OUR CHAPTER

In many respects the history of the Greg Clark Chapter is a history of Trout Unlimited in eastern Canada. The Toronto chapter was formed in 1974 by a group of concerned anglers and conservationists in the greater Toronto area. During 1978, 10 - 12 streams and rivers within a roughly 100 km radius of the city were studied in detail and the Credit River was selected as the site for the new chapter’s conservation efforts. Strong relationships were formed with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Credit Valley Conservation Authority and the Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club.

In 1981, the Toronto Chapter changed its name to the Southern Ontario Chapter and subsequently to the Greg Clark Chapter in 1988 to honour the former Toronto Star reporter and author, Gregory Clark (more information about Greg can be found below). It is the oldest continually active chapter in Canada and one of the largest in the country.

1980, the first stream rehabilitation activities begun just upstream of the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park

1982, a two-year major project was completed in the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park to stabilize 100 meters of eroded bank. It involved heavy equipment, rock and soil placement and planting of grasses, native plants and trees. As a result, the river began to re-create riffles and pools and holding and spawning areas for fish and aquatic insects.

Beginning in 1981 agreements were established with several landowners whose property included sections of the Credit River up and downstream from McLaughlin Road in Caledon. The Chapter agreed to manage the river and conduct necessary rehabilitation work and in return, the landowners agreed to allow public access for angling. Signs were erected at access points advising the public that angling was only permitted during the trout season and that special regulations now applied; artificial lures with single hooks could only be used and all fish under 20” in length had to be released alive and unhurt. We believe this was the first section of stream in southern Ontario to be covered by special regulations.

1982, first stream rehabilitation activities on the agreement section begun. There were several sites exhibiting badly eroded banks and log jams blocked the river almost completely in certain sections forcing the water out of its natural channel. The log jams were moved from the centre of the stream and cabled into the banks to provide cover for the fish allowing the current to flow within its channel. Log walls were constructed in areas of heavy streambank erosion and planting was done to stabilize the banks. Accumulated silt was flushed out and the gravel became exposed providing habitat for aquatic insects and spawning sites for trout. Under the special angling regulations, the fish population increased, and so did their size compared to other areas where the general angling regulations and harvesting existed.

A pattern of volunteer workdays was developed beginning with a cleanup day in April just before the season opening followed by a series of specific project days and ending with an annual spawning survey in November. Data has been collected over many years enabling biologists to estimate fish populations in much of the upper Credit River.

Over time, work was conducted throughout much of the upper Credit River, including the brook trout zone above Cataract and up and downstream from Belfountain on the West Credit. Two projects of note were undertaken in partnership with the Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club during this time. The first project was the installation of a bottom draw valve on the dam in the Belfountain Conservation Area. This was designed to enable the cooler bottom water to be let out during the hot weather in summer helping to cool the water downstream. The second project involved the purchase of portable electro fishing equipment which was donated to the Ministry of Natural Resources enabling them to assess fish populations in sections of river away from roads and access points.

In the early 1990’s the Chapter developed a relationship with the Metro Toronto & Region Conservation Authority and began work on the Humber River between Palgrave and Bolton. This was a badly degraded section of river and much of the same type of work was done there, stream bank erosion was arrested, log jams pulled into the banks and stabilized and a great deal of planting of trees and shrubs was done to provide shade and help stabilize the banks. An incubator was also built and placed in a Humber River tributary to hatch brown trout eggs and the fry used to stock the river. Unfortunately, this effort had to be discontinued due to a lack of volunteers later in the decade.

In 1996 and ’97 Chapter work crews studied various reaches of the Credit River in detail and based on the results, a decision was made by the Chapter executive to begin a major project to rehabilitate a large section in the brook trout zone upstream from Charleston Side Road (formerly highway 24). Relatively long stretches of the river were found to hold few or no trout.

During 1997 and ’98 meetings were held with several groups and a partnership was formed including the Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club, Ontario Streams, the Upper Credit Trout Club, Credit Valley Conservation and the Ministry of Natural Resources. Together the group developed an ambitious plan to hire summer work crews for a three-year period beginning in 2000 to conduct intensive stream rehabilitation work on a 2 km section of the Credit upstream to the village of Alton.