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10 economist sim stoufiville tribune thursday july 1 1999 c- i- r- i a it i- 1 a i ll it economist sun stouffville tribune leisure reel thrills for youngsters its rare for the big one to get away at these familyfriendly fishing ponds bymikehayakawa staff writer catching fish is something tim lucas and joyce burd like to see what brings an extra big smile to their faces though is the sight of a youngster proudly displaying what might be the first fish theyve ever caught the private fishing facilities enable indi viduals families and social groups to have a fun and relaxing experience in this outdoor recreational activity we gear our business mostly towards kids and its great to see them get excited when they catch one lucas said of his ponds fishing preserve located about three kilome tres north of the mount albert road on the west side of hwy 48 but we also get people who dont know what theyre doing and want to learn how to fish he added our business is set up for families and at the same time for people who are just learn ing how to fish said burd who along with her husband don have operated burds trout fishing on hwy 48 a mile north of stoufiville sideroad for 28 years but its nice to see little kids catch fish and see their reaction once they get one what makes these places a piscators par adise particularly for those who are just get ting indoctrinated into the sport is its sim plicity and the odds of catching a fish weigh heavily in their favour an angler does not have to have an uncan ny knack in reading a stream to speculate where fish might be locatedas well an angler doesnt need a vessel when anglers wet a line at both facilities they do so on terra firrha and into ponds that are regularly stocked primarily with rainbow trout in a variety of sizes the ponds fishing preservehas six arte sian well ponds in which anglers can cast their luck one pond lucas said has 10- to 12inch rainbow trout while another two have trout up to two pounds a fourth pond has fish mat average three pounds the remaining two ponds host northern pike and bass all of these fish he said are catch and release since taking over the reins of the mount albertbased ponds in march lucas noted most angling activity tends to take place on the weekends with people finding out about his place primarily through word of mouth before i had the place alot of people did nt know it was around but ive had one group of school kids come and a couple of groups from old age homes on one saturday the electrical union had a work party here staf ph0t0sj0erd witteveen angelo mitrou and his son michael white 5 fish at the ponds on hwy 48 north of mount albert lucas said burds has two stocked springfed ponds one has pansized rainbow trout while another has larger salmon and trout with the bigger ones going up to six or seven pounds she said v people can go back and fourth from one pond to the other burd said theres no time limit which they have to spend on one pond or the other burd said the majority of their business does not come so much from local circles a good portion comes from downtown toronto and the west end including brampton arid- mississauga shes even had people from as far away as rochester and buffalo new york try their luck burd said the hwy 48 location is beneficial in attracting aspiring anglers during the weekdays burd said a good segment of anglers come from nursing homes and seniors groups the weekends tends to see younger groups including scout and brownie troupes and daycare centres its alotlikeagolf course butwegetsome repeat customers and alot of newpeople and a mixture of nationalities she said catching fish does not require any sophis ticated equipment a rod and reel along with a hook and worm is all thafs needed if someone starting out does not own equipment it can be rented for a nominal fee we have 20 poles available to rent arid its 2 for rods and reels arid worms are 2 a dozen lucas said burds rents out rods and reels with bait included for 3 however if an individual has their own equipment they are welcome to use it lucas said he gets one individual visiting his place a couple of times a week who uses a fly rod and reel not only does he fish for him self but lucas said hes known to pass on words of wisdom to others wishing to learn the discipline for anyone requiring help baiting hooks or taking fish off a hook both places provide this service in addition both facilities will clean your catch and place it in ice for storage the price in keeping fish is 5 a pound at the ponds fishing preserve which includes the cost of cleaning and packing it on ice if your taste buds savour smoked trout lucas also has this for sale burds charges 38 cents an ounce for any fish caught which includes the cost of clean ing and packirig it on ice to take home if the fishing is slow or youngsters get bored both faculties have other recreational activities to keepthem occupied lucas has an 18hole mini golf course at his site which can be used for free theres also a barbecue on site if people wish to use it to cook their catch free of charge burds has a toddler play area along with a sun and rain shelter no licence is required to fish at either place but there is an admission charge the cost to fish the ponds fishing preserve is 4 for adults and 2 for seniors over 55 years and youngsters 16 years and under theres also merriberships available for a fly fishing club that has just started up only family members who wet a line are charged admission at burds is 3 per person except youngsters 7 and under are free both places are open seven days a week with the ponds fishing preserve operating from 7 am to dusk burds opens 9 am until dusk on weekdays and 8 am to dusk on weekends for further information contact lucas at 905 4735291 or burds at 905 6402928