It is hard to believe that the Port Renfrew Marina's 18th Annual Labor Day Derby has passed! It is the general and pretty much unanimous opinion of everyone that it was one of the best we have hosted. It was a definite success with everyone who attended having a wonderful time. Weather and fishing for the derby was fantastic! On the first day of the derby we registered 164 spring salmon with many more that went by in coolers, with a total number of fish for the derby at 216. Although it rained Saturday night the skies cleared for Sunday and we had another beautiful day. Fishing on Sunday was a little slower but with everyone needing to be in by 1:00 it was a short day. The band Willing and Able were very popular and did a great job! A very special thanks goes out to Wayne & Gwen Coleman for their gigantic effort to supply dinner for almost 300 people. With limited facilities they pulled it off and it all went well. At the end of ticket sales we had 287 tickets sold making that a record amount for the last three years. Many people who were attending for the first time said they are coming back every year because they enjoyed it so much!
- 1st. Place: Bruce Miller 36lbs 6oz
- 2nd Place: Laurie Orr 27lb 15oz
- 3rd Place: Reid Warren 27lb 7oz
- Ladies biggest fish: Segrid Perkins 25lb 4oz
- Juvenile biggest fish: Austin Poole 14lb 10oz
Notable Catches:
- Bill Valentine 34
Each year the Labor Day Derby, on the Sunday morning, we hold a bullhead derby for children 12 and under. This years winners were Boys: Travis Swanson (no photo available) Girls: Sawyer Mackenzie
Port Renfrew Marina wants to thank Dustin Mayo and Dave Peters of the Kinsmen for their help donating their time during the derby and a big thank you for their donation of $1000.00 to the San Juan Hatchery from the Kinsmen account.
A big thanks goes out to some helpers who make the derby go smoothly, be it working the tables, selling tickets or cleaning up. Thank you to Sharon Winters for helping round up donations, sitting at the silent auction table ALL day and helping clean the Longhouse after the ceremonies and before the dance. Also there was one other lady who helped with that, sorry I don't know your name but thank you for your time. For the morning after a big thanks goes to Doug, Dave, Kevin, Reid and Paul for their help. It was done in record time this year! Thanks goes out to Ryan for his help at the tables. Hope I didn't forget anyone, if so someone please remind us!!
Also a big thanks goes out to the people who helped us round up donations. This is a huge help as there are so many different businesses to contact. Thanks go out to Vic Gee, Sharon Winters, Brain Kitagawa and Jack Hughes. Really, you do make it so much more doable! It is hard to understand the labor and work that goes into contacting so many places so these people deserve a big hand for taking on this job!
Audie Williams, the founder of The Davey Derby came by to drop off a donation to the San Juan Hatchery. He said that the Davey Derby in its years of fundraising raised a total of $205,000.00! The account had $130.00 sitting in it so he made a donation to the hatchery for the people at Port Renfrew Marina he loved, in remembrance of the years the derby's held at Port Renfrew Marina.
Mid September marks the "transition" time for fishing in Port Renfrew. The spring salmon are thinning out on a daily basis and the coho are still offshore. By later in the month and certainly by October the coho will be onshore and hungry. Time to get out the light rods and tackle for these best fighting fish. Don't forget: October 3rd and 4th will be the Port Renfrew Coho Derby "Winner Take All" This derby is extremely popular! Tickets are $25.00 a rod with $5.00 of each rod going to the hatchery. One winner gets the pot which on average is approximately anywhere from $8000.00 to $12,000.00 cash! Winnings will be based on ticket sales and please remember that we are a cash business. That is also when we will be making the draw for the Bradley 6 Tray Stainless Steel Smoker, worth $649.00. Tickets for it are $5.00 each or 3 for $10.00. We will also be raffling a Trophy Reel, tickets for it will be $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.
Still no halibut reports as most boats are leaving on trailers or tied to the dock. Focus has been on springs and some Coho.
Some Great news on the Coho front. As of Sept. 11 area 121 (Bonilla West) anglers are allowed 4 Coho per day wild or hatchery! That NE corner along to the 170 top end of the closure can be amazing.
Below is the list of businesses in no particular order who were generous enough to make a donation to this great cause and we ask that all our customers and readers patronize their businesses in thanks and respect for their contributions:
Christie Phoenix, Insolex, Westcoast Tire, Butler Bros, Handsome Dan's, Soule Creek Lodge, Tomi's Restaurant, Select Mortgage Group, Gallery House, Dennis Murray, Travelbea & Ass., Port Renfrew General Store, Beauty Smiles Denture Clinic, Redl Sports, Marion Randall of MVCC, Island Outfitters, Islander Reel, Sooke Harbour Marine, 17 Mile Pub, Monti's Boat Sales, Wholesale Sports, Greg's RV, Construction Drilling, Debbie Gilmore, Canadian Tire (Duncan), Darrel Johnston, Hugh Hamar, Mid-Island Co-op (Lk. Cow), Trailhead Motel, Lakes Marine Supply, Lifetimer Boats, Diamond Eye Care, March Meadows, Glenwood Meats, Green Lantern Pub, Harbour Chandler, Choice Charters, CIBC Bank, Horseshoe Pub, Viper Fuels, Wally Quaite, Mike Smith, Black Dragon Enterprises, Salt Spring Soapworks, Oughtred Coffee, George Wetherall, Ampersand Distilling Company, Avril Creek Winery, Don Colgrave, Four Points Sheraton, Sooke Harbour House, Barry Hobbis & Victoria Harbour Ferry, Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel, Big Fish Lodge, 4 Mile Pub, Milroy Engineering, Doug & Susan Mills, Kevin Gillard, All Battery, Blair Houdayer Estate, VI Rentals, O'ki, Browns Social House, Paul Ricard, Nisers, Peoples Drug Mart (Sooke), J&V Burgers and Pizza, A&W, Subway (Colwood & Langford)Liqour Planet, Starbucks (Colwood & Langford), Liqour Depot, Richlock Rentals, Cineplex Theater, Three Point Porperties, Gerry Murray, Great Canadian Oil Change, Esso, Serious Coffee, Stone Pipe Grill, Floyds Diner, Bob Biggs, Cabela's, Parker Marine, Gone Fishin', Chemainus Auto, Band H Tire, Dog House Restaurant, ATP Bait & Tackle, Buckerfields, Sooke Power Supplies, Sheringham Distillery, Shoppers Drug Mart (Sooke), NW Aluminum, Blair Davis, Lazy Gecko, Hardie Honey, Tim Hortons (Colwood & Duncan), Artisans Well, Kelly Wagner of Gizmos Computers, Jim Hermanson of Great Western Equipment, Home Hardware, Lake Cowichan Fly & Tackle, Wise Buys, Eagle Eye Sports, Deans Marine, Scotty, Irly Bird, Duncan Auto, S & G, Silver Streak Boats, Sleggs Lumber, ECS Electrical, Trotac Marine, Bow Mel Chrysler, Item, G n'G, Tirecraft, Country Grocer, Jakes at the Lake, Oak & Carriage, Tugwell Creek, McGregors, Peninsula Co-op, Anglers Retreat, Thrifty's Food Stores (Colwood), Three Gringos Grill, Milestones, Mai Mai bistro, Turmeric Restaurant, Coastal Kitchen, Kelz Cake Shop, Fountain Diner, Village Foods, Superstore, Alpine Marine, Best Western Premier Resort, Western Foods, Whitespot (Duncan & Langford), DSS Welding, Eriks, Greg Distributing, Steve Holgate of Surespan, Steve Lamont of Maple Bay Marina, Steele Electric, Shane & Samantha Morse, Grant Hilliard, Fastenall, Mike Young, John Sheldrake, Wallace Cheong, Berk Intertruck, Tube Shop.
Please forgive and also remind us if we have inadvertently forgotten someone! The derby would not be as successful without all these generous people and businesses!
Bud & Rex