Fishing is a timeless activity that can be enjoyed by people of any age or ability. At Easterseals New Hampshire’s Camp Sno-Mo in Gilmanton Iron Works, various organizations come together to ensure that youth with disabilities can experience the joy of this enduring skill each year.
For more than two decades, the camp has hosted an onsite freshwater fishing derby for campers during one of its weekly sessions, collaborating with the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department and the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association (NHSA). This activity is integrated into Camp Sno-Mo’s regular programming, which emphasizes a low camper-to-staff ratio and round-the-clock supervision, enabling campers of all abilities to explore their full potential.
Former NH Fish & Game Colonel Ron Alie conceived the derby in the early 2000s to strengthen the department’s connection with the camp. Each year, the Hidden Valley Conservation Pond—part of the Griswold Scout Reservation campgrounds—is replenished with hundreds of locally raised trout, allowing Camp Sno-Mo campers to try their hand at catching some.
The NHSA, comprised of 96 organized clubs throughout the state, has maintained a longstanding partnership with Camp Sno-Mo. “This is a relationship that has been in place since the ’70s, and it’s just grown from there,” NHSA executive director Dan Gould said. “Some of our volunteers have even done a lot of infrastructure work up at the camp over the years.”
In preparation for derby day, the NHSA purchases 100 fish from a private hatchery in Ossipee, a quantity that NH Fish & Game subsequently matches from the Powder Mill Hatchery in New Durham.
NH Fish & Game’s “Let’s Go Fishing” program, coordinated by Kyle Glencross, supplies all of the essential gear, including fishing rods, lines, and bait. This federally-funded, volunteer-driven initiative aims to teach fundamental fishing skills to young anglers through year-round classes held across the state.
On the morning of the derby, campers are invited to observe and participate in the stocking of the pond before casting their own lines or watching instructors’ demonstrations.
“It’s one of my favorite events that we participate in as a department,” said Marie Hixson, OHRV Program Assistant for NH Fish & Game. “Fishing is an activity that most of the kids otherwise don’t have the opportunity to do, and we have the means to make it happen for them.”
Volunteer instructor Paul Thornton has dedicated more than 20 years to the Let’s Go Fishing program. A former elementary school teacher, he first became involved when NH Fish & Game granted him the opportunity to take a group of his students ice fishing. Since retiring in 2012, he has committed around 100 hours annually to volunteering with the program.
“The campers are always eager to participate, excited by each tug on the line and the fish they land,” Thornton said. “The joy and enthusiasm they exhibit makes every minute of my time with them memorable.”
Tina Davenport, a volunteer instructor and retired teacher with a lifelong passion for fishing, expressed similar sentiments. “I feel very privileged to be part of the program and to help teach the Camp Sno-Mo kids to fish,” she said. “It is such an honor to see the smiles and the joy on their faces when reeling in their catch.”
After the derby, NH Fish & Game provides pizza from a local restaurant for all participants at lunchtime. In recent years, this has also become the occasion for Camp Sno-Mo’s weekly awards ceremony.
Campers can choose from 126 different programs and earn Scout merit badges by participating in a variety of recreational activities throughout the week, from fishing, hiking, and canoeing to arts and crafts, robotics, game design, and many others. Families have the opportunity to see their camper receive these awards and learn about the achievements they made during the week.
Teen camper Katie participated in the fishing derby during her Camp Sno-Mo session. “She loves to fish,” her mother, Carrie, shared. “What’s funny is that she’s a girly girl through and through who loves makeup and hair and fashion, but she did not hesitate at all to touch the fish and get dirty and be a real camper. It didn’t faze her at all, and I think that is a testament that she truly was just another kid. That’s the beauty of what happens at Camp Sno-Mo.”
The derby has continually provided NHSA members and NH Fish & Game staff with the opportunity to see the joy campers of all abilities derive from the activity. This underscores the meaningful differences and lifelong memories created at Camp Sno-Mo, as well as the recognition of each camper’s potential. “It’s so nice to see them just having fun,” Hixson said. “For us to be able to take part in something like that is such a privilege.”
Learn more about Camp Sno-Mo by visiting eastersealsnh.org/programs/camping-recreation.