help out the UWC. Carlson volunteered for the first time the previous year and something happened that ensured she would be back again and again.
“Last year, I got to go on the shocker boat that nets the walleyes and I got to net a big hen,” Carlson said. “It barely fit in a four-foot long live-well. I was hooked right away. I had to do it again. It felt good to do it the first time, but I
came back to do it again because it is the right thing to do. When the work is done, you’re proud to be a part of the program. You know you’re making a difference.”
CFGA president Eric Daoust has used Frappier as an example to follow. The genuine care Frappier has exhibited over the years is infectious and made Daoust more than just follow the lead; it also helped set the standard.
“I fish and I am a firm believer it is up to all of us to help and put fish back in the lakes,” Daoust said. “Without the work of people like Frappier and everyone else, the fisheries would be in trouble. He encouraged me to get more people involved. Rolly is a good example. If he tells you he is going to do something, he does it, and is determined to get it done. He doesn’t stop.”
The efforts by the UWC continue to evolve and gather more scope and strength. It all comes back to Frappier’s most important point - the program is about education of everyone from anglers to the general public. Earlier this year, the UWC introduced the School Hatchery Program, which saw five elementary schools take on micro-hatcheries and watch the process of eggs hatching first hand and under microscopes. There were also micro-hatcheries introduced into three First Nations communities.
“I love the reaction we get from the students and teachers,” Frappier said. “They see a walleye and its heart beating. I have a video of it and I call it ‘the heartbeat of the future’. It becomes precious to the kids. They take ownership of the eggs and it means more to them because they understand what has happened. It’s one of the best feelings to reach people that way.”
“I fish and I am a firm believer it is up to all of us to help and put fish back in the lakes,”
-Daoust