If tourists arrive in Williams Lake and suddenly decide they want to go fishing they will be in luck because they can borrow a rod and tackle box for free from the Tourism Discovery Centre.
“This is the second year we’re doing it and the third year it’s been available,” said Jaylyn Byer, executive assistant of the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce. “It started in Prince George.”
In 2012, the program loaned 15 rods to visitors in Williams Lake.
“We have a display here and people will ask us how they can participate. They can borrow a rod for up to one week,” Byer said, adding the rods are for lake fishing only.
The centre also sells fishing licenses on site, and for the most part people return and say they’ve “caught a few.”
Depending on which direction visitors are headed, staff will direct them to places like Chimney Lake, Dugan Lake and Blue Lake.
There’s also an option to drop the fishing equipment off at the Visitor’s Centre in Prince George.
For now the rod program is specific to the summer season, but in future ice fishing could be an option.
To advertise the program there’s information on the Visitor’s Centre website and there’s a clip on Youtube about the program, although it’s not specific to Williams Lake.
There are 20 rods available in Williams Lake to borrow and last year having extras came in handy.
“We had a family of five come in and they all took a rod,” Byer said. “Nobody’s being left out.”