The Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, along with the Eagle River Guides Association held its 32nd annual Guides/Kids Fishing Day on Thursday, July 12 at the Vilas County Fairgrounds in Eagle River. It was a fun filled day for all who attended.

Participants started the day off with registration, a casting contest and a learning seminar on how to catch pan fish, use a slip bobber and how to tie a hook onto their line. Then it was time for the most awaited part of the day–the drawing of names to go fishing with area guides.

This year’s event went very well with great weather–sunny and warm. Fourteen guides, from all around the area, volunteered their time to take two kids fishing in their boats on area lakes. The guides not only shared their fishing gear with the kids, but they shared some of their fishing secrets and special fishing stories.

Children from the ages of 7 to 12 participated in this year’s Guides/Kids Fishing Day. These children were from all over, either visiting our area or actually from the Eagle River area. The best parts of the day were seeing the kids with large smiles when their name was drawn to fish with a guide or best of all the excitement they had when they caught their first fish. The guides were able to take 28 of 41 kids who participated out in the boat fishing for the day. What an exciting and memorable day for everyone. The other kids unable to fish with a guide enjoyed fishing stories and having the opportunity to fish in the trout ponds at the Watersmeet Trout Hatchery in Watersmeet, Mich.

A Big Thank You goes out to Bill Hassey – Chairman of Guides/Kids Fishing Day for helping to organize the day’s events.

The chamber would also like to give a special thank you to the 14 guides who spent time on the water sharing the out-of-doors with area youth. This event and the opportunity to fish with a Guide truly means a lot to these kids. Also a special salute to all the volunteers who helped make sure the event ran smoothly from all angles. And most of all a big thank you to the more than 25 area sponsors who made this event possible and free to all the kids.

Mark your calendars for next year’s Guides/Kids Day on July 11, 2013.