Secord pond in Uxbridge

[MuskieBait]

Conservation authorities are actually corporate organizations that purchase public lands and manage the resource. They are resource management agencies and business entities. Since the land is purchased, they have the right to set their own rules and regulations on the use of resources on their purchased land, despite the fact that the conservation authorities operate partially through public funding. This I learned personally from a friend of mine who is the superintendent of Valens Conservation Area under the management of Hamilton Conservation Authority. At the time, Valens was horribly overfished in the winter due to people keeping too many bluegills and crappies during the icefishing season. Valens and HCA decided to enact their own Catch and Release policy even though the provincial regulation (at the time) did not have a limit on bluegill sunfish and a limit of 50 crappies. This Catch and Release policy, separate from provincial regulation, was put in place to reestablish fish stocks (since panfish was the food base for the Bass and Pike in the reservoir) and to recreate the trophy Bluegill and Crappie fishery that was lost.

Although technically funded by public money, conservation authorities can enact their own rules and regulations if it is necessary to protect the natural resources under their management plan. At the time, there was also a big uproar when Valens announced fishing would only be Catch and Release in the reservoir. But, if you read their charter (according to Gord), they do have the right to restrict fishing access and catch limits in order to protect the fishery resource.

Also note that in the majority of the conservation areas, there is a user fee to pay for entry into the park. Unauthorized entry constitute an act of trespassing into private property. This is due to the simple fact that as a corporation, the conservation authority purchased the land and that land is under the authority's care along with all liability issues. According to law, it is just the same as if someone has purchase the land for private use.

Thus, TRCA has every right to protect the brood stock brook trout in this pond, and even charge the ridiculous fee to fish the pond, because the land was passed under the TRCA care and it is TRCA's property. If you don't have $500 to pay for your private fishing club, just find somewhere else to fish. Yes, it was set up for a privileged few who can afford it. It is simply set up to discourage the abuse and overuse of the resource. If you live in the area, $500 a day is not so bad, considering some of us easily spend $20 in gas alone on each fishing outing, which equated to 25 outings at this club pond. Yes, it's not fair that the privilege few has special access, but get over it, that's life. I like to own a private jet and have a private sportfisher with a dedicated captain, but I'm not swimming in money and I'm not those privileged few. Such is life (unless you work for it to get there).

Glen Haffy has a similar trout pond set up, although the user fee is less and the trout are stocked. Fifty Point and Christie Lake have similar pay-to-fish set up as well for the stocked trout ponds on their properties.