The ones that didn't get away

Area youth cast away at Fishing Kids event

MOSES LAKE — Even though they didn't look it, some of the participants at the annual Fishing Kids event Saturday were seasoned pros.

"She loves fishing," Anna Steinhoff said of 5-year-old daughter Elise. "She's fished her whole life. Daddy's a game warden."

Elise received her first fishing pole when she was 6 months old.

Elise said her favorite part of fishing is "practicing how to cast."

"You like petting fish, too, don't you?" her mother asked her.

Six hundred youth were registered for fishing times at Cascade Park throughout the day, with an additional 100 spots for walk-ons.

Spokane resident David Robbins and his grandson, Bellingham resident Michael Larsen, 12, were first in line at the first fishing session after hearing about the event the day prior.

"My granddaughter is playing in a baseball tournament here," Robbins explained, pointing to Larsen. "He's not playing baseball, so he's going to go fishing."

Larsen said he normally fishes once a year.

"I've been working on him," Robbins said with a chuckle.

Oregon resident Roy Gilkey was another visitor to the area, for his sister-in-law's graduation. So he had his children Cassie Gilkey, 12, and Morgan Ryan, 9, in tow for the event.

Ryan and Cassie Gilkey were both hoping to catch big fish, they said.

"I like fish animals for friends, but not for food," Ryan said.

"Yes for food," his father corrected him gently. "We eat what we kill."

Eugene, Ore., resident Trevin Powell was a volunteer at the event for Job Corps.

"I'm in the nursing trade and I just like to help out people, I like to help out kids, and so I just wanted to help," Powell said.

It was Powell's first time at the event.

"I just want to see a bunch of kids fish for the first time, just have some fun," he said. "I just think it's great people want to help out the community, the younger generation, because the younger generation is what's going to sustain everything else."

Nine-year-old Spokane resident Owen Froewiss caught one of the largest fish in the netted area of the waters off Cascade Park.

"I spent the night at my friend's house, so we just went over here," Froewiss said, adding he's a little bit of a fisherman.

Moses Lake resident Ron Gear was out for the first time with his grandson, Rylee Heath, aged 6.

"This is fun for children, it's a wonderful opportunity for them to come catch some fish," Gear said. "I'm the grandfather, and I get the opportunity to spend a little time with my grandson. This is a very nice function here today. He was here last year with his father, but his father was tied up today, so I got the privilege of coming with him."

Seven-year-old Moses Lake resident Abigail Greiner said she was at the event because she wanted to catch some fish.

"They were flapping when I got them out," she said. "One of them flapped real hard on the deck, but it didn't go back in the water. If it went back into the water, I'd have to fish it out again."