Fun with fishin' at derby
Annual derby big family event in Rankin Inlet
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
RANKIN INLET
The annual fishing derby is always one of the most anticipated events of the year in Rankin Inlet, and 2017 was no exception.
Albert Netser lugs his catch up tp be measured during the annual Rankin Inlet Fishing Derby in May of 2017. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
Fishers of all ages, shapes, sizes, and descriptions left hamlet life behind them for a weekend this past month and headed out to their favourite fishing holes. They carried with them high hopes of landing 'the big one' that would pocket them some prize money and bragging rights in the community for the next 12 months.
Recreation co-ordinator David Clark said this year's Rankin Fishing Derby went well. While anxious about the weather leading up to the event, he said Mother Nature came through with almost ideal conditions.
"We had early spring-like weather for a little bit and, with the way the snow was melting for a while, I was a little concerned about the people going out trout fishing," said Clark.
"You worry about it as an organizer because you just want everyone to get out and come back safely during the fishing derby -and everyone did get back safe and sound, so, at the end of the day, that was the most important thing to me.
Clark said the derby had always been about more than just fish.
"A lot of people in Rankin enjoy going out fishing on the derby weekend," he said, "because it's a really big family event here that's good for our community.
"It takes a real team effort for a family to go out, camp, and go fishing like that, and you have kids of all ages getting involved because it's a lot of fun ..."
Clark can always be found on measuring day at one of two tables set up outside the community hall.
The derby has a 50-mile catch area, but he said the size of the fish getting measured was pretty consistent from year to year.
"You may see a rise in the number of really big fish caught during the odd year, but, for the most part, if you were to take an average, it's pretty much the same most years," he said.
"I'm sure there's still some people who have secret fishing holes and try their best to get to them without being spotted, but that's part of the whole fishing derby experience.
"It's fishing, so, really, anyone could win, and, when you really look at it, there hasn't been too many times when the same people won the top prizes from one year to the next, so that makes it exciting for the community and the winners every year, for sure."
