The Great Rotary Fishing Derby
2008 Derby Rules

  1. All anglers must comply with NH Fish & Game laws.
  2. Fish must be legally & freshly caught from any fresh NH waters by a registered ticket holder. Fish must be taken through the ice on Saturday or Sunday of Derby weekend.
  3. A derby ticket and valid NH fishing license will be required for identification when entering fish and claiming a prize.
  4. Weight at time of entry determines winners. In case of a tie, length shall be the determinate factor. Earliest entry will be the final tie-breaker.
  5. Only Rainbow Trout tagged exclusively for the Meredith Rotary Club are eligible for tagged fish prizes. Tags must be complete, attached, legible and authenticated by Derby Officials. Any signs of tampering will result in disqualification.
  6. Unacceptable Fish Information:
    1. No Tagged Rainbow Trout under 15" in length will be accepted.
    2. No Untagged Rainbow Trout under 17" in length will be accepted.
    3. No Lake Trout under 24" in length will be accepted.
    4. No Cusk under 22" in length will be accepted.
    5. No Pickerel under 22" in length will be accepted.
    6. No White Perch under 14" in length will be accepted.
    7. No Yellow Perch under 12 " in length will be accepted.
    8. No Bass, Brown Trout or Salmon will be accepted.
  7. Entered fish become the property of the Derby. All registered fish that are eligible for prizes will be retained until 2:30 PM Sunday. Anglers may request the return of their fish at this time. The derby officials will not be responsible for the condition of fish when returned. All fish not reclaimed by 3:00 PM Sunday will be given to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center for the feeding of their raptors and animals.
  8. Fish to be entered must be free of all debris such as snow, ice, lines, hooks, weights, etc. Meredith Rotary reserves the right to open or x-ray any fish.
  9. If no Meredith Rotary Tagged Trout are entered, then the heaviest non-tagged Rainbow Trout will be considered for the grand prizes. Should an insufficient number of tagged Rainbow Trout be entered to cover the top three prizes, then the top prizes will be awarded to the tagged Rainbow Trout first, with the untagged Rainbow Trout winning the remaining prizes in descending order of weight.
  10. The fish registration deadline for Saturday is 4:00 PM and Sunday 3:00 PM according to the Official Derby Time Clock at Derby Headquarters. Fish registration begins at 8:00 AM Saturday and 7:00 AM for Sunday. No fish may be registered for Sunday's prize board on Saturday.
  11. All anglers entering fish eligible for prizes of $500 or more will be required to sign an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, certifying the date, time, lake and person catching the fish.
  12. Rotarians and Derby Officials are not liable for any injury or loss of life or property. All anglers are responsible for their own safety and knowledge of their surroundings.
  13. All participants hereby accept these rules. In the interpretation of rules and the settlement of disputes, the decision of the derby judges shall be final and binding.