Umpqua Fish Derby Kids Day a Big Success

Around seventy 5th grade students from Eastwood Elementary School in Roseburg came out this morning to Cooper Creek Reservoir in Sutherlin for the 31st annual Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby's Kids Day. The students arrived around 9:45 am and were given safety talks by Oregon State Police before derby committee and volunteers helped kids line up to get fitted for life jackets. Then the kids headed down to the dock at the boat ramp for the fish release. Just after 10 am, ODFW released about 1,000 rainbow trout, each 8-10 inches in size, into Cooper Creek Reservoir to the delight of the excited students. The trout were raised at Rock Creek Fish Hatchery east of Glide. After the fish were released, the students were paired up with one of over 30 local fishing guides who volunteered their time today to take the kids fishing from their boats. Lots of fish were caught and released over the next hour. Next, all the kids lined up to watch several North River Jet Boats all come racing around the corner of the reservoir into view all at once. The kids then got to take jet boat rides around Cooper Creek and they must have had fun judging by the smiles on their faces when they got back. Some kids even chose to sit at the back of the boats and got so wet they looked like they had just gone swimming. Then the kids all headed up to have nice lunch of fruit, chips, chili and hot dogs served up by Bob's Deli and Wilcox + Flegel and drinks from Bigfoot Pepsi. They also had hot cocoa to help them warm up. To wrap things up, team members from Cascade Community Credit Union and Clint Newel Motors handed out water bottles and back packs filled with swag from various vendors and sponsors as kids prepared to head back to school. It was a beautiful, sunny day and it looked like everyone had a good time. Big thank you to all the local businesses and organizations that made this event possible.