Small Anglers Land Big Fish

Nearly 200 young anglers headed to Gould Manor Pond this morning to try their luck in catching trout that had been placed in the pond the day before.

"It was kind of easy," Danielle Rossi, 9, of Oxford, said of landing her award-winning 13-inch trout shortly after the Fairfield Police Athletic League's Trout Derby started at 9 a.m. The annual derby is open to children from 3 to 15 years old, and prizes, which included fishing poles and lures, were awarded in a variety of categories.

Danielle caught the biggest trout of any girl from 9 to 15 years old, but the 13-inch trout she reeled in by an area of the pond closest to Holland Hill Road wasn't the biggest fish she's caught. At last year's Trout Derby, Danielle reeled in an 18-inch trout and won first prize for largest trout caught by a girl from 3 to 8 years old.

Danielle tossed the fish back into the pond after its size was measured by derby officials.

Danielle's 13-inch trout was just a little smaller than the size of the largest trout caught by a boy from 9 to 15 years old.

Brandon Demers, 15, of Bridgeport, reeled in a 15.5-inch rainbow trout about 10 minutes after the Trout Derby started.

Brandon, who also tossed his fish back into the pond, had a little more trouble landing his 15.5-inch trout than Danielle had with her 13-inch trout. "He was pulling, dragging and almost went down the falls, but I got him in. I put him back in the water," Brandon said.

Brandon said he once caught an 18-inch fish at a derby in Milford when he was younger.

Not everyone who reeled in a fish brought it to the derby table to be measured.

Chace Ardito, 12, of Milford, reeled in a rainbow trout that looked to be 13 inches just as the derby ended at 11 a.m., but he tossed the trout back into the water right away. "I caught two today; the other one was an inch smaller," Chace said.

Chace said he didn't have any interest in bringing the trout home and eating it. "I don't like eating fish. The only thing I will eat is fish sticks," he said.

Chace said he used live shiners as bait and liked to fish. "Sometimes it gets boring just sitting there, but it's fun. When you actually get a fish, reeling it in, it's exciting," he said.

Bob Rainieri, Chace's grandfather, wasn't surprised Chace tossed the 13-inch trout back into the pond. "He don't like to kill anything, won't kill a fly. They all say a true sportsman, that's what they do - throw them back," Rainieri said.

John Phelan brought his three daughters to the Trout Derby - ages 6, 4 and 11 months - but they didn't try to fish for very long. "Each of us got a cast and that was about it," Phelan said, adding that his daughters weren't as interested in fishing after the line got tangled up.

Fairfield Police Officer Scott Sudora, a member of PAL's board of directors who ran the Trout Derby, said it's been an annual event for at least the past 52 years and is usually well attended. "It's for kids 3 to 15, but the parents help out...It's a good family day; that's what's important to us," Sudora said.

Gould Manor Pond was stocked Friday with 400 trout from a hatchery called Rowledge Pond Aquaculture in Newtown, and the trout put in the pond ranged from nine to 16 inches, Sudora said.

But Gould Manor Pond also has carp, sunfish and eels that are native to the pond, Sudora said.

Sudora said not everyone brings their catches home. "A lot of people throw them back, which is nice - catch and release - but the majority of people take them home," he said.

The fishing poles and fishing gear awarded as prizes in the Trout Derby were bought with money donated by the Westport Striped Bass Club, Bridgeport Boat Owners Association and New York Athletic Club's Anglers Division, said Scott Carroll, a member of the Westport and Bridgeport clubs.

"We just feel  if we can put a fishing rod in a kid's hand, it gets them outside, gets them in touch with nature around them...gets them off the video games for an hour," Carroll said.

PAL's Trout Derby is also a good family event, Carroll said. "You can see fathers, mothers being with their children," he said.

Jim Orefice, owner of Jimmy O's Bait and Tackle on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, was near the spot where Chace fished, untangling lines, baiting hooks, demonstrating how to cast and offering encouragement to the young anglers. "I got this whole corner, helping out the kids," he said.

Orefice said he donated earthworms, pond shiners and meal worms for the Trout Derby and provided tackle at-cost.

Luigi Rossi, Danielle's father, said he's brought his children to PAL's Trout Derby for a long time. He said Danielle's older sister used to win awards at the Trout Derby as well, but she stopped coming to the derby when she turned 16.

Sudora this afternoon provided Fairfield Patch with a list of winners in all categories. The list follows:

First Trout Caught by a Boy - Michael Carey;

First Trout Caught by a Girl - Quinn Cunningham;

Biggest Trout Caught by a Boy, ages 3 through 8 - Luca Marinello and Mark Kolotylo (tie) 13.5 inches;

Biggest Trout Caught by a Girl, ages 3 through 8 - Gianna Padillo, 13.5 inches;

Biggest Trout Caught by a Boy, ages 9 through 15 - Brandon Demers, 15 inches;

Biggest Trout Caught by a Girl, ages 9 through 15 - Danielle Rossi, 13 inches;

Smallest Trout Caught by a Girl - Jenna Hannan, 10 inches;

Smallest Trout Caught by a Boy - Andrew Aronin, 9.5 inches;

First Tagged Trout to be Caught - Thomas Sudora;

Largest Fish Caught Other Than a Trout - Charlie Bazso, 18.5-inch carp;

Smallest Fish Caught Other Than a Trout - Matthew Harvey, 2-inch snail.