Document text
Free Fishing Weekend nears By Mark Freeman BUTTE FALLS � Kids from as far away as Portland will descend Saturday on the old Medco log pond between Butte Falls and Prospect to fish for trout and learn a little about life. More than 200 kids are expected at Medco Ponds for the 12th annual Free Fishing Weekend. The festivities are designed to get kids interested in fishing while understanding a little more about natural resources and economics � all the way down to the 25-cent hot dog and soda. "It�s another one of those learning things for the kids," says Dale Adams, whose Catfish Cove Club is the event�s main sponsor. "Things cost money. But if they don�t have it, they still get a hot dog." The event is one of several planned for Free Fishing Weekend in Jackson County. It is billed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as an opportunity to encourage families and their children to spend the day fishing, learning about nature and having a fun, wholesome experience. More than 70 events are planned statewide, the largest being a derby at Lake Selmac in Josephine County that will draw 1,200 to 1,500 kids. During Free Fishing Weekend, any person can fish in Oregon waters without a license or tag. However, people who already possess tags for salmon/steelhead, sturgeon or halibut are required to use them. All anglers must adhere to equipment limitations and species, bag limit and size restrictions. Besides Medco Pond, Saturday events are planned at Lost Creek Lake, Fish Lake, Hyatt Lake and the Jackson County Exposition Park ponds. Activities at Hyatt Lake continue Sunday. Some events, such as one planned Saturday at Cole Rivers Hatchery, are invitation-only for groups of disabled or special-needs kids. Several agencies, sportsmen�s and civic groups, businesses and volunteers are helping put on the activities. When the Catfish Cove Club started its event eight years ago, fewer than 50 kids showed up, Adams says. The number of participants since has quadrupled, with regulars coming from as far away as Portland. The lake is stocked with legal-sized trout and also with other trout in the 16-inch range. Fishing at the lake�s lower end closes today until Saturday morning�s derby start. The kids collect prizes for the trout they catch, and everyone goes home with something, Adams says. "It�s an outing for the kids and the parents together," he says. Volunteers from the Oregon State Police, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service and others all wear their uniforms, Adams says. "It�s to teach the kids that, hey, those guys in uniforms are your friends, not your enemies," he says. Here is a list of some of the Free Fishing Weekend events: Fish Lake � 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The lake is about 35 miles from Medford on Highway 140. Event includes interpretive talk, fishing lessons and ethics, a spin-casting contest, aquatic ecology presentation, free pop and snacks, and loaner rods. Medco Ponds � 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The ponds are located off the Butte Falls/Prospect Highway about 15 miles northeast of Butte Falls. Event includes help for beginners, free ice cream, prizes for all the kids, hot dogs and pop for 25 cents. Hyatt Lake � 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to noon Sunday, at Hyatt Lake Campground off the Hyatt Lake Road near the Greensprings. Event includes free camping Saturday, free breakfast Saturday and Sunday, free bait and loaner rods. Expo ponds � 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Central Point. Event includes free bait, help for beginners and loaner rods. Parental supervision is required. Lost Creek Lake � 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Stewart State Park off Highway 62, 34 miles north of Medford. Event includes free bait, free pop and snacks, fishing lessons, First Fish certificates, raffle and derby prizes and loaner rods. Staff writer Mark Freeman covers the outdoors for the Mail Tribune. Call him at 776-4470, or e-mail him at [email protected] ) Outdoor Journal Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA