People have been fishing Lake Ontario and the Niagara River for as long as people have lived along these shores. The river, lake and creeks once teemed with fish, providing food, supporting the local economy and shaping a way of life for generations.

The surnames Allen, Ball, Boulton, Elliott, Reid, and Sherlock are just a few associated with Niagara-on-the-Lake’s commercial fishing industry well into the 20th century. It was demanding work, with fishermen rising before dawn to set their nets and returning later to haul in the day’s catch from spring until November.

In this photograph, local fishermen, including “Pud” Patterson and Goring Ball, proudly pose with an enormous lake trout hauled from the Niagara River.