2018 CRAA Credit River Anglers Association Steelhead Tournament.
One of Ontario’s largest fishing and conservation groups:
CRAA’s Goals and Objectives:
CRAA is a watershed group, so we work on the entire watershed and all species within. Our main focus is on sport fish, (trout, Atlantic and Pacific salmon and bass), but our work benefits everyone and everything in the valley from birds to animals to other valley users through carefully planned conservation work. CRAA’s foremost objectives are a pristine river, with stable flows, reduced silt and flooding, a healthy valley with dense forest cover and improved groundwater.
CRAA is very active in supporting and enhancing native species including brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) by protecting and rehabilitating existing populations (brook trout and redside dace) and stocking (Atlantic salmon). CRAA is a strong advocate of the non-native, but now wild and self-sustaining resident brown trout (Salmo trutta) population, both in the Forks of the Credit above Inglewood and in the middle section of Bronte Creek, above Lowville. CRAA also strongly supports non-native, but now wild migratory steelhead (Onchorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout access to a barrier in Inglewood, in order to greatly increase wild, self-sustaining migratory fisheries. Segregatition of the resident trout fishery in the Forks of the Credit is practised, to allay concerns of over-harvest in this delicate resident fishery. Furthermore, CRAA supports the MNR’s stocked Pacific salmon fishery in the lake and lower river as it creates a unique and popular fishery.
Protecting resident trout populations and migratory spawning habitat from damage caused by threats such as urban sprawl, water taking, deforestation, chemical spills, etc are of the highest priority. CRAA diligently works with all levels of government agencies to assist in enforcement and lobby agencies for improving habitat protection. Enhancement and improvement of these unique fisheries is done through massive reforestation, stream rehabilitation, public education and conservation practices.
CRAA is actively working to increase areas open to the public to improve angling opportunities, while reducing angler impacts and threats, such as over-harvest, on the fish population. In the near future CRAA hopes to see the lower Credit River open all year from Loyalist Creek to Eglinton Avenue for migratory trout and salmon, with a one fish limit and a minimum 30″ size restriction on all salmon and trout. This will increase the open section by 60% while significantly reducing harvest of salmon and protecting very important maiden spawning wild steelhead and brown trout. The proposed regulations will ensure all returning adult trout will spawn at least once, ensuring they pass on their unique genetic makeup to future generations. These regulations will further improve fishing by increasing repeat spawning levels, which will lead to more and larger fish, with a much greater genetic diversity. CRAA is also working to open lower Bronte Creek from Rebecca Street to Dundas Street with the same regulations. These regulations are backed by scientific studies from the Great Lakes and highlight the importance of protecting maiden spawning fish, to preserve and increase genetic diversity and maximize the wild, self sustaining populations.
