The first time I remember fishing was with my father at Pleasant Lake, Wisconsin, in 1966 when I was six years old. From a rented aluminum boat with an outboard motor, my dad baited my hook with a worm and set the bobber. In no time at all, I had a bite and proceeded to reel aboard a bluegill. Unhooking the bluegill was my dad’s job and all I had to do was fish. We would catch several bluegill, sunfish, and crappie. It may have been due to my small stature, but the panfish we landed that day still seem to be the largest I’ve ever seen. I probably didn’t realize it at the time, but the best part of the outing was being able to spend quality one-on- one time with my dad.

On Sunday, June 19, fathers, sons, and daughters lined the banks of William C. Russell Park Pond in Central City to try their luck at fishing. There were even some mother- daughter teams on hand. For most of the kids, it was their very first attempt at angling. Central City donated the park space at no charge. Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon and the Elks Club provided hamburgers and hot dogs. Gilpin County Parks & Recreation contributed bait and prizes, along with fishing poles supplied by Cabela’s. Last, but certainly not least, Colorado Parks and Wildlife stocked the pond with 200 catchable-size rainbow trout two days before the event.

Using a Kastmaster lure, father James Everett landed the first fish of the derby for his team that included his daughters Lilian and Ashlyn. Even though a brand-new fishing pole was available as a prize for catching the first fish, Lilian opted for a large bag of gummy bears instead.

With the pond completely surrounded by fishermen, the action began to pick up. The fish never stood a chance, really. Patriarch Rob Shomler was there with his daughter, son-in-law, and four grandchildren. His granddaughter, seven-year-old Lucy Jones did well for herself by hauling in five fish. Twelve-year- old Kyla Nand was particularly successful with six trout taken – the most by anyone that included an 11 ½” whopper which was the biggest of the afternoon. Her secret weapon was yellow PowerBait.

PHOTOS BY DAVE GIBSON Freshly stocked rainbow trout Above, left; Rob Shomler’s daughter Jamie Jones casts deep into the middle of the pond. Above, right; Ashlyn Everett takes a break from fishing. Bottom, left; Ashlyn and Lilian Everett pose by the first fish caught at the derby.[/caption]

In all, during three hours of fishing, perhaps 40 trout were landed, representing 20% of the fish in the pond, excluding the resident goldfish. A worthwhile undertaking by any measure, seeing the smiling faces of the children while connecting with their fathers made it special.