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Chilled Trout
First introduced to the Grand
in the early 1900's, brown and
rainbow trout now flourish wherever
temperature and flow conditions
are favourable. The cold waters
discharged from the Shand Dam
near the top of the river, and
from the precipitous drop of
the Elora Gorge are ideal trout
habitats.
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Trading
on Trout
The flyfishing industry of the Upper Grand
Lakes, reservoirs, deep, cold pools and
warm, sunny shallowsúthereçs a fish for
every niche of the Grand, and a catch for
every kind of line and lure. But nothing
draws the angling crowds like trout, and
in the Grandçs upstream towns of Fergus
and Elora, fly fishing has become a million-dollar
industry.
Trout
Territory
The streams that contribute to the Grand
are cold, chilled by the groundwater that
flows from the glacial gravel. They are
ideal trout habitats, a feature recognized
by regional transplanting and stocking programs
for almost a century.
Today, fly fishers from
around the world cast their lines for brown
trout and rainbow trout in the upper stretch
of the Grand from Belwood and Fergus to
Inverhaugh and West Montrose.
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Other Fish in the Grand
The ubiquitous smallmouth bass
populates almost the entire
Grand River watershed, with
its largemouth cousin sharing
habitat in the Speed and Eramosa
rivers
near Guelph. Pike are also widely
distributed, while walleye can
be found in the Conestogo and
Nith tributaries, and in the
Grand itself from Brantford
to Lake Erie. Near the mouth
of the river, through Dunnville,
Cayuga and Caledonia, anglers
will find steelhead (salmon).
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Often called the "canary
in the coal mine" of river quality, the
robust populations of brown trout provide
evidence that the water quality improvement
efforts of recent years have been effective.
Other fish species dependent on clean waterúincluding
the endangered sand darter, redside dace
and black redhorse suckerúare a further
testament to conscious and sustained conservation
efforts in the Grand. Catch and release
regulations along various stretches of the
river are helping to preserve not only trout,
but other popular sport fish such as pike.
Trips and Tackle
Trout anglers take their hobby seriously,
and local businesses are happy to accommodate
them. Specialty fly fishing and tackle shops,
outfitters and guiding services flourish
in the Fergus area. Some outfitters offer
fly fishing instructional courses for beginners.
And at Belwood Lake Conservation Area near
Fergus, kids under 13 can fish a special
pond stocked with rainbow trout and bass.
There are even fishing camps for kids at
many of the Grand River Conservation Areas
and Nature Centres.
Bait
and Tackle from Top to Bottom
With a habitat for every fish as many as
a hundred different species each section
of the river and its lakes, reservoirs,
tributaries and streams has its own recreational
fishing appeal. Steelhead/salmon and walleye
draw anglers in the lower, shallower reaches
of the watershed, while pike populate the
upper half and small and largemouth bass
cover the entire region. From Caledonia
to Conestogo, and Brantford to Belwood,
tackle shops, boat dealers and tour operators
fill every angling niche.
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