Edmonton Trout Fishing Club Edmonton Trout Fishing Club Edmonton Trout Fishing Club Edmonton Trout Fishing Club


The History of the first 20 years

Written by: Lyall MacLagan in 1973 

When you look back it does not seem that twenty years have gone by since this Club was formed, but the calendar says they have.

During the winter of 1952-53 an advertisement appeared in The Edmonton Journal that a fly fishing course would be given at Victoria Composite High School. I, along with two friends, appeared at the appointed time and met a Mr. Fowler, a teacher, who had placed the advertisement in the paper. He collected two dollars per head from the twenty or so who showed up. This fee was to cover the rent for the use of the schoolroom. It transpired that he knew very little about fly-fishing, but was interested in the subject. It did, however, bring together some people who had some knowledge of the sport. The few who had fly-fished or had some knowledge of fly tying or equipment were appointed instructors. Cal Keys, Andy McNally, Fred Turnbull and myself did what we could to instruct the others. We enjoyed a pleasant few weeks, so some of the class decided to continue and to form a Club. The first members were Earl Barefoot, Ray (Chip) Chisholm, Art Craig, Gordon Gould, Art Graham, Cal Keys Dr. Lipsey, Harry McDermott, Andy McNally, Stewart Morrison, James Robertson, Bob Thurston, Fred Turnbull, and me. 

I was appointed a committee of one to prepare a Constitution and by-laws for the Club. This was done, and upon their adoption the Club was officially formed. A sample of this Constitution is attached. 

Article 1 of the Constitution states that "The name of the Club shall be "EDMONTON TROUT FISHING CLUB"

Article 2 - "Aims and Objectives. - To foster, instruct and promote the art of fly tying and fly casting; and the betterment of Trout fishing among it's members." 

We have had some degree of success, over the past twenty years, in achieving our aims.

Our first President was Harry McDermott, and the Secretary - Treasurer was Gordon Gould. From the original fourteen members we grew to some forty-two by the end of 1953. At this time we were surprised that there were so many people interested in fly-fishing in Edmonton. The Sporting Goods stores had little, if any, rods, reels or lines at the time. I recall going into Eaton's a couple of years before, at the end of the fishing season. They had on hand three 91 Swedish built can rods, on sale at half price. The Supervisor of the Department told me they had been sent out from the East where all the purchasing was done, and there was nothing to go with them. No reels, no lines, no leaders, no flies. They were excellent rods so I bought one. 

This is a far cry from today and I feel that the Edmonton Trout Club played a major role in developing this business.

Our Club's beginning coincided with the Provincial Fisheries Department trout-stocking program in the local Lakes. We had promoted very good relations with Mr. H. B. Watkins, Superintendent of Fisheries, who supplied us with weekly reports of fishing and road conditions in the surrounding areas. This was transmitted to our members by weekly bulletins issued each Thursday to assist them in choosing a place to fish on the weekends.

In September of 1953 Mr. Watkins advised us which Lakes had been planted in our area and asked if our members would try them. We assigned two members to each Lake for a Sunday in early September. McNally and I drew Hasse Lake. It rained all day and we spent from about ten A.M. until around four P.M. without a touch or sign of life. We were sure that they had missed planting Hasse, or that the fish had all died. To add to our discomfort we got stuck on the mud road trying to go home. It was almost enough to make us give up fishing. It developed that none of the other members had gone out due to the poor weather. This should not have deterred a true fisherman.

I went to Edmonton Beach and caught the first six trout out of that Lake. This we reported to Mr. Watkins, who was happy to learn that the fish were doing so well.

With ice out in May of 1954 1 returned to Hasse Lake and caught two fish at two pounds - proof that they had survived the winter, and had had phenomenal growth.

The years 1954 to 1956 provided good fishing at all local Lakes, and our members had great success on flies they had learned to tie during the winter classes.

In 1955 Fred Turnbull and I purchased a lot on behalf of the Club, at Edmonton Beach. In 1956 I arranged a purchase for another lot to provide access to the Lake. We also negotiated a pier lease, with easement to the Lake from “The Provincial Government.” Cottage Lake is one of the few in the Province where the waters were not reserved to the Crown on the original title. With the receding water line the owner of the quarter section claimed the land, which had been under water when the Village of Edmonton Beach was surveyed. By paying the annual rental on the pier site and easement the fight regarding ownership is between the landowner and the Provincial Government. In the meantime we have ready access to the water.

In 1955 we built a bar-b-que fireplace on one of the lots and in 1956 erected a picnic shelter over it. In the early years of the Club the members used this property extensively, but as the older members dropped out little use has been made of it. As a matter of fact, it is possible that some of the new members do not know that it exists. The lack of use may stem from the history of winterkills of the trout in this Lake over the past few years. As this is written, the water level has risen in the Lake and 1972 may produce a carry over of fish into 1973. If this is the case fish up to three pounds will be available in the spring, and our property provides a pleasant spot for weekend family picnics with a fishing bonus. It is hoped that many of our members will make use of this property in the coming years.

With the acquisition of land and properties in 1955 it was felt that our Club should be placed on a more formal basis, so application was made to incorporate under the Societies Act of the Province of Alberta. This removed the members from, liabilities or debts of the Club as individuals.

The constitution and by-laws are more extensive than our original; however, the aims and objects remain the same. Over the years our members have taught and demonstrated fly tying, fly casting, and related subjects to the following groups:

Over the past twenty years our membership has fluctuated from the 1953 total of 42 to a high of 125. In 1957 it was decided to increase the dues from five dollars to ten dollars per year and limit membership to one hundred. Our membership at present is in the seventies, including life members. This would probably be the average for the twenty years, so it would seem that some fourteen hundred people have been members Of the Club during its life, to date. It is gratifying to think that we have had a hand in showing this number the benefits and pleasure of catching trout on a fly. This pleasure can only be enhanced by catching a Trout on a fly tied by one’s self.

Through the kind offices of Art Graham our first Club meetings were held in the Alberta Motor Association's Headquarters; first at 99th Street and 101A Avenue, then at their new building at Kingsway and 109th Street. With the expansion of their driver-training program we were forced to move. Meetings were then held at Queen Mary Community Club House, with fly-casting at Eastwood School Gymnasium. The past few years our meetings have been at the St. Basil’s School, where we have no facilities for fly-casting. The only opportunity our members have for practice or instruction is when the snow leaves in April or May - and then it is time to go fishing.

In 1958 we presented a mounted sixteen-pound Rainbow, which had been netted in Strubel Lake during the winter to the A.M.A. in appreciation for their assistance in providing headquarters for our Club in its early years.

We would like to make mention here of the valuable assistance of the following members who have passed on to brighter fishing fields:

To those still living who have, and still are, serving the Club:

Of the original fourteen members only Andy McNally and myself are still active in the Club, and are now getting a free ride as "Life Members", due to our age.

From it's inception to the present we have had many enjoyable "get together" by way of picnics, bar-b-ques, fishing trips to Jasper and other locations. We were also fortunate to be invited to Labatt's Brewery for two years to hold our wind-up meeting; both of which were attended by over two hundred members and guests. For many years Molson's Brewery have provided us with the use of their Edmonton House for our Ladies' Nights.

In 1968, under the editorship of Lloyd Shea, we published a ''Fishing Guide". This little booklet contained data on location, road directions, and mileages to all the Lakes and Streams, in the Edmonton Area. It also showed the fish plantings at each Lake for the three previous years. It proved to be a very worthwhile effort and has been great assistance to our members. Like everything else these days, our booklet needs revision as the Provincial Government stocking program covers a great many more Lakes in our area. A few not in our book are Eden, Millers, George's, Ghost Lake, Stubb Lake, Sandy Lake, Gap Lake, Ashland Reservoir, Chrystine, Peanut, and many - more in the Red Deer-Rocky Mountain House area, where small stockings have been made.

In addition, fishing reports compiled from information supplied by members were mailed out each week for the past few years. A great number of our members failed to supply information, which limited the value of this effort.

A Club such as ours can only be successful by each member taking an active part in its functions. Our members, by putting in a little more than they could expect to get out of it have made our Club very successful for twenty years. Let’s keep it up  and make the next twenty even better.

Lyall MacLagan

Past Presidents/Treasurers/Secretaries

Application for Incorporation