Ontario Tributaries (Where it's at....)

Support Catch and Release

Catch and Release

 

There's nothing wrong with keeping some fish for the frying pan. Fish are delicious and eating a few fresh fish is a great way of capping off a fun day of fishing. If you plan on releasing fish though, there are some steps you can take to help improve the survival of the fish.

Methods for Releasing Fish:

1. Use barbless hooks; they cause less damage to the fish.
2. Play a fish no longer than necessary. To do so decreases its chance of survival.
3. Wet your hands before touching a fish that is to be released. Dry skin will remove the mucous coating on trout. Avoid touching the gills.
4. Use of a landing net also increases the survival rate of a trout.
5. Gently push the hook out and cradle the fish in your hand, underwater and facing upstream.
6. After a moment, allow the fish to swim free. If the fish turns upside down, catch it and revive it as stated above.

Wiscoy and East Koy Creeks are nice for Troutdoorsman

WISCOY CREEK:
 Fed by cold springs these are some of New York State's finest wild brown trout streams. The Wiscoy Creek flows southeast thru Bliss and Pike.  There are about 9 miles of public access, popular with fisherman.

• A section of the North Branch of Wiscoy Creek can be accessed north of Bliss, off Route 362 (Pearl Street).
  Trout Brook is a quality tributary with brook trout that is just south of the East Hillside Road Bridge.
  Main Street, Route 19, near the Pike Library.
  Beardsley Park Rest Area on Rt. 39 outside of Pike.
  Water Street, west of Rt. 39, on CR 50.
  Rt. 19 to Canal Street turns into East Koy Road, CR 24, with 4 marked access points.
  
  
   CHECK OUT THIS LINK FOR A NICE CATCH AND RELEASE ON THE WISCOY
  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151565366139429&l=5123019477841586734
  
  
  NATIVE BROWN CAUGHT BY ANDREW MOCHRIE ON WISCOY CREEK
    

EAST KOY CREEK:

Nearby is East Koy Creek, which is between the hamlets of Hermitage and Lamont.  All these streams eventually combine and flow into the Genesee River.  This area of hills, forests and streams are very scenic.  There are several areas along these streams with public fishing rights access, about 12 miles.

• Bridge at Rt. 78 and Hermitage Road.
  Bridge on Hardy's Road, CR 10, SE off Rt. 78.
  Green Bay Road, east off Hardy's Road, south off Rt. 78.
  Shearing Road, east off Green Bay Rd., at railroad tracks along Shearing to Rt. 19.
  Murphy Road parking area, west of Lamont.

Hidden Gem with Brownies

Little Buffalo Creek in Marilla, NY has some great stock trout opportunities.  Andrew and I fish this stretch of creek every April and we never leave disappointed.  Most people fish the two rod sections of the creek but we have landed a fair share of the big boys in a honey hole that I can say produces.  We kept tossing the lures and they kept biting. The panther martins and the rooster tails usually do produce on this stretch of creek.  We like to fish were others don't and walk a great distance of the creeks.  In this spot the stretch of creek calms and turns about thigh high and there is a nice cut bank of sorts.  Its not too far from the East Rd Bridge and offers a sort of solitude from the slob fisherman on two rod. We have found that the fish move up a great deal and even though we did not land too many this year in years past its been pretty decent. The spot is within easy distance to walk and you don't need to worry about the pricker bushes and such that some honey holes have. Highly recommended spot for springtime stockers!!! till next time sniffers...... Keep on sniffing!!

Cazenovia Creek also has a wide variety of fish that run through its waters. Species include catfish, Large and Small Mouth bass, and Rainbow and Brown Trout to name a few. We fished the part of the creek located in Holland NY and caught quiet a few brown trout. Andrew was using his trusted panther martins and I was on the rooster tails and worms.  We moved downstream by Emery Park and saw a fellow fisherman catch his limit for the day.  He said that the shiners worked all day which was evident by his stringer full of two year old's. 
                              

Here are some of the Fish that we caught in Caz Creek:

Andrew on right caught a two year old with (panther martin)

Tim on left caught a small one year old with (mepps rooster tail)

Five more tips from the Sniffers!

1. For trout fishing, the leader should not be greased. It will not sink far enough to cause any difficulty when picking the line and lure from the water, but if it is allowed to float; it will cast a shadow on the bottom of the stream which may scare the trout.

2. The trout is one of the fishes that are usually secured through the use of the dry fly. For trout, the current as well as the pools should be fished. It may sometimes be a bit difficult to keep the fly from sinking or dragging because of the various conditions of the current, but this is a matter that the angler will have to figure out for himself.

3. It is not good practice when fishing for trout to fish directly upstream so the flies, line, and leader will float directly over fish. The fisherman should make the cast from one side of the stream so the fly will only float over the fish.

4. It is important to make the first cast the best. A feeding trout will usually strike the first lure presented if it is cast so that it will float over his private domain. The angler should never fail to fish the lower end of the pool first even if the trout are rising in the middle or upper end.

5. Trout are sometimes very moody or selective and will try the patience of any angler; hence, possibly a fly with less hackle will do the trick or it may be necessary to use a spent-wing fly or a fan wing.

FLY GUYS TOP 5 TIPS FOR SPOTTING RUNS OF TROUT (GOOD READ)

There are tricks to more effective run scouting. Here are my five top tips:

1. Get as high as you can, then as low as you can. In other words, seek a vantage point above the river, like high on a bank, even up in a tree. Once you get to the high ground, you want to keep a low profile, and not go jumping around so you will stand out and spook fish.

2. Put the sun behind you. This dramatically increases the risk of you casting shadows on the run, and shadows spook fish. But I'll trade that for a brighter clearer picture.

3. Find the right polarized glasses. As we discussed earlier, I think finding one pair of all-around glasses that you trust is more effective than wearing 10 different tints for 10 situations.

4. Learn to identify what is NOT a fish. The sooner you lose the distractions, the easier it is to tell what the real fish are doing.

5. Confirm your information. When you see a fish rise, don't barrel right down into the river. Watch it happen again. Then slowly slink into position. The more you understand why fish are behaving a certain way, the easier it is to catch them. You can't capture the why with one glance.