Chapeau Lions holding 36th annual fishing tournament this Saturday

Chapeau Lions holding 36th annual fishing tournament this Saturday

This Saturday, the waters of the Upper Pontiac will be filled with vessels participating in the 36th Annual Chapeau Lions Fishing Tournament. This is the first tournament that’s been held since the start of the pandemic, and it’s one of the club’s biggest fundraisers, along with the duck race typically held in August.

Founding member and club treasurer Bert Collin explained that they will be hosting an orientation meeting the night before the tournament (July 8) at 7 p.m. at the Lions hall. The tournament begins at 7 a.m. the next day, taking off from the docks near River Road, and will wrap up around 4 p.m.

The tournament is strictly for bass and pickerel, with prizes for the heaviest of each species. Collin said that contestants would be limited to the stretch of the Ottawa River between Campbell’s Bay and what’s known as “the old locks”.

Collin explained that the funds raised by the tournament would go towards a variety of organizations and projects in the community that the Lions support.

The entry fee is $80 per team and teams are limited to two people. The tournament is live release, so entrants are required to have a live well. Collin said that the grand prize was $1,000, but the rest of the prizes would depend on the number of entrants.

For more information, call either Bert at 819-689-2746 or Gerry at 819-689-2598.

The full interview with Collin can be found here.