ROXBURY – No one caught the tagged 20-inch rainbow trout worth $1,500 at Saturday’s ice fishing derby at Roxbury Pond, but several people left with fish, prizes and prize money.
Sixty fish were caught by some of the 200 anglers in the eight-hour, 37th annual Larry Mercier Memorial derby, but getting to the bass, pickerel, brook trout and perch took some effort.
Anglers had to drill through 24- to 36-inch-thick ice just to reach water on the overcast, 20-degree day, co-organizer Roland Patenaude said Saturday afternoon.
Top prizes in bass and pickerel categories were $60 for the biggest, $40 for the next largest and $20 for third place.
Vito Coulombe of Rumford caught the largest bass, which was just over 18 inches and weighed nearly 3 pounds.
Gary Richard of Andover took second place with a 17-inch bass that was more than 2 pounds, and Jeremy Dow won third place and $20 with a 17-inch fish that weighed 2 pounds. Andy S. Dupuis of Mexico caught the only perch, taking first place and $20 with a 13-inch, 1-pound fish.
Likewise, Matt Burnham of Rumford caught the only trout, winning $50 for a 10-inch, featherweight brookie.
“It was a small fish, but it was the only one caught, so it’s a winner,” Patenaude said.
The largest overall fish caught were pickerels. Mike Touchette of Roxbury had the largest, at 23 inches and just over 3 pounds.
Joe Blanchard Jr., also of Roxbury, caught a 22-inch fish of just over 2 pounds to win second place, and Doug Averill of Andover took third with a 20-inch, 2-pound fish.
Blanchard’s father said the duo got 15 flags on their ice fishing traps, but only pulled up 13 pickerel in a couple feet of water.
Touchette said he caught his fish on a shiner 4 feet under the ice on the pond’s bottom, while Averill said he caught his on a sucker 5 feet below the ice off the front of the pond’s large island.
Money raised by the derby, which is sponsored by the Mexico Lions Club, provides eye-care for Mexico, Roxbury and Rumford residents who can’t afford it, said event co-organizer and Lions Club President Jim Theriault.
Theriault said he won’t know how much was raised until later this week, but last year’s derby raised more than $2,000.
Patenaude was already thinking about plans for next year’s derby, after learning about Saturday afternoon’s outdoor volleyball tournament in Bethel, a Bethel Masonic Lodge fundraiser for the Bethel Food Pantry.
“We might have a bikini contest next year, if they can have a volleyball contest,” he said.
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