By Bhisham Mohamed
Ravin Persaud of Amelia’s Ward, Linden was adjudged the winner of the 12th Annual Rockstone Fish Catching Competition, held last Sunday.
Accompanied by two relatives, he and his boat captain, Ryan, ventured out into the Essequibo River at about 5:00hrs on Sunday in their bid to cop the prize for the largest catch.
It definitely paid off, and he was awarded the cash prizes for the biggest catch of the day — also the biggest catfish caught — weighing approximately 65 pounds and measuring approximately four feet in length.
Upon being awarded the prizes, Persaud thanked his team for the efforts they had put into the trip, and praised the boat captain who had taken them around to fish.
Described as a fanatic for fishing, Persaud has been participating in this competition for years, and would previously have won similar prizes.
Fishing, he noted, had become part of his life from an early age. Now that the 2017 festival is over, he will commence preparing for the 2018 event.
However, another competitor, “Fish Brow,” received prizes for the biggest lukanani caught, and also for the second largest catch. Speaking with Guyana Times International, an elated “Fish Brow” disclosed that he has participated in the event every year.
He feels more persons should participate in this fish-catching competition, as this would make the event more competitive.
Several ancillary events were held during the course of the day. The water melon-eating competition, for instance, drew a large crowd of spectators, each cheering on his/her favourite contestant. One Mario won that contest, for which there was a cash prize and a trophy.
Apart from the various competitions, the ‘deejay’ did an excellent job in mixing the tracks, causing everyone to gyrate to good music. Games for the kids were a challenge, since there was only the trampoline. Some expressed the view that since the event is family-oriented, more activities should have been planned for all ages.
Whilst some were busy catching fish, some were having a ball in the sun and heat. President of the Rockstone Tourism Association, Ms Lynette Benn, told this newspaper that a lot of work had been invested in the success of the event. She said that at one point the committee had reportedly even considered cancelling the event because of the deplorable state of the road.
She also noted that with direction from the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), the association was able to regroup and continue planning for the event. She explained that the heavy downpour on Saturday caused a number of planned activities to have been cancelled.
Ms Benn was, however, happy with the turnout, and promised to work harder for greater success of the festival next year. Those who stayed at the event until the sun set were treated to live stage performances.
The 2018 Annual Rockstone Fish Festival is billed for October 27 and 28.
