Wizard Falls event attracts hundreds

Wizard Falls hosted its annual Free Fishing Day Saturday, June 11, attracting between 400 and 450 youngsters and their families to the fish hatchery on the Metolius River, looking to land a lunker out of the overflow pond.

Steve Hamberger, hatchery manager, and Scott Cotter of the Forest Service, along with 25 or more volunteers provided leadership and support for the throngs of visitors.

Upon arrival, children aged 10 or younger received a colored card which would determine what time they would get their turn on the pond. When not fishing, kids had a chance to participate in a number of fish-related activities including painting, casting practice, and fish anatomy.

Once on the pond the kids, with plenty of help from eager parents, cast out onto the water for their chance at catching a good-sized rainbow trout.

Fish numbers in the pond were down this year, according to Hamberger, due to some opportunistic otters who cut into the population significantly this year.

“We’ve had five or six otters feasting on the pond fish,” he said. “We’ll put more fish in for next year, but I’d say about half the kids caught a fish from the pond.”

Those who missed out on the bigger trout in the pond got a chance to fish in one of the spillways, which guaranteed success for everyone.

The event is part of the Free Fishing Weekend in Oregon which allows people of all ages to fish without a license on any water body in Oregon.

The rest of the year it costs $6.75 for ages 14-17 and $24.75 adults for a season-long license.