A reel opportunity for kids

Bob Goodfellow, a successful Manitoba real estate agent, is also a very accomplished angler. Growing up, he was constantly getting into trouble until he found an outlet that consumed all his spare time -- fishing. That passion for the sport never changed over the years but Bob decided one day a couple of years ago to find a way to get way more young people introduced to angling.

At that time, he was organizing a fishing event in Lac du Bonnet, working with regional fisheries biologist Doug Leroux. With some extra proceeds from that event, he decided to organize a young anglers' fishing day in the community with the help of Doug and his wife Janice, the principal at the local elementary school in Lac du Bonnet. Taking inspiration from Fish Winnipeg, a long-running program that runs during the summer in the city, he wanted to target youth at risk in the community, so he and his wife came up with the name Reel Solutions for Youth.

As a result, 25 students from Centennial School in Lac du Bonnet were treated to a four-hour fishing event last June. Given the success of the day and overwhelming feedback from the students and the community, a Fisheries Enhancement Fund application was submitted and approved in order to expand the program provincewide. That means the Reel Solutions for Youth program could be coming to your community.

Event organizers plan on visiting various locations in Manitoba during May and June during the school year. This would be a one-day visit with a couple of hours of instruction and some fishing thrown in for good measure. At the end of the day, the participants will be able to walk home with their own fishing gear. To find out more, please visit the Manitoba Youth Angler website at www.youthangler.ca

Speaking of youth angling, here is a tremendous opportunity for those interested in fly-fishing to step out on the world stage. Fly Fishing Canada, in conjunction with the host community of Roblin, will be conducting a youth fly-fishing clinic near Sandy Lake on May 22 and 23. The event is the kickoff for the Canadian National Fly Fishing Championship Week to be held from May 27-29, in Roblin. Participants will be instructed in the art of loch-style fly-fishing, which is practised on still waters throughout the world during competitions, along with other valuable fly-fishing techniques. Youth between the ages of 13 and 18, from anywhere in Canada, are invited to attend. Among the many instructors available will be the gold-medal team from the 2009 Canadian nationals and the Soldier Palmers Ream Quantum, a team made up of British troops on R&R from Afghanistan and crossing the Atlantic to participate in the 2010 National Fly Fishing Championships. Boats will be provided for training, as well as some limited tackle for those who lack equipment but still wish to participate. For more information, contact event co-ordinator Kelly Keast at robgolf@mts.net

ANGLERS NOTES: Manitoba Water Stewardship has once again taken steps for walleye populations in Dauphin Lake, similar to those instituted last spring. The department said this year, a temporary closure on all walleye fishing in three tributaries of Dauphin Lake, and limits on other tributaries during spawning season, will help restore the health of fish stocks for the future.

This temporary closure prohibits catching and retaining walleye on the Turtle, Valley and Vermilion rivers from April 14 at 12:01 a.m. to the completion of walleye spawning. To ensure the closure does not shift unsustainable fishing harvest onto other Dauphin Lake tributaries, anyone exercising an aboriginal or treaty right to fish for food will be restricted to a daily limit of six walleye caught by angling only (rod and reel) in total from all of the Wilson and Ochre rivers and Edwards, Crooked and Mink creeks during the temporary closure. These steps are in addition to existing measures such as reductions in the commercial harvest of walleye from Dauphin Lake, reductions of the daily catch limit of walleye for recreational anglers, requirements that recreational anglers release all spawning-sized walleye and the closure of all commercial and recreational fishing during the spring spawning season.

The Manitoba Water Stewardship Fisheries Branch estimates conservation measures put in place last spring saved about 3,600 kilograms of walleye or about 4,000 spawning fish. Over the winter, 14 First Nations, 24 Métis communities, the Manitoba Métis Federation and 10 northern aboriginal communities were provided with details of the proposed conservation management plan and were invited to provide input.

dlamont@mymts.net

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 17, 2010 D12