With a creel full of prizes to give away, anglers don’t even need to catch the big one to win.
The Arrow Lakes Yacht Club is gearing up for its annual fishing derby this weekend. Starting Saturday at 8 a.m., the derby trolls until Monday at 1 p.m. for the last weigh in.
“We’d really like to have the public come out and enjoy it and bring their kids,” said Yacht Club board member Brenda Howell of Fruitvale. “It’s becoming a real family fishing derby now.”
There are prizes for all the kids, with hidden weight categories, and ages 16 and under are admitted free.
Included in the $30 entry fee is a Monday lunch, where winners and prizes will be awarded. With approximately $2,000 in prizes and $500 cash for the biggest fish, it’s also worthwhile for avid anglers to wet their line.
“It’s not just one big prize for the person who catches the biggest fish,” said Howell. “We have the largest overall, then we have the largest women’s, men’s, youth and they all get trophies as well as cash . . . the merchants in Trail and Castlegar are fantastic in supporting it. We get oodles of door prizes.”
The derby also encourage boaters and anglers to join the club which has a number of benefits. Including moorage, a number of docks, members’ clubhouse, a full kitchen, showers and facilities, a meeting room, storage, and free boat trailer storage. Members can also book annual campsites on which to park their campers and trailers.
“We have members from all over Rossland, Trail, Fruitvale, Castlegar, we’ve got Nelson even and some even farther, Alberta,” “It’s a social club, a boating club and for people who like the outdoors and like to camp.”
The Arrow Lakes Yacht Club is a non-profit society that has been afloat since 1956. To join or to register for the derby call 231-2489.