Rain-soaked though it may have been, last weekend's inagural Western Sportsman & BC Outdoors Salmon Fishing Derby was a huge success!

Held at Shearwater Resort & Marina , in Shearwater, BC, about 25 brave souls ventured out in a classic West Coast Summer storm to troll for chinook and coho and jig for halibut.

The result? Coho to 17 pounds, chinook to 25 pounds and halibut all the way to a monster 78 mouth-watering pounds.

Best of all -- every participant received a prize, ranging from a Garmin GPS, to an Islander mooching reel, to books, DVDs, shorts & hats and so much more.

For our first-ever salmon derby, I'd say it went off without a hitch. Except for that darn rain... and the three- to four-metre seas were a tad dodgy at times too.

But hey, I think it all adds to the experience. Salmon fishing just wouldn't be the same if it was easy...

We're doing it all again next year! Phone Shearwater Resort & Marina today and tell them you want to Register for the 2009 Western Sportsman/BC Outdoors magazine Salmon Fishing Derby: 1-800-663-2370.

And I will see you there!

FROM LEFT: Western Sportsman Editor David Webb, Contest Winner Mike Venne, BC Outdoors Editor Mike Mitchell, Fishing Expert Brian Chan, Harbercraft Boats Marketing Guru Mark Delaney.