FARMINGTON — The Flagg Family July 4 Fishing Derby, offered by the Farmington Recreation Department, begins at 8 a.m. Friday at Rollo Pond on the campus of the University of Maine at Farmington.

The one-hour derby is for ages 3 to 10.

Since the pond is measured off into 36 equal spaces, it is advisable to arrive for space selection and registration well before the event. The fee is $2 per child.

About 200 rainbow trout have been stocked in Rollo Pond and are about 8 inches to 14 inches long. At least one brood stock or trophy fish placed into the pond is significantly larger than any of the other trout.

Trophies will be awarded in four categories:

First Trout – Rainbow trout a minimum of 8 inches. Not a chub, sucker or crayfish.

First Limit – The first child to catch and register two fish.

Trophy Fish – The heaviest fish, in ounces, landed during the derby. Length will be used  as a tiebreaker, if necessary.

Biggest Meal – The combined gross weight in ounces, of trout caught by one contestant. Length will be used as a tiebreaker.

There will be a limit of only one trophy to be awarded to any entrant. If more than one is earned, the winner will have their choice of which trophy they prefer and the next in line entrant will receive the unselected one(s).

There is a two-trout bag limit for the day, so once a contestant lands two stocked fish he/she is through for not only the derby, but also for the rest of the day. To accommodate all children who wish to participate in the derby, entrants will be replaced in their designated space by another child once the daily bag limit has been caught.

By approximately 9:30 a.m. Friday, after another brief derby, Rollo Pond will be opened to the rest of the public to fish. People are requested to abide by the posted daily bag limit of two trout so this temporary recreational opportunity can be enjoyed by children as long as possible.

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