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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Spokane Kids Fishing Event planned for next month

A young angler reels in a fish during a previous Spokane Kids Fishing Event at Clear Lake. (Courtesy of Randy Osborne)
By Michael Wright michaelw@spokesman.com(509) 459-5508

Young anglers will have a good chance at taking home a few rainbow trout from Clear Lake next month.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council are teaming up to host the annual Spokane Kids Fishing Event on May 11.

Randy Osborne, a WDFW fisheries biologist and one of the organizers of the event, said the agency will create a sort of fish pond near the docks at Fairchild Air Force Base’s Clear Lake Recreation Area and stock more than 5,000 rainbow trout.

In turn, kids who participate in the event will be provided a rod and bait and will get assigned a timeslot to catch their limit of three fish. Volunteers will be on hand to clean the fish so the youngsters can take their catch home.

“At the end of the day, it’s so rewarding seeing all of the smiles and excitement on those kids when they catch those fish,” Osborne said.

This is the 23rd year of the event, Osborne said. It’s also one of several kids fishing events WDFW hosts around the state.

Osborne said the agency typically stocks between 6,000 and 7,500 trout for the event – all fish that would normally get stocked into Clear Lake anyway.

They’ll vary in size, from small, pan-sized fish to broodstock fish that weigh 2 to 3 pounds.

Kids will be able to fish off the beach or in bag nets attached to the docks. Volunteers will be on hand to help teach participants how to cast and catch the fish.

Participants will be encouraged to take the fish home so they can enjoy them as table fare, but they’ll also have the option of donating the fish to a food pantry.

This year, Osborne said, the donations will go to the North County Food Pantry in Elk as a way to support people who were affected by the Oregon Road Fire last August.

There will also be a canned food drive. Those who arrive with two cans of food to donate will be entered in a drawing to win one of the many prizes donated for the event – such as Spokane Indians tickets, Spokane Chiefs tickets, passes to the Altitude Trampoline Park and much more.

The event costs $10. Registration is open until April 26.

A registration form is available on WDFW’s website at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/youth.