ROTARY FISHING DERBY-A GREAT SUCCESS!

      The 6th Annual Rotary Kid's Fishing Derby on Saturday, May 4th, was a great success!   We had 108 kids fishing this year.  It was awsome watching the moms and dads teaching their little ones to fish.  This was the first time I was "Gramma" along with "Poppa" teaching our grandsons to fish.  This was very cool.  Alec (four years old) caught 4, while Andy (two and a half) caught 2 fish.  It was great seeing Alec's disappointment with a big loud "OH NO!" when the "big one" got away.  It meant that he was getting the "fishing bug".  I died laughing when I opened their tackle box to see what they packed for the derby.  The top tray was loaded with chocolate candy and the bottom of the box held Alec's hammer so he could knock the fish on the head after he caught them like poppa does.  Ouch!  That must have really impressed him when he fished last summer with poppa.  I never realized that this day was really about introducing fishing to kids as a sport until I brought the grandkids.  I never thought a two and a half year old could reel a fish in, until I saw it for myself.  This was a great and memorable day for the Summers' family.

     The day ended with the awarding of prizes.  The longest fish measuring in at thirteen and a half inches was caught by Chad Barnhart, eleven years old.  The most fish caught was by Andrew Davis, nine years old, catching 10 fish.  We never saw such small fish, but there were 10!  Then the youngest fisherman to catch fish was Josiah Munoz.  He was two and a half, just one month younger than my grandson!  Darn the bad luck for Andy, but good for Josiah!

     Thank all of you who helped with the derby to make this a success.  I saw Jerry Bauman, Greg and Arlene Evans, Scott Johnson, Wayne & Sharon Johnson, Laurie Henberg, and Patrick Baumgart and his scouts.  Let me know if I missed you and you helped!