DEH CHO
A spring tradition had Fort Liard residents dropping baited hooks into the waters of Fisherman Lake earlier this month.

Dale Timbre holds a pickerel in his left hand and, in the other, the 16.2 pound jackfish that won him first place in the adult jackfish category at the annual Fort Liard Fishing Derby. - photo courtesy of Janna Deneron

The annual Fort Liard Fishing Derby was held over two weekends, April 5 to 6 and April 12 to 13, at the lake outside of the community.

"I think it went great," said Janna Deneron, the main organizer.

"Everyone looks forward to it every year."

Participants drove snowmobiles and ATVs out to the lake and set themselves up at the holes that Manny Vital and Matthew Klondike drilled through the ice. On the first weekend, there were 32 people on the ice, at one point.

More people seemed to come out on the second weekend, which had nicer weather, said Deneron. There were about 30 people on one end of the lake and others spread out trying their luck at different locations.

"A lot of people brought their kids out," Deneron said.

Some people stayed for the weekends at their own cabins around the lake or at the cabins Acho Dene Koe First Nation owns. On April 13, a helicopter brought three elders to the lake to enjoy the festivities, including a cookout of moose meat and rabbit stew over a fire.

Then there was the fishing.

Dale Timbre won a canvas tent donated by Apache Corporation for winning first place in the adult jackfish category with a 16.2 pound specimen he caught the second weekend. He beat out Vital, last year's winner, who pulled a 16-pound jackfish out of the lake. Shawn Duntra won the youth jackfish category with a 7.6 pound fish and Madison Capot-Blanc took the kids category at 4.2 pounds.

First place in the adult pickerel category, and a 45 gallon drum of gas donated by Quicksilver Resources Canada, went to John Gonet for a 6.6-pound fish. Abby Duntra won the youth category at 5.5 pounds and Shenille Duntra in the kids category almost beat Gonet with a 6.3-pound pickerel. Other prizes were donated by local and out-of-town business and organizations.

Gonet, who admits to normally being unlucky, said he was

surprised to win.

"It was the first time I ever won anything," he said.

Gonet fished in comfort on the second weekend, setting up a portable fishing hut, complete with a chair, a heater and an LED light. He was the last one to leave the ice April 12, the day he caught the winning pickerel. Gonet was trying out different types of hooks and had just put on one that makes a rattling sound when he got a bite.

"I though it was a jack at first because it was pulling so hard," he said.

At 6.6 pounds the fish was a fair size, but there are larger pickerel in the lake, he said.

Deneron also tried her hand at fishing, but with little luck. She caught a 11.3-pound jackfish on the first weekend.

"I thought it was huge," she said, until she compared it to Vital's 16-pounder.

On the second weekend people had to deal with glare ice.

"There was absolutely no snow on the ice," she said.

The lack of snow made it slippery and also made sunglasses a necessity. It was a beautiful weekend with a few eagles flying around, and two swans and eight ducks swimming in the creek that leads into the lake, she said.