Seniors fishing day provides more than just a catch in Amherst, N.S.

Every edge of the Fundy Winds Marsh pond in Amherst, N.S., on Thursday was lined with seniors looking to cast a line and reel in some memories.

“Through COVID everybody was kind of locked up and I realized that the thing everybody was turning to was outdoor related,” said organizer Daren White.

“[…] I think it re-sparked the love of nature and the environment and I feel for some of the seniors that maybe are sitting at home and not able to get out.”

That thought led to the first ever Senior’s Fishing Adventure, offering a completely free two hour event for those 70 plus.

Outdoor adventures and fishing trips at Fundy Winds Marsh started when White was still a teacher and he would bring his students and other school groups.

After retirement, he decided it was time to expand to a new generation.

“I think that this, opening this today to seniors, has opened up a whole new area and just because they’re aged or experienced, whatever word you want to call it but not old, doesn’t mean that they can’t still be very active and you’re seeing it today, these people are independently putting worms on and casting and catching fish and losing fish and laughing,” he said.

While at first it looked like fishing was the centre of the day, the afternoon quickly proved that there was a lot more beneath the surface.

For 85-year-old Josephine Fromm, it was a chance to walk down memory lane.

“My husband and I when we were going together we went trout fishing and then after we got married we went flounder fishing and anything else that we could find, travelled all around, we had the kids with us and everything,” she said.

She says she hasn’t been fishing in nearly 20 years and although her husband has now passed, sitting next to her daughter on Thursday she cast her line as if no time had passed.

“Oh I love it, I really love it,” she said.

Being on the water seemed to bring something different for everyone involved, but it also seemed to give each participant exactly what they were looking for.

Curtis White was out with his brother and nephew.

“I’ve been kind of stuck in the house for eight years,” he said.

“I suffered a stroke and I just didn’t feel like going out and getting amongst people so just recently started getting out, getting back in the swing of things, just kind of withdrawn so this is great for mental improvement.”

Fishing is something that he’s always done with his brother.

“Just to be here, to be in the nature and alive. I’ve had some close calls so I’m very fortunate just to be out and amongst people my age, [I’m] enjoying it,” he said.

At its core, the Fundy Winds Marsh is a 55-acre outdoor education area that mostly focuses on youth and wetland conservation according to owner and manager, Bill Barrow.

However, Thursday’s fishing trip brought together seniors from both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

“It’s just awesome. They’re joking and having a good time. The sun has come out, it’s warmer now. We have the camp, it’s warm in there with some hot food so it’s all about the total picture,” said Barrow, who has been fishing for over 70 years.

“Fishing is great for developing good memories and there’s no better way to develop them then to get on a fishing pond with your buddy and cast out a worm.”

The pond is currently stocked with rainbow trout, which Barrow takes care of throughout the year.

“We’ve got an air turbine there which keeps oxygen flowing all year round and we have an artesian well, it’s only a couple of years old, so we have cold water going into it all year round,” he said.

“[It’s] really the perfect environment for our rainbow trout. As far as maintenance, even today we had to repair the air line so there’s always a little work and cleaning the work and so on, but it’s worth it. We have at least three family fish days a year.”

While the first Senior’s Fishing Adventure likely marked the end of this year’s season, those involved say it really marked the start of a new ongoing tradition.

White, who also runs outdoors with Mr. White, says it will get added to the growing list of activities he likes to offer to people.

“I had different people call and say look it was such short notice and they were away. In fact one of the lady’s fishing here today, her sister is away on a trip and she said had she of known she said I would have not gone,” he said.

“We have people here of all different situations and as far as how I feel when they’re here, I just look at their faces and it’s all I need.