You probably never knew Halibut and Easter have been linked for over a thousand years.?? Everybody knows that Lent is the 40 day liturgical season of penance and abstinence leading up to Easter.?? "Lent" is actually the shortened form of the Anglo-Saxon word for spring, "Lenten." It is related to the word lengthen, referring to the progressively lengthening days at this time of year.?? For Southern California anglers it is also a time during which the days lengthen, the water warms, we flock to the Fred Hall Shows and eagerly plan our first Spring and Summer fishing trips, and especially the migration of big halibut.

Oh yes, speaking of Halibut and Easter, we have established that Lent is a period of sacrifice and abstinence, and eating fish rather than meat has traditionally been one of the sacrifices made during this period. During the Middle Ages, the word halibut was generic for a number of the flat fishes eaten during the season of Lent.?? The word "butt" referred to the shape of the fish which resembled the butt end of something, and the word "Hally" which was pronounced "holy" reflected the holy sacrifice of eating this fish in lieu of meat during Lent. "Hallybutt" became "halibut" ??? or holy fish.

You can catch halibut and win great prizes at the 33rd Annual Marina Del Rey Halibut Derby, scheduled for April 21 & 22.?? The MDR Halibut Derby committee planners scheduled this year's event to take advantage of the "lengthening" days of Spring, warmer waters and better conditions for capturing trophy halibut, and any association with the Easter season was just coincidental. ??Remember this year the MDR Halibut Derby inaugurates a new Kayak Division to accommodate the fast growing community of kayak anglers. Now private boaters, party boaters and kayakers can all compete and win.

We expect over 800 anglers competing this year for over $65,000 of prizes making the MDR Halibut Derby the largest and most cash and prize rich fishing tournament on the west coast.?? We also expect even more and bigger halibut to be landed this year due to the warmer water, better weather and better fishing associated with a derby date a full month later than last year.??

We are pleased to welcome back all of our regular sponsors and a few new sponsors who are providing unbelievable prizes and raffle items.?? We can't possibly name all of them here but Marina Del Rey Toyota will once again be providing an opportunity for another lucky angler to drive away with a new Toyota Tundra truck.?? Awesome fishing vacations are being donated by Van Wormer's beautiful??Hotel Punta Colorada, The Inn at Mazatlan, El Cid, Las Flores Resort,??Las Rocas Resort & Spa and Sitka Point Lodge.?? Long range fishing trips on the Vagabond and Intrepid will also be up for grabs, along with hundreds of other prizes thanks to the generosity of our many sponsors.

All of our sponsors know the proceeds from the MDR Halibut Derby fund the MDRA Youth Fishing Program in which about 1,200 kids from at risk environments and special needs facilities are taken fishing each summer and other charitable and marine conservation activities like the MDR white seabass growout pens where local MDRA volunteers have released nearly 100,000 healthy juvenile white seabass back into the wild.?? We hope you will repay our generous sponsors by purchasing your fishing trips, tackle and other items from them.

So, mark your calendars for April 21 & 22, for the 33rd Annual Marina Del Rey Halibut Derby.?? You can print a registration form from www. halibutderby.com, sign up at the MDR Halibut Derby Booth at the Fred Hall Show, come to the halibut catching seminar on April 11 at 7PM at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey, or come to the last minute sign ups desk also at Burton Chace Park between 3PM and 8PM, Monday through Friday, April 16 ??? 20, the week immediately preceding the Halibut Derby.

The new Kayak Division makes participation by everybody and anybody possible.?? Kayaks are cheap to rent and inexpensive to buy and maintain.?? You can't say I don't have a boat or there's no more room on the party boats.?? And of course kayakers are proving the incredible fish catching capability of their crafts.?? This is your year to compete and win.

For more information please visit www. halibutderby.com or contact MDR Halibut Derby Co-Chairs Ken Raymond at 310/398-3133 or Stan Zisser at 310/306-9781???? or sziser@comcast.net.