Of all the shooters competing in the 2010 Festival of Flight Funshoot, none were happier to be at the range than Gander’s Derm Molloy.
Molloy, trap shoot director for the Gander Rod and Gun Club, remembers when not too long ago the local club was in serious danger of closing its doors for good. With no executive to run club activities, the Rod and Gun Club called a meeting in May where, thankfully, more than 50 people showed up to fill vacant executive positions.
If that didn’t happen, the club, which has been in Gander for more than 50 years, wouldn’t have hosted this year’s trap shoot.
“It was serious for a while. Now, I love trap shooting, and I’m one of the oldest trap shooters on the island, and I know one of these days I’ll have to pack it up, I’m sad to say, but I’ll never stop with this club,” said Molloy, moments after his final shoot on Sunday. “It’s only a five-minute drive from Gander, and as you can see, it’s a very beautiful location. It would be a shame to see it close.”
However, thanks to a strong May meeting, the Gander Rod and Gun Club will remain open, and future Festival of Flight trap shoots will continue. According to Molloy, even while the final group of shooters were destroying clay targets on Sunday, their minds were set on returning to Gander next year.
“Oh yes, it’s a big draw. Even the people here today, they’re already looking forward to next year’s trap shoot,” he said. “They love coming to Gander…and you know the thing about Gander, it’s centralized, so it’s convenient for the guys that come here from Corner Brook, or St. John’s, or Marystown.”
“Now, I love trap shooting, and I’m one of the oldest trap shooters on the island, and I know one of these days I’ll have to pack it up, I’m sad to say, but I’ll never stop with this club.” - Derm Molloy
The annual event was more than just two days of shooting, as socializing is a big part of the sport. On Sunday, a smell of fish surrounded the lodge, and shooters headed that way for a scoff after their shoot was done. However, while the competitors are at the line, Molloy said it’s all business.
“What you see here today is some of the top trap shooters in Newfoundland and Labrador. These fellows are competitive, and they have a competitive edge,” said Molloy. “In the meantime, there’s a lot of fun involved with it too, but when those guys get on the line, they’re something to watch. We’re here talking here now, but if these guys were shooting, it wouldn’t be long before we were told to hush up. It’s competitive, definitely.”
Trap shooting was a big item in Gander back in the ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s, according to Molloy, but then it died out. Then, in 1995, thanks to the efforts from a lot of different people, trap shooting was revived in Gander again.
“For the past seven or eight years, we’ve been having the Festival of Flight Trap Shoot, and we get people who come in from places like Marystown, St. John’s, and Deer Lake, and a few years ago we had our friends come in from St. Pierre to shoot,” said Molloy.
Results of the Festival of Flight Funshoot not available by The Beacon’s deadline.
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