Islanders have the perfect opportunity to discover or rediscover the enjoyment that comes with a day of fishing during the Take Your Family Fishing Weekend this Victoria Day weekend. No licences will be required to drop a fishing line in the many streams and ponds throughout the province from Friday, May 19, to Monday evening, May 22.
The annual Take Your Family Fishing Weekend is part of ongoing efforts to promote fishing as a fun and inexpensive family activity. It’s a chance for anyone who has never fished before to get out and try their hand at the sport, and for those who have fond memories of fishing when they were children to rekindle their interest and create lifetime memories for their children or grandchildren.
The Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry can help anglers get started with maps of fishing locations across the province as well as Catch Fishing! booklets that offer tips on everything from buying fishing gear to cleaning and cooking your catch. For further information, call 368-4683 or visit the website at www.gov.pe.ca/go/familyfishing
While licences are not required during the Take Your Family Fishing Weekend, anglers are reminded that they must observe all regulations including catch limits. The regulations are in place to protect the future of the sport fishery and the environment. Anyone planning to go fishing the holiday weekend is encouraged to pick up a copy of the Angling Summary 2006. Copies are available at Access PEI sites and from vendors across the province, and it is online at www.gov.pe.ca/go/familyfishing
Several community groups across Prince Edward Island will also be hosting youth fishing events the holiday weekend. Events include:
• Hyde Pond in Cornwall, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by the Town of Cornwall;
• Mooney's Pond in Peakes Saturday, 8 a.m. to 12 noon, hosted by the Morell River Management Co-op; and
• Rollo Bay Pond Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m., hosted by the Souris Wildlife Federation.
Fishing at all sites is open to youth ages 15 and under, but parents are welcome to come along to pick up some tips for their next family fishing outing. All events include a barbecue and refreshments. Watch for further details of these and other family fishing events in communities across the province this weekend.