Thursday, May 25, 2006
Tight Lines: Everyone wins
at Catch a Cure
By Brett Prettyman
Salt Lake Tribune Columnist
I have never been a big fan
of competition fishing. Sure, I enjoy the thrill of the weigh-in and the look
of a pro angler who just lost the fish that would have put him on top. But at
its core, tournament fishing is an individual sport.
I'm much more of a team
player, so buddy tournaments, as the team bass fishing tournaments hosted by
the Utah Bass Federation are fondly known, appeal to me. I have fished in a
couple, including one at Flaming Gorge with Ron Colby - one of four Utahns to
compete in the Bassmaster Classic.
The others have all been at
the annual Catch a Cure for Cancer bass and walleye tournament at Starvation
Reservoir each June. It is one fishing tournament I'd really like to win, just
so I can get that emotional rush of handing the first-place check back to
organizers Carri and Jerry Schlief.
The Schliefs then hand that
check, and all the others turned back to them by other tournament participants,
to the people who run Camp Hobe, a summer camp for children with cancer and their
siblings.
The sixth annual Catch a Cure
for Cancer fishing tournament is June 24. In the five previous tournaments, the
Schliefs and anglers have raised $52,000 to help get children with this
horrible disease out of the sterile hospital environments and into the woods,
or at least a cabin in the woods.
Brett Prettyman
"The first year it was
something new so we got some interest, but as the years have progressed it has
become an event that bass and walleye anglers mark on their schedule long
before it happens," said Carri Schlief. "People hear about it and
they want to be involved. It's raising money for children with cancer. Who
wouldn't want to be a part of that?"
The inaugural event raised
$5,900 and gave the Schliefs enough success to try again. More than $15,900 was
raised at last year's event.
Here's how it works. A team
of two anglers pay typical tournament registration fees of $120 to fish in
either the bass or the walleye side of the contest. They can also pay $240 to
enter both sides of the tournament.
There is also an individual
option pot of $20 for big fish in both species. After the weigh-in, checks are
handed to the top five teams in each category and for big bass and walleye
honors.
That's when the magic
happens.
"It's an amazing
feeling. You feel so grateful when someone says the money means nothing to them
and that it means more to them to give something to the children," Carri
Schlief said. "It chokes me up every time."
After the awards, volunteers
from Camp Hobe, including the families of participants and some of
the children themselves, serve up a barbecue.
"There is no winning or
losing, everybody wins, especially the kids," she said. "That's what
Catch a Cure is all about."
Because there is no pressure
to win, the tournament has a laid-back feeling, which makes it all the more
appealing. This is a great way for people who have wanted to compete in a
tournament before but were anxious about the details to get a taste of how it
all works.
Still looking for a Father's
Day present? Sign yourself and your father or grandpa up as a team or sign up
in honor of a lost family member. Through the years, an increasing number of
father/children and spouse teams have competed in the name of supporting Camp Hobe.
For more information, check
out http://www.catchacureforcancer.com/
and I'll see you on Starvation - hopefully when they hand out the checks.
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Contact Brett Prettyman at brettp@sltrib.com or 801-257-8902.