Gone Fishing - Learn To Fish Camp, Father's Day Fishing Tournament Planned
Monday, May 23rd, 2022
Dalton’s Parks and Recreation Department is angling to get kids hooked on fishing this summer. The department has a week-long “Learn to Fish” camp planned for July, and next month the department will hold its first-ever Father’s Day weekend fishing tournament. Both events will be held at the Haig Mill Lake Park.
The Parks and Recreation Department was able to obtain a $500 grant from Bass Pro Shops/Cabella’s outdoor grant fund for equipment to help start the new “Learn To Fish” camp. The funds are being used to buy small fishing poles and tackle boxes for the participants. The camp will run July 18th through the 22nd from 7:30 until 12:00 pm each day.
“We were talking about coming up with new summer programs we can provide, and [recreation superintendent] Will Chappell came across this grant fund. It’s really just there to help support communities to buy equipment to provide these programs,” said Caitlin Sharpe, the director of the Parks and Recreation Department. “We’re really hoping to target participants who haven’t been taught how to fish so they can learn a new skill and get connected to nature when they might not otherwise get that opportunity.”
In addition to learning how to fish and getting to spend some time fishing on the lake, camp participants will also hear from conservation experts about fish, wildlife, and water to learn more about nature. The camp is open to kids ages 7 to 12 years old who are inexperienced with fishing. The cost is $25 per camper. Registration is available at mydprd.com.
The Father’s Day Fishing Rodeo will be held at Haig Mill Lake Park on Saturday, June 18th. Check in will begin at 6:30 am and the competition will start at 8:00 am. A t-shirt and hot dog lunch will be provided after the competition for each participant. The cost to participate is $10 per dad and $5 per child. Participants can register in advance at mydprd.com or they can also register the day of the event.
“Really, I went to the guys over at Haig Mill and told them, I want to have just a fishing day for Father’s Day,” Sharpe laughed. “I met with them a couple weeks later and they’d turned it into a competition. They’re fathers and they’re avid fishermen so it makes sense.”
There will be awards given for the participants who catch the most fish and the biggest fish as well as competitions for the furthest cast and the most accurate cast.
“We’re hoping that this will be something that will catch on and become a tradition,” said Sharpe.
