Fishing for fun

By Lawrence Powell

The Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Jarred Lowe caught his first-ever speckled trout on a recent Friday morning. So did Breagh Carty. Like 23 of their classmates, the two Digby Elementary School Grade 5 students wasted little time becoming pros at one of Nova Scotia’s favourite pastimes – thanks to conservation officers from the Digby office of the Department of Natural Resources.

The department’s Rick Andrews, who helped organize the field trip, said the whole point was to get kids outside and into the sunshine, give them some gear, and let them have fun. It’s the second year they’ve held the event, and if the youngsters were skeptical on the wagon ride into the woods in Moschelle, they were excited and in high spirits by the time Breagh caught the first fish.

Andrews was having just as much fun as the kids as he showed them how to cast, reel in, and give a little jerk if they got a bite. Josh Hannay, a conservation officer from the Lawrencetown office, spent some time showing Jarred how to cast, and in less than five minutes, Jarred was reeling in his supper. It was a keeper.

Hannay explained to Jarred that if he had planned on releasing the fish, he would have to wet his hands in the water before handling it so the fish would survive when thrown back in. A few minutes later the fish was in a zip-lock bag in the cooler.

There were surprisingly few snagged lines, and despite the light tackle, youngsters were making good casts. Andrews said each student was supplied with a rod and a small tackle box and later on would have hotdogs and drinks. Everything was donated.

Mike Trask was also on hand. He works on the department’s fire crew and it was his parents’ property on which the pond was nestled among the trees. The pond was stocked by the McGowan Lake Fish Hatchery.

Helping make the field day possible was LeQuille Country Store, along with Andrew’s Discount Meats of Digby Neck, Wilson’s Home Hardware in Digby, and the Nova Scotia Forest Technicians Association.