Bowden Fishing Derby (2010)

The Bowden Fishing Derby is another HOFNOD event that is strongly supported by the Mountaineer Chapter of the Izaak Walton League. The Derby occurs during the National Fishing and Boating week at the end of the first full week of June. The goal of the derby is to introduce kids to fishing as a positive outdoor recreational activity which compliments the indoor HOFNOD Expo sponsored each spring by the Randolph Co. HOFNOD Committee. The event is free to children ages 3 to 14. Typically, an average of 700 youth attend this event. The Bowden State Trout Hatchery is the site of this hands-on fishing experience for these young anglers. Several ponds are specifically stocked for this event in which each angler is allowed to use bait and take home two trout. Another pond is Catch and Release. This pond is intended for the more experienced anglers who can cast and retrieve lures or use a fly rod. Ike volunteers participate at this event in various roles, ranging from helping kids catch fish to fileting fish. Others man the food wagon which generates working funds for this event as well as the HOFNOD Expo.