At the recent Kiwanis Youth Fishing Derby held at Olander Park in Sylvania, about three dozen kids learned one of the foundational lessons involved in America’s most popular outdoor sport – it is called “fishing” not "catching.”
Fifteen members of the Kiwanis Club of Toledo, along with a like number of student-athletes from the University of Toledo track and cross country teams and a contingent of adult staff members from the Boys & Girls Club of Toledo, were tasked with shepherding the kids through some of the basics of angling and keeping the hooks in the water on what proved to be a tough day for catching.
Toledo attorney and Derby master Gene Canestraro said it was a very stubborn bite on a warm August day with even warmer lake water and lethargic fish, but the educational aspect should put the young fishermen on a solid course for a lifetime of fishing fun, with an emphasis on the patience the sport demands.
“While the catching was difficult, I believe we taught the children who participated a new skill, improved on skills they have, and encouraged them to work cooperatively and charitably in tough conditions,” Mr. Canestraro said.
The local Kiwanis organization has been hosting an annual youth fishing derby for the past quarter century. After an instructional introduction to fishing, a prayer, and the distribution of fishing gear on loan from the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the fishing commences.
The group has treated kids ages 7 to 16 years old to fishing in area private ponds as well as the lakes and ponds located in the Sylvania and Metroparks Toledo park systems. A cookout and awards session follows the fishing for a day filled with laughter, smiles, and a few fish.
“It always fills my heart with genuine delight to witness the honest joy within these children’s eyes and the rounded cheekbones of a full-face smile, especially when believing our Kiwanis family [and guests] is the genesis,” Mr. Canestraro said, “and when we act in ways which announce to them that ‘You are important to me ... let us show you why.’ ”
He added the corps of “fishing chaperones” who spend the session baiting hooks, removing fish, and untangling lines are rewarded for donating their time with the unbridled joy in the air.
“To hear the excited cackle of our young fisherpersons is, for me, and I believe for most, a worthy and welcomed gift,” Mr. Canestraro said.