RANGELEY — Rangeley Region Guides’ & Sportsmen’s Association was more than pleased to sponsor the 4th annual Kids’ Fishing Derby on Saturday, July 5 at our Clubhouse Campus. The weather was perfect for fishing with a cool night before and a mostly cloudy cool day during the event.

Before the derby started, the brook trout offered a tease rising throughout the Campus Pond. We had a notion it was going to be a good day. Registration started at 8 a.m. but kids starting arriving earlier. Excitement was building.

The kids were separated by age with the youngest attacking the pond first with their spinning gear. Twenty-three kids picked their spot and at the sound of the horn they cast their bait at 9 a.m. sharp. The fish did not disappoint. Eighteen fish were caught within their thirty-minute fishing time. The largest was twelve inches. Several nine- to ten-inch trout were landed.

In this age category, first place went to Riley Austin, 6, with a nice catch of three trout, the largest at twelve inches. Second place went to Gavin Foley, 6, also with three fish, the largest being ten inches. Third place went to Brooklyn White with two trout, the largest at ten inches.

The youngest contestant was Abigail White, being only two years and nine-month-old, landing a nice nine-inch plus trout. Needless to say, little Abigail was pretty proud.

The next age group to test their skills were the seven to nine-year-old children. The eighteen kids also had thirty minutes to land their trophies. These kids were very intense casting feverishly to get a trophy and land the “big one”. But as we all live to learn, sometime you just have to let the bait be still and wait for that big one to come by.

Thirteen trout were caught, the biggest a nice eleven incher. The first place trophy went to Maggy Cortiss, 8, with a catch of two nice trout, the largest over 11 inches. Second place trophy went to Blake Bilodeau,8. Blake got a nice 11 incher as well. The third place trophy went to Morgan Lee, 8, who landed two nice trout.

Last year, the seven- to nine-year-olds dominated the field with the most contestants. Many graduated to the older 10- to 15-year-old group, traditionally being the smallest in number. This year, the oldest group was the largest in number. Thirty-six kids competed for their thirty minutes of fishing with sixteen landed. The first place trophy went to Byron Davis, 14. Byron landed four nice trout all between ten and eleven inches. Byron also was the top catcher of the day. Matti Levy, 12, captured the second place trophy with two nice trout. Jackson Pasciscia took home the third place trophy, also with two nice trout.

Every year RRG&SA awards a Maine Resident Lifetime Fishing License to one of our contestants. This year Blake Bilodeau was the lucky winner. At age 8 Blake will never have to purchase a fishing license again. This was certainly a very special day for Blake and his family. He was not only the winner of the Lifetime Fishing License but the second place trophy winner in his age category.

“As mentioned before, the Kids’ Fishing Derby is by far our most favorite event. Our association goes all out to make this a very special day for the children of our community. Not only do we award trophies to the winners, but we award commemorative RRG&SA medals to every contestant,” said Sonny Pierce, RRG&SA president. “This year, were also pleased to give away free t-shirts to every Child. We owe Seth Noonkester from Mainiac Ink a big thank you for the great design and big hit with the kids. We also wish to thank River’s Edge Sports; Cabela’s in Scarborough and Rangeley Sports Shop for their donations of fishing gear and gift certificates. We were determined that every child went home with something for a prize for not only catching but also giving it their best to catch a nice trout. Kudos to every child for trying so hard.”

While the annual Kid’s Fishing Derby is the association’s favorite event, it is not the only youth outreach RRG&SA is involved with. RRG&SA is also proud of the long running Junior Guides Program. The program exposes students to the many aspects of the environment and teaches them skills to be safe and knowledgeable in their outdoor experiences. They learn how to protect and conserves our natural resources and also how to become good stewards of our environment. RRG&SA is also committed to sponsoring a sizable scholarship to a senior graduating from Rangeley Lakes Regional School.

“Our association is very appreciative of the community support we receive that allows us to undertake programming for our youth,” Pierce said. “Without the financial support we receive from our business community, these programs would not be possible. RRG&SA is a lot more than just a hunting and fishing organization. We seek to build community with our members and offer informative programming to build awareness concerning our valuable natural resources and supporting the sporting heritage Rangeley is so famous for. We invite you to join us as a member of RRG&SA. Most of all, thank you for your generous support.”

For more information about the opportunities RRG&SA provides, visit rrgsa.org. Search our Web Site for the opportunities we provide.