Donald Teuma-Castelletti
LADYSMITH Nov. 24, 2018
Venison mac and cheese, moose meat and a whole bunch of bear (meat) balls were just a small portion of Saturday night’s potluck feast, as hunters and anglers gathered at Hotel Ladysmith for an annual celebration of their season’s triumphs.
That’s because the Ladysmith Sportsman’s Club held their awards night, doling out prizes for the biggest hunts and catches, filling their plates with a sample of the local offerings, and all the while jamming along to the musical stylings of the Kyle Felhaver Band.
However, the evening wasn’t without some disappointment, as attendance was way down due to an unfavourable forecast of freezing rain. Hotel Ladysmith owners Ernie and Cathy Pasch, who also played the evening’s hosts as they handed out the awards, agreed it was the poorest turnout the evening had ever seen.
“This, by far, is our quietest crowd that we’ve ever had,” said Cathy.
While there may not have been as many rear ends in seats that night, the gathered crowd more than made up for their missing numbers. Whether it be through cheering, singing, or even a bit of dancing, there was energy as if it was a full house.
This year, as always, saw a fair number of new members join the club, and Cathy was happy to report that they’d seen more large deer, weighing over 190 lbs., brought in than the past four or five years. What she was really happy about, she said, was those new members who took home a prize for a big hunt.
“What I like, is every year our new members win across the different categories,” she said.
Despite bringing in only three moose this year, the club soon learned it was not for a lack of trying. The annual moose calling contest saw seven members step up to the mic, doing their best to imitate the sound.
With some impressive calls and others leaving listeners questioning what they just heard, the contest proved a great bout of fun for everyone involved. When the last fellow had his chance at the mic, Dave McDiarmid was this year’s champion, beating out the competition by just a slight margin.
Winners
Largest Pike, Woman – Marjorie Pasch – 15 lbs, 13 oz
Largest Pike, Man – Danny Pasch – 3 lbs, 13 oz
Largest Speckled Trout, Man – Brady Moloughney – 3 lbs, 7oz
Largest Lake Trout, Junior – Lincoln Dubeau – 10 lbs, 1 oz
Largest Lake Trout, Man – Joe McCleary – 12 lbs, 10 oz
Largest Rainbow Trout, Man – Peter Scharf – 1 lbs, 7 oz
Largest Bass, Man – Dave McDiarmid – 1 lbs, 15 oz
Largest Pickerel, Man – Mike the Pike – 4 lbs, 3 oz
Largest Pickerel, Woman – Claire Leblanc – 2 lbs
Largest Turkey, Man – Bill Leveris – 21 lbs, 8 oz
Largest Turkey, Woman – Kelly McMahon – 19 lbs, 11 oz
Biggest Buck, Rifle, Man – Gaetan Pariseau – 210 lbs
Biggest Buck, Rifle, Woman – Melanie Ardern – 125 lbs
Biggest Doe, Rifle, Man – Bill Leveris – 141 lbs
Biggest Doe, Rifle, Woman – Kelly McMahon – 110 lbs
Biggest Deer, Crossbow, Woman – Jessica Menard – 91 lbs
Biggest Bull Moose, Rifle, Man – Jim Brown – 37 inches
