Quinte Fishing

I copied this post by K.C. from the Fish Ontario website http://forums.fishontario.com/

Who says one person can't make a difference. Fishnut, I hope for all our sakes, we see these types of results one day at the BOQ. I don't support the one people group being centered out, but I encourage you all to go read the entire string. Now up to 26 posts!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THE ROUGE RIVERS REVENGE"

I have been fishing the Rouge for over 20 years. Before that my father would take me for a walk along the banks and slip his polarized glasses over my head and point out rainbows and salmon that were on their seasonal migrations. I remember staring with awe at these huge fish and will always be grateful to my father for spending his time with me showing me this wonderful natural resource. He would squat down and put his arm around me and tell me to remember what I saw because the way development was going the rouge would not hold fish for me to show my children. During the 1980's it seemed that my father was right. Many tributaries and spawning grounds were backfilled to make room for concrete house foundations and run-off from construction sites was choking the Rouge. The river was quickly dying as my father predicted. By 1990 the Rouge was regarded by many as nothing more than a murky sewer. Then the media picked up a story about a bunch of nature activists who attempted to stop a residential development that would severely damage the Moraine watershed which the Rouge is a major part of. The constant television coverage sparked a flurry of groups who donated money and time to restore the Rouge River. FRIENDS OF THE ROUGE is one of the groups that has spent years replanting trees, restoring tributaries, creating habitat, and lobbying the local government to build two fish ladders, one at Milne Dam and another further north at Toogood Pond. The local government got the hint and has also been stocking for the last seven years and has also lined the river further upstream with stone and pea gravel to greatly reduce the amount of silt erosion was creating. By 2000 the Rouge was once again a healthy river with a very good fishery.

So........Easter Sunday I take my three year old daughter to Milne Dam to show her the wonder of running rainbows and am disturbed to find 40 - 50 "people" of one particular race, fishing just below the dam and ladder which is still unfinished leaving the fish helpless. I informed as many as I could that they were fishing illegally but was ignored and laughed at. Fuming, I did not want to get violent so got on my cell phone and attempted in vain to contact a MNR officer. I noticed a police cruiser on a side street taking radar not far from the dam and pulled in next to him. I introduced myself and informed him of the mess that was taking place. He seemed appalled by what I told him and asked me to meet him at the dam in 10 minutes. I drove back to the dam and laughed outloud when five police cruisers flew in. I once again took my daughter out of her child seat and walked to the top of the dam to watch this spectacle unfold. One cruiser blocked the narrow laneway and the other officers immediately ran down to the dam and had everyone with a rod in their hands line up in single file in the parking area. The officers checked for fishing licenses which almost no-one had and by the time they were finished had a pile of confiscated rods and tackle boxes not including about 25 hefty fines that were handed out. The people fined became very hostile and accused the police of being "racist" and could not understand what was wrong with snagging a few fish. When it was over with and all the cars were gone the initial police officer I spoke to walked over to me and shook my hand and explained that he was an avid fisherman as well and that he was glad I informed him of what was going on. He told me that he would make it a point of visiting the dam on a daily basis until the season opens. After he left I gently took my daughter by the hand and carefully walked down to the dam. I slipped my polarized glasses over her little head and laughed as I watched the amazed look on her face. I squatted down and put my arm around her and said, "One day you'll bring you kids here." She smiled and kissed me on the cheek.

Do what you feel is right. K.C.

good to know good ppl still exist. i take a little pride out there and be concious of my actions and it is disheartening to think ignorant ppl still exist. the other day iwent to drop a line and realized that some fisherman had left a knot of string laying on the waters edge and a huge crayfish was alive and kicking inside this tangle. i used my side cutters to free him and give him a second chance.....differences big and little are important to notice.