Overseeing fishing derby

Posted: Sunday, September 19, 2010 12:44 am | Updated: 12:46 am, Sun Sep 19, 2010.
    CHUBBUCK — The row of children with fishing poles in hand dot the pond at FMC Park on this fine Saturday in September. Helpful adults hover close by, barely out of baited hook’s flung path, many of them likely wishing they, too, could wet a line. It’s hard to hold back when you can see the lunkers lazily swimming by.
    A shout goes up: “I got one!” Joe Radeck moves quickly around the pond and helps the child land the rainbow trout, remove the hook and measure the trout.
    The annual derby, sponsored by the local American Legion Post 4 of Pocatello, is dedicated to the memory of Michael Schow, a Legion member who founded the event and passed away last year. This year’s event was headed by Radeck, who juggled cooking duties with judging and with generally seeing that kids were having fun.
    In a brief lull in angling luck, Radeck has a bit of quick lunch while recounting his Navy experience.
    “I served a year-and-a-half, two years with the Navy. I was on an aircraft carrier. I slipped a disk in my back about two, three months after I got out of “A” school and reported to the ship. Been a disabled vet ever since,” he says.
    Radeck is interrupted by the shouts of “fish on!”  He quickly gulps down his hot-dog and helps net the big rainbow, which comes in at 18-and-one-half inches.  The young female angler jumps up and down and lets out an ear-piercing cheer when Joe reads out the measurement.
    “These hooks will rust out in about three days,” he tells the youngsters, trying to hasten the process of getting the fish back into the water without the need to remove the hardware. Because the fish is bigger than 14 inches, it is returned to the pond after measuring.
    “We had a little girl two years ago that was 6, 7 years old,” Radeck says. “She caught the first and the biggest, (it) happened to be (something) like 27 inches. She cried because she had to turn it loose. She wanted to take that thing home. She was real proud of it. It was her first fish she ever caught, too.”
    Radeck has been a member of the local Legion post for about four years and has been involved in the fishing derby for the last three.
    “We try to do this twice a year out at the pond. The kids enjoy it and have a good time. It’s all about the kids as far as the Legion goes,”
he says. “We have trophies for boys and girls both: First fish, biggest fish, most fish, smallest fish and then we’ve got two sportsmen awards we give out.”
    From the overlook, the fish can be seen clearly as they move through the weed beds. There are some beasts to be had here.
    And has Radeck ever succumbed to the temptation to tempt a trout in these waters?
    “No. I go fishing down on the Snake River,” he says.
    Another yell goes out and Radeck readies the net to help bring the fish in.
    “I love fishing and they get me out here all the time. I love working with the kids. It’s fun seeing them come out here and catch a fish,” he says. “Some of these kids, it’s the first fish they’ve ever caught.”
    Radeck scoots to the opposite bank and nets the fighting trout.
    “Twenty-four inches!” he calls out. Adults and kids cheer.
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