At 9:00 AM on Saturday June 4th the first lines were cast off the pier of Kiptopeke State Park on the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula to kick off the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge's youth fishing derby, appropriately named "Fish For Fun." Kids from the local Boy Scouts of America and elementary schools were invited to attend. The sun was up, the harbor bustling, while the kids anxiously awaited their opportunity to reel in the big one.

In collaboration with the Virginia State Parks and Chris' Bait & Tackle of Cape Charles, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sponsored a fish for fun day for local kids on Saturday. The park supplied fishing poles and Chris' Bait & Tackle supplied bait for 11 kids. The day started off with a consistent mix of seaweed, sticks and crabs, as the kids tried their luck with the assistance of refuge and park staff as well as volunteers. One child nearly lost a shoe in his enthusiasm. Finally, most kids had something on their line, even if only a sneaky crab. One of the youngest anglers was pleased to find a Southern king fish at the end of his line near the closing of the event. Spirits were kept alive throughout the afternoon by the park's interpreter as she informed the kids about the local fauna. At the end of the day, the refuge awarded all participants with brand new fishing poles and reels. Hopefully this is a start of a lifelong love of fishing.