News

Icy plunges and loads of fun
Windham Rotary tournament a success
By David Martineau

Raymond--Second in line, Shelly Huff let out a scream as she slid down the inflatable slide and into Sebago's frigid waters during the 2004 Maine Children's Cancer Program's - Polar Ice Dip.

The polar dip was the first formal event of the Windham Rotary's annual Derby Fest which took place on Saturday and Sunday the 21st and 22nd of February. With the only rule being that you have to put your head under the water, well over one hundred jumpers took the icy plunge and all but a few sported the same icy grimace when they rocketed back out of the water. Having done their part for the charity event, a few even took a daring second plunge. Jumping for Lee's Family Trailer who helped to sponsor the event, Shelly said that "…the slide did me in" and that another jump wasn't going to happen. The Monument: David Martineau photo

During both days of the two day ice-fishing tournament, the 20+ inches of ice on Jordan Bay was home to an ice city that appeared as if a carnival was visiting it. Snow machines, four wheelers and passenger vehicles of every type navigated between the hundreds of ices shacks and thousands of tip-ups cluttering the bay. At the Raymond Beach weigh in station, areas were dedicated to the polar dip, a snow sculpture, a makeshift runway (for the air show that was cancelled both days due to weather) and of course, a row of concession booths run by the Raymond Rattlers Snowmobile Club, Naples Fire Dept., Portland Police and other local merchants.

Also there was the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Outdoor Partners Program trailer. The Outdoor Partners Program was designed to help inform the public about what the D.I.F.W. and Maine Game Wardens Service does for the public. After inviting me to visit the trailer, Warden Justin Fowlie said that his primary purpose for being on the lake that day was to "keep things safe and to check fishing licenses." When asked how the fishing was he replied "slow but steady," an interesting observation since Lake Sebago has also been known to be called "Slowbago." The Monument: David Martineau photo

Passing by a shanty complete with kids and dogs, all of them rough-housing in the snow, I met Rich Fentzlaff from Raymond who was happy to show me the eighteen inch Togue that he had caught earlier in the morning.

"I was using a smelt about six feet off the bottom in 55 feet of water, but the one I lost at the hole was at least a five pounder" Rich said, showing me the soggy sleeve he had soaked while trying and catch the one that got away. "It's been slow, but we're here for the duration."

A little further on, Tyler Bowman and his mom were checking the bait on their tip-up. Tyler's dad, Greg Bowman from Washington Maine said that they were set up in 25 feet of water and had not seen any action yet. As I visited more people, their story was the same…slow, however; the word on the ice was that a fourteen year old boy named Tyler Holden had angled a 38 inch, 16.2 pound porker from the deep. Sure enough, at the end of the day, Tyler's lunker was at the weigh station and in the lead for first place.

Snow showers throughout the day on Sunday brought an atmosphere of beauty and serendipity to the bay, surely this would be the day that the tournament winning fish was caught. While touring Jordan Bay and interviewing fishermen, they all repeated that the fishing remained slow but steady. Few complained though as they enjoyed hot food and good friends on a day built for ice fishing.

Steve Matthews of New Gloucester who was fishing with his dad shared the ice fishing secret that he was using with me. Scott said that that in spite of it "things were definitely slow, probably due to all the traffic on the ice." As they packed up for the day, I headed for the weigh station to see what was being checked in for fish.

At the weigh station two Togue weighing over eighteen pounds were on ice and vying for first and second place. Weary anglers were streaming off the ice and into the weigh station to enter their fish in hopes of winning one of the prizes to be drawn later that evening. Tom Noonan, the Derby Coordinator for the Windham Rotary Club said that in two days, "Over 5,000 fishermen registered 1,111 fish; slightly more than in the 2003 tournament. It was a good year."

Bob Curran from Bedford, N.H. took first place with his 18.75 pound togue, winning a boat, motor and trailer valued at $10,000 as a prize. A close second with an 18.1 pound laker was Dennis Fecteau from Standish.

Dennis won a custom built aluminum ice shack worth $1,500 that will make next years fishing all the more comfortable. A cash prize of $500 for third place went to Tyler Holden of South Paris for his 16.2 pound togue. Any Contestant who entered a fish in the derby was eligible to win other prizes which were drawn at Camp Sunshine on Sunday evening.

The prizes included a ride in a Russian jet fighter, won by Larry Simpson of Standish, a new four wheeler won by Maynard Young of Seal Harbor, and a Tundra snowmobile won by Raymond Gleason. A cash drawing for $1,000 and two for $500 were respectively won by Mark Graham of Westbrook, Glenn Wood of Auburn and Hayes Sweeney from Hollis.

While some fisherman may still refer to Sebago as "Slowbago," I am sure that Tyler Holden will always remember that great day of fishing when he caught a yard long leviathan from Lake Sebago's icy waters. Congratulations to all of this year's winners.

Brrr!

The Monument: David Martineau photo