Annual ice fishing tournament benefits from weekend cold snap

By Rachel Psutka

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (11/02/12) - Dave Fleming brings some of the pickerel caught during the fifth annual Knights of Columbus ice fishing derby on the Bay of Quinte into the weighing station at the Fish and Game Club in Belleville on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Organizers expected about 30 fish to be entered by the end of the day, and had a fairly normal turnout despite poor ice conditions. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

At quarter to six on a Saturday morning in February, there are few souls willing to brave the thin ice of the Bay of Quinte just to catch some fish.

But that’s exactly what a group of local ice fishing enthusiasts did on February 11, all in the name of raising money for Hospice Quinte, as the Knights of Columbus hosted their fifth annual ice fishing derby.

With the sudden cold snap on Saturday morning, event co-organizer Peter Girard was grateful that it meant more fishermen would take part.

“We lucked out. Had it not been good, had the ice not been available, we wouldn’t have had as many fishing. We would’ve just had the faithful followers from last year here,” he said.

One of those faithful followers was Bill Tripp, who hauled in the biggest fish of the day before 11 a.m. The 10-pound pickerel was also the first to be weighed in.

Dave Fleming, a fisherman from Trenton who helped organize the event from its start five years ago, hit the ice before 6 a.m. hoping to get a good bite.

“I caught five pickerel today,” Fleming said at around 11 a.m., “But the boys are still out there. They could get something big.”

Fleming, who has been fishing on the Bay of Quinte all his life, was largely unconcerned with the warnings about thin ice.

“You walk out on the ice with a bar and test the thickness before driving on it. You have to use common sense,” he said.

While the fishermen were out on the ice before the sun rose, many spent the day preparing the Fish and Game Club for the evening’s festivities, including a Valentine’s Day themed roast beef dinner and dance.

With prizes ranging from $300 for the biggest fish, to door prizes for many attendees, co-organizer Peter Girard said the event is a hit with everyone, fish-loving or not.

“For $20, you get a good meal, the chance to win door prizes, plus you get to fish all day. It’s the best deal in town,” he said.

Erica Holgate, community relations and fund development for Hospice Quinte, said the event organized by the Knights of Columbus is critical for the organization.

“Fundraisers like this really help. We only get about 30 per cent of our funds from the local health integration network, and the rest comes from community support,” said Holgate.

Hospice Quinte provides palliative care to the terminally ill and support to the bereaved.

“A palliative care unit is very essential in our community,” said Girard. “That’s why we help them. We raised over $4000 this weekend.”