This year’s installment of monofilament mayhem known as the Bellingham Kids’ Fishing Derby gets underway at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Whatcom Falls Park derby pond next to the state trout hatchery.

It’s the 17th edition of the local kids’ versus rainbows clash organized by the Whatcom Chapter of Trout Unlimited, though this event has its origins in the early 1950’s when area youth under the wing of the Bellingham Sportsman’s Club members took to the city park’s trout pond.

This annual early May Saturday contest is free and open to all comers ages 14 and under, who will compete in two divisions: age 9 and under and ages 10-14. Participants should come early enough to sign-up before the opening cast of each session.

The younger set will fling lines at 9 a.m. sharp, while the 10-14 age group will plunk their baited hooks for an hour starting promptly at 11 a.m.

TU members again have assembled a great list of prizes, donated by many area businesses. Prizes will be awarded to the first 10 fishers who report with their two-fish limit.

As always, parents may help with all the basic preparations, such as tying on hooks or baiting up with wriggly worms, but the all-important stuff such as casting out, setting the hook or reeling in the rambunctious rainbows must be entirely done by the hands of the kids themselves.

To make it easier on everyone, the standard state catch limit has been shortened up for this event.

To win, young anglers in each age group need land no more than two trout and get them to the derby booth to be eligible for a prize.

The hefty rainbow trout for this derby are provided free by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and all have specialized training in the arts of underwater knot-tying, a talent their predecessors have put to very good use in past derbies.

In between backlashes, squeals of joy, soggy feet or handfuls of Powerbait, free hotdogs and pop will be available to all, though at the very start when young anglers see the prizes at stake, it’s likely they’ll choose to wait on the refreshments until their creel is full.

Help also will be at hand for moms or dads who don’t know all the ins and outs of laying for these derby pond lunkers. The old hands from Trout Unlimited will be at your beck and call on the banks of the pond with all the necessary angling know-how or, if just a hint is needed, a critical fishing tip or two.

If you have questions, call TU President Gary Van Dyk at 592-2011.