Big salmon: the derby came back!
Online exclusive. MapleLine Magazine: Aug.15, 2009
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REPORT on the SOOKE SALMON ENHANCEMENT SOCIETY (SSES) CHINOOK FISHING DERBY
by Mary P. Brooke, with notes from Tony Rewston
"Last
year there were not a lot of salmon, so a year went by for stocks to
increase," says Mel Hull of the Sooke Salmon Enhancement
Society (SSES). On August 1 and 2, 2009 the renewed annual Chinook
Fishing Derby attracted many entrants and many large salmon were hauled
from the ocean to be prize-winning catches.
As a a service to the fishermen taking part, Mel Hull traditionally cleans all of the fish that are weighed over the two days of the derby, says Tony Rewston, website manager for SSES. The SSES is a volunteer organization; the annual derby is its primary fundraiser.
First place winner of $5,000 was Robert Wilson with a 39.40 lb. fish. The second prize went to Keith Martin who won a fish finder/depth gauge for his 37.70 lb. catch. Third prize went to Nicholas Chabot with a 36.70 lb. catch and fourth prize went to Eric McCallum for his 34.60 fish. Neil Smith won 5th place with his fish at 34.55 lb.; his son Troy Smith won the juniors prize with a 29.65 lb. fish. Winners in the 6th to 10th place were Paul Roy, Jamie Pincomb, Harold Forward, John Henderson, and Richard Hamilton.
This year's winning weight of 39.40 lb. was an all-time record for the SSES Derby; the fish started life as a hatchery reared fish. For the first time, all of the Top 10 Fish weighed in at over 30 lb. each.
The car prize -- won by Brian Brooke and family -- was donated by Pizzability.
The post-fishing dinner and awards event was held August 2 at Sooke Flats. MM
Photo credits: Two photos of winning fishermen, with their catch - Courtesy of SSES. Photo of Mel Hull after cleaning some fish (in 'the President's "old" clothes). By Donald C. Mills.
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This article is Copyright 2009 Brookeline Publishing House Inc.
See another article about SSES from the May-July 2009 issue of MapleLine.