ESTEVAN — The Estevan Wildlife Federation organized a day out on the water to kick off the new fishing season.
Following the official season opening day of May 5, the EWF invited anglers out to Boundary Dam for its Walleye Classic on May 11.
Michael Halirewich, fisheries chairman for the EWF who organizes the event, said with the weather co-operating, they had a good day. Participation was on par with last year with 35 teams competing in the catch-and-release derby.
"It was a good turnout, lots of new teams, lots of people that have been there for years. So, it's good to see the familiar faces and new faces as well," Halirewich said.
Teams came from the Estevan, Regina and Kipling areas, and one travelled from Manitoba.
Delvin and Linda Kushniryk took the top spot in the event, as they weighed in the maximum of six fish, which weighed a total of 20.38 pounds. They also caught the largest fish which weighed six pounds.
Ralph and Nate Smart claimed second spot with a six-fish total weight of 19.2 pounds.
The team of Aaron Toles and Cole Walin came in third, weighing in six fish for a total of 19 pounds.
Rounding out the top six were: Brad Frater and Sheldon McManus, fourth, 18.4 pounds; Rene Sehn and Shane Smith, fifth, 17.02 pounds; and Paul Skoczylas and Jared Patterson, sixth, 16.04 pounds. All participating teams but two weighed in six fish.
The first flight left at 7 a.m., and the second departed 30 minutes later for an eight-hour day of fishing on Boundary. When anglers returned, their haul was weighed and measured not only for competition sakes but also for research purposes.
"We had the University of Regina students who got down again this year. So as the fish were coming in, we're weighing them and then we'd hand them over to the students and they would do their research studies on them. They take length and weight and then they tag all the fish and then they would return them to the lake," Halirewich explained.
Two tagged walleyes were caught during the event, and Halirewich noted that this research is an ongoing process that continues outside the event as well.
"If you catch a tagged fish out on Boundary Dam, there's a website right on the tag. You just send your information in, and they'll answer you back and tell you when the fish was actually tagged and where it was tagged, and you'll be able to tell how far it swam and everything," he added.
After a long day on the water, the participants enjoyed lunch and then were recognized during an award ceremony.
The event is a fundraiser for the EWF and helps them with the maintenance of their facilities, such as the clubhouse and fish-filleting shack at Boundary, Rafferty Marina and more. The EWF also organizes youth summer camps every year and runs other programs, educating about wildlife.
