Sequim Gazette staff
With 860 tickets sold and nearly 300 winter blackmouth chinook salmon over 6 pounds submitted in 2015, the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby had its best year in more than a decade.
For Jerry Thomas of Mount Vernon, the numbers were even better.
Thomas’ catch on Sunday, Feb. 22 — an 18.95-pound salmon — was best of the weekend as he took home the derby top prize of $10,000.
Second place and $2,000 went to Julia Hunter of Neah Bay with a 16.6-pound fish. The $1,000 third-place prize, donated by 7 Cedars Casino of Blyn, went to Ron Lampers of Snohomish with a 16.25 pound salmon.
The top Sequim finishers were fourth-place finisher Dave Christopher with a 15.85-pound catch and fifth-place finisher Carl Adams at 15.05, both catches made on Friday, Feb. 20. Tony Rogers of Sequim was 10th at 13.95 pounds.
This year’s event included many first-time participants — a good sign for future derbies — and big prizes and great conditions drew a large number of competing anglers, derby organizers said.
“Last year we got slammed by the weather,” Dan Tatum, president of the Gardiner Salmon Derby Association, said. “This year was the opposite – great weather with good fishing.”
Anglers were in competition for a big prize list worth $22,269.
A total of 292 winter blackmouth chinook salmon topping 6 pounds were submitted, exceeding last year’s total of 171 and handily beating the previous year’s record of 249. Average submitted weight was 9.3 pounds.
The most successful fishing area this year was in the traditional derby hub near Discovery Bay and Protection Island, derby organizers said.
Plans for using the 2015 derby proceeds will be decided with community input. Tatum noted that donation plans will be discussed at an appreciation dinner, an annual community potluck dinner scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at the Gardiner Community Center. The dinner coincides with the association’s annual meetings.
All area residents are welcome; visit the group’s website (www.GardinerSalmonDerby.org) for details.
For a list of the fish submitted and other details, visit the derby website and the derby Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/SalmonDerby.
