Chilliwack's All About Fishing 2017 event on Saturday is an attempt to be all things for all anglers.
The event also promises to be bigger, and better than last year, says event organizer Rodney Hsu.
It will cover almost anything one could possibly want to know about recreational fishing in the Fraser Valley.
"We've expanded the event for this year," Hsu said.
They had to increase the square footage of the venue because they underestimated in 2016 how many people would show up.
"Last year's event we had just under 2000 people show up. So it was a little cramped."
There were big lineups for the kids' casting games and activities.
This year it's all under one roof in a larger space, on March 11 at Chilliwack Heritage Park, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with free admission.
The 2017 All About Fishing event in Chilliwack has an exhaustive list of activities, displays, demonstrations, games and workshops.
It's also geared to getting young people interested in particular, as the next generation of anglers.
"It's important for kids to come to this event to learn about fishing, but it's also important for them to learn about responsible fishing techniques, because these are the future stewards of our resources."
Fishing is a huge economic driver and destination activity for Chilliwack and the entire region, so the educational approach make sense when it comes to the fish.
New this year are presentations by local experts, like the one on Fraser cutthroat trout, led by avid fishermen Nick Basok and Dean Worrall.
Basok is a retired fish scientist who works at Chilliwack Dart and Tackle and collects brood stock for Go Fish BC. Worrall is assistant manager of the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery, responsible for the hatchery coastal cutthroat trout program in Region 2.
Since this summer is expected to see a large pink run on the Fraser, so attendees can listen to the presentation on angling for pink salmon with event organizer Rodney Hsu, of Fishing With Rod.com fame.
Rod Toth from Bent Rods will be doing jig tying demos throughout the event.
Other highlights include arts and crafts river habitat projects, bait prep, casting games, fish ID, fly tying and more.
Presentation schedule:
• 10 a.m. - Learn to Fish with GoFishBC
• 11 a.m. - Fraser cutthroat trout with Nick Basok and Dean Worrall
• 12 p.m. - Pink Salmon fishing with Rodney Hsu
• 1 p.m. - Fraser River sturgeon fishing with Dean Werk
• 2 p.m. - Learn to fish with GoFishBC