Young anglers: get your poles ready because, after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a well-loved and popular youth fishing event is making a comeback this weekend.
The Children’s Fishing Derby, organized this year for the first time by the Castleton Sports Club, is at Ryken’s Pond on the farm of George Ryken, which is located just north of Castleton. It will run Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 from 8 to 4 p.m. each day.
The Children’s Fishing Derby — for those age 14 and under — originated on Ryken’s Pond more than 30 years ago back in the late 1980s and was organized by the Warkworth Service Club at that time. Ryken said with the Warkworth club membership being in decline, he said the Castleton Sports Club was approached and jumped at the chance to become involved.
Down through the history of the fishing derby, the pond has been stocked with approximately 300 rainbow trout. The pond has been stocked with a similar number of trout again this year, said Ryken, although the pond hadn’t been stocked in the previous two years.
“My guess is there are about 50 big ones swimming around,” said Ryken, noting the probability for landing a whopper of a trout is high.
Ryken said he’s pleased to see the Children’s Fishing Derby continue as it has come to represent a tradition for some families in the Cramahe Township area. In addition to young anglers in the Cramahe area, the event has attracted fishermen from the Belleville, Oshawa and Peterborough areas.
“I think it’s really important. People remember this. Of course, having had it for 30 years we’re on the second generation who say ‘I’m bringing my kids down because my dad brought me down when I was small’. It is a tradition. It’s really important that we keep this alive,” said Ryken.
It’s the first time the fishing derby’s been organized by the Castleton Sports Club, said club member Jeff Turney who was joined at Ryken’s Pond by fellow club member Stacy King on the Tuesday prior to the derby. Turney noted the membership was on board with organizing the event from the get-go and he hopes to make it an annual event.
“I heard from George and Lisa and George wanted to see a group or an organization to take it on. I came out and met with George and Lisa, we walked the property and went over what they did in the past and I felt it was a perfect fit for what the Castleton Sports Club stands for and what we do with the kids in the community,” said Turney. “And, seeing that it is held right here in Castleton it was a no-brainer.”
Turney said there has been a lot of interest in the event through Facebook posts and he’s confident the event will be well-subscribed after a two-year hiatus. He noted there’s enough fish in the pond for every participant to get at least one. There is a two-fish limit for the tournament.
The Castleton Sports Club has assembled an impressive array of prizes from event sponsors associated with the Youth Fishing Derby. They have $4,000 worth of items to be raffled or prizes for biggest fish and others. Some of the prizes include Lucky Strike lures, Shimano reels, rods and tackle from Pro-Advantage Sports, two paintings donated by Canadian Bucket Trucks, including one of Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner and one depicting a comic strip from Bazooka Bubblegum. Other prizes were donated by Battlefield Equipment Rentals and D’Bait live Bait.
The club will also be providing an on-site barbecue with hamburgers and hotdogs for sale.
There is no pre-registration; register your child at the gate upon arrival. Admission is $10 per rod. All proceeds from the event will go to youth programs at the Castleton Sports Club.
Although the exact location of the event hasn’t been given out at the request of the landowner, there is plenty of signage in and around Castleton to point you in the right direction.
(Written by: Alan Rivett)
