The weather was as perfect as possible for an evening of fishing. The young anglers were delighted too. So were the hosts Minot’s NoDak Anglers and Pheasants for the Future.

Nearly 30 teenagers with special needs participated in an opportunity to fish this past Tuesday at the State Fairground’s pond. First they enjoyed a meal from the grill and then took to the nearby fishing pier for the adventure that awaited them.

Volunteers baited hooks and helped with a few fishing tips. Then it was up to the participants to drop the bait into the water and keep a sharp eye on the small bobber for any movement that would indicate a feeding fish was interested. Mirror calm water made for perfect fishing conditions. It wasn’t long before fish were being hoisted over the rail of the fishing pier, much to the delight of the youthful anglers.

“Did you see how excited Shantel was when she caught her fish?” said Diana Auch. “They get so excited and everybody can do it. The kids in wheelchairs can do it. It’s an activity for everybody and we couldn’t have had a better night!”

Auch and Judy Garber host Teen Night Out twice a month for Minot and area teenagers with various disabilities. The teens are students served by Souris Valley Special Services which encompasses about 19 school districts. Some of the teens live in homes with their parents or guardians. Some reside in group homes. All enjoy the chance to get together.

“We meet every other Tuesday and have a variety of activities,” explained Auch. “This year we’ve had a lot of help from college students who are majoring in special education. This night is really special. The kids have a great time doing this one.”

Kellen Latendress of Minot’s NoDak Anglers was the organizer of Tuesday’s evening of fishing.

“These kids don’t usually get to go out and fish,” said Latendress while baiting a hook for an eager participant. “We get to share a passion that we all have in the outdoors and share it with kids. We’ve heard a lot of squeals tonight and have had a lot of fun.”

Genid Appelget, Minot, was among the parents who were pleased to see their teenager enjoying an outdoor activity. Her son, Donovan, 13, was enjoying his time with others and doing his best to hook a fish.

“He likes it a lot,” said Appelget while leaning over the top rail of the fishing pier. “No fish yet but he’s seen them. He’s communicating to other people about it, so that is very exciting for me to see him interacting. That’s something we don’t see very often.”

Similar scenes were common on the fishing pier throughout the duration of the event. Clearly, it was a success.

“Beautiful weather. Beautiful everything,” said Garber. “It turned out great. This is fun, fun!”

Fish caught by the participants were rainbow trout, bluegill, perch, smallmouth bass and bullhead.