Twenty-three
years ago, three
avid fishermen decided to put on a derby. They wanted
it to be unique; it should have a load of prizes
and it would include a get-together to pay tribute
to the winner. They canvassed the local area and
with the help of the business community they came
up with enough sponsorship to get the event off the
ground. That year saw over one hundred anglers pay
$25.00 a rod to compete for over $3,900.00 in prizes.
The derby sold out quickly and was a huge success.
As people left the awards banquet they were already
asking what date it would be held on the following
year!
The
popularity of the event grew in leaps and bounds. Canadian
Sport Fishing took part and filmed the derby in year
two. First place prize jumped from an 8 HP outboard to
a brand new boat, motor and trailer package. The derby
changed to a two day format and was held on Fathers Day
weekend, it has stayed in that time slot since. The Juan
de Fuca Invitational Salmon Championship Society was
formed and tickets were made available to previous entrants
before any sales to the general public. New wrinkles
were added; one being that each entrant receive a derby
shirt and hat with their ticket purchase and was urged
to wear them to the awards banquet to be eligible to
win cash or a trip abroad. Regulations were stiffened
on the amount and size of fish eligible for weigh in
and salmon enhancement became a focal point. The derby
began to work with local salmon restoration groups and
all proceeds from the event went to fund such.
Over
the years the popularity of the tournament continued
to soar. The awards banquet was moved and is still held
at the JDF Recreational Centre. Lorne Brand won the derby
in year five with a 50 lb. Chinook which remains the
derby
record.
Through local media and word of mouth the popularity
of the event grew to the point where ticket requests
were phenomenal. The small group that formed the core
of the executive was over whelmed by the response of
the fishing community. By year ten the entrant list had
reached nearly five hundred and the executive decided
that tickets would be available by sponsorship only.
With the new format the number of entrants could be kept
down and income for prizes and salmon enhancement would
continue to grow. It was in year ten that Linda Harrison
weighed in a 47lb. 8oz. trophy to become the first lady
angler to win the event and take home a boat, motor and
trailer package valued at over twenty thousand dollars.
When
Alpine Disposal stepped forward to become the major sponsor
in 1998, first place on the fish ladder reached a cool
twenty thousand dollars in cash. The prize board had
swollen to include over one hundred fish and draw prizes,
the result being a prize pool valued at over seventy
thousand dollars.
With
the airing of the 2000 derby by the “Fishing With
Shelley and Courtney” show, requests for tickets
via sponsorship have come in from all over BC and Washington
State. 2008 will see the Twenty-second Anniversary of this event, the prizes are once
again better than ever and the donation to salmon enhancement
will again be the largest of any tournament held in the
province.
