Local fishing spots

BY ROBERT FUCHS AND ROBERT CONLEY

Too many people see fishing as a big, heavy-prep adventure, or something reserved just for weekends at the cottage. The truth is, if you live in OttawaGatineau, impressive fishing – for beginners or seasoned professionals – is just minutes away. Whether it’s the Rideau or Ottawa rivers or the Rideau Canal, big fish await you.

Like a lot of avid fisherman we moved to the city with rods packed, and with so much water close by, wetting a line followed soon after. Years of exploration, education, trial and error have given us unparalleled success right here in Ottawa. For starters, the Rideau River offers an eight-kilometre stretch that can be fished from the falls at Hog’s Back all the way down to where it tumbles into the Ottawa River.

Along the way, there are easily accessible shore-fishing spots, some wadeable stretches and hidden gems off the beaten path. A simple Google search will give a list of locations and our river favourites among them are Pleasant Park, New Edinburgh and Strathcona.

We’ve hooked smallmouth bass, river smallies which pound for pound are the hardest fighters you can wrestle with. And don’t be surprised if you tangle with pike, walleye and even muskie in the Rideau. These species are not uncommon and can be targeted with the right tackle. Just follow the bike paths along the river, take your rod and a backpack and make the most of this incredible urban fishery.

Then there’s the Rideau Canal, cutting through the heart of the city as a recreational link between the Rideau to the Ottawa River. For fisherman this is a haven for some of the best largemouth bass in the city. From Dow’s Lake to the Rideau Locks beside Parliament Hill, pick your side of the water, watch for pedestrians and throw your hottest bass lures.

The much larger Ottawa River is a bit more of a transportation challenge but rewarding all the same. Adventures from Shirleys Bay in the west to Petrie Island near Orleans require little preparation for effortless accessibility. It helps to know which species you are targeting. Shirleys Bay shelters smallmouth bass and pike in its sandy, rock scattered shallow bottom, so get your feet wet and explore. Britannia Beach has non-stop catfish action if you are looking to keep busy with simple tackle and a simple approach, and it’s an easy place to introduce friends to fishing.

Bate Island off the Champlain Bridge is a scenic setting with potential for smallmouth bass, catfish, walleye and even brown trout if the cooler autumn water just happens to turn them on. Way downstream to the east is the most versatile fishing location in the city – Petrie Island. Shore fishing there offers pan fish and bass from the inside bays and large walleye, bass and pike off its outside shores. It’s the place to plan a full day of fishing from shore to target all these species as you explore around the island. And it’s another ideal spot for new anglers.

All these locations are easily accessed by foot, bike, bus or car. Fall weather means fish are in full feeding mode, so what better time to embark on an urban fishing adventure? We’ll be on the water, how about you? ~ Fuchs and Conley spend every free moment on the water, yearround, in pursuit of the biggest and meanest. They’re at www. thebassassins.com or www. facebook.com/TheBassassins.

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