Here's a link to a photo album for the 2025 Loveland Kids Fishing Derby

 You can view, copy and share photos from this Google Photo Album; we plan to add additional photos over the next few days. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9BxYzf3pB8U63NEG8

Great Day of Fishing at the 2025 Kids Derby

 Great day of Fishing at the 2025 Kids Derby

The first-time anglers ruled the day Saturday at the North Lake Duck Pond, with a 4-year-old and 3-year old capturing prizes for biggest and smallest trout. But everyone seemed to be hauling in fish on a perfect sunny day.

Herons and cormorants gathered on the Duck Pond island and flew overhead as hundreds of youngsters crowded the banks and kept volunteers from Colorado Youth Outdoors and Outdoor Buddies busy cleaning and cooking trout donated to the event by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Loveland Fishing Club kept busy registering anglers, handing out fishing gear and bait and later measuring their catches and presenting fishing gear prizes at the free raffle on the half hour. 

Winner of the fishing pole and tackle box for largest catch of the day was 3-year-old Weston Pharris of Loveland with a whopping 14-inch rainbow. Winner of the prize for smallest trout of the day was 4-year-old Lilah of Loveland.

Weston Pharris, 3

Lilah, 4

Captains and riders needed for May 22nd Boat Day at Boyd!

 

 This month's Boat Day outing, the first of the season, will be from about 7:30 to noon on Thursday, May 22 at Boyd Lake. If you'd like to participate, contact Boat Day organizer Danny Barker asap at danbarker2337@gmail  or 970-302-8965. He'll match up boat captains with anglers needing a ride. 

All club members are welcome, but space is limited to the number of boats. Fishing is followed by a potluck at the state park beach house. The club provides some protein, Dan says, and "everyone is asked to bring a dish to pass, and whatever you want to drink." Dan will also bring cold water. Here's a look at one of last year's outings:

Let's see some fish pictures.

 

Barring a little late spring rain or snow, we should be out fishing! And the rest of the club needs to see some fish pictures. So let's have them! Got any favorites from the distant past? Let's see those too. You can reply to this note or e-mail to billjohnp@gmail.com.

A Big Fish Story about Tiny Little Fishing Gear

 

By Bill Prater

I’m not one to either endorse or talk ugly about anyone's fishing equipment. But I’ve got to tell someone about the remarkable experience I had this week with the lightest  gear I can lay hands on, especially my new 7’ ultralight Fenwick HMG Trout & Panfish rod. And I want to tell everyone I know to forget that old cliche’ about it taking a big lure to catch a big fish.

So there I was, peacefully fishing a small Northern Colorado pond from a belly boat with that 4.8-ounce Fenwick rod, a 1000 series Daiwa reel spooled with 4-pound Nanofil braid and a fluorocarbon leader, tied to a barbless 1/32-ounce Mule Fishing mushroom head jig. Just hoping for a nice bass or bluegill, with no warning I found myself confronted by the biggest carp I’d ever seen: 34-inches long, just a tad under the Colorado state record.

That bruiser and I battled it out for well over half an hour, likely longer. At least I thought of it as a battle; the fish seemed indifferent as it tugged me around and around that pond in a Colorado equivalent of a “Nantucket Sleigh Ride.” Nonstop, the rod was bent like a pretzel and yanked from side to side. From the outset, I was pretty sure I was about to test the replacement warranty on that Fenwick.

Anyway, though it was terrifying to see that $160 rod being put to such an ultimate test, the sweet little thing just wouldn’t break. When part of the fish was finally crammed into my net, I was exhausted, my right wrist was bruised and sprained, but the carp and the Fenwick were unharmed.

Over seven-plus decades of fishing, I’ve managed to torture and snap my share of rods: tried to pull a jig free from an overhead tree, mishandled more than one rod while landing a fish, dropped a couple over the side of my belly boat, even had the wife slam a trunk lid on three rod tips all at once. Also had a kinda costly, heavier rod snapped by a much smaller carp a decade or so back.

Anyway, I’m sold on that ultralight rod and ultra finesse fishing, and thinking I really should add that little Fenwick one-piece 5-footer to my arsenal. Father's Day is coming.