Did you know that there is a farm where you keep what you catch? Think U-Pick like for berries, but this is U-Catch for fish.
This was one of the handful of one day only events held in celebration of Taste of Abby. This is Abbotsford’s annual harvest festival celebrating agricultural and culinary in the city. The farm is now open to the public, but this is the first and only fish and fry to date.
As hobby fishers we liked the ease and idea of this, to get to fish without having to drive far out of the city, or packing the car with anything we would need.
At Silverbrook Farms everything is there for you and you need only pay for rod rentals and to keep all that you catch.
And for today only, the fish we caught would be filleted and barbecued for us on the spot, served without local food and drink.
The new owners have taken over 9 months ago and have been quick to get things up and running. To be able to host guests today. However, I would have liked them to spend more time getting their operations tighter as for many this was our first impression.
We stayed on site for 3 hours and there was no working toilet to use. The two actual water closets did not flush (I tried, because my tiny baby bladder had to go). And it was recommended to us to not even attempt to visit the outhouse. Considering that they don’t normally serve food, there may be a slack in need for these. However their space is available for rent and you have the option to bring your own food and drinks to cook using the provided barbecue units. So they might want to make one stall available for those guests.
There are 3 such picnic areas with seating and grills. I liked the one on the more private dock, overlooking its own pond. Definitely a great spot to spend the day at, or event host events at, if they were to invest in its maintenance. Not only does that include their upkeep and repair, but the discarding for what looks like run down debris surrounding the perimeter of the farm.
We also noted plenty of excrement from the roosters that roam the farm at their leisure. I don’t expect it to be wast- free, as this is a farm, but at least curtailed. There are many kids picking up feather and what ever interests them from off the ground. So anything to help their hygiene would be considerate. In truth there appeared to be a build up, which also includes what is in the individual animal pens.
Albeit this is a work in progress and the owners are doing what they can to stay afloat, while bringing the attraction up to snuff. This is just one measure I would prioritize, if planning on bringing more folks in and curating a good first impression.
I digress, back to the fishing. As a ticketed event, everyone was gathered together and given a brief overview. Had this been a private drop in, I would expect a more personalized greeting and better explanation of the activity.
You start off by grabbing a rod. Each a stick of dried bamboo with fishing line, hook, and cork attached to it. You have the option of length of rod, to accommodate the youngest of fishermen. You can also choose between a bobber rod or a fly rod. Both low tech and effective, to catch what I would call pretty susceptible fish. There is also the option to rent an actual fishing rod, however, you will not need it.
There are three possible ponds to fish from, each stocked with rainbow trout. As per the owners, one has larger trout, the other is more abundant with trout, and the last one best to fly fish from.
Bait is a ball of brown paste. Not exactly sure what it is, but the fish love it. So do the roosters, so it is suggested that you not leave it unattended. They advise pinching off a little and securing it to the already attached barbed hooks. We have experience fishing, so didn’t think much of it. Although it may have been beneficial to have a demo for those who don’t. However, no one seemed to have any difficulty today.
Similarly, the bonking of the fish couldn’t have used an explanation. Once a fish is hooked you need to un-alive it. The most effective way is to take it to one of their many bonking station and club it over the head. A though job if the hook is still in its mouth and you get it tangled with the club’s chain. A lesson I learned the hard way. I knew to bonk the fish at the crown of its head, but I saw many others hitting it over the eye, whilst holding it down on its profile. So a demo here would have been highly beneficial.
The easiest way to fish is to cast the baited hook as far as you can, into the centre of the lake.
My partner was clever to lure in the fish he wanted by throwing bits of bait loose into the water. He did so directing it close to his hook and line, that had a limited give. 20 minutes later he got his prize, the largest fish of the day.
I was just happy to catch anything and took the first that snagged my line.
All the fish you catch you have to keep. It is part of their business and not doing so hurts that. Plus if you hook a fish and it is wounded in the process, it might not even survive if you threw it back.
Once we had our prize, the fish were quickly sliced into fillets and placed on the barbecue. One half went to the grill, the other places in a ziplock bag with ice that we could take home to cook ourselves.
Seasoned in either paprika or lemon pepper. There is something so enjoyable about eating what you catch, especially to be able to do it right on the spot. Fresh from the line.
Each plate served with sweet corn from Lepp Farms Market and apple cider from Taves Farm.
A fulsome meal we enjoyed while listening to live music on stage.
While waiting for our food to be cooked we had time to explore the farm. Observing the highland cows, petting the Rottweiler, and the inspecting the chickens in their coop.
We also entered the petting pen with goats, a donkey, ducks, and geese.
And were even able to catch and pick up the free roaming roosters.
You can sign up for U-Pick eggs, but the owners admitted their chickens are at the end of laying cycle, so it is slim pickings until they purchase new ones.
You can also expect U-Pour honey in the future, as they have plans to have hives that you can tap yourself.
In short, there is so much potential here and I cannot wait to see where they take it. If this has only been 9 months, there is no telling where they can take this experience after a year.
Mind you, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to rival the more popular Abbotsford farms, but also so much possibility. They are the only ones to offer an easy way to teach kids how to fish,
Silverbrook Farms
1364 Bradner Road, Abbotsford, BC V4X 1H8
(604) 217-1591
fishbctrout.com
For dinner that day we would prepare the rest of our rainbow trout at home. Marinating and grilling it to our taste. Having it with a baked potato and Filipino style torta (eggplant and egg).
