I was biking with my daughter this morning along the Bow in Inglewood and noticed a dude with 2 rods, one on the ground pointing upwards with a bell attached to the tip while he was rigging up another. It was obviously someone who was fishing with bait. I called it in, and a conservation officer was there in 15 minutes. He watched from afar with binoculars to make sure he had enough evidence, just in case the guy snipped his line. I just received a follow-up call and he said that this guy was caught last week by another conservation officer in Strathmore... 4 illegal walleye.
The conservation officer said this is a perfect example of why we should ALWAYS call in poachers and bait fishers. If it's a father-son out fishing and making an honest mistake, then the officers deal with them differently with a warning. However, with a repeat offender like this guy, they will definitely be a bit more harsh. It was great to see these guys at work and how much they care for the river. This officer is an avid flyfisher so he's quite passionate about protecting rivers like the Bow.
One less bad guy on the water!