Years worth of supplies donated to Kamloops fly fishing classes in hope of inspiring youth

A provincewide effort to amass gear to help Kamloops students learn fly fishing has hooked thousands of dollars and years worth of supplies.

The initiative pulled together supplies and donations from various organizations, including 20,000 hooks, 10,000 beads, new fly-tying vices, thread and tinsels that will benefit students taking fly fishing classes at two Kamloops schools.

The project was spearheaded by Kamloops Fly Fishers, who gathered support from The BC Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Waters Outdoors in Kelowna, the Sport Fishing on the Fly TV show and donations from the public.

“We're a fly fishing club. We love it, we want to share our passion,” said Kamloops Fly Fishers vice-president Rick Passek.

“When we found out that these schools have been doing it for so long, we were like, ‘Hey, we gotta help them out.’”

Dedicated fly fishing classes are taught at Kamloops School of the Arts and Brocklehurst secondary.

Brock science and fly fishing teacher David Coleman said the classes teach critical and creative thinking, and students learn lessons about fly tying, chemistry, topography and sustainability.

“It teaches a lot of patience and focus, really, so we always promote problem solving and critical thinking skills, and fly tying does a lot of that for them,” Coleman said.

“When we go on the field trips is when you see a kid catch something with the fly they tied, it's amazing — truly amazing.”

He said the donations will last the classes for years to come, and helps to free up budget for more field trips and equipment — like new rods for students.

“This is stuff I couldn't afford for the class, but this will be allow them to make some really, really intricate flies. So that's what I'm getting out of this, and it's overwhelming,” Coleman said.

He said he hopes the donations will spur more classes to be created in the district.

Further shipments of fly fishing supplies from companies in the U.K., Czechia and Denmark are still on the way, as well.

Dale Freschi of Sport Fishing on the Fly, which donated numerous pieces of equipment, said it got involved in the campaign after giving a presentation to SD73 students last year.

He said he hopes the supplies inspires more students to get involved in the sport.

“We started very young in the sport, and it shapes their whole lives around it,” Freschi said.

“There’s some that just like the fly tying, the art part of it, others like the fishing part and some like both. Either way, I think it’s excellent recreation that sticks with you for your whole life.”