LIVERMORE — Hillside Sports Club will host its sixth annual fishing derby Feb. 25 at Long Pond at 60 Haynorville Road.
The event promises cash prizes for the biggest catches of the day with the longest brook or brown trout earning its angler $250. The longest fish overall will be reel in $100 and anglers 15 years old and younger can earn $150 for the longest fish caught overall.
Registration begins at 7 a.m. on the ice in front of the boat launch. The derby will be held between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., and there is a $10 entrance fee. Raffle tickets are also available for purchase at or prior to the derby at the Hillside Sports Club and at Robin’s Bait Shop at 237 Macomber Hill Road in Jay.
According to Ashley Langlin-Hebert, a prior recipient of Hillside Sports Club’s yearly college scholarship and member of the derby planning committee, the previous years followed COVID-19 restrictions closely.
“We started broadcasting (the raffle) as a live event for the raffle drawing last year, because we saw some other derbies doing it that way. If people weren’t there that had bought raffle tickets, they’d be notified, or they could watch it from home,” she said.
According to Langlin-Hebert, Hillside intends to continue broadcasting the raffle for those who are unable to attend or cannot stay for the raffle. This year’s prizes will include an Ultimate Jack Traps Package for first place and an aerator cooler from Frabill for second place. Other prizes include $25 gift cards to Robin’s Bait Shop.
Last year, 212 people registered. Langlin-Hebert said, “I imagine it’s going to be bigger than ever. It gets bigger and bigger each year.”
All proceeds will be donated to Spruce Mountain Ski Slope.
“We have kids that are involved there and some of the other people that assist with putting on the derby; their children grew up there. We like to promote sports with the kids,” Langlin-Hebert said.
Last year, Hillside decided to include more community sponsorship.
“Last year, we had another local business, Livermore Concrete, donate to a kid’s biggest fish,” Langlin-Hebert said. “So, this year, we said, ‘well, we’ve got these two businesses already. Let’s reach out to some of our other local businesses that come to the derby.’ We reached out to them, and we’ve had a really great response.”
Sponsors include Hillside Sports Club, Robin’s Bait Shop, Livermore Concrete, RB Meats, Guild’s Hardware, Jean Castonguay Excavation, Johnny Castonguay Logging, Morse Family Contractors, Jaime Bryant, St. Pierre’s Garage and Allen Drake.
For more information, contact Hillside Sports Club at (207) 897-5341 or visit its Facebook page.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
