Sydenham Lake Ice Fishing Derby

Wilma Kenny | Feb 23, 2022

A wild wind and blowing snow on Sunday last didn’t stop over a hundred small ice-fisher-kids from hunkering over holes in Sydenham Lake, hopefully dangling chunks of bait. There were no ice huts for these hardy souls or their accompanying parents, friends and dogs. Nor, at least on Sunday morning when I was there, were there any fish willing to be caught.

What there was however, were a welcoming registration desk, Smokey the firedog mascot, lots of fire fighters, some police, a wagon ride to and from the fishing grounds, which were equipped with rods, bait, freshly-augured fishing holes, upturned plastic pails to sit on, hot dogs, soup, coffee, hot chocolate, a warming trailer, and prizes for each fisher person after their half-hour shift.

The organization was excellent: children pre-registered, and were assigned their fishing times ahead of time: there were over a hundred participants. The prizes were great, and no one seemed to mind the wind chill and the lack of fish; everyone seemed to be having a really good time.

Much credit goes to the SF Fire and Rescue teams, and all the other volunteers who made this a most successful event!