January 9, 2020 10:20 a.m. 
The Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby is coming up soon.
The 28th annual event is set for January 29th through February 1st and is sponsored by Douglas Timber Operators and the Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
It will begin on Wednesday the 29th with Student Day. Around 20 high school students will work with staff from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and from the Rock Creek Fish Hatchery, at the hatchery east of Glide, to learn about spawning steelhead and other hatchery responsibilities.
Thursday the 30th is Kid’s Day. Starting at 10:00 a.m., about 75 fifth grade students from Eastwood Elementary School will go to Cooper Creek Reservoir outside of Sutherlin, for a morning of fishing with the derby’s professional guides, and other boating activities on the lake. The students will be presented with a life jacket donated by North River Boats to take home. The release from organizers said the activity recognizes the students for their outstanding outdoor learning program, and their fish-rearing facility at the school.
The popular catch-and-release steelhead derby begins on Friday morning. 40 teams of over 80 anglers will be out in 40 drift boats, enjoying two days of fishing on the North, South and Mainstem of the Umpqua River and trying to hook the most fish in the catch-and-release tournament.
On Friday night January 31st, the dinner and auction at the Douglas County Fairgrounds runs from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with about 650 people expected. Those attending will bid on auction items like boats, fishing trips, four-wheelers, day trips, and many other items to raise funds that all go towards projects benefitting the Umpqua Basin. Tickets for the evening can be purchased for $50.
The release said the derby has raised more than $1.6 million towards fish habitat restoration projects in the 27 years of the event. All the funds provided by the derby are matching funds, which translates into a big investment in the Umpqua Basin fishery.
All the money raised from the event stays in Douglas County.
Call the DTO office at 672-0757 for more information on the Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby.