Catch a fish, win a prize

400 tagged fish are waiting to be caught

Vernal — At least three fish marked with tags have been caught in the Uintah Basin. That means close to 400 marked fish are still available to anglers as part of a fishing event!

You could win a prize if you catch a tagged fish like this one.

Photo by Ron Stewart

The Family Fun Fishing Event is sponsored by three radio stations in the Uintah Basin: the Fox, KNEU and B92.

Utah State Parks and Recreation and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources are also helping with the event.

"I've heard of at least three fish caught and maybe a fourth," says Teena Christopherson, the event coordinator. "The DWR received three calls the day after Memorial Day [from anglers who caught a marked fish], and a tag has been turned in.

"This is a much better opener than last year," she says. "We just barely launched the event over the Memorial Day weekend. Last year, we went almost a month before the first tag was returned."

This is how the event works: roughly 400 fish marked with "winner" tags have been stocked into Steinaker and Sand Wash reservoirs. A few have also been stocked into Moose Pond, a small pond located south of Manila along the Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway (Route 44).

The first 50 anglers who catch a marked fish will receive a small prize. The names of every angler who catches a marked fish will be entered into a drawing for more than $3,000 in prizes.

If you catch one of the marked fish, clip the tag and take it to Basin Sports, the Fox/KNEU radio station, the office at Steinaker State Park, the U.S. Forest Service office in Manila or the DWR office in Vernal.

"There's no age limit, so anyone can join in on the fun." Christopherson says. "We [the radio stations and other sponsors] feel fishing is a great family activity.

"The Family Fun Fishing Event is a good way to bring a little extra excitement to your next outing."