3 words: “check it out”

www.catchmagazine.net/

Since we started DiscoverFlyFishing.ca 6 months ago we have had almost 1,000 people sign up and we want to know what you think. How are we doing ? Please let us know your thoughts…

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H) is the oldest and largest non-profit, non-government fish and wildlife conservation organization in Canada. Founded in 1928, the OFAH has 83,000 members and 655 member clubs and is truly the voice of anglers and hunters in Ontario.

An effective advocate for Ontario’s natural resources and the rights and traditions of anglers and hunters, each year the OFAH invests financially in fish hatcheries, restoration projects for fish and wildlife habitat and in delivering youth programs. As mentioned on their website, “Travel anywhere in the province and you will find O.F.A.H. members improving local streams and saving wetlands; reintroducing wildlife and stocking lakes; teaching hunter safety and taking kids fishing; feeding deer in winter emergencies and building hundreds of waterfowl nesting boxes; organizing conservation fundraising dinners and selling O.F.A.H./Conservation lottery tickets; hosting O.F.A.H. Get Outdoors youth clubs and proudly promoting the traditions of hunting and fishing that help keep Ontario strong.”

For more information on the OFAH please see www.ofah.org

I was thankfully raised by parents who instilled in me a desire to make informed decision whenever possible, to not blame others for the decisions I make, to treat others with consideration and respect and to decide for myself what path in life to follow. These lessons have taught me to analyze all sides of an argument and to always try to make informed decisions. That said, I have an admission to make…

Although I am originally from small town Northern Ontario I have never been a fan of hunting. I wasn’t against hunting, I just wasn’t exposed to it while growing up and have to admit that I looked upon anyone who liked it as a bit of a “red neck”. I have now lived in the Toronto area for over 20 years and often hear people say they find hunting cruel and unethical. I think it is fair to say that a large part of opinions like that and the anti-hunting lobby springs from media reports of gun crime in Canada’s larger cities (Toronto in particular). There are a number of interest groups who I will (perhaps unfairly) group together as believing that because hunters use guns and guns are bad, hunting is bad and guns and hunting should both be banned. Sounds logical. Let me throw a wrench in the argument…

I had the opportunity to fire a shotgun a few years ago on a skeet range. The targets were clay, the venue was sanctioned, the instructor was licensed and the gun was an unrestricted legal firearm. I loved it. My competitive streak kicked in, my concentration focussed and I hit more targets than I missed. I had a great afternoon and immediately decided that I wanted to take the firearms course. Me ! Mr. “I don’t like guns and hunting” ! Well, a few years have gone by but I finally had the opportunity to take the firearms safety and hunting courses last weekend and have to admit I was surprised by what was taught. I am not sure what I expected going into the weekend but figured it would generally be about firearms safety and how to hunt. As expected, I learned much about how to safely handle firearms but what was unexpected was the care and attention paid to the ethics of hunting.

In an era where political optics are as important – and unfortunately often times more so – as the facts, I am embarrassed to admit that I had been unconsciously swayed by the anti-hunting lobby to the point that I didn’t announce to friends that I was taking the courses for fear of being viewed as a right-leaning, gun toting redneck (perhaps some of them think I already am and taking the course just confirms it!). What I took away from the course was a newfound respect for hunting and an eye opening self-rebuke of how we look at the sport. The instructors were members of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) and they are to be congratulated on the care and attention they take and the leadership they are providing to educate the future generation of hunters in Ontario. Based on my experience I encourage anyone who has an interest in shooting and/or hunting to take the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and the Ontario Hunter Education Courses. Contact the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters for more information (www.ofah.org or 705-748-6324).

From a purely ethical perspective, after taking the course I asked myself what was more humane: silently stalking an animal in its own environment and taking a shot only when it is unobstructed and ensures a quick and humane death versus raising livestock in pens, force-feeding it on a daily basis and transporting it in trucks to slaughterhouses where they hear the sound of other animals being killed as they enter pens to await their demise. If this is a purely ethical argument I think the position of the hunter far outweighs that of the anti-hunting lobbysit who buys their meat products in the local grocery store and bases their opinion on what makes them feel less-uneasy…

There is a lot of water to fly fish in Ontario and much of it often goes unheralded because it is overshadowed by better known and/or more accessible destinations such as the Upper Grand River near Fergus, the Forks of the Credit at Belfountain, etc. If you are looking for new water to fly fish we encourage you read the MNR fishing regulations and get in your car (we know, it’s rocket science…).

For example the Sturgeon River and it tributaries in Tay and Oro-Medonte Twps., upstream (south) of the lamprey barrier, offers some excellent angling opportunities for those willing and able to make the drive. For more information please see www.mnr.gov.on.ca/198877.pdf