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Father's Day weekend fishing free in B.C.

Fish for free, have a great family outing and enter to win prizes at a local Family Fishing event throughout B.C. Fathers’ Day weekend.
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Fishing is free in B.C. for the upcoming Father's Day weekend

Fish for free, have a great family outing and enter to win prizes at a local Family Fishing event throughout B.C. this Fathers’ Day weekend.

The Family Fishing Society of B.C., on behalf of the 48 hosting communities in 2016, invites experienced and novice anglers of all ages to enjoy a day on the water for free as part of an effort to get more British Columbians hooked on fishing. Create your own fishing adventure or visit one of the many organized events around the province.

Close to home, the Chilcotin Rod and Gun Club is hosting an event at Two Lakes near Alexis Creek on Father's Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information contact Robert Haley at 250-394-4434 or e-mail Robert.Haley@gov.bc.ca.

Just outside of Williams Lake Wayne Biffert of the Williams Lake Sportsmen's Association and Cariboo-Chilcotin Fly Fishers will be hosting an event at Biff's Ponds on the Dog Creek road. The event also runs Father's Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information contact Wayne at 250-392-7460 or e-mail him a wbiffert@thelakebc.ca.

“Summer for many B.C. families is about spending time together in the outdoors and Family Fishing Weekend is the perfect way to kick off the season.  Whether you’re a veteran angler or never touch a rod, the Family Fishing Weekend is a great way to get out and enjoy B.C.’s natural beauty and, maybe, get hooked on fishing,” said Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.

B.C.’s Family Fishing Weekend is the perfect opportunity to explore one of the province’s thousands of lakes, rivers, streams or tidal waters for free, compliments of the Province and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). A goal of the Family Fishing Weekend is to encourage British Columbians to enjoy our province’s world-class sport fishing opportunities and to become more aware of our natural resources.

DFO is offering free saltwater fishing over Fathers’ Day weekend and, as with the provincial program, certain regulations apply. Regulations for tidal waters are administered by the federal government and DFO whereas freshwater fishing is the domain of the provincial government.

For details please visit www.fishing.gov.bc.ca for freshwater and http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/weekend-eng.html for tidal waters.

“For many BC families, Family Fishing Weekend marks the unofficial start of summer,” said Family Fishing Society of BC President Michele Dusterhoft. “A free weekend of fishing is a great way to encourage families to get outdoors and enjoy sport fishing across British Columbia.”

The 17th annual Family Fishing Weekend is made possible by the support of material sponsors, the Pacific Salmon Foundation and, most importantly, many hundreds of volunteers and the 48 communities that will host an event across the Province this year.   The Father’s Day weekend,  June 17-19, will be celebrated with free fishing across the province and at 48 separate organized events province wide.

“These events offer a great opportunity to learn how to fish and share an appreciation for the pastime and marine and aquatic resources in a fun and supervised environment,” said Executive Director of the Family Fishing Society of BC, Owen Bird. “The dedicated volunteers who organize and participate in these events are passionate about fishing and even more passionate about passing on their love of the sport. They really are the heart of Family Fishing Weekend.”

B.C. boasts North America’s finest sport fishing opportunities. A complete list of the 48 participating communities, locations and event descriptions, along with step-by-step fishing instructions can be found at www.bcfamilyfishing.com.