28-pound salmon leads OC fishing derby

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 August 2017 at 8:48 am

Ashely Ward, long-time leader of derby, passes away

A nearly 30-pound Chinook salmon is leading the Orleans County Fishing Derby.

After a slow start to the Orleans County Fishing Derby due to the tumultuous lake waters over the weekend, there is now a sizable fish atop the leaderboard for the $4,000 grand prize.

Mike Schaeffer of Sligo, Pa., hooked the 28-pound, 6-ounce salmon.

The fishing derby continues until Aug. 20 with $8,800 in prizes up for grabs.

Besides $4,000 for the biggest fish, the four division leaders – salmon, rainbow trout/steelhead, lake trout and brown trout – each get $500, followed by $300 for second, $200 for third, $100 for fourth and $50 for fifth.

There is also a $200 prize to the Orleans County resident who catches the biggest fish.

For more on the derby, click here.

The derby is sponsored by the Albion Rotary Club, and proceeds go towards community projects. The Rotary Club has been organizing the derby for more than 30 years, seeing the event as a way to promote tourism businesses and the local fishing scene.

The derby organizers have sad news following the death of long-time chairman Ashely Ward on Sunday. Ward, the former owner of a bed and breakfast by the Oak Orchard River, was a key leader in the derby for more than 30 years.

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