Perch Live Release Program
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The Annual Perch Festival is hosted by The Orillia and District Chamber of Commerce in co-operation with the Orillia Fish & Game Conservation Club (OFGCC). We welcome the return of this popular and well known fishing derby and look forward to greeting all those who participate. This three week long fishing derby takes place during the last two weeks of April and the first week of May and is a major tourist attraction for the city of Orillia and the surrounding area. Fishermen travel for many miles to attend the derby, some from as far away as the central United States. During the event, each fisherman must enter a live, unharmed perch to the live release tank in order to qualify for the many draws and prizes awarded by the Chamber.
Promoting Live Release
In order to promote conservation of our fisheries, The OFGCC volunteers over 250 man hours each year operating the “Live Release Program” for this event. When anglers bring in their perch, the Club members inspect the fish to ensure they are indeed live and suitable for live release. Severely damaged and dead perch are rejected and disqualified from the live release program. Several times each day, Club members remove the perch from the live release tank and transport them to the lake, where they are released unharmed back into the waters in which they were caught.
Annual Event! Come Check It Out!
The Perch festival Live Release Program is an annual event and our volunteers have a great time meeting with the many fishermen and friends who come in to register their catches. Many of these anglers come back year after year. They appreciate the OFGCC’s efforts to maintain the natural perch population by returning the fish to the lake.