Fall fishing festival in Nipigon celebrates 50 years this weekend

Anglers from around the Thunder Bay district and parts of the United States will flock to Nipigon, Ont. this weekend for the 50th annual fall festival.

A festival highlight this year isthe showcasing of the recovery of the once-threatened brook trout population.

"We're using this year as well to celebrate all the great work that the MNR and anglers have done cooperatively to bring the species back, said Paul Ertel, one of the event organizers.

"One of the reasons it's been so popular over the past 50 years is... the goal of the festival is to promote community pride, promote community volunteerism, to promote the community to local and regional people as well. To promote family participation in all the activities that we offer.

The festival will have two derbies. Prizes for the top three fish will be given by category and weight and there will also be some mystery prizes.

"In the adult derby we are allowing salmon, lake trout, pike, pickerel and brook trout...and brook trout has to be a minimum of 22 inches to be entered, he said.

On Monday the festival hosts the Huck Finn derby for kids under 12.

In the Huck Finn derby they are allowed to enter any species except brook trout.

Next year the festival will mark the centennial of the catching of a world-record brook trout in the Nipigon River.