GOLDEN RODS & REELS Victoria Seniors’ Fishing, Conservation & Social Club

The senior citizens’ fishing and conservation club was the concept of a young, dynamic woman named Paula Polson. The first club was formed in Burnaby. The Victoria club had its first meeting in June of 1977. The club now meets at Silver Threads on Douglas & Fisgard every Tuesday from 9 to 11 am. Members range in age from 55 to those in their nineties.

The club has a multi-faceted approach. Members include fresh & salt water fishermen & women, stream fishers & fly fishers. Fishing techniques and ideas are shared. Fly tying techniques are taught in a social context, with good food & wine, at a member’s home.

The club has a very active social program. In fact, several marriages have taken place over the years between members. A typical monthly program includes a potluck dinner or lunch, or a Valentine’s party or picnic at a river or oceanfront location. There is an annual trip to Goldstream Park to watch the spawning salmon, augmented by hot soup, hotdogs and desserts. There is an annual corn roast, a variety of fishing derbies and a sumptuous Christmas dinner with entertainment. Various camping/fishing trips are enjoyed throughout the year.

The semi-annual week long trips to Buttle Lake for trout fishing invariably bring members together at communal breakfasts & dinners. Fish fries by the campfire and sipping on one’s favourite drink encourage fishers to expound on past fishing accomplishments. Other trips are taken to Salmon Point and Cluxewe. The latter is a pink salmon fly fishing bonanza, where one of our members hooked and released some 400 pink salmon in a 2 week period.

Two to three times per month our weekly meeting includes a speaker. Talks vary from techniques used by the Scotland Yard in apprehending criminals to fly fishing techniques to blue water sailing. Speakers may be University professors or the ordinary Joe down the street who has expertise in this or that. All are very informative, most are amusing, and some are downright hilarious.

There is a serious side to our club as well. The club is affiliated with the B.C.W.F. (BC Wildlife Federation), to which funds are donated annually.

Several years ago, the club took on the cleaning up of O’Donnell Creek, a creek that flows into Elk Lake. Elk Lake, of course, is a sports minded lake, shared by swimmers, fishers & boaters. It is also the venue for our Olympic rowing teams. The O’Donnell Creek project was a 7 year project initiated by Frank Darlington. Bridges & cattle crossings were built. Gravel was deposited in the stream bed for fish to spawn. Keeping cattle out of the creek improved the quality of the water in the lake. Coliform counts plummeted & the lake became safer for swimmers. The algae bloom was also reduced, thus making the lake more enjoyable for all.

The club also built a sanitary station and a wheelchair accessible dock at Elk Lake, where physically and/or mentally challenged people can access the lake to fish.

To fish, one must have fish to fish for, and to this end, various club members assist financially as well as with volunteer labour in the management of the Howard English hatchery. Their duties include feeding the salmon fry, eliminating dead salmon eggs (morts) that would otherwise contaminate the viable ones, netting the various salmon & stripping the eggs & milt, taking salmon past ladders & releasing the fry to various streams. Other related jobs are maintaining the water filtration system and keeping out pests such as mink & bears. Some of the salmon eggs & fry are donated to local schools for educational purposes.

An annual $35 membership fee initiates one to a myriad of opportunities with the Victoria Golden Rods & Reels. Whether one comes to learn fishing techniques, or to find a fishing partner, or to enjoy the camping trips, or to participate in the conservation activities, or to listen to the inspirational speakers, one is sure to find friendship, companionship and a further enriched lifestyle.

For further information, phone Peter Psaila at 708-0703 or Art Raven at 478-9444, or drop in to one of the meetings.