Canadians Content: Meet Nick Purdy

Many of us, when we see professional baseball players, tend to assume that it is the only sport they play. Many guys play basketball in high school or hockey, but for RHP Nick Purdy, you can catch him at the lake fishing.

Nick is a Canadian-born, right-handed pitcher from Grafton, Ontario, who spends the free time he has fishing.

"When I get the chance, I love to go fishing because it's relaxing compared to other sports," says Purdy.

While baseball players in a short-season league don't get much time off, Purdy is hoping that he'll be able to explore what Vancouver has to offer for fishing.

"It'll be nice if I get to go while I'm here but I'm not exactly sure where the best spot is. I'm just hoping to get out at least once while I'm here."

Purdy has had some success at fishing, catching a 25-pound Northern Pike while on a trip up in Northern Ontario.

While he is not a professional fisher, Purdy enjoys just getting out there with friends and family and relaxing. Occasionally trying his hand at salt-water fishing, Purdy enlightens me that there are few similarities between that and fresh-water fishing.

"It's actually completely different.

"You have to have different bait and a different rod. When I used my fresh-water rod, the salt got stuck in the reel. It was completely useless after that so I just left it in Florida."

Purdy says that the ultimate place to fish would have to be up in the Northwest Territories or the Yukon. "There are lakes up in the Territories that haven't been fished in over 100 years.

It would be pretty cool to go somewhere that not a lot of people have been too."

And he plans on going there sooner than later.

"I'm hoping that I can get my car shipped out here and then I can leave from here and drive up the Yukon and maybe travel around down to the Northwest Territories."

When asked about his parents and if they are big into fishing, Purdy talks about his mother who doesn't fish but is a professional artist back in Ontario.

"She teaches on the weekend and does commission paintings. Some of her paintings are in spas in Europe, actually."

Having a mother who can paint, there was one question that had to be asked: did Purdy receive the artistic trait from his mother?

"No way! I can't even draw a stick."

Whether you relax by going for a run, counting the brush strokes as you create a beautiful painting or go to the lake with your buddies to fish, it's clear that everyone has their own style.

As we all know, the goal for any Vancouver Canadians players is to find his way out of town and closer toward the bright lights of the Major Leagues. But in Purdy's case, when it is time to head home you might find him stopping by a few fishing holes along the way.