DF&G and Mammoth Lakes children's fishing festival

According to a press release by the California Department of Fish and Game (DF&G), it has partnered with the Mammoth Lakes Visitors Bureau to hook kids on fishing on Saturday, July 29.

DF&G and the Visitors Bureau will host a fishing derby, the second Kid's Summer "Passport Challenge" event this year, at the 15th Annual Children's Fishing Festival in downtown Mammoth Lakes' Snowcreek Ponds, from 8 a.m. to noon.

"While normally there aren't any guarantees of success when fishing, the High Sierra Trout Challenge fishing derby is a rare exception," said DF&G Director Ryan Broddrick. "Children will not only learn how to reel in a trophy-sized trout, they can earn a special passport stamp and win a variety of prizes during our second Kid's Passport Challenge event this summer."

The combination of the Children's Fishing Festival and the High Sierra Trout Challenge provides the perfect way for children 15 years and younger to experience freshwater fishing for rainbow trout.

The first 400 people to register for this free event will receive a free fishing pole and reel, thanks to a generous donation by a June Lake resident.

Along with the reward of catching fish, kids will receive a Summer Challenge Fishing Passport for their special trout fishing stamps.

They will also be eligible to win a variety of prizes provided by the festival's sponsors, including event T-shirts with the logo "Get Hooked on Fishing, Not Drugs," fishing patches courtesy of Pure Fishing, and other goodies.

"Each year, the Children's Fishing Festival draws people from all across the county, but it wouldn't be possible without the help we get from our volunteers and our sponsors," said E.J. Rummel, president of the Mammoth Lakes Sport Fishing Association. "Our volunteers teach freshwater fishing techniques and focus on the child's overall experience to get them hooked on fishing."