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I am a fairly new fisherman at the canal and have only fished it for 3-4 years. Started off slow and have been on a +5 trips per year pace and am now around 25 a year. So I guess I am guilty of crowding the place in many people's minds since I am not local. I always am courteous and recognize what its like to share a fishery as I grew up on the Farmington river. A similar situation where people come from all over and there is easy access to many of the very good pools, in fact similar to the canal they have their own names and many stores stock the local "map."
I understand the mindset of locals that have a right to the fishery as I was once angered by waking up early heading to the river and finding 3 out of state cars parked in my favorite pull off - but its not going to change. The Canal is a great resource and a tremendous fishery, and with the seal population causing (insert whatever else you choose to blame) the drop off of beach fishing the outer cape, it is only going to get more crowded before it gets better. My suggestion is be happy about the dollars spent by traveling anglers, clearly post and raise the parking fines to ungodly amounts, and (although this may be ignorant not understanding politics or true geography of areas on and around the canal) have more pay to park areas similar to with large ($20?) fees charges and monitored 24/7 that locals can gain free access to via a beach sticker type situation. I would think the only land available for this would be cape side, but its just a wild thought. Nothing is free anymore and I would pay every time, hopefully in exchange for an enjoyable evening and that money being piled back into the resource.
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