
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 10, 1990                   TAG: 9005110372
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TRACY VAN MOORLEHEM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FISHING ROUNDS UP GENERATIONS

Many of those participating in the 39th annual Earnest "Pig Robertson" fishing rodeo Saturday will be accompanied by parents who took part as children and never outgrew the thrill of a tug on the line.

The fishing rodeo has become a Salem tradition, passed down from one generation to the next. Jim Gresham remembers going to the Lake Spring Pond as a boy, arriving early to select the best spot. Now he brings his own son. Last year the 4-year-old caught his limit, six fish, in half an hour.

"The rodeo is a great opportunity for kids with fathers, like myself, who can't take them out fishing often," he said.

John Givens is another rodeo-veteran father, who regularly brings his daughters. This year, he'll only have one child fishing in the rodeo because the other is too old.

"I remember going as a youngster. There are tons of fish. You have to work at not catching something," he said.

The late Ernest "Pig" Robertson began the annual rodeos in 1951, after realizing that little kids had nowhere to fish. Originally he stocked the pond with trout that were donated by the state.

But the following year the state decided it could no longer supply the fish to one locality because requests from all over the state poured in after news of the rodeo spread.

Now Salem and 107 area businesses fund the event.

"There will be $6,700 worth of trout this year," said Robertson's widow Martha. "It's a good year for trout so we're looking for some beauties," she said. The largest fish will be about 6 pounds, she said.

The children are expected to do most of the fishing, she said, but parents can help with bait and casting. The pond is usually crowded and the result can be a bit of chaos without parental guidance, she said.

The rodeo schedule runs over a two-week period - Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. for 3-8 year-olds; Monday from 10 a.m. until noon for handicapped and autistic children; May 17 from 10 a.m. until noon for nursing home residents and handicapped adults who cannot fish elsewhere (city of Salem fishing permit required); and May 19 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. for youngsters, ages 9 to 12.

Prizes will be awarded in several categories, including heaviest fish and heaviest catch. Rain dates for the event are: Sunday from 1 until 4 p.m., Tuesday and May 18 from 10 a.m. until noon, and May 20 from 1 until 4 p.m.

by CNB