Saratoga Lions Club brings fishing and fun

Families experienced outdoor fun on Jim Hammer Memorial Kids Fishing Day on June 1.

Kids’ Fishing Day is sponsored by the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort, Saratoga National Fish Hatchery and Saratoga Lions Club. The event takes place on Free Fishing Day, when the Wyoming Game and Fish Department allows anyone to fish without a license. The other fishing regulations such as catch limit remain in place.

Children under the age of 12 are invited to participate in Kids’ Fishing Day, where the three sponsoring parties collaborate to bring the best experience possible. The Lion’s Club provides lunch and drinks for the event, grilling hamburgers and hotdogs for all the participants.

The event is a storied tradition for the Saratoga Lions Club, as it started in 1977 as a part of the Lions’ community service initiatives. The Junior Golf program, another activity focused towards kids in the valley, started the same year.

The location of Kids’ Fishing Day was originally behind the Saratoga Forest Management Sawmill, where a small pond is located. The event moved years later to the Saratoga Hot Springs resort, where it has taken place since.

The event has also become a memorial, dedicated to Jim Hammer, who passed away in August 2020. Hammer worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service before moving to Saratoga and becoming the manager of the Saratoga National Fish Hatchery.

Kids’ Fishing Day has been bringing smiles and excitement since the 1970s to children who have participated in the event, and is sure to bring the joy of the outdoors for many more years to come.