More than 200 anglers are expected to hit the water at Copeton Dam this weekend for the inaugural Ty Edmonds Memorial Cod Classic, celebrating the life of a young man who loved nothing more than fishing.
Held at Reflections Copeton Waters, the three-day competition honours the memory of Ty Edmonds, who died at the age of 29 after a battle with aggressive lymphoblastic lymphoma. He would have turned 30 this Saturday, July 19.
“Ty was a mad fisherman, no matter the weather, before or after work he was always fishing and Copeton was his dam,” his father, Shane Edmonds, said.
Born and raised in Inverell with his two brothers, Ty spent countless hours on the water chasing cod and yellow belly. This weekend, his brothers will travel from Gunnedah to take part in the event that bears his name, continuing a legacy fuelled by passion and community spirit.
“Ty grew up in Inverell with his two brothers, who will be travelling from Gunnedah to fish this weekend, and we hope that this event will become bigger and better every year,” Mr Edmonds said.
That sentiment has resonated with anglers near and far, with more than 200 registered to take part in what organisers hope will become an annual tradition.
The event is being coordinated by Chris Banks from East Coast Fishing, with strong local support from Reflections Copeton Waters and its park manager, Steven Daley, who knew Shane Edmonds growing up in Inverell.
Reflections has thrown its support behind the event, offering the use of its conference centre free of charge to the Edmonds family for the event. The team will also put on a sausage sizzle for competitors on Friday night, with other family-friendly activities planned across the weekend.
The prizes on offer for anglers are almost as big as the cod. Ty’s parents, Shane and Trudy, have donated a boat as the lucky door prize and are putting up $10,000 for the biggest cod and a further $5000 split between the three biggest yellow belly caught during the competition.
But for the Edmonds family, the event is about more than just fish. All money raised across the weekend will go towards helping other families who find themselves in the same situation they faced when Ty was receiving treatment in Sydney.
“Any money we raise from the event will be given to other families who have experienced what we have with Ty, because when he was having treatment in Sydney we found it really tough, so we want to support them moving forward,” Mr Edmonds said.
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