[Gills]

Every year I get hassled by the rent-a-cops in the Chicago harbors while smelt fishing. Its always the same thing-"No fishing allowed here" blah blah blah. I was told this one time while on the fishing dock at Montrose, among others.

Anyway, Bowman at the Times printed a phone number for Bob Long, the Chgo park district fishing guy. Bob suggests he be given a call if there are any problems- 312-742-4969.

Talk to ya in a few days Bob. Thanks for making yourself available.

Lets hope we can chat about the enormous smelt run and the huge fish fry I'm throwing after getting a few 5 gallon buckets full....

 

[Guest]

after getting a few 5 gallon buckets full

Hope springs eternal, does it not? Thankfully I am not prone to such delusions and know that the "Smelt Runs" of yesteryear are all but a faded memory, blurred only by the passing of time and the massive amounts of alcohol consumed since those glory days. Here's a little tip Gills my friend...Go to your local fishmonger and purchase 10-15 pounds of those tasty little silver demons & set up your nets like your really smelting, now every time you pull your nets get your friends to crowd around them so others can't see, be sure to wup it up good and loud so as to appear to have a full net with each pull, now fire up the stove and start cooking them up, when your crowd is the only bunch on the lakefront cooking & eating "Fresh Smelt" you will be the envy of Lake Shore Drive and everyone will believe it is still possible for them to catch a mess of *Smeltzez (*plural form) along our smeltless lakefront, thereby perpetuating the myth and keeping the tradition alive, if only for another season! Don't forget to bring lots of beer!

 

[DarrenB]

Yeah they have been doing these rent-a-cops with the big scary dog things for years now. I haven't been to Montrose since last fall, but what cracked me up about my last outing was how these guys run around and tell everyone that no fishing is allowed in the harbor and reminded us to go out on the rocks right? Ok. Except...the whole lakeside shoreline was closed and chained off due to construction. We couldn't go there to fish and now these dorks were kicking us out of the harbor. What the @$!?!?#@.Only in Chicago, I say.

Is the entire east shoreline at Montrose still under construction from last fall? Has the CPD granted us the honor and privledge of fishing there again?