Main Sections

Everybody’s Gone Fishing At The 31st Little City Junior Fishing Derby

photo provided Tegan Ross is fishing in his second derby and loves to see the big ones get caught and hopes he can get one too!

photo provided Zach Arybotala has a plan to catch a big one, but really is just as happy being outdoors, fishing and learning about nature.

photo provided All ages and all sizes went fishing at the 31st Annual Vergennes Junior Fishing Derby. Adults came along, but the fishing was for the youngsters!

photo provided Christy Goyette found a way to support the derby. Her hat is in honor of all the ones that don't get away!

photo provided Martha Sullivan DeGraaf and the members of the Junior Derby Fishing Committee labor all year to see the lines of youngsters enjoy three days of fishing, fun and all for free. Over 240 came on just the first day alone!

Tuesday July 1, 2014

By Cookie Steponaitis

If there seemed to be a shortage of kids around on Friday, June 22- Sunday, June 24th the answer to their disappearance was quite simple. They went fishing! Registration opened at 5 a.m. at the Falls Park in Vergennes and a thirty-one year Little City tradition began. By 10:00 a.m. on the first day over 225 kids between ages twelve-fifteen were on the banks of the river, in boats on Otter Creek or out on the lake participating in a free event designed to promote fishing, fun and a love of the outdoors.
    The three day event is sponsored by the City of Vergennes, free for the children and their families and offers help with bait, tackle, casting and setting of the fish as well as holding the rod and netting. Participants cannot have help with the playing and landing of the fish.  The event includes Division One Beginners Ages 3-6 Red, Division Two Intermediate Ages 7-11 Blue and Division Three Advanced Ages 12-15 White. The event includes awards, prizes and a chicken barbecue sponsored by the Vergennes Lions Club.
    While the event is a three day extravaganza it is actually an entire year in the planning. Fishing Derby committee member Martha DeGraaf Sullivan explained, “We meet every week during the year and raise around $8000 a year and all of that goes back into the event and is for the kids. Over the years many of the civic leaders key to the history of the Little City have served on the Fishing Derby Committee.” The current committee includes Martha Sullivan DeGraaf, Michelle Eastman, Mike and Judi Daniels, Dana Miller, Grady O’Conner, Kyle Charron and Kim Ross. “My father had a great love of fishing,” shared Martha Sullivan DeGraaf. “He taught me to fish and to do it right. After he died I decided to serve on this committee in his honor and to help the next generation learn to love to fish and to do it properly.”
    While many young anglers moved around the Vergennes basin trying their luck at different spots Tegan Ross sat quietly choosing his lure with care and patiently waiting for a bite on the line. “This is my second year in the derby,” Tegan commented. “I really enjoy seeing people catch the big fish and even more when I get a big fish too.” Teagan was fishing the bank later in the day but had begun the morning on the water in a boat. Zach Arybotala and his family were not too far down on Otter Creek sitting with three rods and lines cast waiting for a bite. Zach smiling up at this reporter shared his reason for coming out to fish. “I started this and I have to admit I really didn’t know a lot about fishing. I did it at first to get more into nature and to learn about the different fish.  So far we have caught Bass, Perch and Red Fin Mullet. I really love fishing and learning all about the fish.”
    It takes about twenty-twenty-five volunteers to pull off the event and some of the people helping out have been there almost since the beginning. “I started coming when my kids were little, good Lord that was over twenty-five years ago,” commented Debbie Brace. “It is just a fun time and every year it seems to get better.” While the three days concluded at an Awards Ceremony Pizza Party Sponsored by Hungry Bear Held at American Legion Post 14, 100 Armory Lane, Vergennes, the joy of the three day event carries on long after the fish are weighed and the trophies are handed out. Sullivan is already thinking about year thirty-two and had a note pad next to her with ideas already jotted down. “Well,” grinned Sullivan, “No one really ever tires of going fishing so we want next year to even be more memorable.”

Printer Friendly

Top

Advertisements

Search our Archives