sketchy characters

[flewdogg]

Who has run into some of the unsavoury characters that like to hang around fishing locations in the City of Ottawa? There's a particularly nasty guy at the Blair Road launch, was always smoking joints and just being a menace to anyone and everyone. He has a huge scar on this throat, like he got cut or had surgery. My buddy and I nicknamed him Cutthroat after he totally got in out faces last summer.

We were there on a Friday evening unloading the boat and this Cutthroat guy came over and started asking all sorts of questions. We humoured him until he told us there had been some thefts and vandalism there recently and "offered" to "protect" our trailer for $20. That was it for me and my buddy. We told him where to go and to stop trying to extort money from us. He played dumb ("What do you mean extort? I'm just trying to protect your stuff, it would be a shame if something happened to your nice trailer"), true to type. When we came back to the launch from our outing it was dark and he was not there. But a couple minutes later some headlights came down the road and it was Cutthroat, this time with two young punks accompanying him. They got out of their car and we were ready for a fight. But the guy was all talk and no action so we just left, but not before he pretended that we hit his hunk of junk car with our trailer (didn't happen). We called the police and reported the guy. The cop told us this guy is well known to them and they have told him numerous times to not hang out at the boat launch.

I haven't seen Cutthroat at Blair Road this year (yet) but I keep my eye out for him. If any of you have had run-ins with this guy or know who I'm talking about, please reply. Keep on the lookout for this guy, he's bad news and is liable to ruin your fishing excursion.

[Jimmy_1]

Is "Cut-throat" a skinny guy about 5"7? Broken tooth?

I'd appreciate you describing him to me a bit more.

I may actually know who this guy is as I have heard from old high school friends that a guy who went to school with us (Gloucester) had his throat slit.

[flewdogg]

Is "Cut-throat" a skinny guy about 5"7? Broken tooth?

I'd appreciate you describing him to me a bit more.

I may actually know who this guy is as I have heard from old high school friends that a guy who went to school with us (Gloucester) had his throat slit.

Jimmy: I think he was about that height. Can't recall if he had a broken tooth or not. The scar on his throat was serious, so it could have been from being slit by a knife. He was sporting a mustache when I had my run-in with him last year. I would say he was around 40-45 years old, but he looked in rough shape so could have been a bit younger but ravaged by a hard lifestyle.

[Super]

Thanks,
Always good to know about this sort of person.
I was at Blair Road launch yesterday in the afternoon and he was not around.
By the way the launch seems very hard packed but I would still suggest a 4 wheel drive to launch a heavy boat there.
David

[Jimmy_1]

If it is who I think it is....Call him "Donald"

He is about 34-36 actually but yes....hard lifestyle of drugs and crime...he was a Sh!thead in high school also.

[TheMaverick]

So was any fish caught that day....I mean, I am surfing the Fish Talk forum!

[OutdoorActionOntario]

There are truly some super-sketchy characters who fish from shore along the Ottawa river, and prior to being able to get off shore to fish, I would always find myself very paranoid when fishing certain places with leaving poles around (I always take multiple rods fishing), or tackle boxes... all it takes is just a couple seconds of you not paying attention for someone to 'nick your stuff... Some local anglers have even had this happen to them at Tournaments, where for a couple moments they aren't paying attention and BOOM, there goes their tackle box, for example.

I have had people approach me for money, or just stand around and very creepily kind of watch me, I have caught people milling around my vehicle at Blair road when i head back to the parking lot after, seen many many people using drugs and alcohol like the Shoreline was their own personal Mardi Gras, and I have seen all sorts of fish being kept by fishermen who I would suspect probably don't even have an actual fishing license - yes I realize i don't really know that for sure, but let's call it a hunch, ok?

In a previous life I was a Conservation officer so I have good experience in dealing with these sort of people. It also helps that I'm 6' feet and 230 pounds so there aren't too many people who are going to intimidate me around the water. Either way, the bottom line is that if you're fishing from shore, you need to keep your wits about you at all times, and if it's after dark just remember we live in a big city here in Ottawa with a lot of strange people, and as the old saying goes, "They only come out at Night".

Be careful out there - it's a jungle.


Tight Lines.

[cprince]

I have seen my share of characters around boat launches and shore fishing spots:

Blair Road some years ago, a drunk guy wearing a "Tap Out" shirt took a swing at me because I would not give him my XL- Tim Horton's coffee... I am no MMA guy and have not been in a real fight since I was 19, but I still move ok for a round-ish out of shape big guy! Side stepped him then shoved him and knocked his head off the tail gate of my buddy's truck! Called am ambulance for him because he was bleeding like a stuck pig! He kept apologizing for "fighting" me! I laughed my but off at him and his shirt. I should have rolled him as he had a WAD of cash on him!(Caught my first Musky that day!)

God knows how many times I have seen people having sex, doing drugs and drinking at the McLauren Bay boat launch at 4:30 or 5am.

Took my girls shore fishing near Park Champlain in the Gatineau/Hull area of The Ottawa River. Making our way along the shore line, one guy popped out of the bushes looking all guilty looking at us like we were going to give him heck for something... then about 20 seconds later another guy pops out from the same bush pulling up his pants. That was the last time we shore fished in town! Bought a boat soon after that!!

I know Kevin parked at a boat launch in Masson to go to the Rockland Rumble one year, came back to his truck to find garlic and cod liver oil soaked senkos ALL OVER the inside of his truck! Don't know who put those there...

Craig

[flewdogg]

So was any fish caught that day....I mean, I am surfing the Fish Talk forum!

A bit off topic, sorry, but didn`t know where else to post it. On that evening, we caught a couple below average smallies just off of Upper Duck Island, using live minnows on light jigs. Not a memorable outing, save for the run in with Cutthroat.

[flewdogg]

There are truly some super-sketchy characters who fish from shore along the Ottawa river, and prior to being able to get off shore to fish, I would always find myself very paranoid when fishing certain places with leaving poles around (I always take multiple rods fishing), or tackle boxes... all it takes is just a couple seconds of you not paying attention for someone to 'nick your stuff... Some local anglers have even had this happen to them at Tournaments, where for a couple moments they aren't paying attention and BOOM, there goes their tackle box, for example.

I have had people approach me for money, or just stand around and very creepily kind of watch me, I have caught people milling around my vehicle at Blair road when i head back to the parking lot after, seen many many people using drugs and alcohol like the Shoreline was their own personal Mardi Gras, and I have seen all sorts of fish being kept by fishermen who I would suspect probably don't even have an actual fishing license - yes I realize i don't really know that for sure, but let's call it a hunch, ok?

In a previous life I was a Conservation officer so I have good experience in dealing with these sort of people. It also helps that I'm 6' feet and 230 pounds so there aren't too many people who are going to intimidate me around the water. Either way, the bottom line is that if you're fishing from shore, you need to keep your wits about you at all times, and if it's after dark just remember we live in a big city here in Ottawa with a lot of strange people, and as the old saying goes, "They only come out at Night".

Be careful out there - it's a jungle.


Tight Lines.

You are absolutely right, OAO. It`s easy to forget you`re in the city when you`re out there enjoying some peaceful fishing. Things can change quickly especially after dark. One evening last summer I was shore fishing at Riverain Park, in Vanier near the Beer Store (a magnet for trouble). A couple of drunk vagrants came by and were checking out my gear, so I quickly went over, shone my light on them, collected all my stuff and left. They were telling me to `turn off my light`. Ha! Nice try.

[TheMaverick]

So was any fish caught that day....I mean, I am surfing the Fish Talk forum!

A bit off topic, sorry, but didn`t know where else to post it. On that evening, we caught a couple below average smallies just off of Upper Duck Island, using live minnows on light jigs. Not a memorable outing, save for the run in with Cutthroat.

An outing with Smallies, regardless of size, is always a successful outing!

[StarTzar]

I know Kevin parked at a boat launch in Masson to go to the Rockland Rumble one year, came back to his truck to find garlic and cod liver oil soaked senkos ALL OVER the inside of his truck! Don't know who put those there...

Craig

That may have been put there by a round-ish out of shape big guy!

[StarTzar]

He is easily recognizable by his tatoo just below his neckline ....

[BassHunterOttawa]

I must be the lucky one. I fish the shores here in Ottawa, and I haven't had too many issues. Never in the East side though, but I was thinking of trying the Rideau around Lees.

I mostly fish early or in midday, but I mostly have to contest with people bringing their families to feed the overpopulation of Canada Geese (happens regularly at Bate Island, despite all the signs), or people with kids throwing rocks in the water, or other fishermen - some of whom are abrasive to say the least, and let's not forget the White Bucket Brigade.

But no, not many sketchy characters. And thankfully so - what I lack in intimidation, I make up for in speed and agility..

[Jimmy_1]

God knows how many times I have seen people having sexs and drinking at the McLauren Bay boat launch at 4:30 or 5am.

So who's coming to the party at 4:30 AM then????