26-pound salmon leads Orleans County Fishing Derby
Photo by Tom Rivers: A kayaker passes along Lake Ontario in Barker while the sun sets Saturday evening.
$8,800 in prizes up for grabs in derby, which continues until Aug. 19
The Orleans County Fishing Derby started on Saturday and several big salmon were reeled in and landed on the leaderboard.
A 26-pound, 3-ounce Chinook leads for the $4,000 grand prize. It was caught by Dane Ballard of Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.
There are four divisions in the derby – Salmon, Rainbow Trout/Steelhead, Brown Trout, and Lake Trout.
The top prizes for each division include $500 for first, followed by $300 for second, $200 for third, $100 for fourth and $50 for fifth.
No fish have been entered yet for three of the divisions.
Only salmon have fish on the leaderboard and they include 1st, 24 pounds, 13 ounces by Tom Riley of West Henrietta; 2nd, 24 pounds, 3 ounces by Gary Bloom of Albion; 3rd, 22 pounds, 10 ounces by Sheila Frank of Rochester; 4th, 22 pounds, 9 ounces by David Bonnell of Rochester; and 5th, 22 pounds, 9 ounces by Mike Schaeffer of Sligo, Pa.
Gary Bloom also is in the lead for the $200 bonus prize for biggest fish caught by an Orleans County resident.
The derby continues until Aug. 19. The Albion Rotary Club sponsors the annual event.
For more information on the derby, click here.
