Smiles and scales get children hooked on fishing

Just after 9 a.m. Saturday, Daniel Juliussen of Dayton threw his line into the calm water at Davis Creek State Park.

By 9:04 a.m. the 5-year-old put his first trout into the white bucket by his chair.

"I threw (the line) out and then (the fish) went on the hook and we put it in the bucket," Daniel said.

It was the first fish he'd ever caught, not to mention the first one caught during the seventh annual Tommy's Elks Fishing Derby.

The event is put on by the B.P.O. Elks Lodge #2177 in Carson City as a way to get people interested in the Elks, and to give children a chance to have fun.

"Hopefully we can stir up some new memberships and get younger people into the Elks," event organizer Tommy Chaney said. "But mostly, we just have fun coming out here and doing this."

The two-hour derby was open to children ages 2-12. The largest catch netted a prize. Others received more than $600 worth of merchandise in raffle prizes.

For 3-year-old Sharon Hicks of Carson City, it was her first time fishing. After casting her line into the water, Sharon set out to give the fish some encouragement.

"Come on fish. Come on," she shouted to the lake.

Farther down the shore, Chaney's grandson Michael, 11, used powerbait to wrangle in a catch, which he affectionately named Squishy.

"I just threw it out there as far as I could, and I felt it tug," Chaney said.

Caleb Croft, 10, of Carson City wasn't having much luck on his part of the shoreline, snagging more seaweed than nibbles at his bait.

"This is my first day fishing, I really want to catch something," Caleb said.

Just down the beach from Daniel, 11-year-old Sarah Tharp of Carson City used worms to catch her fish

Sarah said she had fished before, having learned how from her dad.

In all, more than 70 kids took part in the event, the largest turnout in the derby's history.

"The first year we did it we had 10 to 15 kids and it just grew from there. Last year we had 62. We always have a good time, and for some reason when we come out it's always nice," Chaney said.

As for Daniel, he was still waiting for his second bite at 10:30 a.m. But he was just happy to have one, and wasn't discouraged that they weren't biting.

"I've been fishing for a long time, but the fish just didn't come," Daniel said.

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.