VICTORIA - Give kids a fish and they might not know much about it except that it’s cold and slippery. Teach a kid to fish and you’re opening up a whole new window on the great outdoors.
That’s the basic principle behind Learn to Fish - a free program starting this summer that will be open to more children, youth and families than ever before. As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, BC Parks is providing a grant of $5,000 to support 16 additional sessions at parks in the Okanagan, Kamloops and Vancouver Island regions. Provincewide, a total of 53 sessions are scheduled through the summer in 12 provincial parks (see Learn More for details).
Delivered by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, Learn to Fish provides instruction in areas such as fish identification, habitat and conservation, proper fish handling and fishing regulations - plus, of course, the opportunity to catch your very own fish. All tackle and equipment are provided and lessons are appropriate for people of all ages and abilities.
Since its inception in 2006, the Learn to Fish program has been delivered to more than 55,000 young British Columbians and their families. Each session typically accommodates about 30 learners, but no one is turned away. Instructors have in some cases worked with groups of 60 and more.