Reel it in: Find fishing info online

Find places to fish, meet fellow fishers and get fishing tips

By Charles Mandel

Nothing says the great outdoors like heading to the local river, casting a line and waiting for the fish to bite. So just how does technology come in to play?

The web, says Rachael Crowder, offers “a really good way to hook up — excuse the pun — with other fishers in other areas.”

Crowder should know. Her fishing club, the Ottawa Women Fly Fishers, has both a web site and a Yahoo! Group site where members share their activities, store photos of great catches and access a calendar of events. The OWFF also produces an electronic newsletter, which reduces printing and postage costs and means the club has money to bring in guest speakers.

“Technology enables you to become a more effective fisherman,” says Mike Toth, executive editor of Field & Stream magazine. Thanks to chat rooms and web sites specializing in particular fish species, news of what’s feeding where spreads quickly.

Fishing 101

As a sport, fishing offers something for everyone. Freshwater fishing ranges from trolling a small lake for perch to landing a salmon while fly fishing. Saltwater fishing offers the thrill of big game; here you’re on the lookout for marlin or sailfish.

For an overview of the sport, check out Fishing.com, one of the leading portals for fishers. Surfing the site will give you a feel for the differences between freshwater and saltwater fishing.

Another place for fishing information is Better Catch. The directory offers a large range of links, including sites about fishing tips and bait. Try the flyfish@listserv, which Crowder says is an excellent resource for everything from places to fish to equipment.

Manufacturers’ web sites can also be good sources of information. Sage, which produces rods and reels, offers online tutorials on how to select a rod and casting tips, while technology company 3M’s Scientific Anglers provides details on fly lines.

Tech help

Although fishing is for the most part a technology-free sport, Crowder has occasionally used sonar to try to detect fish in deep water. The newest sonar technology, such as that produced by Humminbird, includes small fishing rod-mounted models that can display what’s going on 120 feet below the water’s surface.

But don’t be fooled, says Crowder. Sonar doesn’t guarantee a catch. “What it does guarantee,” she says, “is a lot of frustration when you can see the fish and still can’t catch them.”

One of the best tech devices to bring along on a fishing expedition is a cell phone. Crowder says hers is “indispensable” for getting last-minute weather information from Environment Canada.

“I don’t want to be standing in the water with a graphite rod in my hand if lightning is imminent,” she says. “A quick drop in the barometer usually puts the fish in a bad mood and I might as well stay home. My theory is they [the fish] all get a bad headache and lay low until it passes.”

Information on local conditions, as well as licences and equipment, is usually available at your local fly or tackle site. Crowder often fly fishes the Salmon River in Pulaski, N.Y. With a quick check of Whitakers Sport Shop, she’s able to find out how fast the river is flowing and how many fish have been spotted.

Now if only technology could help with the actual catch.