SIMI VALLEY : Derby Has Children Fishing for Fun

Sean Tarara, 8, stood fidgeting near a pond in Simi Valley. The bamboo pole he made in Cub Scouts lay on the ground with the line trailing into the water. He had been trying to lure fish with worms and cheese for about 40 minutes and hadn’t had a nibble.

Sean’s first fishing trip was at the 16th annual Huck Finn Fishing Derby in Rancho Simi Community Park on Saturday. Trophies and rods and reels were at stake, but mostly, the derby offered youngsters a chance to catch a fish and parents an opportunity to share their fishing expertise.

“Be patient,” Jennifer Tarara told her son. “Hold your pole, and be quiet.”

“Fishing’s fun, but you have to do a lot of sitting down,” Sean said.

An estimated 1,000 people attended the derby sponsored by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, the Simi Rod and Reel Club and the Rotary Club.

The derby was open to children 15 and under, but many adults helped out.

Tarara said Sean had dug up his own worms in their back yard and was eager to try out his new pole.

“He’s a little impatient,” she said. “We’ll be happy if we catch one fish.”

Elisha Fierro, 8, of Thousand Oaks didn’t have so long to wait. Elisha was the first to catch the limit of three fish.

The pond was stocked with about 1,500 catfish imported from Imperial Valley on Friday afternoon, said Jeff Anderson of the park district.

Staff member Aaron Harring, 17, stayed at the park all night guarding the fish. He said several people had to be chased away who wanted to start fishing before the derby.

Two 14-year-olds, Ryan Cook and Matt LaBonte, said they arrived at the park at 3 a.m. to get a good spot. Fishing started at 7 a.m., and after two hours, Ryan and Matt had caught one catfish each. Ryan said this was his third year at the fishing derby. Last year, he won a prize for having one of the largest catches, he said.

Anderson said that, last year, several fish weighing 25 to 29 pounds were caught, but the little fishermen were in danger of being pulled into the water. The pond was stocked with smaller fish this year.

Stocking the pond costs the district about $4,000, Anderson said. Besides catfish, blue gills and largemouth bass swim in the pond. Seniors and children are allowed to fish there year-round.