye again. It’s back to pickerel, and I’m happy to not use American terminology 

[akaShag]

You might call a Chevrolet a Chevy, or call a GMC a Jimmy, but there are actual names, and names in common usage.  Who cares?

[Dave Bailey]

On 6/15/2023 at 3:18 PM, CrowMan said:

Which can be interpreted as a political comment too...government just keeps getting bigger and bigger..

 

But so does the population, the road system, and the consequent pressure on fish. Add to that better research and science on management, and things change. We still have it good.