TORONTO FISHING SPOTS

Maintained by the town of Ajax, Greenwood Conservation Area is located on the upper reaches of Duffins Creek, accessed off Westney Road north of Taunton Road. The park is open year-round, but you’ll need a car to get there, as the area is not served by public transit. Greenwood allows overnight camping with a permit, and has on-site washroom facilities.

Once the general trout season opens on the 4th Saturday in April, Greenwood can provide excellent fishing for the large, migratory rainbow trout that spawn there each spring. Drifting with worms, spawn or flies is the most popular approach to hooking these fish, which can exceed 15 pounds. Other anglers do well fishing with small jigs, spinners or wobbling crankbaits. Plenty of logjams and overhanging vegetation can make Greenwood difficult for fly fishers, though some anglers appreciate the challenge.

The upper reaches of Duffins Creek are also home to a significant population of resident brook trout. Sometimes accidentally caught by anglers searching for rainbows, the brook trout reach lengths of 12 to 14 inches and provide excellent fishing through the summer. Fly fishing on warm evenings, when brookies feast on emerging insects, can be superb. At other times, fishing the dark holes beneath logjams with worms or small jigs provides steady action. The fishing tends to be best after a summer rain has raised and colored the water slightly, bringing the biggest fish out of deep cover.

Some of the best fishing of all takes place in September, as brook trout take on brilliant colouration in anticipation of their spawning season. Males, in particular, boast bright red bellies and glowing red spots, making them among the most beautiful fish in fresh water. If weather cooperates and brings sufficient rain, they may be joined by large, fresh-run rainbow trout and brown trout arriving on their fall migration from Lake Ontario, providing excellent fishing until the season closes on the last day of September.