Thankfully, a light breeze made the 30C temperature bearable for our local firefighters’ annual August fishing derbies at Deka and Sulphurous/Hathaway lakes.
Deka Lake & District Volunteer Fire Department sold 425 tickets, which included 67 children, for their Aug. 4-5 derby. Fishers brought in 97 fish.
Of 52 lake trout reeled in, the largest at 14 lbs. 8 oz was brought in by Deka’s Bob Grotke who won first prize and the Don and Marion Traill Trophy.
Lauren Zink took second for her 8 1b. 10 oz catch and Dave Sowles was third at 7 1b. 5 oz.
Twenty-seven kokanee were weighed. First prize went to eight-year-old Marrisa Ramsay of Williams Lake for her 1 lb. 8 oz. specimen.
Nilo Toiovanen and 88-year-old Emil Parker tied for second place with 1 lb. 4 oz. catches.
Jeff Potratz brought in the largest of 18 rainbow trout, with his three-pound catch. Trevor McGowan’s fish weighed 2 1b. 3 oz., and Cassidy Frechette, 8, of Penticton took third prize for her 2 1b. 2 oz. rainbow trout.
Steve Colbert’s 1 lb. 2 oz. kokanee was the first fish caught.
The prize for youngest fisher present went to 22-day-old Shakoda Grotke, daughter of Todd and Meaka Grotke, and grand-daughter of Bob and Pat Grotke.
The oldest fisherperson present was Emil Parker but, since he had already won a fish prize, the prize for oldest went to his wife, 84-year-old Bernice Parker.
Deka Lake & District Ratepayers’ Association (DLDRA) did their usual magnificent job of catering breakfasts both days and supper on the Sunday. Given DLDRA’s shortage of directors, a vote of thanks must go to the many members and community volunteers who stepped in to help.
The Sulphurous Lake District Volunteer Firefighters’ Association’s Aug. 5 derby at Hathaway and Sulphurous lakes garnered slightly less than 500 tickets. Eighteen fish were caught, including a two-pound burbot caught by Mike Smith.
Five rainbows were caught: John Vernon, 2 lb. l3 oz.; Ardele Stockton, 2 lb. 2 oz.; Brian Pituskin and Mason Galon, l lb. 9 oz. each; and John Shaw, l lb.
Twelve kokanee were caught, including Jim Scott’s winner at 2 lb. 1 5 oz. It was followed by Wayne Lush, 2 lb. l3 oz.; Barry Ott, l lb. l4 oz.; and Eric Haen, l lb. l oz.
In the children’s pikeminnow category, Jack and Johnny Drescher tied with 15 each. Catching 10 each were Cassandra May, Chelsea and Tyler Humphreys, and Krystal and Kaitlynn Brooker.
The patio fire-pit door prize went to Kevin Marshall.
“It was slow pickings,” said statistician Bryan Austerberry, “but lots of fun.”
Both fire departments are extremely grateful to their generous prize donors, their many “helping hands,” especially Ed and Lavonne Frey at Sulphurous Lake, and the public for its terrific support.
