Alternative Species Angling -- From an Angler's Perspective

If you haven't, don't be surprised -- neither have a lot of the other anglers out there! Nevertheless, these fish do exist, and usually in great numbers. Surprisingly, Ontario has many alternative species which anglers have yet to discover.

Unfamiliar with the term "alternative species"?

You usually hear them called "under-utilized", "less glamorous", or even "coarse" fish. I prefer to define "alternatives" as the "less traditional", or "less sought after" fish, found in any given geographic area.

Photo Credit: Owen Vaughan

The last point is important to keep in mind because what is less sought after in one locale, can be highly sought after in another. Surprisingly, this big difference in attitudes among anglers can occur even over short geographic distances. Take a look at Lake Simcoe, for example. The popularity of the lake whitefish there was so great that a two-fish daily limit restriction had to be imposed to help protect the fishery. In Northern Ontario, however, it's a whole different story. There, the limit is usually a whopping 25, and the species goes virtually untouched by anglers. Hard to believe, considering it's the same species of fish!

Sometimes fish popularity versus unpopularity exists over a much greater distance. While the common carp is mainly considered as a "coarse" fish on our side of the Atlantic, in Europe it is highly prized. Some British anglers spend $4,000 or more annually in pursuit of carp, spending their dollars on high-tech equipment and fees to gain access to fishing waters. Most, if not all, of these angled carp are then released, to ensure the sport is maintained for the future. In eastern European countries, carp is also a very popular Christmas Eve dish, similar to our Christmas turkey.

Surprised? Well, don't be. There are a lot of misconceptions about many alternative species.

Consider the burbot, more commonly know as ling, lawyer, eelpout or Maria.

The mere mention of the name can sometimes send anglers running in the opposite direction. Get one of these fish on the line, and it is usually cut off in no time flat! This ugly critter must certainly be a trash fish. Well, the folks in Walker, Minnesota, Flin Flon, Manitoba, and Angliers, Quebec, beg to differ. They have taken this so called "trash" fish and turned it into a "cash" fish by hosting fishing festivals each year. What's the drawing card? The burbot, of course. Thousands of anglers now attend these events from far and wide, bringing heaps of tourism dollars into their respective local economies. The burbot is, after all, the freshwater version of the salt-water cod. For fish with such a low profile, you may be amazed to learn they are sometimes found in greater numbers than more traditional fish, such as walleye, pike, trout and bass.

Another interesting point (and a real surprise for most anglers) is that these less traditional fish usually have very liberal catch limits. Also, there is seldom any seasonal angling restriction, so you can normally fish them all year long.

How do you get in on the action?

All it takes is a slightly different angling technique and trying a different location. It is worth exploring because, when other fish aren't biting, fishing for alternates can sometimes be hot. In addition, fish of larger proportions are generally encountered on every outing. When you think about it, these less traditional fish species are somewhat of an "untapped resource" waiting to be explored.

Are these guys hard to clean and cook? No way! They're easy, and there are tons of recipes out there, which will tempt even the most delicate palate. In fact, most of these fish can be directly substituted in most fish recipes.

But there is a much bigger reward than eating these tasty alternatives. Pursuing these fish helps protect the populations of the better-known sportfish species, by spreading the ever-increasing angler pressure over a much wider number of species. Why limit ourselves to just a handful of fish species, when we can benefit from them all?

To increase your angling opportunities, while adding a refreshing change of pace to your angling season, why not give alternative species fishing a try? If you do, I guarantee you will be the one hooked.