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Fishing derby lures a crowd
By Ed Zieralski
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
LAKE CUYAMACA – As seasonal transitions go, there can be no more
dramatic one than summer to autumn, and no better place to watch it go
down than the Cuyamacas.
A dark gray cloud clawed its way over Cuyamaca Peak and covered the sun
just before sundown Friday, and I felt the chill of the seasons changing
clothes. A husky mule deer buck and his doe – both already thick-coated
– bounded below me as I worked a ridge for a better view of a valley
that had been so lush and green in May. But now its grasses were golden
brown and swaying in a crisp breeze.
Campers along the shoreline at Lake Cuyamaca tied down their tents
snugly to prepare for the season's first true storm, which disappointed
as darkness draped summer.
We hoped for rain that these dried-out mountains desperately need, but
there were only short waves of mostly mist. Not nearly enough to chase
home an estimated 800 folks – including more than 300 kids – who braved
the cold and occasional drizzle yesterday to fish in the O.P. Ball
Memorial Fishin' In The Pines Free Kids Fishing Derby.
A shoreline check early showed fish biting. Xavier Garcia, 10, fishing
with his stepfather, Shawn Fleming, and friend Orion Wilson, 9, all of
Lakeside, landed a 2-pound, 8-ounce rainbow trout on orange Power Bait.
The catch turned out to be the grand prize winner of the derby, and
young Garcia marched off later with a bunch of prizes and a trophy.
Every kid went home with something, thanks to the derby's 55 sponsors,
including a generous gift from the Orville P. Ball family. Steve
Tellesen organized the prize patrol for Christmas in September at
Cuyamaca under the supervision of lake superintendent Willard Lepley and
general manager Georgia Martin.
Bob Katula, who represents Mustad and lives in Anaheim, drove 2˝ hours
to reach Lake Cuyamaca. He set up a work station where volunteers such
as John Grabowski, Ed and Gary Ceiplis, Don Deaett, the Golden State Fly
Casters and others tied proper Mustad treble hooks, line and sinkers for
kids, many of whom came rigged for ocean fish.
“Gary (Ceiplis) and I walked a lot of the shoreline and I'd say 80
percent of the folks weren't rigged right for trout,” Katula said. “But
when we left them, they had Mustad treble hooks on 4-pound Ultra Line
leader below a swivel and a small egg sliding sinker.”
Rebecca Mascarenhas of Chula Vista brought her son, Ray, 8, and nephew
Garrett High, 8.
“Their dads were chickens and didn't want to come out because of the
rain, but I bought them a couple of ponchos and figured they'd have as
much fun playing in the rain as they would fishing,” she said.
Holly Steele, Ramona, had her six kids there, mainly because Landon, the
oldest at 11, already is a true fisherman.
“Landon woke me up at 4 this morning and said it was time to go
fishing,” Holly Steele said.
The San Diego Anglers cooked fish donated by long-rangers through Mario
Ghio at Sportsmen's Seafood. Gary Shiebler of the World's Greatest
Fishing Band warmed folks with good fish tunes.
The lake wasn't open for swimming, but Elijah Wagner, 4, of El Cajon
took an unexpected dip when he tumbled off the fishing pier. His alert
mom, Sandy, fetched him from the water and hustled him to their heated
auto, where he was quickly stripped out of his wet clothes and wrapped
in a blanket.
If anyone felt the autumn chill all the way to their bones yesterday, it
was young Elijah. |
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