92 join Trinidad’s Kids Fishing 101 at Central Park Lake
Ninety-two children and family members learned casting, knot tying and fish handling free at Central Park Lake, with loaner poles and a pizza lunch.
About 92 children and family members turned Central Park Lake into a free classroom for casting, knot tying and fish handling Wednesday, June 10, as Trinidad’s Kids Fishing 101 put supervised instruction and loaner gear within reach of local families. The morning program ran from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central Park and Pavilion in Trinidad, giving youngsters a chance to learn on the water instead of only reading about it.
Participants rotated through educational stations on basic fish biology and ecology, fishing ethics, setting the hook, proper fish-holding technique and casting. No experience was necessary, and loaner fishing poles were available for children who did not bring their own gear. Free pizza, snacks and hands-on fishing time made the event accessible to families looking for low-cost summer recreation in a rural county where those options can be limited.
The Purgatoire Watershed Partnership hosted the event, bringing together a wide network of local and regional partners that included the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Trout Unlimited, the City of Trinidad, Las Animas County, Eagle Claw, Bass Pro Shops, Fishers Peak Outfitters, the National Recreation Foundation, Bar NI Ranch Community Fund, the Trinidad Youth Club, the Student Conservation Association and River Corps. The partnership describes its work as centered on education, community, stewardship, agriculture, recreation, science and watershed health, and the fishing day fit that mission by linking outdoor fun with practical lessons in conservation.
Kim Falen, lake manager at Trinidad Lake for the Army Corps, said early exposure to outdoor recreation matters for conservation, a view that matches Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s mission of providing enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire future stewards of the state’s natural resources. For Las Animas County, that means a children’s fishing day can function as both a summer outing and an introduction to responsible use of public lands and waters.
The gathering also coincided with Bob Holder Day, the local recognition established by a 2018 Las Animas County Commission proclamation. The proclamation said Bob Holder was hired as a wildlife manager in June 1975 and arrived in Stonewall in May 1976, years before his career brought state and international recognition. Set against Trinidad Lake State Park’s trails, picnic areas and 73 campsites across two campgrounds, Kids Fishing 101 showed how one free morning can connect family recreation, outdoor education and local history in the same place.
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