Rod Hsu has been fishing for 30 years, and his love for the sport remains undiminished from the day he first saw a rod and reel.
There is nothing he likes better than the feel of a fish biting on his line and then fighting on his line, and the moment when he finally lifts his quarry out of the water.
These are feelings he wishes everyone could share, and that’s why he’s a driving force behind an event dubbed ‘All About Fishing.’
Taking place Mar. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Heritage Park, All About Fishing is a six hour celebration, suitable for anglers young and old, experienced and novice.
“You don’t have to be an expert to come out,” said Hsu, one of the event organizers. “Fishing is an activity that should be available to anyone. It’s a great past time, especially around the Chilliwack area, and we want to make it easy for someone to get into it.”
This is the fourth year for this free, fun and family-friendly event.
Hsu said around 2,000 people attended in 2019.
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One of the draws is a used fish and tackle swap meet. If you don’t have any gear, Hsu said you can find some real bargains.
“You can also find collectibles,” he said. “There are some really special rods and reels.”
There will be fly-tying and fly-casting workshops.
For the kids, the highlight will likely be the aquariums.
“The Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. will have a couple of aquariums with various native species,” Hsu said. “Rainbow trout. Cutthroat trout. Blue Trout. That’ll be fun to see. The Chilliwack Hatchery will have something similar with juvenile salmon and adult trout in their tanks.
“There’ll be arts and crafts, fishing (casting) games and lots of prizes to be won by the kids.”
For the adults, All About Fishing promises lots and lots of information.
Where to go to fish and camp? What are the fishing regulations? What to do in a wildlife encounter? Hsu said there will be experts from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the B.C. Conservation Service and other groups available to answer those and many other questions.
“It’ll be entertaining and educational,” he promised.
A big part of this year’s event is the concept of stewardship, and working as a community to preserve fish stocks that have dwindled due to habitat disruption, over-fishing and other factors.
Hsu has invited groups like the Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition, the Fraser River Keepers, the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve and others to talk about the stewardship that is happening.
“We have challenges with the Fraser River fishery right now, and my belief is that the more people are fishing, the more people will care about these resources,” Hsu said. “If you don’t use it, you don’t care about it.
“There are projects going on that people can get involved with as volunteers, to help restore habitat for salmon and various wildlife.”
Get more info on All About Salmon online at Hsu’s website.
@ProgressSports
eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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