Chilly but fun day at Lily Pond

MILFORD — “I once caught a fish this big!” is a well known exaggeration for fishermen, but for some on Saturday, April 17, during the Pike County Annual Children’s Fishing Derby, it wasn’t an exaggeration at all. With temperatures in the low 40s and winds blowing at about 10 to 15 mph, it felt more like fall than spring; even the landscape was deceiving with the new blooms looking more like autumn foliage under a rapidly darkening cloudy sky. None of that stopped the dedicated anglers, of all ages, from casting away. The Pike County commissioners, who stock Lily Pond at the county park annually before the contest, were in charge and extremely happy with the turnout. “Last year it was gorgeous!” Commissioners Chair Rich Caridi said, shifting from foot to foot to keep warm. “It was 65, 70 degrees and despite the weather today, we had at least 225 people come out.” During the derby, food and hot drinks were available. Families from all over Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey came out for the 6 a.m. start, hoping for their chance to catch the biggest fish and win a prize. By the end of the day, the prizes were given out at noon - as the weather couldn’t hold out any longer, and it began to hail.