Conestogo Lake fishing tourney draws 97 youth, adult anglers

MAPLETON – The weather could not have been better for the 33rd annual Conestogo Lake Conservation Area Catch and Release Fishing Tournament on July 22.

Although the derby is hosted annually by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) and intended for all ages, this is the first year that the kids’ portion of the event was sponsored by the Wellington OPP.

Several local community sponsors also contributed awards and raffle prizes for the tournament.

GRCA employee Olivia Bloemberg said this year’s derby saw a total of 97 participants registered in both youth and adults categories, a significant increase from last year.

Last year the rules encouraged anglers to practice catch and release whenever possible, but this year’s rules mandated that all fish be released.

Participants were required to take a photo of their fish beside a tape measure, and to record a video showing the fish being released.