By Joel Frady

Fishing enthusiasts across the High Country have been waiting for Saturday, April 4, when the trout fishing season opens for hatchery supported waters. But while fishermen crowd river banks, the pond at Ashe County Park in Jefferson will open the season for youth with the fourth annual Trout Derby.

The derby will start at 7 a.m. and feature three age divisions: six years and under, seven to 11 years and 12 to 18 years. Joe Boccardy, director of Ashe County Parks and Recreation, said that the pond will be stocked with trout by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), who also provided 100 fishing rods for public use.

“We’ve got rods, we’ve got tackle, we’ve got bait,” said Boccardy. “If a single mom that doesn’t know anything about fishing wanted to bring her two kids, she would have staff on hand to show her how to tie a hook on and help her with bait.”

Boccardy said that the original goal was “to provide an easy access for kids to enjoy the opening day of trout season. Most of our waters are stream runs with slippery rocks and steep banks, and some of these kids are four or five-years-old. You can’t expect them to be wading to the next trout hole, up and down, when you’ve got all these other fisherman.

“This is a place for kids to come, have easy access and catch fish,” he continued. The derby has always had a good turnout, he noted, although weather has played a factor: between 200 and 300 people came out the first year when the weather was good, but only around 100 attended the event the second year when it was “rainy and miserable,” according to Boccardy.

Kevin Hining, a fisheries biologist with NCWRC, said they will stock the pond with brown, brook and rainbow trout from the Armstrong Hatchery near Marion. He noted that the commission sponsors fish for fun events throughout North Carolina.

“It’s all about the kids, whether it’s them catching their first fish or their first trout or enjoying an opportunity to go fishing,” said Hining. “The events are all about getting the kids hooked on fishing.” He noted that once the kids get interested in fishing they often take up an interest in the ecosystem as well.

“We’ve found through the years that once you become an angler, you try and learn more about the resource,” said Hining. He later added that “the long-term goal is that you end up creating a water quality steward, someone to help protect the environment and ensure that they continue to have places to go fishing.”

The derby will also feature fly fishing lessons at 10 a.m. taught by students from the recreation management program at Appalachian State University. Grab bags will be provided to all children in attendance.

The derby will end at 2 p.m., at which point the pond will be opened up to fishermen of all ages. There is a three trout per person limit, and all lures are legal in the pond.

To find out more about the fourth annual Trout Derby, contact Ashe County Parks and Recreation at (336) 982-6185.