GRANITE QUARRY — Centered in Granite Lake Park is a small body of water that used to be a swimming hole but has since become a destination for anglers looking to catch a good time at a town-hosted event.

Granite Quarry Event Coordinator Debbie Loflin-Benge said that the Fish for Fun event was conceived to give people an extra way to utilize the Granite Lake Park’s amenities.

“It’s a very fun event, and it’s usually well attended,” Loflin-Benge said. “Usually, by the time it’s all said and done, we will have had more than 100 people.”

NC Wildlife stocked the pond with catfish, goldfish and koi fish, but there are a few other species in the water. Whatever the anglers reel in, they get to keep. The event draws fishermen of all skill levels.

“We normally don’t have people who are absolutely completely new at fishing,” Loflin-Benge said. “Someone in your party usually knows something about fishing.”

Town Clerk Aubrey Smith said that all attendees were required to participate in a safety orientation held before the event. The orientation covered basic safety tips, park rules, and expectations for attendees. It also identified all volunteers and first responders who will be at the park to help with the event.

For those that may not practice the recreational activity often, Granite Quarry does provide the needed equipment.

“We have loaner poles we have collected over the years,” Loflin-Benge said. “We will take donations of poles.”

The only expense is acquiring the bait from local gas stations that sell it.

“They will sell them to you for their wholesale price,” Loflin-Benge said. “They will do it because they want to do something in the community.”

Robyn Ketchie was among the faces at the event on Saturday. She had some of her grandchildren out there with her.

“I like to take my children to things that they like to do, and they like to fish,” Ketchie said.

Ketchie likes to fish herself, although she admits she has not done it much in the last few years. So, when she saw the event on Facebook, she decided to bring the little ones out for the afternoon.

Across the pond, Jacob McIntyre was casting some of his own bait. He recently started his own company called Butterbeans Baits and has plans to publish a website soon.

“We have lip crankbaits, lipless crankbaits and poppers,” McIntyre said. “We are looking into getting some jointed baits.”

Part of what got McIntyre into the fish bait business was the passing of his father last year. He and his sister, Jessica West, described their father as an avid fisherman.

For McIntyre and West, Saturday was a family outing.

“(Fishing) was our father’s favorite thing to do,” West said.

She added that if he were still alive, he would have been right there beside them.

“Oh year, he loved to fish,” West said. “We are honoring him by carrying on the legacy.”