Dear Editor:
I used to really enjoy ice fishing in years gone by but due to my 75 trips around the sun and a deteriorating lower spine condition I am not able to tolerate the four-hour drive (two each way) plus the rigours of being on the ice all day. I reluctantly gave up this pastime for the most part.
Then one day I found the solution to my problems. Lake Belwood is a mere 15-minute drive from home and it now has fish species worth seeking. I promptly went out and purchased a season’s pass to the Grand River Conservation Parks.
Well, my first trip out I decided to take my son along (who also has a seasonal pass) and was very much looking forward to it. I have a spinal condition that greatly limits the amount of walking I can do. It’s all I can do to get myself about let alone carry a bunch of fishing gear. I have an ATV and a swamp buggy that I can use to get myself and equipment out to a glory hole on the lake.
I pull up to the main gate kiosk to show my seasonal pass and the young fellow promptly says “you can go fishing but you can’t use your ATV”. Well in my case that is the same as saying “You can’t go fishing.” I felt sorry for him because he looked like he really didn’t want to say it, and he knew the impact his words really had.
To say the least I was a little crest fallen but decided to drive into the parking lot to have a look at all the fish huts and activity on the ice. What dismayed me the most was the sight of several snowmobiles flogging about amongst the fishermen doing at least 50 to 60km/h.
It was obvious most of these had come past the kiosk as the trailers were in the parking lot. This leaves me wondering why an ATV that is not particularly designed for snow and can only be safely driven at a speed of about 20km/h at best in those conditions has been centred out as unfavourable. Maybe some of the readers here can shed some light onto the logic that was used by the conservation authority when they made this policy.
In my way of thinking, ATVs don’t pollute, are less noisy, and are less of a danger to the people on and around them. I may be biased but for the life of me cannot figure this out, and I will have plenty of time to think about it while sitting back in front of the TV staring out the window!
Ken Holmes,
Elora