Despite its quiet sailing, the Chief Wawatam radio controlled model boat caused a stir, resulting in several young fishermen scanning the shores for its captain, Brian Perrault of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Fish practically leapt into the hands of anglers during Kids Fishing Day at Castle Rock Ponds near St. Ignace. The weatherman warned of possible rain Saturday, June 6, but the day was brisk and perfect for young fishermen to shore up their skills.

Daniel Moran of St. Ignace brought his 11-year-old son, Nikolas, to the event for the ninth time. Nikolas's friend, Lucas Gustafson, also tagged along for his second appearance at Kids Fishing Day.

Nikolas was having a particularly good morning, catching four fish in the ponds in nearly 30 minutes. The fish were relatively small, but he was still pleased.

Mr. Moran has been a longtime fan of the fishing day, attending each one every year since it first began. Watching his son catch fish easily has been a major draw for him, he said.

"It's nice where even if it's a little fish, they can still catch fish," he said.

Above: Fourteen year-old Jordan Caldwell happily holds up his first catch of the day. It was the first time he had caught something on his first cast. Mr. Moran and his son have been fortunate in the past years, winning free fishing poles from the raffle each time they attended. They had won so many poles, in fact, that Mr. Moran began giving them as presents to his family members.

Fourteen-year-old Jordan Caldwell also had an excellent morning, catching a fish on his first cast. Jordan smiled as he proudly held up a wriggling bluegill, saying it was the first one of those he had ever caught. He also said it was the first time he had caught a fish on his first cast.

Junior anglers also had a chance to haul up 12- to 16-inch rainbow trout from a fishing tank later that morning. The fish were purchased by organizers of the event from the Cedar Brooke Fish Ponds and then added to the tank constructed by the St. Ignace Fire Department around 11 a.m.

Children eagerly surrounded the tank as trout were released in the tank. The fish swarmed around, exploring their sudden change in environment. The children delighted in watching as the fish swiftly approached the bait and latched onto their hooks.

At right: Mary Jane Cadotte, 2, reeled in a perch with the help of her mother and father, Connie and Howard Cadotte of St. Ignace. Each trout that was caught was later released into the surrounding ponds for other anglers to catch. Several children posed with their quarry while parents snapped photographs before releasing their fish.

The fishermen returned to the ponds after the rainbow trout experience. Many found fishing was as easy in the ponds as it was in the tank throughout the day.

Matt Casey of St. Ignace and his son, Logan, 8, stalked up and down the shores of the ponds, catching fish wherever they cast.

Logan, armed with his red and blue Superman fishing pole, caught a variety of fish from sunfish to miniature bullhead catfish. Mr. Casey said they would keep what they caught from the ponds and add them to their fish tank when they returned home. Proud as he was of his catches, Logan kept a respectable distance from the fish.

Young anglers and their families gather around a tank full of rainbow trout at Kids Fishing Day Saturday, June 6. Trout that were caught were released into Castle Rock Ponds for other anglers to catch. "He won't touch the worms and he won't touch the fish," Mr. Casey said.

"I touched the worms!" Logan protested.

Free hotdogs and orange drink were served in the afternoon to hungry participants. The hotdogs were donated by Pines Trading Post in memory of Tom Huskey of St. Ignace, a frequent customer.

As Al Colegrove, treasurer of the Straits Area Sportsmen's Club, belted out the names of raffle winners over a microphone, a small model boat cruised along the one of the ponds, evading fishing lines and surprising participants.

Brian Perrault of Fort Wayne, Indiana, drew attention to himself as he quietly sailed several of his homemade radio-controlled boats along the ponds. He hoisted one of his boats, a replica of the Chief Wawatam, out of the water and displayed it.

Brian Perrault of Fort Wayne, Indiana, poses with his remote controlled boat, Chief Wawatam. Mr. Perrault built the boat from scratch, and has been building model boats since he was a child. Mr. Perrault explained he had made model boats since he was a child. Three years ago, he began adding electronic parts to them and started sailing them in ponds in Fort Wayne. The boats often caused a stir with the local children, who would run up to him and begin asking questions, he said.

The result of his boats' voyage across Castle Rock Ponds were largely the same. One interested person even offered to buy his boats.

Smokey the Bear also made an appearance in the afternoon. Many children were eager to meet him, in between catching perch and the occasional box turtle.

Mr. Colegrove's voice echoed across the ponds the entire day, announcing the winners of fishing poles, tackle boxes, boat tickets, life vests, and other prizes.

About 210 people registered for the fishing day, short of the expected 300. Mr. Colegrove said the sportsmen's club was pleased with the turnout.

Daniel Moran of St. Ignace helps untangle Lucas Gustafson's fishing line. Lucas is Nikolas Moran's friend, and attended the fishing day with the Moran family for the second year in a row. The event is sponsored by the Straits Area Sportsmen's Club, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Hiawatha National Forest, Mackinaw Outfitters, Michigan Straits Chapter of the Safari Club International, and the 4-H Youth Program of Michigan State University Extension.