Organizers for the first annual 150 Mile Elementary Family Ice Fishing Derby are blown away by the community support they’ve received for the event.
Taking place at Dugan Lake on Family Day, Feb. 17, and organized by the 150 Mile Elementary Parent Advisory Council, the family-focused event promises to be a fun-filled day out on the ice in the Cariboo.
“The whole community is coming together and it’s so cool,” said fishing derby organizing committee member Chantelle Wessels. “The community outpouring has totally been amazing in terms of prizes and donations.”
Open to everyone, the fishing derby will feature prizes for the biggest fish in multiple categories including adults and youth.
“The forecast is looking beautiful,” Wessels said. “It’s supposed to be a high of 1C and a low of -6C.”
The 150 Mile House Volunteer Fire Department will also be on site cooking hot dogs, fire trucks and manning a bonfire.
A cash-only concession will be setup at the lake, as well, with hot chocolate, coffee and baked goods for spectators and participants.
READ MORE: First 150 Mile Elementary Family Ice Fishing Derby expected to be a whopper
Ticket sales, meanwhile, have been going great, Wessels said, noting about 100 of the 150 total tickets have been sold already.
“We have people coming from all over B.C.,” she said. “There are people who bought tickets from Maple Ridge — they don’t even plan on attending — just to support us, and there are some more people coming up from Lillooet.”
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, through its Learn to Fish Program, is loaning ice fishing equipment free of charge, including tents, rods and augers to be used by participants who may not have their own on the day of the event.
Students at 150 Mile elementary have also been taking great pride in hosting the event, Wessels said.
“They’ve been working on some of the signs, and a lot of the kids have been doing some creating of their own, plus all the volunteers. There’s so much pride,” she said.
Organizers plan to also have a skating rink setup on the ice at Dugan Lake and are asking anyone interested to also bring their skates.
Pre-registration starts at 9 a.m., with fishing to get underway by 10 a.m.
The cost is $20 an ice fishing hole. Kids 12 and under are free.
Anyone 16 and over they must have a valid fishing license to take part in the event.
They can be purchased online, and at several stores locally. The cost of a one-day license is $10. Participants are also asked to bring their own bait.
Ice fishers will be allowed, as per their fishing license, to keep five fish to be weighed in officially at the derby.
Alternate prizes, including things like random weight, 13th fish caught of the day and first fish caught of the day, will also be handed out.
After weigh-ins are completed, prizes will be selected by winners.
Remaining tickets, meanwhile, are still available at Chilcotin Guns and at Marshall’s General Store.
For more on the derby, visit its Facebook page at ‘1st Annual 150 Mile Elementary Family Ice Fishing Derby.’
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