Students head up to Upper Kings River

As warm weather crashes ashore and the tides of schoolwork recede, students anticipate their favorite hobbies for summer. Fish populate local waterways drawing fishermen to the Central Valley’s watering holes.

Starting off the season, the Fresno Christian fishing club has taken this opportunity to take a first trip, April 21. Club advisor Aubri Foster hopes to grow the campus’s interest in fishing with more trips planned for the 2018-19 school year. 

The trip was conducted as an experiment, the purpose of which was to test both the logistical side of planning such a trip as well as to give members a taste of what these trips may be like in the future.

First-year fishing club supervisor Foster shared her thoughts on the student fishing excursion as six members made the trip. 

“I think it was good to see how many students are interested in a trip like this and committed to enjoying time together,” Foster said. “Now that we know, and have experienced what they are comfortable with and what they want, we can aim toward more success on the next trip.

“Originally, we had planned to go to Dinkey Creek, but the snow earlier in the week prevented us from heading that way,” Foster continued. “We ended up heading to where the Upper Kings River meets Pine Flat Lake.”

The club fished in the Upper Kings River for a couple of hours before heading back to Fresno. Members were able to fish from the banks of the river as well as chat and socialize together.

Member Joshua Oakley, ‘18, experienced the fishing trip for the first time this year. He learned many new skills and had a lot of fun fishing with his friends. 

“My favorite part would have to be the spending time with my friends and experiencing the beauty of nature,” Oakley said. “On the fishing trip, I scratched the surface on a few different types of fishing. If I were to be honest, I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I did and it was definitely an enjoyable experience that I won’t soon forget.”

Hannah Garcia, ‘20, enjoyed the trips serene enviroment. Participating in the club helps her see God’s creation from a different perspective. 

“I enjoyed the serenity of the nature around me,” Garcia said. “It really makes you take a step back and realize just how amazing God’s creation is. It was so awesome to spend time with friends outside of the classroom and to take a break from the stresses of life for a little while.”

For those interested in fishing, there are a variety of first steps that one can take to get into the sport. The first thing that is required would be a California fishing license if over the age of 16.

Junior Kyle Friesen experienced fishing in a new way on the club’s fishing trip. He mastered different techniques and enjoyed seeing others gain new skills.

“While I already had all my tackle, rod and fishing license, I know that Mrs. Foster can help new or rookie fishing members figure out how to get started,” Friesen said. “People got actual experience fishing on the river and we got tips from Matthew Sue’s dad about fish behavior and positioning. We were taught how to fish where fish most likely would hang out.”

The next item to acquire would be fishing tackle. The type of tackle that is required depends on what type of fishing is done; however, at the basic level a simple spinner rod combo will suffice. This can be purchased at Walmart or a similar place and they will often sell combo packages with bait and hooks.

For beginners there are a few good spots around the Valley. Lakes are usually a good choice for new learners as it is low risk and laid back. The majority of the lakes around the San Joaquin Valley are good for beginners; however, Shaver Lake is a particularly good spot. This is especially true during the summer as it is relatively close and stocked by the California Department of Fishing and Wildlife (DFW).

The video productions class made a fishing documentary detailing fishing in the Central Valley. The video covers the fishing experiences of Matthew Sue and Kyle Friesen.

For more information on fishing spots and reports, check out visit a local fishing or sporting goods store to see where the action is. Dicks Sporting Goods may be a good place to start.

The club’s first official meeting will be next fall and announced at a later date on The Feather social media.

For more articles read Charlie Puth contributes refreshing presence to pop music in ‘Voicenotes’ and Val Rivera retires after 10 faithful years.

Matthew Sue can be reached via email.