Labour Day weekend in Port Alberni wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be the same without a salmon derby, so the Alberni Valley Tyee Club will deliver despite the global coronavirus pandemic.
A group of sportfishers are organizing the socially distanced Port Alberni Ultimate Fishing Derby for Sept. 5B次元官网网址�7, 2020 without an accompanying festival.
The Port Alberni Salmon Festival committee cancelled its annual fest and fishing derby two months ago, due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings of more than 50 people.
B次元官网网址淲e were following the advice of (the B.C. medical health officer) of less than 50,B次元官网网址� Salmon Fest president Dan Washington said. B次元官网网址淭he board made the decision to not host the festival in 2020. The Tyee Club said B次元官网网址榳e want to have a fishing derby.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
The salmon derby and festival got its start as a Port Alberni Tyee Club salmon derby in 1971. It wasnB次元官网网址檛 until 1972 when Fred Duncan, then the publisher of the now defunct Alberni Valley Times, came up with the idea of a Labour Day festival to keep people in town.
B次元官网网址淚n this town on the long weekends, everyone would hop in their trucks and campers and go camping,B次元官网网址� said longtime resident and fisher Bob Cole, who grew up in Port Alberni. B次元官网网址淭he town was deserted.B次元官网网址�
The derby was so popular at one point that Cole, a past-president of the Salmon Fest committee, said nearly 4,400 tickets were sold in one year.
So itB次元官网网址檚 not a stretch for the Tyee Club to host the fishing part of the weekend, he added.
Al Ehrenberg, owner at Gone FishinB次元官网网址� in Port Alberni, Courtenay and Nanaimo, is taking the lead on the derby. B次元官网网址淧eople have been clamouring for it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淢yself, Carolyn (Jasken of the Ultimate Fishing Town campaign) and Bob (Cole) decided we should have a derby.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淔ishing in your boat with your family is as big at social distancing as you can get,B次元官网网址� Cole said.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has traditionally approved the derby for sportfishers in that weekend slot, and both Cole and Ehrenberg said they wanted to keep that slot open for future years. B次元官网网址淭he DFO has always given us an opportunity to have a successful fishery in the Alberni Inlet that has great economic impact on the Alberni Valley,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淲e are granted a window to do this derby and we should take advantage of itB次元官网网址here is no reason not to do a derby.B次元官网网址�
The salmon derby will help celebrate the 10th anniversary of Port AlberniB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址楿ltimate Fishing TownB次元官网网址� win. The prize structure will be the same as during Salmon Fest: daily prizes of $5,000, $2,000 and $1,000 for the top three fish as well as a $5,000 bonus for the biggest fish caught during the derby. A leader board will be posted on social media.
Fish will be weighed at a special weigh station on Centennial Pier at Harbour Quay, Cole said. Length, girth and weight of the fish will be recorded, a photo will be taken and the fish returned to the derby participant. B次元官网网址淲e wonB次元官网网址檛 clean the fish, we wonB次元官网网址檛 keep the fish, due to COVID-19 rules,B次元官网网址� he said.
The Port Alberni Port Authority approved the new pier as a weigh-in spot: previously, fish were brought to Clutesi Haven Marina or in more recent years Tyee Landing for weigh-in. Ehrenberg said there should be a weigh-in spot in Bamfield as well. As the organizing committee approaches sponsors, they hope to have hidden weight prizes.
Ehrenberg said the derby needs to sell 1,000 derby tickets to break even; he isnB次元官网网址檛 sure how many tickets will be printed. Sportfishers wanting to enter the derby must pay $50 per ticket, one ticket per each rod on a boat.
A portion of ticket sales will go toward salmon enhancement programs.
Tickets are available at Gone FishinB次元官网网址� and other marine stores in the Alberni Valley.
susie.quinn@albernivalleynews.com
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