Outdoors: Festival opens door to new anglers

July 02, 2008

Festival opens door to new anglers

Have you ever had a desire to take up sport fishing or enhance your knowledge of the activity?
Such opportunities will take place this weekend here in York Region during the Urban Fishing Festival.
Held in conjunction with the Ontario Family Fishing Weekend, entering its 15th year, three festivals will take place.
Two are Saturday, at Toogood Pond in Unionville at the pavilion area near Main Street and Carlton Road and in Pefferlaw at the mouth of the Pefferlaw River, both from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m..
The third festival is Sunday at Fairy Lake in Newmarket from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
You can bring your own fishing equipment or borrow tackle at festival sites if you don’t have your own gear. Each event will feature contests and prizes.
Because it’s Ontario Family Fishing Weekend, you don’t need a licence. However, if you wish to keep any fish, you must adhere to conservation limits outlined in provincial angling regulations.
For more information on the Urban Fishing Festival, contact the Natural Resources Ministry’s Aurora office at 905-713-7400.
As part of Ontario Family Fishing Weekend, Canadian residents who just want to go fishing this weekend can still wet a line without a licence anywhere in Ontario.
While Lake Simcoe and Cook’s Bay are two popular spots for pursuing a variety of species, including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch, other angling opportunities can be found in the outlets flowing into Cook’s Bay, such as the Holland and Maskinonge rivers.
Inland bodies of water, such as the Milne Reservoir in Markham and Mill Pond in Richmond Hill, are also home to largemouth bass.
Lake Wilcox has a remnant smallmouth bass population as well as some nice largemouth. Access to lake is at the northeast corner, off Lake Drive.
Musselman’s Lake in Whitchurch-Stouffville also has largemouth bass and can be accessed through the Cedar Beach Park at the north end of the lake.
To receive a free Ontario Family Fishing Weekend information package, call Mark Cousins at 705-748-6324 ext. 233.
The package includes volunteer and participation certificates, flyers and posters, Take-A-Kid Fishing and Catch Fishing booklets and tips for event planning.
To add a new event to the growing list or to find an event near you, visit familyfishingweekend.com.