Sometimes a popular event starts out small and doesn’t get much recognition at the beginning. A case in point is the annual Oneonta Fishing Derby, set for Aug. 11 at Hodges Pond in Neahwa Park. This event has been for youth, ages 5-15, going back to 1954.

There was a short news item in The Oneonta Star on July 7, 1954. It told about the first fishing derby to be held July 17. The Parks and Recreation Commission, aptly led by Ernest "Dutch" Damaschke and his invaluable assistant, Lewis Laskaris, put this program together.

How many participated and who won prizes is uncertain. Today’s Oneonta Recreation Office has been unable to find the results of the early years, if they were kept. The Oneonta Star didn’t print results, after an exhaustive search through the newspapers around July 17 and beyond.

It must’ve been successful, because the derby continued. Word of mouth was the rule, as there was nothing in the 1955 newspapers to tell about the event.

The number of participants truly picked up for the July 27, 1956, fishing derby. The day before, Laskaris said more than 150 boys and girls had secured their free licenses to compete. The Oneonta Star on Saturday reported that 214 had participated.

Mayor Roger Hughes welcomed the youngsters. Judges were R. Milton Hick, Clarence Taylor, John House and Clyde Utter. Waterfront supervisors were William Ronovech, Gordon Roberts, W.S. Batchelder, Hurley McLean, Albert Colone, Edward Elmendorf, Jack Baker, Francis Lee and Joseph Leveille.

Promptly at 6:30 p.m., the youngsters, coached by family and friends, cast their lines into the pond. Parents and volunteers patrolled the shore, helping children who needed assistance, untangling lines, taking fish hooks out of clothing and in one instance restraining a boy from jumping into the water after a big one that got away.

Plenty of prizes were awarded. Fishing equipment was given to the 10 winners in the various categories. Boys were luckier than girls, as they caught the biggest fish and largest poundage. Vaughn Horth caught three fish with a total weight of nine pounds, four ounces. Susie Christman took the prize for the smallest fish, at two inches.

In 1957, more than 225 children netted 62 fish. The recreation commission tried something a bit different in 1958. There wasn’t a derby, but children were allowed to open fish on certain days of the week between 4-8:00 p.m. Eventually, the derby resumed.

The next generation was still enjoying the derby in 1988. That year 150 children cast their lines. Brothers Don and Bob Stanley won their flights with nine- and seven-pound carp and captured the largest fish awards for their age groups. Another brother, Steve Stanley, placed second in his age group with a two-pound fish. That was the second year the Stanley brothers had won awards at the event.

Now and then, weather probably canceled a few fishing derbies. But not many, if one looks through the scrapbooks now kept at the city recreation office.

Around 1990, Hodges Pond was having a few problems. Late that year, the water was drained so the city could battle the weeds that had plagued the pond in recent years. At that time, traces of a compound found in toxic coal tar were found in the pond, from the former NYSEG gas plant nearby.

The fishing derby carried on, with warnings, of course. By 1994, the numbers of participants had surged again.

Nick Sobers, then 13, gave his secret away to the success he had on Aug. 4. The secret was in the bait.

"Bread. Little rolled up balls of bread," he said, tearing a chunk off the slice of white at his feet and sticking it on the hook.

"Look at that," a neighboring mother pointed out as Sobers had quickly pulled in his sixth and seventh fish. "He just keeps throwing it in and pulling them out." Her daughter had gone fishless, so far.

Sobers won a trophy for snagging 17 fish in one hour.

The derby tradition continues this year. It will be held Saturday, Aug. 11. The Susquehanna Bass Association will hold a clinic at 3 p.m., and the derby will be from 4 to 5:00 p.m. Registrations are now being taken. Call the Oneonta Recreation Office for details at 432-0680.

This weekend: A visit to a landmark general store in Treadwell.

City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com.