LOW Water Levels

[Chuck 19]

Stopped in at the Coldwater yesterday Their were 4 other guys there already I nailed one right away, the guy fishin just down from me was quite shocked but due to my halfhearted hookset the fish swam away Good for her

I couldn"t believe how shallow it was The rock that I usually drift behind was almost completly out of the water

When i fish steelies i want lots of fast water and line screaming runs not some fish flappin around in a mud puddle

Think I"ll be stickin to the Nipigon River for the rest of the season at least they will have a better chance of survival

Maybe I"ll fish a roe sack without a hook and if it tangles in their teeth and I land em thats fair

[brookiebuster 117]

I never knew that the steelies go so far up the mac! I was there today way,way,way past the university(up stream) there was a relly nice pool about 4feet deep,HUGE steel head in there.I estimated one around 30-31inches!Those steel head went thru hell to get there! A bit down stream theres a 3foot water fall,and extreamly shallow rapids.Its just amazing what these fish go thru just to have babies!

Ill be out there tomorrow.Ill try out some pink worms.Wish me luck(Hopfully get my first steelie)

Chris

[Guest TCom]

McVicars is an absolute horror show due to the low water. I was down there earlier today and it was absolutely pitiful watching the way people were treating the fish... snagging galore.

[fisherdude 69]

i was at mcvicks today for awhile and landed one and lost about 5 others...it was very hard to watch an older guy all decked out in full apparell snagg away..and get one and hand the rod to someone watching...almost pushed them both in. And then to see a young fellow walkin up with a net...all i can say is that person was lucky they looked native as my hands were empty and clenched as i had jus put my stuff in my car. Other then that the rest of the people that i saw were actually fishing and not snagging. With the water levels so low the fish dont stand a chance so PLEASE use your heads and if they wont bite..they wont bite leave them alone and let them reproduce.

[Chuck 19]

I use to live on John St Rd , Boys falls Girls Falls and Broken Bridge were all very popular spots for Steelies and Specks This was way before Cherry Ridge We caught them as far as Centenial Golf course and beyond and would rarley see anyone on the river

Now it is rare to see a spot on the river where their isn"t someone ,but the fish still come year after year and to read about the carnage that is happening BS I believe when water levels reach a critical low the river should be shut down to any fishing which would insure that the fish will be there as they have been in the past

Sure you can take out of your piggy bank every day but if you don't put something back..... sucks to be you

Just my 2 cents

[Guest Wes]

I never knew that the steelies go so far up the mac! I was there today way,way,way past the university(up stream) there was a relly nice pool about 4feet deep,HUGE steel head in there.I estimated one around 30-31inches!Those steel head went thru hell to get there! A bit down stream theres a 3foot water fall,and extreamly shallow rapids.Its just amazing what these fish go thru just to have babies!

Ill be out there tomorrow.Ill try out some pink worms.Wish me luck(Hopfully get my first steelie)

Chris

I can’t ask you to not angle for that very large steelhead all I can do it explain to you why is isn’t the greatest idea. The very large Steelhead has, as you put it, gone threw hell to get where she is. Now she is on her spawning bed and you want to molest her. Not only is she carrying a ton of eggs, but she carries with her a perfect set of genes, that will be passed on to her offspring. Her offspring will be genetically programmed to grow very large. If she has a chance to spawn it will be very unlikely that any of her offspring will survive. But if they do, then there is another generation of fish guaranteed to return to the system and eventually become very large Steelhead.

It is a very good assumption that it is a female but I could be wrong. It doesn’t matter either way. The male also passes on his genes. Don’t target Steelhead on the redd (nest/spawning bed), give them a chance to spawn. Do the right thing. Don’t be like the rest of the snagging bassholes killing every steelhead they catch. Dragging a nesting Steelhead off it’s redd is nothing to be proud of. You are going to do what you are going to do, and as long as you have a fishing license that is your privilege. As long as you stay on the right side of the law, no one can take that away from you.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

We can ask, say please, plead and beg, but people are going to do what they want, despite the reasons they shouldn't, this is not directed at anyone in particular. I am getting fed up and so pissed off that people are still fishing the Mac and or Mcvicks that I am ready to have a stroke. I don't care if it is legal to fish for them, if you are fishing for a species that is at risk when you are very aware of the low water levels and vulnerability of the fish than you aren't a real fisherman. The license isn't what makes a fisherman, it is the attitude and the respect for the fish and the land that does. Screw this within the limit of the laws B*llshit. Just my opinion, and I will continue to make it heard until I can go to the rivers without seeing fish getting snagged, or netted, or physically abused. This year is so disgusting I almost dont want to tell people I fish for steelhead cause than I get clumped into the group with all the other a$$holes who are seen daily in town acting like poachers and morons, and I know people may argue this and say maybe they just aren't educated, screw that, It is obvious what the situation is, that is a scape goat that people rely on, you can only play the stupid card once. I have educated too many people than I should have to. Most people know they shouldn't be fishing these rivers, but they just dont care, and that is NOT acceptable in my books.

Brodie K.

[Guest Walleye Man]

I can’t ask you to not angle for that very large steelhead all I can do it explain to you why is isn’t the greatest idea. The very large Steelhead has, as you put it, gone threw hell to get where she is. Now she is on her spawning bed and you want to molest her. Not only is she carrying a ton of eggs, but she carries with her a perfect set of genes, that will be passed on to her offspring. Her offspring will be genetically programmed to grow very large. If she has a chance to spawn it will be very unlikely that any of her offspring will survive. But if they do, then there is another generation of fish guaranteed to return to the system and eventually become very large Steelhead.

It is a very good assumption that it is a female but I could be wrong. It doesn’t matter either way. The male also passes on his genes. Don’t target Steelhead on the redd (nest/spawning bed), give them a chance to spawn. Do the right thing. Don’t be like the rest of the snagging bassholes killing every steelhead they catch. Dragging a nesting Steelhead off it’s redd is nothing to be proud of. You are going to do what you are going to do, and as long as you have a fishing license that is your privilege. As long as you stay on the right side of the law, no one can take that away from you.

Maybe I am missing something here doesn't everyone fish the Steelhead when their spawning???? Yeah don't go after the trophy that will happen Maybe everyone should put their gear away for the year so we can stop hearing everyone whine about this. If you really cared about these fish as much as you portray them you wouldn't even fish for them period. Give it a rest

[mexifin 6]

Maybe I am missing something here doesn't everyone fish the Steelhead when their spawning???? Yeah don't go after the trophy that will happen Maybe everyone should put their gear away for the year so we can stop hearing everyone whine about this. If you really cared about these fish as much as you portray them you wouldn't even fish for them period. Give it a rest

Two thumbs up,

[Guest Wes]

Maybe I am missing something here doesn't everyone fish the Steelhead when their spawning???? Yeah don't go after the trophy that will happen Maybe everyone should put their gear away for the year so we can stop hearing everyone whine about this. If you really cared about these fish as much as you portray them you wouldn't even fish for them period. Give it a rest

Two thumbs up,

No I won’t give it a rest. Not until I start to see anglers trying to catch steelhead in an ethical manner. Not once did I say "Don't fish for these Steelhead" nor would I. All I am saying is do it ethically. I am not going to stop, but I do practice what I preach.

The only reason I am down at the Mac as much as I am is because I have to be, for the sake of the study that I am involved in. I need to remain there for the duration of the run to ensure accurate data. All I am trying to do, by saying what I am saying, is ensure the future of this fantastic fishery.

Freshwater, there is nothing wrong with angling a low water river. Actually, your chances of hooking up are greatly diminished unless you’re a friggen poaching snagger. An ethical angler needs far more skill and knowledge of Steelhead for a solid hookup in these low waters. Any yahoo can rip a yarn fly through a hole and say they caught one.

[NWO Fishing Bum 2]

Yeah, we're starting to split hairs here. It's the same debate we've had for years, but this year, with the low water, perhaps just highlights the issue that much more. You can't start 'throwing chairs' over people fishing spawning steelhead that they can easily see, and then suggest it's fine every other year to fish spawning steelhead because there's more water and can't physically see them there. The act in itself is exactly the same: targeting steelhead during their spawn/spawning migration. The low water is simply one of many circumstantial factors, which are relatively minor compared to the main act of having an open season during the spawn.

There's no shortage of snaggers on McVickars Creek or people flossing steelhead in river bottlenecks every other year. And yes, the hardcore steelheaders do sometimes complain in those instances as well, but when put on the defensive with respect to closing the season during spawning, just as is the case throughout S. Ontario, that same group puts forward the argument that the fishing pressure in this region is so relatively low that a year-round open season can be justified. This dichotomy is overwhelmingly evident throughout the local steelhead scene.

NWO Fishing Bum

[NWO Fishing Bum 2]

No I won’t give it a rest. Not until I start to see anglers trying to catch steelhead in an ethical manner. Not once did I say "Don't fish for these Steelhead" nor would I. All I am saying is do it ethically. I am not going to stop, but I do practice what I preach.

The only reason I am down at the Mac as much as I am is because I have to be, for the sake of the study that I am involved in. I need to remain there for the duration of the run to ensure accurate data. All I am trying to do, by saying what I am saying, is ensure the future of this fantastic fishery.

Freshwater, there is nothing wrong with angling a low water river. Actually, your chances of hooking up are greatly diminished unless you’re a friggen poaching snagger. An ethical angler needs far more skill and knowledge of Steelhead for a solid hookup in these low waters. Any yahoo can rip a yarn fly through a hole and say they caught one.

Wes,

You're trying to "walk the line" I just posted about (interestingly enough, as I was posting it). Either the fishery is fine and can handle a few yahoos (not that the opportunity should be missed to educate these people), or the fishery is not fine and should be shut down for the duration of the spawn. Pick one!

NWO Fishing Bum

"The only reason I am down at the Mac as much as I am is because I have to be, for the sake of the study that I am involved in. I need to remain there for the duration of the run to ensure accurate data. All I am trying to do, by saying what I am saying, is ensure the future of this fantastic fishery."

I read this moreso as: I have an excuse to keep fishing but the rest of you should respect the abnormal year we're having and leave the river in my responsible hands.

[Guest Ityflies]

I haven't even wet a line this year for steelhead, due to the low waters. and I haven't went down to the rivers because I know what I would do to those unethical "people" snagging and poaching.

I think I am better off staying at home.

[Guest Wes]

Wes,

You're trying to "walk the line" I just posted about (interestingly enough, as I was posting it). Either the fishery is fine and can handle a few yahoos (not that the opportunity should be missed to educate these people), or the fishery is not fine and should be shut down for the duration of the spawn. Pick one!

NWO Fishing Bum

"The only reason I am down at the Mac as much as I am is because I have to be, for the sake of the study that I am involved in. I need to remain there for the duration of the run to ensure accurate data. All I am trying to do, by saying what I am saying, is ensure the future of this fantastic fishery."

I read this moreso as: I have an excuse to keep fishing but the rest of you should respect the abnormal year we're having and leave the river in my responsible hands.

You can read what you want into what my post was about. But your wrong. Plain and simple. AGAIN, I am not telling people to stay away so I can have it all to myself. How much more clear can I be? Should I rent a plane and spell it out with smoke in the sky? Would that help? Show me where I explicitly say STAY AWAY. All I say is find some friggen ethics and use’em.

I would support and closure of the entire system and would be the first one to walk away from the river. Until then, I stay the course and continue to gather the data I was asked to gather.

It appears to me that what I am saying is not getting across and people just don’t give a crap. So do what you want. I am done with this. You will get yours in the end. The fish will disappear then the rest of you will start “whining”. “WHAAAAA the fish are gone, why doesn’t someone do something about it” WHAAAAA!

[Guest TerryK]

You guys are wasting your time. Like it or not, people will take advantage of a situation that allows them to have a better shot at fish, ethical or not.

And to bad mouth Wes for fishing the Mac because of the study is just plain wrong. Wes and 4 others, myself included, have pretty much given up fishing any other of our favorite streams for 5 YEARS so we can participate in the McIntyre Mark Recapture population study. I can't even begin to tell you how many hours these guys have put in for the last 3 seasons and will put in for the next 2 more, all for the sake of the fishery. Do you think any of us are enjoying fishing that low water day after day? Do you think we enjoy watching all the unethical and illegal practices going on all around us? Don't you think we would rather be fishing on a secluded wilderness stream for wild, aggressive steelhead? These guys have given up a lot, and all you people do is give them flak. No one is getting paid for doing what we are doing, so, who benefits?

EVERYONE! and that includes you guys that dis the NSSA and it's members. Everyone wins because valuable data is being gathered that will help ensure the future of this fishery and the fisheries in other streams along the North Shore. How dare you criticize the very people that are unselfishly helping to make sure there is quality fishing for your kids and grand kids?

I think maybe some of YOU should give it a rest and while you're at it, ask yourself what you, personally have done to preserve, conserve or otherwise help the fish and the fishery. Anything?

[Guest Walleye Man]

Hey WES

The fact that you say don't pull them off the Reds is ridiculous in my opinion. What is the difference if you catch them 15 feet down the river before they get there they are still a fish attempting to spawn.

The average angler has no idea what the Reds look like there is a fish in the water and people are trying to catch it end of story. I am pretty sure if people wanted the Steelhead population to reach it's full potential they would lobby to have it closed during the spawn so they can not be molested as you put it.

Only problem all the shore fishermen would be angry because you would need a boat in order to catch them in the lake like a real fisherman would

[Guest RAMBO]

Well said Bro, well said. I`m switching to Bass now. I'm pretty much done fishing for Steelhead. When it rains(if it rains) I'll go fish for drawbacks but I'm giving it rest until May

RAMBO

[Guest hunterbri]

I was out fishing McVickers today. I saw a father and his young son fishing, the father accidentally snagged a steelhead. He explained to the son how its illegal to catch them like that, then he released it. Always great to see fishermen like that!

[Guest Walleye Man]

I was out fishing McVickers today. I saw a father and his young son fishing, the father accidentally snagged a steelhead. He explained to the son how its illegal to catch them like that, then he released it. Always great to see fishermen like that!

Thats good to here. Some people still have morals.

[Guest Walleye Man]

Two thumbs up,

Two Thumbs Up

[fisherdude 69]

i also saw that man and his son fishing as i was only two pools lower. I was so impressed to see him teaching his son that it was called foul hooking and that it was illegal and was inpressed with how he handled the fish. I was also talking to that man the day before and he showed me a couple spots that were holding fish and gave me a few tips. Definately a class act, and good to see people like this on the river.

[gauge 0]

Was down at Mcvicks today and felt just sick to my stomach, seeing three Indian guys snaring steelhead. Not sure if it was the same group but apparently there were three guys yesterday, two in the river with nets while the other was chasing the fish into the netes.

These fish are going to have no chance of a spawn at this rate!!

Gauge

[thefisher 39]

Was down at Mcvicks today and felt just sick to my stomach, seeing three Indian guys snaring steelhead. Not sure if it was the same group but apparently there were three guys yesterday, two in the river with nets while the other was chasing the fish into the netes.

These fish are going to have no chance of a spawn at this rate!!

Gauge

WOW, thats absolutely rediculos

[Guest lacman]

WOW, thats absolutely rediculos

There would be a good chance I'd go down and punch them out if I saw that. And then I'd be in jail and couldn't fish. UNREAL!!

[Guest Wes]

Was down at Mcvicks today and felt just sick to my stomach, seeing three Indian guys snaring steelhead. Not sure if it was the same group but apparently there were three guys yesterday, two in the river with nets while the other was chasing the fish into the netes.

These fish are going to have no chance of a spawn at this rate!!

Gauge

This is a prime example of the class of people we have in this city. Pond scum would step on these people and go... "Aw man, look what someone left on the floor. that is disgusting!"

Pure greed and disregard for conservation.