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[Rodney]

Re: Fishing mentor weekend. Two similar programs are currently running to cut down the learning curve for beginners. The Learn to Fish program at the hatcheries is available for anyone (not just kids) who is interested. One just needs to book an appointment with the visitor centre. The program also does scheduled sessions with school classes.

The other one is the BC Family Fishing Weekend, which takes place during the Fathers Day weekend. Freshwater fishing is free during that weekend, except for salmon, steelhead and classified waters. In the Lower Mainland, the events are hosted at Lafarge Lake, Cultus Lake, Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery, Rice Lake. It'd be nice to see a couple more events established in the Lower Mainland, such as at Green Timbers in Surrey and Alice Lake in Squamish. These events are organized and run by volunteers. If you are interested in setting up an event, you just have to contact Owen Bird at the BC Family Fishing Weekend Society at birdo@shaw.ca. It's not difficult to set one up. A dozen or so volunteers should be enough to get it going for the first year. Perhaps this is something the regulars at Green Timbers would like to consider.

Re: Coastal cutthroat trout fishery. The hatchery coastal cutthroat trout program has been reduced over the years (the amount of fish stocked). Budget constraint most likely has something to do with it but other reasons include ministry of Environment's concern on the impact of hatchery fish on wild fish. If hatchery fish are harvested by anglers, this should not really be an issue. The amount of interest on this fishery has increased, based on the responses that tacklestores have been getting. This was discussed a few days ago at a meeting and Nick has asked the numbers to be looked at again to see if we can increase it. Difficulty of broodstock capturing may also be another factor. Bederko would be able to explain this more thoroughly than me.

[ion]

Many people, enjoy float fishing or bottom fishing from the shore of the lake, and are happy with some kind of action without a great concern for the kind/size of the fish they catch; for this kind of fishing is more appropriate the carp. The baby carp bites like crazy around shores, and can grow very large. In my opinion Deer Lake in Burnaby already has some carp, and can be dedicated to this kind of fishing. LaFarge lake also has carp, and has many more fishing places from the shore.

For the heavy stocked lakes, around towns, there should be a program to feed the fish. This way the stock would last much longer, and the fish wouldn't starve. Would be harder for the fly fisherman to get a fish, but I don't see other way around.

[bbronswyk2000]

Wow, still stuck on chumming eh ion.

I think he should move to Europe where its legal.

[jimmywits]

I think he should move to Europe where its legal.

I agree!

[troutbreath]

I think he's on to something. Why not raise some fish in a lake like Lafarge as feed and fish/release. Sponser a fish with a tag and your name. I can see a place for that. Would allow the more stocking of other catch and keep lakes. By taking the pressure off the catch lakes and the cost of stocking those lakes. By people who just want a catch and release fishery that they can help contribute to. Maybe even be able to raise your (named) fish in a hatchery like setting until there 8 lbs. Derby material when you think about it.

Using fish scents and bait are a bit like chumming. Having eggs fall off your roe loop is chumming. So don't try to cut too fine a line or this will turn into another BBing like thread. Just think of that fish with your name on it.

[Iyekim76]

The quality of your experience: Did you enjoy it? How do you measure that enjoyment (quantity of fish, size of fish, convenience/ability to do it often, etc)?

  Had a great time fishing Green Timbers, Sasamat, LaFarge, Buntzen and Rice Lakes this year and am extremely satisfied with the urban fishery! Average size I caught this year was around 12 inches with the biggest just under 15 inches and took home 15 fish from April to early June. The convenience aspect was not an issue as I enjoy driving but I must admit with our urban fish and take lakes, it makes fishing much more enjoyable without having to drive too far!


The stocking database: What is your preference? Having the information available instantly, or rather see the database updated on a weekly basis so there is a delay (by a few days) between the stockings and publishing.

  The Stocking Database attributed to my success as I was able to fish the right time a day or two after stocking. Without it, I'd be sitting waiting for hours like last year during my freshman year as a fisher... I believe the "Stocking Updates" updated instantly or even a few days later are adequate for us leisure/recreational fishers. THANK YOU!


How often did you participate in these fisheries in 2009? How long is the average duration of your trips? Why do you participate in these fisheries (as opposed to salmon, sturgeon, etc)?

  This fishing licensing season alone I've probably fished over a couple of dozen times with an average duration of 4 hours depending on my success. The fisheries provide me a great local escape and a thrill of actually hooksetting, landing and either retaining or releasing fish. Once the Salmon season started, my time and energy was spent mostly on catching my first big fish.


What else would you like to see being done in these fisheries so they would accommodate both new and experienced anglers more? eg. Perhaps an angling ambassador program, which involves volunteers to advise new anglers who are not as familiar with the do's and don'ts? Perhaps a prize or two for anglers?

  During my fishing trips, I had an opportunity to visit the Fishing Forever venue at Green Timbers as well as visiting the North Shore Fish and Game BBQ at Rice. The fathers day free fishing event was incredible as it was the best opportunity for me to show friends what fishing is all about. Through these events, I was able to find new fishing partners and reeled in new fishers to getting their annual licenses!
  The Angling Ambassador Program might work well especially if they are visible to the public! People need to know that there are citizens that do care about our resources and are more than willing to share their current knowledge and pass down information whether it be about regulations and or etiquette. The importance of etiquette and conservation has made me more aware of the importance of this magnificent fishing privilege we have in this beautiful province...
 
  I would like to share my many thanks to the many civil fishers who not only made my fishing experiences pleasant and showed me some tricks or two they've learned along the way! This website is the only website I share with people as it is the most resourceful.  With all of you that provide great feedback, please continue to do so...  Thank you and TIGHT LINES...

Iyekim76

[Bavarian Raven]

just a side thought. i know they have a program to stock lafarge lake with several dozen 'large' trout every year. it would be nice to have a similar stocking program in buntzen lake as well. it has been years since i have caught a fish over four/five pounds in buntzen

The quality of your experience: i had a blast, fishing over thirty times this year in the local lakes and almost always coming away with trout. 

What else would you like to see being done in these fisheries so they would accommodate both new and experienced anglers more? it would be nice to see the coquitlam river stocked with cutthroats or rainbows. it's nice catching those wild cutties, they fight like heck, but it would be nice to catch a trout there you can keep. 

[fishnjim]

while i have plenty too fish for in the interior..i would like to see some more coastal cutthroat stockings in rivers and even some lakes.  it would be a nice change from the rainbows up here.  i would definetly spend some time down there.

i also like the idea when and where possible or suitable for other species as mentioned by someone..like brookies.

[hank4hire]

-I enjoy the LML experience mostly for the convenience of a short drive when I have few spare hours to try to fish, it's always fun to catch a fish be it wild or stocked

-I prefer the immediate update on stocking

-I've gone to Lafarge and Como once or twice, Green Timbers 5 times, and Rice probably 10 times since it's closest to where I live and it's less of an Urban environment (ie Lafarge where you can watch traffic while fishing  ), usually put in 4-5 hrs per trip

-I like the idea of more variety in size and type of fish (but may not be financially feasible as you mentioned Rod), I wouldn't be opposed to lower limits which is what they are trying to do at Green Timbers (but I think it's regulated provincially?).  I think simple signage with rules and regulations at lake entrances would help the unkowlegeable but anglers that are set on rule breaking will do it regardless.

Overall, I think the society is doing a good job, it seems they are achieving their goals of stimulating new angling opportunities.
And thanks Rod for updating stocking (always faster than the freshwater fishing society) and providing lake information!

[troutbreath]

"and this is really really scary fact....at least to me"

You mean it's scary that those fish were hauled out and chowed down? Or it's scary to think about what affect it would have on someone dining off those hatchery fish too much.

[Rodney]

Bumping this up for those who haven't had a chance to provide some feedbacks. The last several posts were derailing the subject a bit so please stay on topic.

Hank4hire, Iyekim76, Bavarian Raven, fishnjim, thanks for the feedbacks. Regarding Green Timbers, the daily quota of trout will be two starting in the new licence year (April 1st) if nothing has changed since my last discussion with the provincial staff looking after it.

[clarki]

Interesting that a couple of people brought up the idea of having some tagged fish for prizes. This idea was suggested at our meeting a few days ago as a method to raise the FFSBC's profile because most anglers in fact do not know what the society does. In the end the conclusion was that the administration work would be quite overwhelming, but then last night I thought that it wouldn't hurt to start a small pilot program in the Lower Mainland to see if it would work. I'll make that suggestion again to see if something similar can be achieved in spring 2010.

Yes, I suppose that it would be administratively heavy if it were done as a lottery. However it could be done with minimal overhead if there were several tagged fish in a lake and each tag earned you a hat. Simple exchange of a hat for a tag; no lottery to manage.

There would be a bit of work to market it, to tag a few fish in each truck, and then for an admin person to handle the mail for the incoming tags and outgoing hats. Some administration? Yes. Overwhelming? I don't believe so.