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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend June 15, 2006 Boy’s great catch will be relived at derby By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Dawson Fraley hopes to recreate that magical Saturday last year when this little boy caught a man-sized trout at Howard Prairie Lake. Armed last year with his grandfather’s favorite lure and a lucky penny he found in the dirt, 6-year-old Dawson hooked and boated the Howard Prairie’s biggest trout in 30 years. And he did it on the best of all days, the eighth annual Rainbow $5,000 trout tournament. The 8 pound, 12-ounce trout was mounted and was on display Wednesday at The Black Bird Shopping Center. The lucky lure, since retired from its trolling days, dangled from its mount’s mouth. So Dawson expects to have his eyes to the dirt June 24 when he returns to Howard Prairie to defend his title as the top trout-catcher in the Rainbow $5,000’s eight-year history. "I’m just going to have to find another one of those lucky pennies, I guess," says Dawson, 7, who lives outside of Montague, Calif. Advertisement Dawson’s catch will be resurrected at the ninth annual derby, which Black Bird runs out of the Howard Prairie Resort. The largest fish ever caught in the derby will be paraded among this year’s anglers. "It was just the greatest story," says Black Bird’s Marie Evenson. "We’ll take it up there and do a little recap of him catching that fish." The Rainbow $5,000 is the trout derby where everyday anglers play like the pros by earning cash prizes for the largest trout caught in various categories. Top prizes in five adult categories are $500, while the top five trout-catchers under age 14 get gift certificates or fishing gear. Entry costs $12 and registration is at the Black Bird through June 23. Weigh-in June 24, a Saturday, will close at 4 p.m. Anglers often have turned trout in the 1- to 2-pound category into cash. But Dawson more than capped that last year, catching by far the lake’s biggest offering in decades. It was the "third or fourth largest" trout caught at the lake since its creation in 1960 and largest since a 14 pounder was caught in the late 1970s, says the resort’s Chris Johnston. But just as remarkable as what happened to Dawson last year was what didn’t happen. His father, Bob Fraley, was fishing with Dawson and didn’t boat the fish to gain the $500 prize. It’s been done before. At least twice. Once, a young kid bragged to the derby’s weigh-in crowd how he hooked his dad’s winning trout for him as his dad claimed his winner’s check. Fraley could have followed suit. Technically, Oregon’s sport-fishing rules dictate that whoever landed the fish is owner of that fish, regardless of who hooked it. All Fraley did was offer Dawson encouragement. Dawson parlayed his win into a cache of new fishing gear and a pellet gun. Dawson says he will return to the derby expecting to win, but not with a trout so enormous. "I figure that every 30 years there’s a big fish in there," he says. "I’m hoping to get one that big, but I probably won’t for another 30 years." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail Boy�s great catch will be relived at derby ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s