By Chadd Cawson
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Fishing season will soon be coming upon us, and whether you are an avid fisher, or looking to try it for the first time; the expanded second edition of “Fishing the Canadian Rockies” by local author Joey Ambrosi might be just what you were looking for.
Currently living in Crownest Pass, Ambrosi grew up in Invermere, where he was an outdoors enthusiast from a young age — a trait his family shares as well. Ambrosi recalls, “My son caught a fish on a fly rod offshore at 19 months. I’m sure I wasn’t much older than that myself when I first began.”
Ambrosi went to university in Calgary, where he holds a masters degree in history and cultural tourism, which subsequently aided his research for the book.
The fishing manual is Ambrosi’s seventh book. His first was based around hiking in Southwestern Alberta, and was published in 1986 back when he was living in Calgary. The experience created momentum for Ambrosi to create more over the years to come.
“Fishing the Canadian Rockies” was officially published in November of 2019. Though research for the text began much earlier. Over the course of two summers beginning in 2018, Ambrosi visited anywhere from 400 to 500 lakes specifically for documenting information and taking photographs.
“The problem with writing a book is as soon you write it, it becomes out of date,” says Ambrosi. “It was actually supposed to be out two years ago but was delayed due to COVID.”
Despite the delay, interest in the nature guide remained strong. Taking Ambrosi 6 months to write, as well as lay out all the maps (which he did on his computer), the next step was sending it out to a myriad of publishers. Hancock House Publishers out of Vancouver nibbled first.
For residents of Invermere, and the surrounding area, Ambrosi suggests lakes like Whiteswan, Premier, and Whitetail as must visits. Ambrosi says, “Whitetail Lake is a great spot for Rainbow Trout.”
For those looking to get their hands on a copy of this book, it can be ordered online through Hancock House. By mid-April, Ambrosi anticipates a lot of local fishing stores and bookstores will also aquire one, as he has already received interest from Invermere local Laura Kipp Owner of Lambert Kipp Pharmacy.
“We sell books from a lot of local authors here,” says Kipp. “I definitely plan on ordering some in. It looks like a wonderful book!”
“I’m just happy that the book is out, I am quite pleased with the results,” says Ambrosi. When asked what he loves most about fishing he simply says, “We all have our problems but, for those hours spent fishing, the rest of the world disappears. And any problems that may be weighing on your mind seem to disappear with it.”
Ambrosi has noticed that, since the pandemic, more people have been gravitating towards activities in nature, whether it be hiking, climbing, kayaking or fishing. “I think it’s great, I just want people to know where to go and to enjoy themselves,” says Ambrosi. “It doesn’t matter if you are seasoned or trying it for the first time at any age, just get out there and do it.”
When it comes to any future plans for writing another book, Ambrosi hopes to revisit his first hiking book. In the meantime for those looking for lakes to add to their summer bucket list, Ambrosi’s, “Fishing The Canadian Rockies” is sure to be a great catch.
