By Rodney Hsu

On June 23rd, anglers flooded Garry Point Park for the annual kids bullhead derby. This derby was established many years ago, and it has been very popular ever since. Most participants had a chance to experience catching a fish or two, some even ended up winning very nice prizes for the largest fish.

The event was organized by Richmond Golden Rod and Game Club, a group of senior sportsmen who are dedicated to promote these fun outdoor activities. The derby was opened to kids under the age of 12, and registration was free. 138 kids participated in today's event. With their parents' guidance, these youth anglers took small buckets that was provided to their favorite fishing spot on the beach. The derby began at 9:00am after the horn sounded, and the competition heated up right away.

The derby was divided into two categories, bullhead and non-bullhead. Prizes were awarded to the largest four bullheads and the largest two non-bullhead species. Other prizes included the most fish caught. Fish that were caught were brought to the measuring station with a bucket, they were then measured and released. The largest bullhead of the day was caught by Ami Dickson soon after the derby started, it measured 13.5 inches! Many bullhead were brought in throughout the entire competition, but most only ranged between 4 to 10 inches in length. Bullhead is a nickname of a sculpin species that is commonly found in the Fraser River. These bottom feeding fish can be easily caught with any bait that is offered to them. The largest non-bullhead was a spectacular 19 inch bull trout. These chars are commonly caught in the Lower Fraser during this time of the year. With so many anglers fishing, line tangling was a common sight throughout the event.

The horn sounded once again at noon, signally the end of the derby. Many more fish were weighed in at this time, but none of them could top the big catches earlier in the derby. Other species that were caught include pikeminnow, peamouth chub and spiny dogfish.