The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Over $11,000 along with many other prizes were awarded this year at the 19th Annual Cranberry Portage Trout Challenge held last Saturday and Sunday. Wind and rain could not keep the 51 teams entered in the two-day event off the lake. Prizes were awarded to the top 11 teams and the standings were: 1st - Sheldon Wiebe and Joby Nomeland (Flin Flon) with 233.5Ó winning $3,500. 2nd - Randy Boychuk and Blaine Hyska (Flin Flon) with 222Ó winning $2,500. 3rd - John Waterer and Bruce Murray (Winnipeg) with 211Ó winning $2,000. 4th - Jim Reich and Dave Minish (Swan River) with 209Ó winning $765. 5th - Martin Ouellet and Rob James (Cranberry Portage) with 208Ó winning $510. 6th - Barry Anderson and Gord Fidierchuk (Cranberry Portage) with 207.5Ó winning $484. 7th - Duncan Aamot and Ray Sparks (Cranberry Portage / Winnipeg) with 207Ó winning $408. 8th - Ted and Leslie Smith with 206.5Ó winning $357. 9th (tie) - Bill Connely and Paul Skoczylaz (Estevan), and Bob Gummerson and Gord Keyes (Flin Flon) with 204Ó winning $357. 11th - Grant Harbottle and Vance Bilquist (The Pas / Flin Flon) with 203.5Ó winning a 2009 Cranberry Portage Trout Challenge entry valued at $150. The largest fish Saturday was a 35.5Ó caught by Rick Hubbs (The Pas) and the largest fish Sunday was a 40.5Ó caught by Joby Nomeland (Flin Flon). Both anglers were awarded $100 and Nomeland also picked up a Team Manitoba Master Angler jacket from Manitoba Tourism for catching the largest fish of the tournament. The Candace Danielson Memorial Trophy was awarded to Jill Bickel (Thompson) for landing a 28Ó fish, which was the largest trout caught by a female. This trophy was donated by CandaceÕs family. Bickel also received a plaque, jacket, and a 2009 Cranberry Portage Trout Challenge entry valued at $150. The 6th Annual John Moodie Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the highest placing Cranberry Portage team, and until next year the bragging rights that go along with it belong to Martin Ouellet and Rob James. Sponsors were once again generous. The guaranteed prize money is only possible because of these donations and various raffles held to raise funds for the tournament. The 12-ft. Lund with a 6-hp mercury motor was won by Carter Kosmenko; two Calm Air return flights from Flin Flon to Winnipeg were won by Don Melnyk; and the two-day, one-night Wings Over Kississing fly-out fishing trip for six, valued at $3000, was won by Onni Hyytiainen. The event was again made possible by volunteers. We hope to see all anglers return for the 20th Annual Trout Challenge in 2009.
