There are plenty of fish out of water at Scadding Court already.
But no worry — there are another 750 rainbow trout set to be delivered later this week to restock the community centre’s pool for its 14th Gone Fishin’ event that attracts hundreds of schoolkids and families from around Greater Toronto and beyond, this year including a family from California.
Lin-Lin Ling, of San Jose, Calif., said she found out about the event when it popped up on her phone through an events notification — and because her 7-year-old son enjoys fishing so much, she and her husband planned their trip to Toronto around it.
“My son has fished in California, and Florida, so he loves it,” she said poolside Saturday afternoon as husband Robert Ling and son David tried to make a big catch.
The yearly event draws scores of students during the weekdays, and is open to the public after school lets out, and also on weekends. People are provided with rods and bait, and take home what they catch — or they can go to one of Scadding Court’s merchants to have their trout cooked before they leave.
The centre’s executive director, Kevin Lee, said the fishing fun gives city kids a chance to try something new, while also letting them think about where their food comes from.
“It gives people a chance to enjoy fishing; not everyone has a cottage or can learn to fish,” he said.
Lee said the pool needs maintenance at this time of year anyway, because the centre is in between spring and summer programs.
About 250 people attended on Saturday, as scores of volunteers milled about helping them with bait and passing on some fishing tips.
Fishing expert Gary Hodge advises them to be patient “and pay attention to what the fish are doing.”
Some volunteers are students who started coming as youngsters “and got hooked,” said Lee.
One of those is Taarak Sammeta, a Grade 11 student at Parkdale Collegiate, who first fished at Scadding Court when he was five or six years old.
“These are city kids, and they don’t get the chance to experience something I think they should experience,” he said. “It’s not full-on nature, but still a nature experience, and time with family . . . it’s like live grocery shopping.”
Gone Fishin’ ends Saturday, June 18. There is a $5 per-person entry fee, or $3 for Scadding Court members.