FARMINGTON – Robert Matteson, 10, of Farmington held up his winning 28-ounce, 17-inch rainbow trout Tuesday at the Farmington’s Flagg Family 4th of July Fishing Derby.
Derby organizer Steve Shible renamed the event to honor of the Flagg family this year, about 15 years after Paul Flagg and his three children began volunteering there. Shible said he told Flagg about the change at the derby, after having the event’s four trophies engraved with the new name.
“He starts reading it and you could see the smile come across his face,” Shible said.
Sixty-two children ages 3 to 10 competed in the derby and caught exactly 100 fish, Shible said. Matteson won the trophy for catching the biggest fish.
Jacelyn Daggestt, 4, of New Vineyard won a trophy for catching the first fish. It had been caught, weighed, and measured 30 seconds into the derby, Shible said.
Matthew Greenman, 7, of Farmington won a trophy for reaching the two-fish limit first, and 8-year-old Kyle Farrington of Chesterville won a trophy for catching the “biggest meal” – two fish totaling 32 ounces.
The derby was a success despite vandalism at the pond, Shible said. Before the event, someone threw corn into Rollo Pond, ostensibly to fill the fish up so they wouldn’t be keen on derby worms, he said.
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