Orleans County,
A Rarity For Fisherman. The harbor lies at the coastal hamlet of Point Breeze
on the mouth of the Oak Orchard River. Long ago this area was a native American
fishing settlement, know as “the Black North” for the dense forest which made
passage in daylight as dark as night. Much of the river is undisturbed as a
state-protected fish and wildlife habitat area. The lower five mile reach of
the river has carved 50 foot deep meanders in the Queenston shale, with purple
and green walls topped by a hardwood forest. It has been likened to the fjords
of the far north.
Now we will
share some of our secrets about, Boating a Record. The 47 pound world
record for a freshwater Chinook “King” Salmon was caught from this Port. One of
the reasons is due to the many small rivers that dump into the Oak Orchard
River to provide great breeding grounds for pristine flowing waters
that produces good populations of Alwives and baitfish. One of the best kept
secrets is that during the week fishing pressure is null to none.
There are few spots
in the world where one might find Chinook Salmon as large and plentiful as
found in Orleans County, even though finding and traveling to those spots would
be time consuming and expensive. Perhaps in the Pacific Northwest there might
be a Steelhead or two the equal of the average Point Breeze Steelhead, and
there are Brown Trout in Northern Russia that just might hold a candle to the
large profuse Brown Trout that live in Orleans County waters. But only in Point
Breeze, New York can you find all the colossal fish concentrated in one area.
The reason why
this is all so good, is due to the Pen Rearing Projects success. In the spring
of 1998 a new chapter of the trout and salmon story on Lake Ontario was ready
to begin. Interested parties including charter captains, bait store owners,
marina's and an army of volunteers started this colossal project. With the
blessing from the Regional 8 Office of the New York State D.E.C. Fisheries
Unit, the decision was made to go ahead with the project, holding pens had to
be built and nets had to be purchased. The New York State D.E.C. Provided the
fish and the food to feed them. The first spring they received 5,000 Steelhead
and 50,000 Chinook Salmon to begin this labor intensive pen raising project.
This was the first time on Lake Ontario that a project such as this was
attempted. Simply put pen rearing is the process whereby young fish are placed
in holding pens, fed numerous times a day and held for a period of time until
they are ready to be released on a dark night when birds and other predators
are not active. There is also the theory that by getting these fish in the
early stages, they will be imprinted to the waters in which they are held. What
this means is that when these fish get ready to spawn they will return to the
waters that they were reared in. This spring will be the 10th year of a very
successful project, its working so well that many other areas along the
Southern shore of Lake Ontario are doing similar projects and also being very
successful as well.
Beyond this
scenic waterway the country byways will lead you to the Erie Canal National
Heritage Corridor and nearly 30 farm markets offering fresh apples, berries and
vegetables, homemade fudge and even lantern-lit orchard dinners. One hour from
Niagara Falls were you Gamble at the brand new Seneca Casino and Resort.
All in all a
chartered fishing trip on Lake Ontario can be an exciting and educational
adventure for the entire family, we will be patient and understanding teachers
from whom one can learn. Even the most experienced angler can benefit from an
occasional charter trip for the purpose of upgrading their skills and
techniques.
