Nearly 50 events will be taking place across the province this weekend including the Cariboo-Chilcotin to create experiences and make memories with Dad while kicking off the fishing season.
“It always falls on the father day weekend,” said Jessica Yarwood, provincial coordinator for the Family Fishing Society of BC.
“So what the family fishing weekend is is a weekend where fishing license requirements are waived, so what this means is Canadian residents can fish license-free over those days.”
Family Fishing Weekend events take place Saturday (June 15) in Quesnel at Ten Mile Lake, and on Sunday (June 16) in Williams Lake at Biff’s Pond and in Alexis Creek at Two Lakes.
The events are supported by the Family Fishing Society and organized by Fish and Game Clubs, the Conservation Officer Service, municipalities, community groups, and local businesses.
“Originally we had a community school coordinator working out of the Alexis Creek Elementary and Secondary School. That person was asked to put together a fishing derby style event for one day with the intention to draw the interest of people who have never experienced fishing and targeting kids, and we had wonderful attendance,” said Robert Haley, a member of the Chilcotin Rod and Gun Club who has helped co-host the event in Alexis Creek for the past 19 years.
“Sometimes forty, fifty people would be coming out in the first few years, and then economics caused the population in Alexis Creek and area to drop dramatically in the last fifteen years or so, so the event has struggled but there has been some regulars and visitors from all around the province.”