By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Nearly 200 young anglers participated in this year’s Junior Trout Rodeo, sponsored by the Arrowhead Lake Association for its youngest members.
Eleven-year-old Parker released his lightning trout into Lake Arrowhead.
Because the Fish Committee was dissolved, ALA staff organized this year’s rodeo. They set up 33 fishing spots along the shoreline at Tavern Bay Beach Club. Members signed up for a time slot between 7:00 and 11:00 a.m.; they were then assigned to a spot on the beach.
The fishing area, separated from the lake proper by a net, was stocked with 4,000 pounds of rainbow and lightning trout on Tuesday, April 8.
Eleven-year-old Parker, participating in his first rodeo, caught a beauty of a lightning trout, which he released back into the lake. His family bought a home in Lake Arrowhead just a couple of months ago.
A little further down the shoreline four families were fishing together. The Groth-Morales-Gomez-Gonzales crew had seven children who were fishing. They planned to take six of the fish they caught home to enjoy for dinner.
Kathi Rothner, who had chaired the Fish Committee, noted ALA was loaning more poles than ever to young anglers who arrived without one. She and other fishing aficionados were on hand to help the little fisher boys and girls cast their lines and remove the hooks from the fish’s mouths.
At the start of the rodeo, Rothner spotted a little girl, about 4 or 5, dressed all in pink with a pink rod and reel. “She caught a fish right away,” Rothner was happy to report.
Seven-year-old Eddie was very proud of the first fish he had ever caught. He donated it to Wildhaven Ranch.
Gene Warner, who had been an active member of the Fish Committee, was helping three young boys with the fish they caught. Using a tool, he reached down into each fish’s mouth to retrieve the hook.
Brothers Marcus, 9, and Eddie, 7, each caught big rainbow trout. Eddie decided to donate his to Wildhaven Ranch for the eagle. Marcus, however, chose to release his fish. Warner coached him to keep moving the fish around in the water, to get water into its gills. It took several minutes – with everyone holding their breath – but the fish eventually wiggled its tail and swam off to great applause.
The brothers were visiting their friend, William, 8, who is a second-grader at Lake Arrowhead Elementary School. He also chose to donate his fish to Wildhaven.
The young anglers and their parents enjoyed a pancake and sausage breakfast on the patio at Tavern Bay Beach Club. Manning the griddle was Wayne Austin, the ALA administration supervisor.
The next ALA fishing event will be the annual fishing derby on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend (May 24).
0 Comments