Jason Matity brought his fishing expertise to Buffalo Pound Provincial Park on July 14, perfectly timing his free Learn to Fish program with Saskatchewan’s annual free fishing weekend to give new fisherman a low-cost chance to try the favorite summer sport.
“Buffalo Pound Lake is an exceptional fishery for both perch, pike and walleye,” said Matity. “They've got so many perch in it that, basically, if you can find a clear spot where there's not a lot of weeds — which can be a little difficult — you're going to catch a fish.”
Matity brought all the gear needed to put a hook in the lake, and potentially pull out a scaly catch, and detailed the basics of smart fishing for the crowd gathered.
He, alongside two conservation officers from the area, covered topics such as what types of fish you’re likely to catch in Buffalo Pound Lake and what they look like, and where to find the daily catch limits for the area.
Catch limits are in place, Matity explained, to maintain a healthy population of each species of fish. He also noted that there are limits regarding the size of fish that a can be kept, as larger fish tend to be the ones who repopulate.
Some lakes have specific restrictions, and the best place to find those is in the Angler’s Guide, available online.
Following the basics of conservation, Matity moved on to the different spools, hooks, and bobbers, and outfitted each attendee with a rod and reel to try some casting — first on the grass, to get a feel for the movement.
Next, the fishers headed out to the docks to try their hand in the water.
Around 40 people stopped by Maple Vale Beach throughout the day, and Matity ran two sessions of instruction. He and his brother, Jeff, started the Learn to Fish program in 2016 and have been touring the province sharing the sport since.
“It's really just about getting people outside, getting them off their phones, getting them to enjoy the great outdoors and appreciate the wonderful short Saskatchewan summers that we have,” said Matity.
Matity encourages people to try out the sport, after getting an angler’s license of course — the free fishing weekend has passed. For more information and tips, he also lists his fishing education website as a great source.
“People want to get out here and learn how to do this, which is really cool,” said Matity.
