Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  It looked like a Norman Rockwell painting. A small pond reflecting a leaden sky with occasional glints of light leaking from the gauzy clouds. Mostly quiet except for muted conversation. A big person and a little person holding on to a fishing pole. And then “He’s got one!” The old-timers move in, offering advice to the six-year-old child.

Let it float then snap it a bit.

If you feel a jerk, jerk back.

Stay calm, watch the bobber.

A sparkling V spreads over the top of the water as the child pulls in the bait, watching, waiting and hoping for the tug on the line. If it were a fish and if he caught it, he’d be a hero. He’d be proud to share it with his family. But for a while, he has to be patient.

Last week, over 100 rainbow trout slipped into the William C. Russell Fishing Pond. It was the 21st anniversary of the annual Father’s Day Fishing Contest, sponsored by the Central City Elks Club, the Gilpin County Recreation Center and Base Camp. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and drinks were provided, as well raffle ticket gifts and prizes, for the fishing contest.

Ed Saxton was one of the original founders of the fishing event and on Sunday afternoon, he relaxed in a lounge chair watching his children and great-grandchildren cast their lines into the pond. He and his wife Barbara have helped children learn to fish for many years. His grandchildren Angelina, Cheyenne and David remembered attending the event when they needed help holding up their rods. Angeline and Cheyenne graduated from Nederland High School and David graduated from Gilpin High School in 2009.

Cory Brown, a Gilpin County resident, and his son Lucas, 3 and a half, attended the event for the first time. Cory remembers when his dad took him ice fishing at Green Mountain Reservoir.

An Aurora resident helped his two sons put bait on the hook and guided them through the subtle moves of enticing a fish. He said it made all of them happy to be doing this together.

“Heck, otherwise I would probably be riding a Harley all over the country. I try to do stuff with the boys all the time.”

Gabrielle Chisolm, the Gilpin County Parks and Recreation Assistant Director, helped keep the kids organized. She is a third generation Colorado native and enjoys just about anything that is done outside.

As a child she learned to play softball and camp and value her time outdoors. She earned a BS in Environmental Biology, with a minor in Philosophy, from Fort Lewis College in Durango. Gabrielle has worked as a Seasonal Ranger for Colorado Parks & Wildlife at Chatfield and Roxborough State Parks. She was also the Park Operations and Planning Assistant at Foothills Park and Recreation District and a Recreation Supervisor at Ken-Caryl Ranch Metro District. In July of 2017, she and her husband moved to Gilpin County. “We have two kitties, a puppy and our newest addition, our baby girl Violet.”

Gabrielle loves fishing in Chatfield State Park with her husband, who is a park ranger.

(Originally published in the June 21, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)