Last week I did an interview with Bryn Weese (left) of the Toronto Sun about TTC accessible fishing spots around Toronto. Turns out that Bryn is an avid fisherman himself and we ended up talking about much more than could fit in the article.
Jonathan Marshall [sic] and Clive Mathias, creators of the website fishingfury.com, are both experienced anglers who make it their business to fish in the city and tell people where — and how — to do it.
If their website is any indication, not only are there huge fish, particularly pike, to be caught around Toronto, but there is also a thriving angling community here.
Like many Torontonians, Marshall doesn’t own a car and uses the TTC to get to his fishing spots.
“I’m pretty much stuck in the area, but that’s okay,” he said, noting he heads over to Toronto Islands for pike fishing after work.
“The pike opportunities on Toronto Islands during the last week of May is probably the best fishing in Toronto I’ve ever had,” he said, noting the evening hours from 5 to 9 are probably the best times.
His secret? Large inline spinners, like a Mepps Black Fury 5, casted in and around weedbeds with a medium or medium-heavy spinning rod.
“Pretty much anywhere you see a weed bed is the perfect place to go,” he said, noting the centre channel on Centre Island is probably the best spot of all.
Also try the water near the amphitheatre on Centre Island if the boat traffic isn’t too busy.
In addition to pike and bass, anglers can also catch panfish, carp, trout and salmon (seasonally) from the shores of the islands. Marshall said he even once caught a walleye there.
It’s a great article and I’m very happy that I was interviewed! Don’t forget that next weekend is the National Fishing Week, which means you do not need a license to fish that weekend but you must follow the conservation license rules. There are also family fishing activities all over the GTA and across Canada.
Bryn if you’re ever in need of a fishing partner let me know, I’m more than willing to meet you some where on the TTC or even split those extremely high gas prices!
Our good friend Ric, who’s been making a killing fishing Toronto Islands (on multiple outings) , headed over to Ontario Place to check out the situation. Ric has been hard at work trying to get a Pike on his fly rod and while he still hasn’t succeeded, this experience sure opened his eyes to carp fishing.
We got down there and started spotting fish to cast to. I’ve had the fly rod out a couple of times this season and have been able to raise a lot of fish. Still can’t get one to commit though. So anyways, the fly I’m throwing this big clown head. The pike were really spooky and weren’t really responding but as I’m working one a nice carp swims up to the fly and just sucks it in. It happened right in front of Doug and myself and we just kind of turned and said.
“Did you see that?”
So before he could spit it I reared back on the rod and set the hook hard! At first she didn’t really understand what was going on and just sat there but then…. Game On!! I gave Doug my camera and then spent the next 10 minutes trying to deal with the sheer strength of this fish. Thanks for the great camera work Doug!
Man these things are just so strong! I have new found strength in my knots after this fish! She was just mowing down the towers of weeds through out the whole area! The rod is a Cortland GRX 9WT. She was definitely put to the test.
Every time I got her in she would just turn and bolt! Nothing I could do but just hold on. My arms were starting to burn and I just wanted to get her off so I started to really lay into her. Finally I got her in. Man was she heavy! Lots of lamprey marks on a lot of the fish this year! Not just carp! This one had 3 or 4 of them.
After a few she was good to go! And so was I! Unfortunately, Ontario Place is now open and we were asked to leave not long after. You can’t fish anywhere from the the first bay on the east side all the way the parking lot on the west side. Now that they’re open they really will enforce this so yet another spot is closed off to us shore guys.
Man, I had a great time and would love to get into one of these guys on the fly in my float boat!
I really do have a whole new respect for these fish and will probably target more of them this summer.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my little saga! Take care!!
