Derby News - Week 15, End of Derbies 2009

Early Season Fish Hang On To Win $15,000, Palmer Man Wins Truck

By the time the crowd of nearly 300 derby participants gathered for the annual Spawn ‘til Dawn Derby Awards Party at the Civic Center Sunday night everyone knew who the big winners were in the Halibut and Silver Salmon Derby. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that someone didn’t come along at the end of the derby and knock Chuck Gard’s 19.42 pound salmon off the leader board in the waning hours of the derby. “There were 24 days left of the derby when I caught my fish, so I never thought it would hold on”, Gard commented Sunday night. Lots of people were in Valdez according to Eagle’s Rest RV Park owner Laura Saxe. “We were very busy this weekend”, commented Saxe. “At least the same number of people as last year this time”.

While the silvers and people both made it to Valdez for the last week of the derby, it seems the fish would rather perform acrobatic jumping routines for the anglers rather than take a hook. And Saturday, the Valdez Dock was chock full of anglers fishing in and around the boats moored at the harbor as many silvers decided to return to the docks rather than the hatchery this year. “Weird”, commented fish filleter Pat Olson. “It was just a strange year”. So strange that charter boat captain Dan Ames caught a fish with his feet. A silver salmon jumped up onto the Valdez dock after he had returned from a slow day of fishing and he grabbed it for his client. When asked what gear he used to catch fish that day Ames quipped, “Orange Merrell shoes from the Prospector”.

While the fishing might have been a bit strange and slow the final weekend, the spirits of anglers could not be dampened Sunday night. “The fish derbies is really a great thing for everyone”, said 3rd place halibut derby winner Rick Ballow when he accepted his $2,000 check. Stephen Caverly of Eagle River was on hand to accept his $15,000 check for catching the largest halibut of the season, a 312.9 pound monster he pulled from the depths August 10th. And Marvin Ray Williams of Fairbanks, who took 2nd place and won $5,000, said he had so many people monitoring the derby for him that he never had to check it out himself. “As soon as I got a call from Tim Mowry of the Fairbanks Daily Newsminer, I knew I was out of the lead,” commented a good natured Williams. Charter Captain Dave Wiley of the Dan Orion picked up $500 for selling the winning ticket to Stephen Caverly and another $500 for being the captain of the winning boat.

Grand Prize silver salmon derby winner Chuck Gard of Valdez was on hand for the awards ceremony, along with Sister Marie Brent and Father Frank Reitter. Reitter netted the winning fish for Gard August 13th and Gard said he would be donating some of his winnings to Reitter’s charity of choice. Gard won $15,000 for his big fish and also picked up another $500 for being captain of the boat the winning fish was caught from. Wayne Gunion was awarded $500 for selling the ticket to Gard.

At the end of the evening, a hush fell upon the crowd as Sarah Baumann pulled the winning ticket from the mass of entries in the ticket spinner on the Civic Center stage. Bill Hixenbaugh of Palmer, Alaska was drawn and a quick phone call to his home found he was not home but fishing. When Hixenbaugh’s wife was called via teleconference from the Civic Center and notified he had won the 4x4 truck from Seekins Ford, she was excited and the people at the awards ceremony could hear her excitement over the loud speakers. When asked whether he needed a truck she replied, “I do!”