Growing up back home, one of the Easter traditions was a Good Friday trouting trip. These were sometimes a walk in the woods in back of home, or sometimes a trip in car to a roadside pond, but were often a whole family event.
The great thing about the whole trip was that you never knew from year to year what “kind” of trouting you were doing! Lots of Easter weekends it would be ice fishing, and on others you’d be fishing with a rod and reel on the shore of a completely ice free pond.
Of course one of the other memories of those days was the fact that it may not have been a rod and reel you saw people using. A lot of people used a bamboo pole. I’ve never actually tried it, and really haven’t seen it done in years, so now, thinking back on it, I’m a little puzzled on how people actually pulled a fish in. I assume once the hooked it, they had to pull the line in hand over hand!
The picture on the left wasn’t a Good Friday trip (at least I don’t think it was). It was taken I believe in 1969 (making me 4 at the time) when all of my Dad’s siblings except one (Herven) had gathered together for the first time in years, and the last time too as I know I never saw Aunt Mae again. I only have faint memories of it, but the whole family and some Aunt’s and Uncles made our way into Friggin’s (Fagan’s) Cove Pond for a family trip, so it reminds me somewhat of Good Friday fishing.
I’m not sure if the Good Friday trouting trips are as much of a tradition now as they were, I know as I got older, I always liked to go, but it became more with friends than family, but I guess that’s part of growing up.
Fishing isn’t the same in Nova Scotia for me, I don’t know where to go, and there are too many fish types to catch, and not know what to do with. Back home we had trout and that was about it. Still though, I think when Hayley gets a bit older, I may see if she’d like to go on a fishing trip.
Happy Easter everyone.
Raised in outport Newfoundland in a town of 65 people, I pursued a post secondary diploma in Information Technology right out of High School.
I’ve always been a geek at heart, but yet I love the rural life I grew up with. Fishing, hunting, camping and the great outdoors are still loves of mine, even if I don’t pursue them as often as I once did. Sports were always a big part of our lives, and I played many (badly) and loved them all.
I really enjoyed that, thanks. The picture is great too.
I’ve used the old bamboo many times. once you caught the trout you just whip it back on shore. Often resulted in trout back in the woods and tangled lines, but a lot of fun
I’m quite capable of tangling a rod and reel, I’d have a bambook thrown away in that case!
You spelled Aunt Mae’s name wrong. I thought I was Liddy not Litty
Yeah, corrected now. Was for Lidia I beleive
I can’t remember ever going Trouting at easter time, Oh I went Ice Trouting in the winter, But always waited until the 24, may when the Ice was Gone, I guess it was warmer to the south of Us, Random Island ,, Ha Ha, love your pictures and memories.