# catching goldfish???



## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Heard of a local pond that people keep releasing goldies into. Seeing as they aren't even supposed to be released in the first place, how does the law apply catching a few in a net for a backyard pond?


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

trailblazer295 said:


> Heard of a local pond that people keep releasing goldies into. Seeing as they aren't even supposed to be released in the first place, how does the law apply catching a few in a net for a backyard pond?


I would assume ninja hiding skills are needed?  I remember many moons ago I did that when I was in Montreal with family when I was very young. My folks and my siblings caught some tiny goldies and put them in the hotel washroom in jars while we went out for other outtings. That sure shocked the cleaning staff. 

I guess if you can catch it then go for it.


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

I heard that these goldies aren't all tiny some are quite big. It's a man made pond but people keep releasing them and they breed.


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## Philip.Chan.92 (Apr 25, 2010)

It isn't a problem when you release them into an isolated pond but a lake or a stream is a totally different story since they already have a huge balanced ecosystem, man-made pond should be fine to release, chances of survival being slim but it won't cause an eco-distaster lol. As for catching them, I assume that people feed these fish regularly so you can just throw bread around in the shallows and have a fishing net in hand, when the fish come to eat, net em and you got yourself a pet goldfish.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

trailblazer295 said:


> Heard of a local pond that people keep releasing goldies into. Seeing as they aren't even supposed to be released in the first place, how does the law apply catching a few in a net for a backyard pond?


None as far as the actual fish itself is concerned. You're probably trespassing or something though. Maybe mischief. Etc.


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Is it still trespassing if your allowed to walk around the pond, sit on the benchs at the ponds edge etc?


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

trailblazer295 said:


> Is it still trespassing if your allowed to walk around the pond, sit on the benchs at the ponds edge etc?


No, but if you go into their pond with a net it _could_ be considered theft and/or mischief.

If it's also on someone's property, then there are obvious social reasons not to go and catch a few goldfish (especially if they're just comets) from someone else's pond.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

trailblazer295 said:


> Is it still trespassing if your allowed to walk around the pond, sit on the benchs at the ponds edge etc?


Most of the parts of the pond you could walk up to the edge of the water at are fenced if there isn't a significant amount of tall grass and weeds around it to deter people and the walkway over the pond isn't really there in a way so as to make the water accessible to you since it's far down. I don't know if you're actually allowed to interact, if you will, with the pond. I've fed those fish a lot of times and nobodys ever said anything to me... I imagine if you were catching them you could get in trouble though.


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

I believe it's public property and there is no form of barrier from the pond. There is a path a few feet from it and no plants, or fence at the edge to keep anything out.


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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

if its public water, then go get a net and a fishing license.


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

I didnt know they applied to non native fish that are technically illegal to realease anyway.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I think if you get caught with a net and no license, you get a ticket. Your call.

W


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

I would advise against it. I think you would be breaking a law. If it is public (city) property, City workers are looking after that pond (cutting grass around it)etc.

I have seen a lot of drainage ditches even in the city that has water collecting in it and have a constant source of water throughout the year have pretty big fish (carp) in them. How do they get there? Well how do a lot of fish get in any body of water. Birds eat them or have them stuck to their legs. Frogs have fish eggs hitch hikers and they go from pond to pond and distribute the eggs. when I was a young man I used to work construction and you wouldn't believe the amount and size of fish in a small rural ditch 100 feet long 4 feet deep and 4 feet wide.

But there was a place in Dundas Cootes Paradise and they where going to wipe out all the goldfish in that place http://www.rbg.ca/pdf/projparoverview.pdf


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

I will leave it alone just thought id ask, a few goldies isn't worth the risk. Still looking for some goldies for a pond on kijiji and craigslist.


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

trailblazer295 said:


> I will leave it alone just thought id ask, a few goldies isn't worth the risk. Still looking for some goldies for a pond on kijiji and craigslist.


Comet goldfish or something like koi? I know there's some koi on sale at Big Al's Mississauga, but they're Bekko and they only have black and redish orange, I would want to get something nicer like Matsubi, Hikari, Platinum Ogon, Tancho, or anything else. Black and redish orange Bekko in my opinion are hideous.

Here's a koi chart:
http://www.gold-fish.us/upl/Image/koi/Mango_koi.jpg

I think Aquatic Kingdom's doing some outdoor pond thing, I saw them put up some koi banner a few weeks ago, you might want to call in and find out what they have.


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

just regular goldies, A the pond isn't big enough for koi B it's taken down at the end of the year not deep enough to over winter fish so I get rid of them at the end of the year. Usually buy feeders but been looking out for goldies in too small tanks online to "rescue". Saw an ad for 2 goldies in a 5 gallon tank that "they have been happily living in for a year" *shakes head*


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

Where is this pond??? Just curious  

The one at Steeles / McCowan Rd ???? (Milliken Park)

They have some 2 ft+ Mega Koi in there


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

My guess would be that it would be ok to catch and keep the goldies if:

A) You have a fishing license 
B) The pond is legal to be fished

If you are allowed to fish, and the pond is legal for fishing keeping the goldfish isn't a problem because the rule with invasive species is NOT to throw them back. You are supposed to destroy them or give them to local authorities to dispose of. You aren't even to throw a dead one back so if you can get anything out of the pond legally if it happens to be a goldfish you can keep it. Most big ponds will have no fishing signs if they don't want you to fish them.


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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

technically you would know where its legal to catch some fish if you get a fishing license. Pond in a park is a definate no go. if the water is clear and you see coins at the bottom of the pond, don't catch the fish...heh


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

No water is mud colour and you can't see anything below a few inches.


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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

I think its really cool to catch a fish and bring it back home into your tank. I caught a large mouth bass from lake kelso in milton a long time ago, I wish I had an aquarium back then. Anyway just keep it in mind, if you ever want to catch a fish again in the future, get a license, then you should know where its legal to fish.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Even if you are allowed to catch the fish with a licence, I would highly suggest NOT using a net, as it is quite illegal =D


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Keeping fish with a non violent method is illegal? I've decided to leave it alone and find goldies elsewhere.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

TANSTAAFGF

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free GoldFish.

Apologies to Heinlein.





W


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Here are some Koi on Kijiji 3 for $20 http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-pets-other-pets-for-sale-assorted-kois-3-5-6-for-sale-W0QQAdIdZ207606462


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

wow not bad at all, thanks for the link I emailed him.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Good deal, nice catch TBemba.

W


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Ended up buying 3 of those 3.5"-4" koi, pics will be in my "pond owners" thread once they get settled in.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

trailblazer295 said:


> Ended up buying 3 of those 3.5"-4" koi, pics will be in my "pond owners" thread once they get settled in.


So they were what you wanted?


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Not exactly I didn't intend to get koi but I thought they would be a nice contrast to my goldies, they look andmove differently. I already know my pond isn't big enough for them full grown. I plan to sell them come fall to someone with a bigger pond. With the price I couldn't pass up the chance to have a few koi this year.


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## fantail (Nov 17, 2009)

It is alright to catch Goldfish with a fishing license and a rod. What is illegal is transporting the live fish from one body of water to another. Even if it is your tank.


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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

fantail said:


> It is alright to catch Goldfish with a fishing license and a rod. What is illegal is transporting the live fish from one body of water to another. Even if it is your tank.


are you sure? do you have a license?

2010 Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary

See Ontario's Catch and Retain Rules.

you can catch and retain the fish as long as the container is aerated.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Here are some cheap and nice looking koi http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-pets-other-pets-for-sale-Koi-W0QQAdIdZ161689426#


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Thanks for the link but already bought some koi.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

trailblazer295 said:


> Thanks for the link but already bought some koi.


Can you have too many?


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

lol when the pond isn't big enough for full grown koi you probably can.


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## fantail (Nov 17, 2009)

Transfer of Live Fish or Spawn


No live fish or live spawn may be transferred from one body of water to another without the authorization of the Ministry of Natural Resources.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Is "body of water" defined by the bill? I think, body of water would include "lake, river, pond, estuary", but not, for example, the live well in your boat. Once it is in the live well in your boat, you can probably safely move it from there to a cooler, and from there, to a cooler with a glass lid. From there, to an acrylic transparent plastic container (fish tank). None of those is a "body of water". If you subsequently released that fish into a different body of water than the one it was collected from, then you would be in violation of that law. A domestic pond would probably count as a body of water. So moving them from a pond owned by a city, or from one private outdoor domestic pond, to another, could technically be a violation. I went to the MNR and asked them a question via email, we'll see if they will confirm or explicitly state, that this is not allowed.

W


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

This thread reminds me of an old joke:


A man was stopped by a game warden just West of the GTA recently with two buckets of fish leaving a lake well known for its fishing. 

The game warden asked the man, "Do you have a license to catch those fish?"

The man replied to the game warden, "No, sir. These are my pet fish."

"Pet fish?" the warden replied.

"Yes, sir. Every night I take these here fish down to the lake and let them swim around for a while. I whistle and they jump back into their buckets, and I take em home."

"That's a bunch of hooey! Fish can't do that!"

The man looked at the game warden for a moment, and then said, "Here, I'll show you. It really works."

"O.K. I've GOT to see this!" The game warden was curious now.

The man poured the fish in to the lake and stood and waited. After several minutes, the game warden turned to the man and said: "Well?"

"Well, What?" the man responded.

"When are you going to call them back?" the game warden prompted.

"Call who back?" the man asked.

"The FISH."

"What fish?" the man asked.



(Sorry!  )


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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

They probably don't want you to release any fish into another lake that will cause issue to the existing habitat, because most people do not have proper knowledge. but your fish tank? c'mon what different is it if the fish ends up in your fish tank or in your belly? For ex, its also illegal to buy any fish from fish store or breed it your self and then release it into the wild, or you call it body of water. The idea is not to cause any issue in public water, unless its a goverment program or zoo to help rejuvinate some animal species.


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

I agree. Catching non-native species to keep in your home aquarium is not what the law is trying to prevent. It shouldn't get you into trouble to catch goldfish, and it would reduce competition with native fish already in the lake/pond. You are not the one releasing non-native species; you're reducing the problem!


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