 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 After
a successful event during the 2001 BC family fishing weekend, the
volunteers at Seymour Salmonid Society decided that a fishing derby
would be a great idea for this year. Being one of the volunteers,
I was very eager to help out in this derby. On June 9th, I struggled
to get out of bed at 7:00am, arrived at the newly improved Seymour
Demonstration Forest at 8:30am and began setting up for the derby.
This year's derby is being held at Rice Lake once again. Rice Lake is not a very large lake. It is man-made, shallow and quite turbit at times. Its easy access by trails and user friendly piers make it one of the more popular fishing spot for families that enjoy weekend outings. It is regularly stocked with catchable rainbow trout just like many other Lower Mainland lakes. The derby was only one of the features of this grand event. It was also the opening of a new trail in the demonstration forest. This was also an opportunity to educate the public about sportfishing and conservation. Many associations and clubs were on site to provide information for people who are curious about this sport and its related issues. Department of Fisheries and Oceans was also present to make sure all users are aware that fishing regulations apply when fishing in BC. Fisheries officers were also answering many questions throughout the day. Brian Halabourda, the president of the Seymour Salmonid Society, demonstrated his fly-tying skills. There were also prizes to be won by guessing the number of coho in a display tank. Dave Steele at Highwater Tackle, had generously donated many flies that he had tied up the night before so they could be given away to kids. I was in charge of the derby registration, rod loan and bait. The day started out smoothly, but as the day went on, it became rather hectic. By 11am, many kids had begun to show up for the derby. Most of the little fishers are new comers into the sport, so how volunteers had to guide them step by step from baiting to casting. By noon, all of our rods were loaned out, and there were well over 50 kids fishing! The highlight of the day was the release of 200 rainbow trout into the lake at one point. Schools of trout could be seen swimming by the pier. At times screams of excitement could be heard when someone finally caught a fish or two. Besides fishing, most kids were eager to ask any question that was related to fishing. "Are these salmon?", "What do they eat?", "How come that fish just swam by and didn't eat my bait?" The derby ended at 2:00pm, and it was weigh-in time. Proud young anglers began to arrive at the weigh-in station with their catches. It was exciting. The first few fish were all in the 200 to 250grams range. That was soon changed, as bigger fish started to show up on the scale. 260g, 290g, 300g! Just when we thought it wouldn't get any bigger, 11 year old Remy Panikkar, first time angler showed up with two fish. The first fish, 340 grams! It became the winning fish of the day. Many thanks to all the hard working volunteers on that day, without their help this event would not have been possible. The purpose of this event was to introduce this sport that we love so much to many young individuals who don't really get an opportunity to fish these days. Hopefully after this fun day, they are hooked on fishing for life. |
