Gone-a-fishin’ with H & H Tackle

Here at Tourism Brantford, we are no experts when it comes to local fishing holes so we outsourced and had a chat with Matt Purdy, owner of H&H Tackle. Located at 53 Colborne St. W., H & H Tackle carries a selection of spinning rods, reels, tackle, waders, fly-fishing rods, tackle bags and fresh bait. During stay-at-home orders outdoor activities are permitted and H&H Tackle is open for curbside pick up from 9am - 6pm Tuesday - Friday and from 8am - 6pm on Saturday.

While we do take the liberty of paraphrasing, Matt was kind enough to share how he came to own H & H Tackle as well as some recommendations for the locals who want to get out in Brantford and fish.

“I use to work on and off for the previous owner over several years. I have fished my whole life, so when we needed bait, tackle, rods, reels etc. my Dad and I would go to H & H Battery and Tackle. My passion for fish blossomed from there. I went in the one day and the owner offered to sell the business to me. With no business background and only the knowledge I had acquired over the years I was hesitant at first. I thought "well it's 100% fail ratio if you don't at least try.” I thought it would be wise not to pursue the firearms, batteries and paintball side of the business so I broke the Tackle shop away in April 2015 and made it H & H Tackle, where I could specialize in fishing/fishing related products.

Honestly I love everything to do fishing, the unknown of what you might catch, the pursuit of trying to catch a large fish, being able to take the time and view and understand nature at work, the smiles, excitement and memories made with friends and family, while fishing.

There are a few great portage and access points along the river through town that offer some parking and fishing opportunities. One, the launch just below Brant Park (it’s a little bit hidden, but you don’t actually need to enter the park), two, the access point in D’Aubigny Creek Park, and three, Cockshutt Bridge at Beach Road. Species that most anglers will target are smallmouth bass, walleye, rainbow trout, brown trout, carp, sucker, rock bass, catfish, bluegill/sunfish, and crappie are all possibilities. Live bait such as worms and minnows will catch the most diverse amount of species, but a variety of lures/bait like a jighead, spinner or curly tail grub are also commonly used. Fishing Licenses and outdoor cards are required for people that are 18-65 years old and can be purchased at H&H Tackle, in store or online. It’s a wise choice to always wear fully covering shoes and pants/jeans when venturing through the bush as stinging knetal, poison ivy, poison oak and the newly invasive hogweed are all present along the banks of the Grand.”

If you’re interested in getting connected to other local fishing enthusiasts check out Brantford’s fishing lounge on Facebook.