Anglers young and old came together along the lower Kenai River to test their luck at the annual Kenai Silver Salmon Derby. Unlike most fishing derbies, which compete for the largest fish, the week-long event awards prizes based on a ‘magic weight’ that is randomly selected at the end of each day.
Given that any fish over four pounds is eligible to compete, anglers of all skill levels have a chance to win prizes. The adult grand prize is $5000, while the youth grand prize is $1000.
The objective of this derby is to reduce selective fishing practices that compromise the health of the local salmon population. For the first time, at least 50% of the profits go toward restoration efforts for river banks and riparian zones along the Kenai River.
“One of the biggest draws to this area is fishing, and if we don’t protect it, that’s going to be a detriment to everybody,” said Samantha Springer, Executive Director of the Kenai Chamber of Commerce. “It doesn’t matter the industry you’re in, I think we need to focus more on talking about those things, even though it’s tricky issues sometimes on what should and shouldn’t be done. It is really important to make sure this is sustainable for the future.”
In total, the derby raised over $10,000 for upcoming restoration projects, including the installation of a fish passage culvert in Kenai’s Cemetery Creek. The designation of these funds was approved by the Kenai City Council.
“I think the derby is really special because a lot of derbies, it’s the biggest fish wins, but we really appreciate the fact that conservation is a focus of the derby,” said Jill Craig, an annual participant. “We also like the fact that, for our family, it’s a lot of fun and it’s an annual memory with dad.”
The Craigs have made attending this derby an annual tradition since it began seven years ago.
Their youngest daughter, Abigail, has won the youth grand prize two years in a row. She is just 6 years old.
“Overall, Abigail, she’s pretty humble,” said Nate Craig, Abigail’s dad. “She doesn’t really want to be in the limelight, so she was extremely surprised that she did win. She was very surprised when we caught the fish at just how big it was, and you could really just see the excitement around her, and for me as well.”
Although recent flooding meant higher waters and less favorable fishing conditions, it only takes one catch to win. Dolores Roddis reeled in a single salmon while participating in the derby, yet took home the adult grand prize.
“He hit that pole hard and it just felt like a dead weight for a long time, and just let it wear itself out,” she said. “It was just back and forth, me and that fish, for a little while, had a lot of people cheering me on in the bank. A couple of people helped me net that fish, because it was a big boy, and hooked him just right where he wasn’t getting off.”
“Beside it just being a fun event, it actually is making a difference,” Springer said. “We are actually going to be putting this money towards something that helps the community, helps the banks, helps the river, and in turn, helps the fish.”
Participants of the family-friendly derby hope that more families and children will get involved with it in the future.
