The annual Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette fish story contest may be the only competition in the world with the chance to become a published author and win a sack full of fishing lures all at the same time.
May is contest time, when the crappie are biting and the mushrooms are popping. Hear ye hear ye, this is the official call for entries for this year's contest. We'll accept entries through May 31 and crown the 2018 fish story champion in June.
It's a contest for true fishing stories, not tall tales. We're on the honor system here, but the best fishing stories, hey, you can't make them up.
Here are the official rules: 1. Write down your story. 2. Send it in.
Email your entry to fish-story central at [email protected]. Be sure to type fish story contest in the subject line. Or, send it by postal mail to Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2560 N. Lowell Road, Springdale, Ark. 72764.
Be sure to include your name and the town you live in or near and a daytime telephone number. We'll publish the winner's story and his photo and run as many of your stories as we can at www.nwaonline.com and in the print newspaper.
This could be the world's only prestigious literary contest with stories that mention stink bait or nightcrawlers. Such an acclaimed contest naturally comes with a fabulous prize for our champion. Thanks to Keith Brashers at War Eagle Custom Lures in Rogers and Bob Carnes at Arkie Lures in Springdale for ponying up the fine selection of lures almost guaranteed to catch the big ones at your favorite lake.
Our fish story judges are eager to read your stories. Judges this year are Becky Roark, stream angler extraordinaire who's with the Beaver Watershed Alliance, and Alan "Mr. Beaver Lake" Bland, park ranger with the Army Corps of Engineers.
Chief judge is my cat, T.C., who will fill the paws of her brother Boat Dock, the late tomcat and feline columnist who judged the contest for years. Breaking a tie in last year's contest was one of Boat Dock's last hurrahs before lifting off to Life No. 10 somewhere in the stratosphere.
Some fish story scribes get so excited about the contest they send in a story months in advance. George Rowland of Fayetteville sent his story in last Christmas, so it's been kept under lock and key as our first entry.
George has entered the contest faithfully since it started long ago, back when people wrote their stories on stone tablets with a chisel. He regales us this year with a saga of angling for brown trout on the Colorado River.
Joy Long of Fayetteville won the contest last year and was tickled to get the bag of lures. Joy promised then to send in a story to defend her title. "I've got more fish stories than you could ever fit in the newspaper," she said last year.
The champ wowed readers last year with her masterpiece about a father-daughter trip where her dad caught a giant catfish.
Fish-story authors are encouraged to include a photo, like Joy did, to go with their story if they have one.
Not only does the contest come with fish-story fame and a fine prize, we even tell you how to win. No long-winded fish story has ever won. Short and sweet gets you the fishing lures.
Stories can be an adventure that happened yesterday or long ago, close to home or on distant waters. As long as it's true, it could be your chance for the notoriety that comes with victory.
So email your story or write it down in a Big Chief tablet. If inspiration strikes when you're out on the town, jot that puppy down on a napkin and mail it it.
Just get it here to fish-story central by May 31. Best of luck to all in the contest.
Flip Putthoff can be reached at [email protected]
Sports on 05/01/2018