“It is the volunteers that make it happen.” So said Gary Byers “THE FISH FINDER” who throughout the annual Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular provides daily derby radio reports.
Byers, who has done on-air updates on this giant sports fishing celebration for decades, emceed the annual Salmon Spectacular fish fry for derby sponsors.
The 10-day 37th annual Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular Derby and Festival kicks off August 22nd wrapping up at noon on Sunday August 31st.
This festival, staged by the Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association (SSA), attracted 55-thousand last year to the giant waterfront tent, site of the weigh station and all kinds of free entertainment. five thousand anglers took part.
VOLUNTEERS:
It takes six hundred volunteers to stage this largest event of the year in Grey-Bruce.
For larger view, click on image
Speakers at the sponsors event paid tribute to the army of volunteers who:
– raise and dismantle the 300-foot-long derby tent
– set up the food and merchandise displays
– prepare and sell food and merchandise.
– man the weigh scale booth
– stage three fish fry’s that this year will serve over 7-thousand
– attend 30 outdoors trade shows a year promoting the festival
Gebert announced that organizers have streamlined the lineups for fish weigh-ins. They added an express lane to get the hundreds of anglers through the weigh-in line faster this year.
The idea is to have anglers who know their salmon won’t make the day’s top-10, use the express lane. The fish won’t be weighed, but the angler will still get entered into the day’s boat draw.
Also new this year the very popular Kids Frendzy Fish pond, will operate for all ten days of the derby. This fun attraction introduces youngsters to the art of fish catching. If they want, they can take home the rainbow trout they catch for mom to cook.
Several speakers praised the volunteers who stage this waterfront festival.
Bruce-Grey-Grey Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff paid tribute to the Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association “that does so much for conservation in our region.”
He noted “an incredible amount of effort goes into this miracle on the waterfront…it is second to none.” And he urged the SSA to “keep up the hard work, let’s have another 37 years of celebrating our sports fishery.”
The Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular awards over $175 thousand dollars worth of prizes including more than 65 boats. It draws over 25-thousand people to Owen Sound and generates nearly 3-million dollars a year for the Grey-Bruce economy. The derby raises money to support the Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association’s fish hatchery and other conservation projects.
Ray Hynes of Cambridge took Top Prize in last year’s 2024 McDonald’s Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular with his 24.80 lb. Salmon.
Check the 2025 edition of the 195-page derby magazine, the Sportsmen’s Outdoors Annual. It’s the thickest ever with ads from hundreds of sponsors as well as informative outdoors articles. Sponsors are all part of this giant celebration which proudly earns the title “LARGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR IN GREY-BRUCE.”
