Last year’s fish pond in the parking lot at Wood Wheaton  250News file photo

Prince George, BC – This weekend marked the 13th year the provincial government has offered up free fishing to BC families on the Father’s Day weekend in a bid to get people ‘hooked’ on fishing.

Aspiring and experienced anglers have been able to cast their lines without a licence since Friday and through the remainder of today, but for those who’ve yet to get out to a lake or stream, the Spruce City Wildlife Association is hoping to make it easy to catch your dinner tonight.

As part of 47 different events around the province supported by the Family Fishing Weekend Society, SCWA will be re-stocking the pond set up last year in the parking lot of the Wood Wheaton dealership along Highway 16-West today to give youngsters a taste of the recreational pastime.

"At the heart of the Family Fishing Weekend are the volunteers who give their time and energy," says the Executive Director of the Family Fishing Society of BC, Owen Bird.  "These (volunteers) are the people who make this event such a success every year and ensure that their love of fishing is passed on to future generations."

The provincial government estimates 25-thousand people take advantage of the no licence required weekend.  The Prince George Conservation Officer Service is out with a friendly reminder to local anglers to still consult regulations before heading out.  CO Todd Hunter says the most common mistake local officers find during the weekend in the Omineca region is people fishing in streams that are closed.  Hunter points out there is no fishing in any streams in Region 7A, a full list of closures is available in the Fresh Water Fishing Regulations on the BC Fish and Wildlife Branch website, or by clicking here.