Another successful year for the Big Eddy Fish Derby

Cheryl Swanson

Contributor

October 15 and 16 marked the fifth annual Big Eddy Fish Derby at Shelter Bay. The angling event featured 111 entrants, including 12 youth, and was very well received.

In keeping with the balance of preservation of the Arrow lakes fisheries, catch and release were encouraged again this season. A handful of passionate volunteers, alongside local and industry sponsors, came together to make this fun weekend happen.

READ MORE: ‘Good honest fun’: Fishing derby draws anglers from across B.C’s Interior

It has always been about carrying on the tradition of fishing, and we want to encourage the next generation to learn about everything angling. We want kids to learn about conservation, safe practices, and the excitement of successfully reeling in a fish.

We are always looking to improve. We had excellent feedback from our registrants this year on the changes we made. We were so fortunate to have beautiful weather, which brought out many last-minute registrants entering on the day.

The Legion ladies auxiliary was there to BBQ up some juicy burgers. “You could smell the fried onions on the water when you were coming to the dock,” stated Mac Remington.

Saturday evening we had the band Corn Starr play live on the beach with a roaring bonfire nearby to keep everyone warm.

The fishing was hot and cold, but we saw some healthy catches this year. Our winning anglers in all categories were:

Rainbow Trout:

• 1st place- Ed Devera 27 3/4”

• 2nd place- Melinda Thompson 26 1/2”

• 3rd place- Conrad Cumming 23 3/4”

Bull Trout/Dolly:

• 1st place: Talbot Peyton 32 3/4”

• 2nd place: Jeff Honig 31 1/2”

• 3rd place: Jason Dawson 31 1/4”

Youth:

• 1st place: Anouk Julian 213/4”

• 2nd place: Albą Cumming (Tie) 20 1/2”

• 3rd place: Carter Adam (Tie) 20 1/2”

We had plenty of prizes to go around, and thanks to a generous anonymous donation, each of our 12 youths went home with their rod and reel.

Without our sponsors, this event wouldn’t be all that it is. So, to say thank you to our sponsors, we offered an ‘appreciation draw’ that each of our supporters an opportunity to enter and win a full day guided fishing charter with Revelstoke’s own Black Pearl Fishing Adventures. This years winner was Steve Cross from Revy outdoors.

One of our challenges is our venue size, and with growing popularity, we are considering capping registrants next season to ensure we have enough space for parking and camping sites.

Around 100 seems to be a healthy number but keeps the event somewhat intimate still.

Due to the success of our event this year, our organization can make a healthy donation to a not-for-profit organization and give back to the field of angling stewardship and our community.

We appreciate the support from our field and community and look forward to another great event for everyone next season.

READ MORE: Frightening fun for the whole family at Three Valley Gap