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Ottawa Citizen

Fishing summer camp along Rideau Canal has kids angling for more

Article content Along the western bank of the Rideau Canal, just north of Fifth Avenue, the 'fishheads' are gathered. Article content The 18 members of Ottawa Fish School, a summer camp for school-aged anglers, are listening to school founder John Anderson describe today's fishing spot. Article content Article content It's one of the deepest parts of the canal, he tells the school of eight and nine-year-old campers, and is home to bass, suckers and panfish such as perch, sunfish and crappie. Article content Article content Those trying to catch panfish should pinch the barbs on their Aberdeen Hooks to make it easier to release hooked fish, while those fishing for bass, Anderson says, should use a Texas Rig Hook with the barb buried into a plastic worm so that it can navigate the canal's weeds – the place where bass lurk. Article content So begins another day of Ottawa Fish School, one of the most popular summer camps offered by the Dovercourt Recreation Association. The camp, now in its fifth year, sells out quickly every year with many returnees. Article content Article content Fishing clearly appeals to some ancient terminal of the male brain, as this week's campers are all boys. Article content 'Kids who have the fishing addiction have it bad,' says Anderson, 64, a legendary Ottawa musky guide. 'Fishing is an addiction that can last a whole lifetime.' Article content Article content The school accommodates a total of 144 students during the two summer months. Everyone is supplied with rods, reels and tackle boxes thanks to sponsors Shimano and SAIL. Article content Article content Campers learn to tie two kinds of fishing knots – a clinch knot and a palomar knot – that evenly distribute the force on a fishing line and reduce the chances of it snapping under pressure from a battling fish. Article content They learn about tackle – what lures work for what fish – how to bait a hook, how to cast a line and how to take care of a fish once it has been landed. Article content Anderson and his team of paid and volunteer counsellors also try to impart an understanding and respect for fish and their habitat. Biologists such as Carleton University's Steven Cooke and Sean Landsman make guest appearances to explain the lives of fish. Article content 'The kids learn how to take care of the fish, how to take care of the water, and how to take care of themselves,' Anderson says. 'We teach them how to be safe and self-sufficient.'