Here is my report and Rodney will post some pictures I took later.
This morning was a great get together, a time of fellowship with many fellow anglers and I even won a nice fishing vest, now no one will know me.
Here is a brief recap.
There was 471 entries this year. 420 fish entered, 325 does, 95 bucks, 228 more fish than last year.
Thanks to Wally Hall and family for putting the derby on for the last 15 years in memory of their son Wally Hall Junior.
Thanks to Fred Helmer for all the prizes he donated and also to the Vedder Canadian Legion for hosting the awards day. All derby anglers that attended took home a prize with 6 anglers that were in attendance and entered a fish each won $100 cash.
A total of $10,500 was presented by the Hall family to Natashia Cox from the Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition for continuing restoration work on the Chilliwack Vedder River that will benefit our precious steelhead as well as 5 other species salmon and other fish in the watershed.
The winners, talk about a close finish.
Joe Pegura 17.853 lb buck caught on February 14. $1,000 cash and Wally Hall Jr. perpetual trophy.
Jeremy Johnsen 17.436 lb buck, February 14. Custom built rod donated by Fred Helmer and David Barnes.
Jason Burgener 17.435 lb buck, January 30. Milner reel donated by Fred Helmer.
Fish Tails:
First fish in the derby was caught by Dan Ryan on December 15.
Jesse Green had the first fish over 17 pounds.
Last year's derby saw 474 entered who brought 192 fish to the scales.
Past derby winners.
2000- 2001 CEJ Mussell, 18.773
2002 Tom "Toothpick" Milburn, 20.56, the largest caught in the derby.
2003 Steve Roseboom, 19.00
2004 Wes Peters, 17.3
2005 Ed Tapp - Cowan 18.11
2006 Matt Pace, 18.32
2007 Rick Vella, 16.99
2008 Peter Leibing, 18.31
2009 Wayne Ridley, 19.43
2010 Peter MacPherson, 18.40
2011 Carl Eicher, 17.77
2012 repeat winner, Peter MacPherson, 19.085
2013 Trevor Henderson, 18.018
2014 Willie Holmes 18.85
The least number of fish entered was 2003 - 2004 as 167 entries brought in only 112 fish.
This year was the most steelhead entered since the derby started.