Once again, it’s that time of year to catch some fish at the lake and net some fun for the whole family.
The annual Family Fishing Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Pats Lake. The event promises to have something for everyone, including casting practice and even a free lunch.
The U.S. Forest Service Wrangell District and WCA Earth Branch are sponsoring the event, along with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Corree Delabrue, with the Forest Service, confirmed that special youth fishing regulations by Fish and Game are in place the third and fourth weekends of June specifically at that location.
During the special-regulation days, kids 15 and under are allowed to use bait to fish in only Pats Lake and keep two cutthroat trout per day with no size limit. “It’s not super easy to fish at Pats Lake,” she said.
Shirley Wimberley, the scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 40, helped organize the event when it began over 15 years ago. She said the event isn’t just for kids. “It’s just a nice day out for the whole family.”
She added that Tom Sims came up with the idea and worked to make it a reality. “He was the spearhead, he got it through.”
Sims said he was one of several people who helped to start Family Fishing Day. At the time, he had been on the Wrangell Fish and Game Advisory Committee and helped negotiate the state’s special fishing regulations for youths 15 and under. “We wanted to give the young kids a chance to be able to trout fish and do it the way we did when we were that age,” he said.
Delabrue said the event serves “to encourage the joy and fun of fishing (for kids) by making it a little easier to fish at Pats Lake.”
A free lunch and prizes will be offered, courtesy of the Stikine Sportsmen Association. In addition to the fishing, there will be activity stations for crafts and games. Some fishing gear and personal floatation devices will be provided, though quantities are limited. For more information, call the Forest Service at 907-874-2323.
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