The always-popular, 17th Annual Lac la Hache Father’s Day Fishing Derby is happening June 17-18 at Kokanee Bay Resort.
No fishing licence is needed for residents of British Columbia on Father’s Day weekend each year, to fish in most lakes in the province open to angling (non-resident visitors do need licenses, by law, as always. All fishers must still meet provincial fishing regulations, such as catch limits).
This makes it a great chance for fathers, children, and mothers, too, who perhaps don’t usually go fishing together to try it out and have some fun while they seek the big one.
The Lac la Hache Father’s Day Fishing Derby Society president Hetty Wright says families are strongly encouraged to turn out and fish with their fathers, as that is what it’s all about – along with fundraising for the community.
“This is a fun event that brings families out on the lake to have a great time on Father’s Day, and it’s a great fundraiser for our community, so we encourage everyone to come on out and participate.”
The society has noted the participants each year are not just from the local community, so for years the event has been spreading around any profits beyond Lac la Hache, she adds.
“We donate the money out into the community. By the end of [each] August, we like to have everybody submit requests for the following year. The whole money stays in 100 Mile, Williams Lake and Lac la Hache.”
In the past, the non-profits include the hospitals, Crime Stoppers, and the Lac la Hache Fire Department’s community Christmas hampers.
It gets underway on Saturday, June 17, and runs from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and then on Father’s Day/Sunday, June 18, from 8 a.m. to noon, when the final weigh-in takes place, with the awards then getting underway at 1 p.m.
Also on Sunday are activities happening for all ages, including a silent auction and free giveaways for children, as well as a hamburger and hot dog concession from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tickets to attend, whether as a participant or a spectator in the Lac la Hache derby are $15 for adults, $5 for children age 12 and under, and are available at Kokanee Bay Resort, Lac la Hache Food Mart/Husky Gas and the Hungry Bear Cafe, as well as at Donex in 100 Mile House, and Chilcotin Guns in Williams Lake.
Spectators are open to the many valuable door prizes, along with participants, as every ticket is entered into the derby draws, she adds.
While the person netting the largest fish weighed-in by the officials will take home a whopping $500 for their catch, there are also many random prizes to be handed out, along with other categories.
The second largest fish will see its angler awarded $300, and then $100 prizes will also be handed out for the largest rainbow and for the largest whitefish, she explains.
Wright says some random hidden weight and time prizes are given out because of the many Kokanee in the lake, that are typically all about the same size.
You have to be there to pick up the prizes, which include hidden times and hidden weights, which helps encourage folks to stay for the family fun, rather than just the fishing.
For more information, contact Rose Stenberg at 250-396-7345 or Hetty Wright at 250-396-4253.