MLIRD sponsors kids fishing derby April 13

MOSES LAKE - Basin youth should start dusting off their fishing gear in preparation for next weekend's Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation Columbia Basin Kid's Fishing Derby.

The fourth annual derby will be held April 13 at Connelly Park. Kids five to 14 are eligible to participate.

Parents must register their child for the event by April 9. Registration forms are available on the district's webpage at www.mlird.org.

Parents can also pick up forms at Airway Deli in Moses Lake, located at 5053 Airway Dr. NE and at Lakes Market in Moses Lake, 2224 W. Broadway Ave.

Registration forms can be dropped off at the MLIRD office at 932 E. Wheeler Rd. in Moses Lake or mailed to P.O. Box 98, Moses Lake, WA 98837.

Beth Yonko, of MLIRD, said kids will be put into groups to visit educational stations that teach water safety, knot tying and fly casting skills before heading to the water to fish.

The first session begins at 8 a.m. and lasts for about an hour and a half, said Yonko. MLIRD will call parents prior to the derby to let them know what session their child will be placed in, she said.

Yonko said kids are required to bring their own gear to the derby, but MLIRD will provide the bait. First, second and third place prizes will be handed out after each fishing session, she said.

There will also be refreshments for derby participants.

Dave Graybill, the "Fishin' Magician", has helped coordinate fishing derbies in other communities. He said he was glad to help plan this year's derby, because he wanted to encourage youth in the area to pick up fishing as a hobby.

"I was fortunate to grow up in a fishing family, we were always outdoors enjoying our area," he said. "I think it's even more important, now more than ever, to get kids outside and enjoying outdoor activities."

Graybill said fishing is an activity easily accessible to kids in the Basin.

"Grant County has so much water, and so many great places to fish," he said. "You don't have to travel a great distance so it's something that can be done inexpensively."

Graybill said he hopes families who participate in the derby continue to fish even after the event is over.

"We want to show them the basics, let them catch some fish and get excited about it," he said. "And then have them go out the next weekend and do it on their own."