Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery Hosts 11th Annual Wounded Warrior Fishing Derby

Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery hosted the 11th Annual Wounded Warrior Fishing Derby with 24 participants in attendance. Open to any veterans who have suffered an injury during their time of service, this event is a small gesture to give back to those who have sacrificed so much!

The morning began with breakfast donated by McDonalds of Russell Springs at the hatchery, along with juice, coffee, snack bags, a commemorative t-shirt, and a challenge coin provided by the Friends of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, Inc.Participants were then shuttled to a local boat ramp where the veterans were divided among 7 guide boats for a morning of striper fishing on Lake Cumberland. With most boats catching their limit, each angler was able to take home fresh fish fillets that were graciously cleaned by the fishing guides.

Following a group photo with the day's catch, a free lunch was catered by Lora Walters, a member of the friends group, with pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, green beans, cole slaw, pasta salad, drinks, and a cake purchased by the Friends Group. The Russell County Honor Guard and members of the DAV held a ceremony honoring our veterans during the National Anthem. Many of the participants chose to end the day fishing for trout at Hatchery Creek.

Donald Rymer, an 82 year-old Vietnam Veteran that attended the event claimed, "I have been all over the world and seen a lot of things, but this has been the best day of my life!" The staff at Wolf Creek NFH and the Friends of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery Inc. want to honor these men and women who have given so much for us and our country. This is just a small way to let them know our appreciation and respect for them.

We would like to thank our sponsors and volunteers who make events like this possible. A special thanks to the seven guide services that donated their time, gas, fish cleaning, and gear to this event. Without generous sponsors and dedicated volunteers, we would not be able to provide opportunities such as this.

The guide services that participated in this event include: Laker Guide Service, MegaBite Charters, JR Stevens Guide Service, Taylor's Guide Service, Stars and Stripes Guide Service, Striper King Guide Service, and Morgan's Striper Guide Service. For a list of sponsors, please visit https://www.friendsofwolfcreeknfh.com