Canada's National Fishing Week -Toronto Style

The Toronto Urban Fishing Ambassadors and the Mount Dennis Community Association welcomed His Honour Mayor John Tory to our Party by the Pond event celebrating Canada's National Fishing Week on Saturday. His Honour caught a bullhead right off the hop using one of our Daiwa Dshock Combo's. His Honour enjoys wetting a line in his spare time with his young grandson, and while putting him to work at our tackle table I learned that he as well understands the importance of outdoor education for our youth. This is our fourth year as invited guests( they call us fishing "experts") to this event in an area with economic challenges. The opportunity to teach fishing and the appreciation of the outdoors is always met with childlike wonderment and we have seen many return and tell us stories of how much time they spend in their neighbourhood park. Give them a tackle box not an XBox. This year saw more than 150 families attend and 99% caught fish and many caught multiple times. Our friends and supporters from the Toronto Region Conservation Authority ( TRCA )attended with their Living Education Program as well. This pond is spring fed and home to white crappie, largies, rock bass, bullhead, sunfish and pike. It also hosts a protected turtle habitat that all respect. Fishing nodes and a great shoreline make it possible to safely fish.You can hear muffled traffic but the hum of nature trumps it. We were granted permission by Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation(TPFR) to install one of our many fishing line recepticals which we clean and maintain. The line goes to Berkley where it is recycled into softies. Fish On in the GTA! I love my life.