Christopher Hatfield and the 10lb Goby
This is a tale of both angling intrigue and environmental interest. Early this week, I received a call from a local man, who had been fishing down at Pier 4. “I got a huge scoop for you. You won’t believe what I just hauled in,” said Christopher Hatfield, of Dundas. “Get your camera and get down here. This is going to make the front pages of every newspaper across North America.” I was somewhat amused at Mr. Hatfield’s bumptiousness. “You’ll be lucky to get in one of our community papers,” I mumbled under my breathe. No matter where they come from, fishermen are all alike – they lie. They tell tall tales of aquatic conquests to anyone willing to listen.With that in mind, I grabbed my camera and headed down to Pier 4.
It was a sunny day and I needed a little break from the office. What better place to kill a little time than lovely Pier 4 Park. As I approached, an excited Mr. Hatfield ran towards me, arms waving in the air and a grin from ear to ear.”You’re not going to believe this,” he said, barely able to control his emotions. “I just hauled in a 10-pound Goby.” I’m a recreational angler, so I have some knowledge of native Ontario species. The goby is a bottom-dwelling fish that has great potential for causing impacts on Great Lakes fisheries. Originally, the round goby and the tubenose goby were introduced into the St. Claire River in 1990, probably via contaminated ballast water of transoceanic ships. The fish is known to have spread throughout the Great Lakes and research studies have confirmed its presence in Hamilton Harbour. Gobies are capable of rapid population growth after they reach new areas. They have shown the ability to out-compete native fish for food and habitat because of their aggressiveness, ability to survive in poor water quality conditions, ability to feed in complete darkness and long spawning period (April through September). Another area of concern Considering Hamilton Harbour is one of the most polluted areas on Lake Ontario, it makes perfect sense the Goby would find a home here. The Goby is an ugly little fish.
The only good thing about it is the fact it feeds on Zebra Mussels, another exotic and invasive species that threatens our ecosystem. Many anglers know the Goby as a nuisance fish, with a habit of stealing bait. As I approached the dock area, Mr. Hatfield pointed over to his catch.It was a big fish, much bigger than I expected. “Are you sure it’s a Goby,” I asked. “I know my fish Mr. Cripps and that’s probably one of the biggest Gobies ever captured in North America,” said Mr. Hatfield. “I wanted you to be the one to share this story with the world.” I didn’t know how big or how small a Goby fish would grow so I called the Ministry of Natural Resources office in Peterborough. This is where I finally realized this was no ordinary catch. Speaking to fisheries expert Marcel Jobard, I found Gobies typically grow up to 25 cm (9.8 in.). When I told him I have a picture of a 10-pounder, he was shocked and somewhat skeptical.”I’ll send you a photo,” I said. “Sure, but I need to have someone come and confirm this catch,” he replied. “Maybe it’s that polluted water down there in Hamilton. “I sent the photo and Mr. Jobard called back to confirm it did in fact appear to be a Goby.In order to confirm Mr. Hatfield’s catch, the ministry is sending a Conservation Officer to Hamilton on Sunday, April 1.Talk about a fish tale.