On the bank of Duarte’s Pond Saturday morning, Kyle Gatchell helped his daughter Alison untangle her line from some branches. The right leg of his jeans was completely soaked.
“I was trying to untangle something earlier and next thing you know, I’m up to my knee,” he said. “I thought, well, I might was well finish this before I dump out my boot.”
Mr. Gatchell’s son, Jacob, who is about to be eight, reeled in a catfish. Father, daughter and son all walked over to the derby tent with the yellow striped roof to have the fish measured. Grandpas Rob Gatchell and Warren Holmberg went along too.
Nine inches. Rob Gatchell took a photo of his grandson. He said he arrived that morning at about 4 a.m. to stake out a spot for the family. Everyone else slept in, arriving at about quarter to five.
Grandpa Rob remembered when son Kyle was about six years old, his first trout derby. That would have been in 1986 or ‘87, he said. Kyle won the contest with a 22-inch rainbow trout.
“We still have that fish on the wall in his old room,” he said.
Around the pond as the sun rose, kids played hide and seek or sat on overturned five-gallon buckets watching their lines, chomping on donuts. Weary parents shuffled to and from the tent, coffee in hand.
Cliff Meehan of the Rod and Gun club started grilling hot dogs around 7 a.m. Lead organizer Cooper Gilkes took photos of kids and their catches on his cellphone.
“Is that how you hold a fish? Upside down?” he teased one nine year old, later offering a fist bump.
Every fish was measured and recorded, down to a 5.75-inch sunfish.
The grand prize for the derby went to two and a half year old McCabe Neadow, who caught an 18.5-inch rainbow trout within 10 minutes of the start.
“I held the rod and he reeled it in,” his father, Tom, said.
It was a perfect cool May morning, slightly overcast, not too cold. Talk of the legendary “Moby Trout” was heard among the more than 100 participants around the pond, but she eluded them all. She spent the last eight years spawning thousands of eggs at the hatchery where she grew up, growing to be longer than two feet, and almost 10 pounds.
Somewhere in Duarte’s pond she’s still enjoying her newfound freedom, at least until next year.
More photos from trout tournament.
Overall winner, largest trout
McCabe Neadow, 2 years old, 18.5-inch rainbow trout
Largest fish of any other species
First place: Shilah Trott, 10 years old, 18-inch pickerel
Second place: Grace Cesario, 6 years old, 16.375-inch pickerel
Third place: Isabella Levy, 11 years old, 16-inch pickerel
Trout winners by age
Twelve to 14 years old:
First place: Wyatt Nicholson, 12 years old, 17.25-inch rainbow trout
Second place: Riley Sylva, 14 years old, 13-inch rainbow trout
Third place: Tate Buchwald, 13 years old, 12.5-inch rainbow trout
Nine to 11 years old:
First place: Molly Sylva, 11 years old, 15.5-inch rainbow trout
Second place: Drey Thomas, 9 years old, 14.125-inch rainbow trout
Third place: Claire Proctor, 9 years old, 13.75-inch rainbow trout
Eight years old and younger:
First place: Harvey Proctor, 7 years old, 16.5-inch rainbow trout
Second place: Lilia Jones, 7 years old, 16.25-inch rainbow trout
Third place: Abby Henry, 8 years old, 15.5-inch rainbow trout
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