‘No Fishing’—

Fishing Derby Unable To Find A Pond

By Kendra Bobowick

This year’s fishing derby looks like the one that got away. Organizer John Arsenault explained, “We’re 99 percent sure it is not going to be held.” The string of roughly 25 annual derbies will most likely broken this season, he estimates.

The Newtown Fish and Game Club member is disappointed but understands the reasoning behind the refusals by potential new hosts of the organization’s annual fishing derby. The event that welcomes young anglers to cast a line throughout the morning and afternoon on opening day of the fishing season was traditionally held in conjunction with Parks and Recreation at the now “buried” Dickinson Pond. Weeks ago public works crews bulldozed fill into the once-popular swimming hole and summer camp favorite for children registered in Parks and Recreation day programs.

Health department concerns regarding sufficient water-volume per person essentially did not meet regulations. The pond was filled and now an open field surrounded by the pond’s gate sits beyond the parking lot off Elm Drive.

Mr Arsenault said they have taken their “last gasp” just this week in searching for a new fishing site since the season’s opening day came and went on April 15. The most recent in a line of inquiries failed to find a suitable fishing hole. Circumstances and now time work against the derby.

Although the town had plans for filling the pond in April, the week of March 13–17 saw the first mounds of dirt pushed into the emptied pond. Parks and Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian had said that although they planned on doing the work this month, the earlier opportunity arose. Unfortunately, the schedule interrupted the fishing derby. As opening day approached, derby organizers sought a new location without success. The season is now growing stale as people become involved with other activities, according to Mr Arsenault.

“The kids are more busy, there is a lot of yard work starting now,” he said. “Even if we found a place there are permits,” among other details to organizing the day.

He also admitted that they “exhausted a lot of places” during their search for a new home.

“I don’t think there is anyone hiding a pond out there that we don’t know about,” he said. Places including a site on Walnut Tree Hill, Ashlar of Newtown, and others did not work for various reasons. One large problem is parking.

Mr Arsenault said that more than 100 cars could come and go during the derby.

He also appealed to out of town sites along Route 6 in Bethel and a park in neighboring Monroe without luck, he said.

Replacement activities have also been a consideration recently in lieu of a fishing derby.

The idea never developed, however.

“I can’t think of anything off hand that we could do townwide,” he said.

Overall, he said the string of refusals were disappointing, but reasonable. “Hopefully we can resurrect this for next year,” Mr Arsenault said.