FARMINGTON – Two hour-long fishing derbies for children will be held Sunday, July 4, at Rollo Pond on the University of Maine at Farmington campus.

The derbies will start at 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at the pond in Abbott Park. Contestants are encouraged to come early to select one of the 48 available fishing spots. Children 12 or younger are eligible to participate for a $3 fee.

Parents are permitted to help contestants, but organizers ask that the child be “at least an equal partner” in the experience. Parents of young children participating in the derbies are encouraged to be good sports when fishing lines get tangled, as will happen with inexperienced anglers.

The pond has been stocked with more than 265 rainbow trout that range from 8 to 16 inches, according to the Farmington Recreation Department.

Trophies will be awarded in four categories: first trout, first to catch the limit of three, heaviest fish and biggest meal, which will be the combined gross weight of all trout caught by a single contestant. If there is a tie for heaviest fish, length will determine the winner.

The pond will be open to the general public by 1 p.m. after the event.


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