My name is Glenn Cooke. By trade, I run an internet based insurance startup. But outside of work, the Canadian outdoors life is part of both my heritage, and my culture. And part of the culture is a responsibility to pass along the hunting and fishing lifestyles to others - to protect and preserve the lifestyle. The purpose of Fishing With Nerds is to introduce the next generation to all that the Canadian outdoors has to offer.
Back in 1984 I started at the University of Waterloo for computer science. Shortly thereafter I failed out and continued on with my life, career, family, all that stuff. At 50 (and after both my kids had completed both undergrad and masters degrees) I decided finishing my degree was going to be my bucket list item, so I applied to and was re-accepted to UW.
Partway through my degree I decided I was going to go fishing one day. Unable to find anyone my own age to take a day off mid-week, I jumped on the University of Waterloo Reddit forum and invited anyone along who wanted join me. Demand was so strong that I pretty quickly stopped pestering my friends to go fishing with me. Instead, I just head online to where UWaterloo students congregate, mention that I'm going fishing, and I have a full boat for the day within minutes.
Over the last 10 years I've expanded from just day fishing activities, to 4 day long back-country camping trips. Later I also started taking students out hunting with me. Shortly thereafter I also started doing winter camping and ice fishing trips. And more recently I've started to introduce students to foraging and gardening - getting our food from other than the grocery store.
Over that decade, I've been introduced to and met some of the brightest, kindest people I've ever known. And I've enjoyed meeting students from around the world - sometimes places I've never even heard of. I'm helping broaden the students' life, and they're helping broaden my world to other lives and cultures.
In 2023 I did around 30 trips and over the years I figure I've had 200-300 students participate.
I completed my BMath degree in 2020. In 2021 I returned for a masters degree and in 2023 completed a Masters, Math Teaching degree, also at the University of Waterloo. I'm done school (for now), but I've decided to continue with Fishing With Nerds; there continues to be an overwhelming number of students who want to experience these adventures.
I try to keep all the activities affordable for everyone. I provide equipment, transportation, food, bait, and the boat. That means that students with no knowledge or equipment can just jump in my truck and come fishing. It's the lowest barrier I can offer to these activities.
For single day fishing trips, I handle all the equipment and all the costs. As I like to say, I was going fishing anyway, you're just coming along. For longer 4+ day camping trips where we have substantial food and gas costs, we split the costs equally and we all (including me) just pay our exact share. Since I never know if the student's parents own half of a continent or if they don't have money for their next meal, this no or low cost approach means that everyone can participate equally without costs being a hurdle.
Fishing With Nerds isn't a club, there's no formal structure. It's just me going fishing, and inviting others along.
If you need to contact me for some reason, I can be reached by email at glenn@glenn.ca.