This one’s a keeper

Gill & Gift is a fishing tackle and souvenir store in Balfour, B.C.

Randy Zelonka and his wife, Truus, have been selling fishing tackle and souvenirs at Gill & Gift in Balfour, B.C., since 2005. — Photo courtesy Randy Zelonka

For eight years, Truus and Randy Zelonka have owned and operated Gill & Gift, a fishing tackle and souvenir store situated at the Kootenay Lake ferry landing in Balfour, B.C. Randy is also the current president of the Balfour & District Business & Historic Association, which keeps the community’s fine website updated.

Randy arrives at work at 7:30 in the morning, puts on the coffee, turns on the gas pumps and opens for business. He said that most of the anglers who patronize his shop are fishing for the large Gerrard rainbow trout found in Kootenay Lake.

“These are quite experienced anglers who use pretty sophisticated equipment—sonar and GPS and such,” Randy said. “When we get novices who might want to fish from shore, though, we’ll direct them to the good areas.”

Balfour is situated on the west shore of Kootenay Lake, 30 kilometres north of Nelson.