On Saturday, April 27, the Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and community Services will hold its 73rd Perry Spinelli Fishing Derby at Page Park. The following day, Sunday, April 28, American Legion Post 209 will hold its annual fishing derby at Rockwell Park.
This is the first time the fishing derbies will be held back-to-back.
The 73rd Annual Perry J. Spinelli Fishing Derby will be held Saturday, April 27, from 7 to 10 a.m. at Park Page Pond.
Children ages 13 years or younger (of all skill levels) are invited to bring their fishing poles to Page Park Pond for a morning of great catches, fun prizes, and memories to last a lifetime, the Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services says in the release announcing the annual event.
“We are looking forward to another great fishing derby and watching the community come together for a fun morning. We’ll be crossing our fingers for nice weather,” said BPRYCS recreation supervisor Amry Shelby in the release.
Registration is free and will take place between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. at the pond with the first cast at 7 a.m. The fishing derby is held rain or shine.
Each participant may use one (1) fishing pole, one (1) hook, and one (1) bobber to catch their fish. Participants may lure their catches in with any legal bait, but artificial lures and gang hooks are not allowed. Parents or guardians may assist in casting, but children must land their own fish. Prizes will be awarded for a variety of categories.
For more information, including a full set of rules, visit www.bristolrec.com or email Madison Fostervold, recreation program assistant, at madisonfostervold@bristolct.gov.
This year’s American Legion Post 209 Annual Youth Fishing Derby will be its ninth, according to Brian Avery, Post 209 commander.
“We are encouraging families to go out and spend time with their kids and make some memories,” Avery said earlier this month in a separate article. “Get those kids away from their computers and outside.”
Last year the derby attracted 135 kids, an average number of participants, Avery said. The most participants were 165 the first year after the pandemic.
The Post stocks the lagoon with 300 trout, between half a pound to 10 pounds, and everything in between, Avery said, listing the pounds in increments of two–2 lbs., 4 lbs., 6 lbs, 8 lbs.
The derby will offer a lot of prizes, too, he said, from first boy and first girl to catch a fish, to first ones to limit out with two catches, as well as golden trout catches and some tagged fish with prizes attached.
The Post 209 fishing derby will be held Saturday, April 28, from 8 to 11 a.m. at Rockwell Park. Registration is 6:30 to 8 a.m. Trophies and prizes will be awarded. Age limit is 16 and under, and two trout per participant. Worms and meal worms are provided by Tal’s Tackle, free of charge. Steve’s Top Dogs Food Truck is available for breakfast.
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