A Rainbow Trout caught with hook in it's lip for easy release
Q - What is "Catch & Pay" vs "Catch & Release" fishing? A - An angler pays a lower entry fee for Catch & Pay, however, he/she must pay for each and every trout that is caught with no exceptions!!
To help you understand the Catch & Release option, I found 3 dead fish today that had been injured removing the hook, and then were released...1 was 19 inches and 3 pounds. The Catch & Keep option means you keep every trout you catch regardless if it is 11 inches or 19 inches. If you choose Catch & Release for a flat $25 you have the option of releasing the fish. But even then if one is injured it is yours, you caught it, you injured it and you pay for it. Many people are beginner fishermen and do not know the skill of landing fish and releasing them. We try to monitor this. If someone releases a fish on the Catch & Keep plan we have them leave the property immediately. We are only 1 of 2 public ponds that even offer a Catch & Release option. Please respect the lives of these fish.
If you paid for the Catch & Release option, and the fish you just caught is injured and you were't expecting to keep a fish, you may wish to ask others fishing nearby if they would like to keep the fish you just caught..........but under no circumstances throw a trout back into the pond if injured. Trout are very sensitive to injury.
Q - Why does it cost more to catch & release fish? A - Studies show that mortality rates for fish that are released are significant. Of those caught on barbed hooks the rate is as high as 33%. For barbless hooks it is 8%. Therefore, higher costs compensate for these losses.
Biological bait such as worms, corn, minnows etc are swallowed by trout and so the hook is deeply lodged in their throat and impossible to remove without injuring and usually killing the fish. Fishing with flies attract the trout but upon tasting it and recognizing it is fake, the fish spits it out. The experienced fisherman feels the tug of the bite or sees the bobber dip and can set the hook, catching the trout in the lip as it expels the fly. See the above picture of the trout hooked in the lip. A barbless hook actually hooks easier with less friction than a barbed hook due to the barb's larger size and it may not puncture the mouth of the trout. Of course releasing the trout with a barbless hook is far more humane and simple.
Q - Are your fish healthy to eat? A - Our large pond is fed by fast flowing pristine springs that enter the pond at 45 degrees F. The water is tested regularly and is completely free of bacteria, nitrates and nitrites. Fish is also a high quality protein with low fat levels and a high percentage of of Omega 3 fatty acids which have been linked to reduced heart disease.
Q - How safe is your pond for children to fish? A - First, understand that Fish 4 trout is not liable for injuries or possible drowning while customers are on the property. People should be aware of the hazards of young children around ponds and bring life jackets to ensure their safety. We have a few, however, please advise us in advance to be certain we have sufficient on hand.
Q - Are there washrooms by the pond? A - Yes, only 200 ft from the pond there is an attractive 350 sq ft brick building housing the very clean washroom facilities.
Q - We would like to bring our two kids to fish at your pond. Is it possible to only pay for the kids to fish if we ofcourse, do not fish? A - From our years of experience in evaluating and observing similar situations here is our approach. We are a fishing business even though it has a park-like setting. We often have large extended families arrive and maybe 2 fish and their kids may not catch any trout and picnic tables and the facilities, parking (we have bylaws on # of cars we can park) are utilized and we do get busy. As a priority, We want our paying customers to have a good experience fishing. Other ponds charge entry whether you fish or not. We so often see when kids get tired of fishing that the adults fishes. Therefore, we have decided to charge for 1 adult and and 1 kid in your instance. Which is a nominal amount more. If you were 5 persons or more we would charge an entry fee of $5 for those adults not fishing.
| Pumpkinseed
The Pumpkinseed fish is a small, extremely colorful Sunfish, probably known as the most beautiful of all sunfishes. Staying close to shore, they live in still, warmer water and use weed patches, docks, and logs for cover.
Spawning in May/June, the male digs a pit in the substrate, even removing larger objects like rocks by pulling them out with their mouths. Nests are built in colonies of 3-15 nests, and females lay from  1,500-1,700 eggs. The male guards the fry for the first 11 days, even returning them to the nest in his mouth if they stray. The fathers may even nip at people’s hands or feet that come close to their nests. Growing to 10” in length, they feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects, mollusks, small fish, and occasionally small pieces of aquatic vegetation.
Why Pumpkinfish? Because of their golden brown flecked colours, overlaid by iridescent blue-green spots, and a creamy white or yellow stomach.
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Rock Bass
A member of the Sunfish family, the sedentary but opportunistic Rock Bass is also called Rock Perch, Goggle Eye, Northern Rock Bass, Redeye, Redeye Bass and Rock Sunfish. Found in southern Canada, south through the midwest US to the Gulf of Mexico, it prefers to live in streams and lakes with clear,  well-oxygenated, hard water. Spending most of its life under cover of rocks, ledges, logs, or overhanging branches, it darts out of its cover to feed on small fish like minnows, land and water insects, crayfish, mollusks, and other invertebrates.
The female carries about 5,000 eggs, and when spawning in the spring in 70 degree water, the male fans out a nest in coarse sand or gravel and guards the eggs and fry. After hatching, the young fish stay in quiet water, where they grow 1½"-2" during their first year, and reaching 5"-7" and 1 to 2 lbs. after 3 years, they move and feed most actively when best camouflaged at twilight, or at all hours on overcast days.
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Fish 4 trout is not liable for injuries or possible drowning while customers are on the property
