When Wayne Ward was bored as a kid, he’d grab his portable fishing rod, hop on his bike and head for the nearest waterway, like the Tantramar River or Carter’s Brook, and spend the day fishing.
Despite the many days of solo fishing, he remembers it more as a family affair – being taught by his mom and dad and grampy, and then being helped in preparing whatever he’d caught.
Now he’s the president of the Sackville Rod and Gun Club. When Jamie Ferguson, manager of active living and culture with the municipality, approached the club earlier this year with an idea to loan out rods and gear to make fishing more accessible to residents of the area, it was an easy decision for the club to make, said Ward.
“Our club is always looking to partner with other groups. We’ve got a good relationship with the municipality. They support us, we support them. And so we thought this was a great chance to get more people out on the water and taking part in our natural resources.”
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It was so easy that by the time Ferguson got home from presenting, the club messaged that they were prepared to move forward.
Joining the squad
Since then, Ferguson’s been busy getting things together for what they’ve named the Rod Squad.
“ We’ve had seven rods and reels and tackle sets donated by the rod and gun club, and, very fortunately, the Sackville Public Library and the Dorchester Public Library have agreed to take a couple,” said Ferguson. “So individuals can show up with a library card and sign them out as they would a book at either public library in Sackville or Dorchester.”
Rods can also be borrowed from the Tantramar Veterans’ Memorial Civic Centre by providing a name and contact information at pickup. Once summer begins and lifeguards are out at Silver Lake, rods will be available there as well.
In making the kits, it was important they include as much information as possible to ensure even those who had never fished before would get everything they needed to start, said Ward.
“Jamie and the club collaborated on some information in there about different ways of fishing, ways of tying your line. There’s gear in there for a number of different species, stuff that you would want to use if you were out fishing for some of the area fish. So even if you’re a novice, if you don’t have a lot of experience, there’s some guidance in there.”
Examples of that guidance include a brief, but not wholly comprehensive, guide to fishing regulations in the region, like bait rules and what to do if you catch an invasive species, as well as links to helpful websites like the rod and gun club and the provincial government’s Go Fishing guide.
Not included in the kits are the necessary licences, which can be purchased through the Government of New Brunswick’s website, authorized vendors or Service NB Centres.
For residents, a seasonal licence, including fish stocking and conservation fees, costs $23 for adults and $15 for seniors, while youth under 16 don’t require one. Non-residents can purchase licences at increased rates.
Fish NB Days
There are two weekends each year, however, where no one requires a licence—Fish NB Days—one of which is in just a few days, June 6 and 7, and the Rod Squad program has launched just in time to take full advantage.
The Sackville Rod and Gun Club also uses the weekend to introduce more kids to the activity, with a youth fishing derby started in the ’90s, which continues to be popular. This year, online registration filled up in 45 minutes with 60 kids. Also this year, the club partnered with Nursing Home Without Walls to run another derby at Silver Lake for seniors.
Whether you get out this weekend or sometime over the rest of the season, the municipality is holding a photo contest with prizes in three categories for those who borrow a kit: biggest fish, best first catch, and people’s choice. Submit photos by tagging Active Living and Culture Tantramar and the Sackville Rod and Gun Club on both Facebook and Instagram, and using the hashtag TantramarRodSquad or, if it’s your first catch ever, FirstCatchTantramar.
The deadline to submit photos is Oct. 31.
