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04/26/2007
Trout Festival packed to the gills with funPlenty of events for all ages at annual bash
Ritter descends the ride 'Sea Ray' after securing a sign to the ride Wednesday afternoon at the Kalkaska County Fairgrounds. KALKASKA — Festival goers will get a chance to demonstrate their singing pipes, catch a $1,000 fish and help a motorcycle club plant pine trees at the National Trout Festival. The 71-year festival began Wednesday with an adult fishing contest. Jack's Bait Shop owner Dan Doherty said he's starting to catch some customers, as pike and walleye fishing also opens this weekend. "This is the first major weekend of the year for me, right up there with Memorial Day weekend,” said Doherty, also the festival fishing contest coordinator. Log Lake, Big Guernsey and Big Twin lakes each have been stocked with 33 tagged contest trout. "One's a $1,000 catch,” Doherty said. "We used to offer a $10,000 catch,” he said. The fish was insured "but they caught the darn thing three years in a row, so it became uninsurable.” The festival is held at the Kalkaska County Fairgrounds. Special events include a youth parade on Friday, a grand parade on Saturday and a classic car show on Sunday. Three age divisions will compete karaoke-style for top honors in voice quality and "wow factor” during the second Kalkaska Idol competition on Saturday. "We had a packed house last year,” said contest organizer Coreen Reed. Standing room only dictated a bigger tent this time. Sites are filling up at the Kalkaska RV Park and Campground on M-72. Gail Clark-Snyder and husband Jeff are busy greeting some old friends and new customers. "Our business is probably up about 25 percent from last year,” Clark-Snyder said.
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