Trying to Catch a Big One Gilpin County Parks and Recreation hosted the 25th Annual Father’s Day Fishing Clinic. Above, left; a father and daughter team try their luck in the William Russell Park & Pond. Above, right; a young fisherman casts into the pond. Bottom, left; Carey and Tom with Basecamp cooked hamburgers and hotdogs for the event.[/caption]

Gilpin County Parks and Recreation hosted the 25th Annual Father’s Day Fishing Clinic at William C. Russell Park & Pond above Central City on June 20, 2021, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Organizer Gabrielle Chisholm with Gilpin County Parks and Recreation said about 35 people attended the event, and by 2 p.m., one fish had been caught with two more hours to go.

The fishing clinic included knot tying, Back Yard Bass Catching, raffle prizes, and Leave No Trace practice. All state wildlife regulations applied. The event also featured free hot dogs and hamburgers cooked the grill at the park, provided by Basecamp, which is located at 661 Highway 46, Black Hawk.

Chisholm said that Parks and Wildlife coordination with Central City for the event. Parks and Wildlife donated fishing poles for the kids. The two jurisdictions have been coordinating this event for 25 years. At the last event, in 2019, more than 50 people attended, and they caught lots of fish.

One mother and son from Evergreen came to the park at 10:30 a.m. and were fishing for hours, but they hadn’t caught anything. They come to the park every year to participate in the clinic.

Rain clouds were blowing overhead during the event, and Chisholm said it had sprinkled when they first got there that afternoon. If it pours, they just pack it in for the day and wait for next year.

For more information about Gilpin County Parks & Recreation see gilpinrecreation.com.