“See ‘em there! You see them right? Right there, those shadows near the shore?”

That is how it begins with gar. To the untrained eye, many fish on many a days are overlooked, totally missed, but once a first time angler fully focuses their peepers on one of these lengthy, snouty-toothed, warm water gator-like aliens, they are forever intrigued.

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Although gar fishing has been slowly growing, rarely do Ontario anglers think of them as a sport fish. Truth be told, rarely do most folks think of them at all. While plunking for opening season bass, casting spring shallows for pike or maybe hunting schools of ice out panfish, this may be when an angler incidentally spots a gar. For most people though, the oddity may ever only be seen by chance on the pages of some fishing magazine, forum or on social media.

Gar are spread everywhere throughout our Province. I remember some years back querying popular fishing magazines of any interest on an article in their regard. Responses were none too keen. “Nice fish,” one editor responded. “Not enough angler interest,” replied another. Although not surprisingly, within the year of those emails both magazines ran seasonal gar articles.

Since then the buzz has grown, a little, in the grand scheme of things ya see..? A few T.V. shows have slipped in on the gar action, and some different guides have begun adding gar to their species list. It has been interesting to watch it unfold.

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The first longnose gar I ever saw came from the pages of an online fishing forum. In 2004 from Lake Erie, some anglers there had caught one or two and shared the photos. Those catches created an interest, and it was around that time a friend of mine living on the Ottawa River, Pat Boyd began taking a few people fishing for gar where he had found them. Among those fortunate anglers was local Rob Jackson, aka RJ. Over the coming few years, Pat but especially RJ, would generate more and more online posts highlighting their gar fishing days, and later RJ would begin guiding for them. During the middle of this time, it took only a few years of watching Ottawa River gar fishing unfold that, when moving home to the valley in 2009 I would begin to try fishing them as well.

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Gar proved to be an exceptional species for sport. It’s a hunt. It’s sight fishing. It’s a challenge. The takes are precise and exhilarating and the initial thrash and dash is wild. Rather short of power for their length and perceived size, the rush is the hook-up, any aerials displayed and, those often difficult landings. Hooking into bigger fish and keeping them on the line is a greater feat, for gar are wily and often easily shake the hook.

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Being that very few on the river were actively fishing gar, not much info could be found about the fishing elsewhere and, being that the local anglers catching them were kinda still fishing within what was really just a time of exploration, fine tuning the gar game was a work in progress. Personally coming to learn of gar and the fishing, it was Pat whom I felt selflessly brought the fish and fishing to the curious anglers, opening up gar to anyone willing and wanting. After all, it was he who lived on the river and first knew best where and even when to catch them and, the first local pictures of gar which surfaced were from one of my favorite boats of all time, his Lund Classic. Once shown the way though, all the things you’d expect to get well tweaked with plenty of regular practice is how RJ would later push boundaries. In short time a few like myself would follow suit with gar, in similar manner.

There were others on the river that surely chased these fish too. Once, over a meal and drinks in 2011 did I meet an angler from Ottawa (but residing in San Diego), who admitted he and friends pre-internet chased them back in the mid 80’s how and where most people do today. Knew it so well he had the spots on the spots in fact. Down on Quinte, others like fly angler Nick Pujic have certainly spent some years on gar as well. Truth be told, they’re prehistoric fish, around forever really, and any of us fishing them aren’t doing anything that has not been done before us. But, it was after an afternoon out with RJ in 2010 that it became quickly evident to me, we needed a higher casting deck for our advantage and the technique. Why it hadn’t been thought of before, who knows? But it is simply sight fishing, and it made sense! With a deck, bigger fish and more of them would be the result.

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In 2011 while fishing with my buddy Pat I caught an Ontario record beating fish. My biggest at that time, Patty and I shrugged it off because we had both only minutes earlier chased a much larger fish out of the shallows through the pencil weeds. “See how easy it is,” Pat remarked. And he was right! No stranger to gar, Pat started about five years before my time and had caught a number of fish besting the old and new records of 14 and 15 pounds. In all honesty, he and I had both bared witness to rare giants that could likely push the 25 pound mark. I wouldn’t be surprised either, if he and some of his friends had already hooked fish nearing that weight too? Residing near Lake Of The Woods now I do miss fishing with the man. But back then the reality of the day was, that my big and best fish, was only an average personal best that broke a temporary and average sized record fish. Pat and I both understood that though! Happy to catch and release it still, I shared the story of my proud catch, as any angler would…

The following year I caught another giant but could not bring myself to keeping that one either. Over 20 pounds it would have easily beaten the 15-pound record at the time. Subsequently, it could have nudged out another submission made just that year, a fish caught only a day apart and one which ended up over 20 pounds and a new Ontario record as well. My friend Mike fishing alongside, still scratches his head over the release of that giant, but at the time it was still believed there were bigger still swimming, and there was truly no need to keep it. But hey, a record not kept is just another fish story, right? Well, a few years later, a new gar record over 21 or 22 pounds proved that choice to release the giant, the right one, and of course since then claims of even bigger than the current record have followed… Maybe they are just fish stories too? And who knows what’s being caught by angler’s less talkative? But in all honesty though, with an exception for some friend’s gar catches and certainly the odd one of my own not remembered anymore, I couldn’t say what weights have been personally hit since about 2014 or so? It was just this spring I put one to the scale for what seemed like the first time in ages, however, measuring lengths and looking for those over fifties is done nearly ever trip out.

Gar for me would be something a little more personal and social with the right people along. Under nice weather conditions, every day for gar is a fun day for anyone, and even just for me alone. Like all my fishing I believe, it should be about the genuine experience, the fun of it yet bettering angling and self, and later being happy with telling about it if choosing to. Good or bad, gar or char, muskies to smallies, once reflecting, journaling and writing of fishing times, anyone reading my story is coming along to experience what really happened… I had begun to take family and friends along for gar and they also immensely enjoyed themselves.

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My girls for a time would join me as well. Growing up they’re into things a little more girly now but, Brenda time and again will still take a day to play. Her biggest fish, the girl’s first catches, and this one day when Leah and I took some Halloween costume props in the boat are some of my best fishing memories. Bob Garley action! My dad’s been out a few times and that’s been awesome too. For many years on my parents fridge at home the picture of dad with his first gar is still stuck there with a magnet. And friends too… because looking at these pictures now, almost every person holding a gar caught their first, biggest and bests while aboard the Lund, and some of those catches were actually their biggest fish of any kind, ever. Each outing can be remembered. The excitement of it for themselves and me, well it’s never been held back when the best of us have been together, fishing gar for the honest sake of having good times.

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There have been plenty days out there alone in the zone. Best chances to learn, tweak, try new things, adjust, take photos or even go hard on the chase for a giant. Some magical hours have existed with up to six fish over 50-inches gracing the gunnels in a single afternoon. On the water during the hunt is where time passes quickly, yet over the years all experiences have lead to an individual style and my own adaptations for fishing gar. I’m proud of that. No nets for the fish and good handling. A careful approach and how best to utilize the sun, wind and water during each outing. Lures designed to my liking which I find more versatile than anything else. Photos that capture the whole fish and don’t leave anyone guessing, and some time too for those creative and rare in the water shots while just observing this cool species of fish. And importantly also, just being real with whom and how I have further shared this fishing. Each gar season is a time I look forward to and a time to look within. No other fish has me question more about myself, my angling, what fishing should be about and what I appreciate in my experiences on the water.

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2018 marks a decade of gar fishing and the season was another great one enjoyed. Given the time that story will come soon too…

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Keep it reel all. Tightlines.
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Bunk.
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