Cambridge man wins Chantry Chinook Classic derby with 17.07-pound salmon

Brian Claydon of Cambridge has been fishing the Chantry Chinook Classic Salmon Derby for all but two years and the best he placed was 13th.

Until this year when his 17.07-pound Chinook won him the $15,000 prize.

He caught the winning fish Saturday, beating out second-place finisher, Mark Donaldson of Port Elgin, by just one-hundredth of an ounce. Donaldson caught a 17.06-pound salmon on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Bob Hicks of Kincardine had the largest trout, with a 24.61-pound lake trout that he caught early in the derby.

Hicks has been fishing the derby since 1983 but for a about 20 years, he was a member of the committee and served a couple of years as chairman, so he couldn't enter the derby.

He credits his successful catch this year to his good friend and fellow angler, Ernest Ackert. "He leads the 'A'-team and I needed all the help I could get to reel this one in - it was a fighter!"

While the number of entrants was up this year, there were fewer fish caught. In total, 510 salmon and 710 trout were weighed in during the derby, with 1,732 entrants. Last year, there were 883 salmon and 836 trout weighed in, with 1,589 entrants.

The size of the fish is also down. Last year, Murray McKenzie of Holstein won the to prize with a 21.10-pound Chinook salmon, while Colleen Elliott of Lambton Shores won the trout prize with a 25.21-pound lake trout.

The results for 2015 are as follows:
 

Top 25 Salmon
 

• 17.07 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Brian Claydon from Cambridge
• 17.06 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Mark Donaldson from Port Elgin
• 16.50 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Larry Deneve from St. Marys
• 16.34 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Paul Lennox from Hanover
• 16.12 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Luke Scherders from Walkerton
• 15.70 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Mike Bester from Listowel
• 14.92 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by James Claydon from Cambridge
• 14.69 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Brad Kingston from Meaford
• 14.64 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Katie MacMillan from Kitchener
• 14.36 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Doug Kingston from Cambridge
• 14.19 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Matt Jacob from South Bruce Pen.
• 14.19 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Del Clark from Walkerton
• 14.08 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Ray Eaton from Cambridge
• 13.94 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Chris Craft from Southampton
• 13.78 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Dan Pepin from Southampton
• 13.78 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by David Bedford from Stratford
• 13.75 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Linna Lennox from Hanover
• 13.68 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Joanne Altman from Hanover
• 13.57 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Larry Catteau from Lions Head
• 13.51 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Matt Nicholls from Port Elgin
• 13.26 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Andy Stephens from Stokes Bay
• 13.05 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Ken MacDonald from Southampton
• 12.95 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Bill Morton from Guelph
• 12.74 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Ray Wilson from Wiarton
• 12.65 lb Salmon -- Chinook caught by Steve Barfoot from Chesley

Top five Trout
 

• 24.61 lb Trout -- Lake caught by Bob Hicks from Kincardine
• 19.83 lb Trout -- Lake caught by Bob Rodgers from London
• 19.16 lb Trout -- Lake caught by Mark Ravelle from Kincardine
• 16.96 lb Trout -- Lake caught by Brian Pearson from Stratford
• 16.73 lb Trout -- Lake caught by Don Voll from Kincardine

Top 1 Rainbow Trout
 

• Larry Bauer from Wiarton with a 16.64 lb Rainbow Trout weighed in at the Wiarton weigh station on Day #10

Top Junior Salmon
 

• Katie MacMillan from Kitchener with a 14.64 lb Chinook Salmon weighed in at the Saugeen Shores weigh station on Day #3

Top 5 Aggregate Salmon
 

• David Bedford from Stratford with 57.75 lbs.

Top 5 Aggregate Trout
 

• Keith Miller from Owen Sound with 71.47 lbs.

Special Weight Salmon (closest to 15.32)
 

• Mike Bester from Listowel with a 15.70 lb Chinook Salmon weighed in at the Kincardine weigh station on Day #16

Weigh Station Breakdowns

Kincardine:
 

• Kids Day Leading Salmon is a 4.47 lb Coho Salmon caught by Emmi Wiggerman on Day #8
• Ladies Day Leading Salmon is a 5.81 lb Atlantic Salmon caught by Josee Trepanier on Day #2
• Ladies Day Leading Trout is a 15.11 lb Lake Trout caught by Karen Passmore on Day #2
• Seniors Day Leading Salmon is a 4.72 lb Coho Salmon caught by Paul Bester on Day #5
• Seniors Day Leading Trout is a 11.21 lb Lake Trout caught by Martin Miller on Day #5

A total of 459 fish from this weigh station.

Saugeen Shores:
 

• Kids Day Leading Salmon is a 12.45 lb Chinook Salmon caught by Blake MacMillan on Day #8
• Ladies Day Leading Salmon is a 13.75 lb Chinook Salmon caught by Linna Lennox on Day #2
• Ladies Day Leading Trout is a 10.16 lb Lake Trout caught by Courtney Camm on Day #2
• Seniors Day Leading Salmon is a 12.03 lb Chinook Salmon caught by Doug Lennox on Day #5
• Seniors Day Leading Trout is a 11.94 lb Lake Trout caught by Del Clark on Day #5

A total of 411 fish from this weigh station.

Pike Bay:
 

• Kids Day Leading Salmon is a 7.02 lb Chinook Salmon caught by Ben Heitbohmer on Day #8
• Ladies Day Leading Salmon is a 9.71 lb Chinook Salmon caught by Paige Osborne on Day #9
• Ladies Day Leading Trout is a 6.07 lb Rainbow Trout caught by Caitlin MacInnis on Day #9
• Seniors Day Leading Trout is a 7.87 lb Lake Trout caught by Paul Kreller on Day #5

A total of 177 fish from this weigh station.

Wiarton:
 

• Kids Day Leading Salmon is a 9.02 lb Chinook Salmon caught by Connor Kampf Brown on Day #8
• Ladies Day Leading Salmon is a 10.45 lb Chinook Salmon caught by Lori Watson on Day #2
• Ladies Day Leading Trout is a 5.85 lb Rainbow Trout caught by Ana Rac on Day #9
• Seniors Day Leading Salmon is a 10.74 lb Chinook Salmon caught by Jerry Brick on Day #12
• Seniors Day Leading Trout is a 8.67 lb Rainbow Trout caught by Jerry Pynn on Day #5

A total of 234 fish from this weigh station.

For further details, visit the website at www.chantrychinook.com

Next year's derby runs July 23-Aug. 7, 2016.