New fishing regulations upset outfitter

by Keely Grasser

Feb 06, 2008

PORT LORING — You can’t fish lake trout on Big Caribou Lake right now, but drive on down the road and you can.

Anglers can take home a walleye of a certain size on one side of a lake, and can’t on another.

These discrepancies have Chris Brooks, owner of Brooks Cottages on Big Caribou Lake, questioning the Ministry of Natural Resources’ (MNR) new fishing regulations, which came into effect at the beginning of the year.

In the new 2008-2009 fishing regulations, Ontario is now divided into 20 fisheries management zones, instead of the prior 37. The new divisions, according to the MNR, take into account provincial climate zones, watersheds, fishing pressure and road networks.

But the divisions have created confusion in the Port Loring area.

“Everyone’s a little ticked about it,” Brooks said.

The area is on the boundary between two fishing districts.

District 11 encompasses the area north of Hwy. 522. It stretches north past New Liskeard and east past Mattawa. District 15 includes the area south of Hwy. 522, stretching south to Bobcaygeon and east to Arnprior.

In District 11, lake trout season no longer opens until Feb. 15. It then closes again on March 15 until the third Saturday in May.

In District 15, lake trout season is open from New Year’s Day until Sept. 30.
But Brooks’ business lays in District 11, leaving his ice-fishing customers in the cold if they’re looking to fish lake trout.

And many of them are, he said. People call up for reservations and ask what kind of fish they’ll catch and he tells them lake trout.

Brooks said that he didn’t have advance notice that this year his customers would be unable to fish lake trout.

“They (the MNR) are making you false advertise,” he said.

He said he takes reservations for the ice-fishing season as early as late summer or early fall.

And now his business is facing the consequences of his ignorance about the new regulations.

Brooks has had some cancellations, he said, adding that more flexible guests were able to reschedule to visit when lake trout season opens later this month.

The new regulations also mean an early end to the season, Brooks said. “Anyone you could get after March 15 if the ice lasts, you’ve lost that revenue.”

Other anglers, however, can travel into District 11 to fish lake trout throughout the ice-fishing season.

Or they can visit Wilson Lake, Brooks pointed out, which has a year-round lake trout season.