Craig Daily Press / Gone fishin’

Huck Finn Fun Day provides free fishing and prizes

Nine-year-old Samuel Newman, left, and Silas Canto, 8, try their luck during last year’s Huck Finn Fun Day at Loudy-Simpson Park. The annual event takes place Saturday. Enlarge photo File photo

By Andy Bockelman

June 6, 2008

Past Event

Saturday, June 7, 2008, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Loudy-Simpson Park, 500 S. Ranney St., Craig
Not available

More on this event.

Craig — Mark Twain’s literary creations Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher have existed for more than 120 years, but their spirit lives on this weekend.

Huck Finn Fun Day begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Loudy-Simpson Park. Free fishing, a costume contest and more will fill out the event.

Registration will run until 9 a.m., when judging will begin on the costume contest. Children ages 1 to 15 are encouraged to dress up as Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher, with overalls, straw hats and corn cob pipes for the boys and long skirts, bonnets and parasols for the girls.

Prizes will be given to the most authentic costumes for the three age groups — 1 to 5, 6 to 10 and 11 to 15. The best homemade fishing poles will win prizes, as well.

Following a discussion of fishing safety and rules by Colorado Game & Fish and the Moffat County Sheriff Office, prize fishing for ages 15 and under will begin at 10 a.m with a limit of four fish per competitor.

Prizes will be awarded for first through third place as well as categories such as “Biggest Fish,” “Smallest Fish,” “Ugliest Fish” and more.

Johnny Garcia is the chairman for the event, which is sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4265 and the Ladies Auxiliary.

“I’ve been doing this for five years,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of great prizes this year, like Spree Bucks and gift certificates donated by businesses. This is very important for the kids because they need to be shown that they’re just as important as adults. It teaches them respect and safety and that fishing is a really great sport.”

As part of its Free Fishing Days program, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has donated 100 trout for the event and will provide a number of poles and packets of fishing information. The trout were placed in the pond Thursday.

“This is a priority for us,” DOW officer Mike Swaro said. “We’ve got to get these kids excited about fishing, and we like to get involved.”

Food for Huck Finn Fun Day includes hamburgers and hot dogs that have been provided by Mountain Meat Packing and buns from Holsum Bread. Beverages are donated by Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

“This community is amazing,” Garcia said. “It’s really one of the best I’ve ever seen, because the businesses and people get involved and they never say no.”

Andy Bockelman can be reached at (970) 875-1796