Buck Plummer calls Danforth that “little forgotten section of the state.” But with the third annual East Grand Area Ice Fishing Derby in the works, he’s hoping that will slowly change.

“On that state snowmobile trail map of Aroostook County, for years you couldn’t see East Grand,” Plummer said. “We got little winter tourism. This winter is the first it’s on the map. It was kind of a joke before.

“East Grand Lake is famous for landlocked salmon. A lot of fishermen, I don’t care where they live, they’ve heard of it. You say Danforth, they don’t know it. You say East Grand Lake, everyone’s heard of it. We just keep the name, the East Grand Area Ice Fishing Derby.”

The derby will be held the last weekend of the month (Jan. 27-28). Fishing is from half an hour before sunrise until 5 p.m.

With its push for recognition – and a sizable derby – the East Grand Snowmobile Club is organizing the event and doing its part to shepherd tourism into the area. About 600 participated in last year’s derby, which features cash prizes and dozens of bonus prizes, not to mention a $500 prize drawing.

But Plummer said the showing was poor because of a wind chill that had the Maine Warden Service sending out warnings. The first year’s event attracted around 800.

For a road race, a canoe race or a Nordic ski race, those numbers are good, but Plummer has done research into what one in Eastern Maine can expect from an ice derby. And he said the folks in East Grand still have work to do.

“There’s that big derby in Schoodic Lake in February,” Plummer said. “It’s huge. It’s been going 40 years. Three years ago I went to the director of that derby, Merl Harris. He said depending on weather, you can get in the thousands.”

Given Schoodic Lake’s proximity to Bangor, Harris has an edge. Still, Plummer said East Grand’s more remote location is a handicap he can handle. Last year he got more than 30 businesses to donate for the bonus raffle.

“We’re 30 miles from Houlton. It’s south to Calais, then over to Lincoln makes a 50-mile circle. I’ve talked to different businesses to donate. There are a couple in those towns; in Ellsworth, it’s impressive.”

As word spreads and the derby gains some renown, prizes and rules have been added. Last year those who went the catch-and-release route had the chance at a special $500 prize drawing. Plummer said the added option was popular.

But the awards for what are caught and kept are plenty. The largest fish prizes total more than $500 with first-place anglers taking $75 for salmon; $75 for togue; $40 for pickerel; $40 for cusk; and $40 for brook trout. Any legal fish of a species not listed above (except bass) is worth $25. By just registering any legal fish (i.e., no bass, no cusk under 16 inches and no salmon under 16 inches), you are entered automatically in the two-day drawing for bonus prizes.

Finally, the boy or girl age 15 and younger who catches the biggest salmon or togue receives a $50 savings bond. All fish must be caught in East Grand, Brackett, Deering or North lake.

Depending on where you fish, all state and provincial fishing regulations apply. And all decisions by the snowmobile club officials are final.

What’s particularly nice about this community fund-raiser is that participants need not be present at drawings to win prizes. All winners will be notified by phone or mail.

Proceeds from the derby go to the trails the East Grand Snowmobile Club maintains. Plummer said the club has doubled the number of trails it looks after, keeping 50 miles clear from Danforth south to Topsfield.

Plummer spends more time on the trails than he does working as chair of the ice-fishing derby committee – and said he spends more time grooming trails than he does riding them. But it’s all worth it to him.

“The whole stretch is scenic along U.S. Route 1. You look down and see Danforth Lake, Brackett Lake,” Plummer said. ”Then the trail on top of the mountain has just phenomenal views. If you look to the west you see Katahdin, to the east are all lakes out through Canada.”

For more information, call Plummer at 448-2027.

License system changing

With the old licensing mainframe computer due to be retired after 25 years of service, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is designing a new computerized licensing system called the Maine Online Sportsman’s Electronic System, or MOSES. It will be in place when sportsmen and women buy their licenses for 2002.

By next fall, with just an Internet connection on a personal computer license buyers or license agents can connect with a server at MCI World Com and purchase a license printed on an everyday printer.

MOSES will simplify the process of buying a license. Buyers now will have one-stop shopping for all their licenses and can purchase permits and stamps at the same time they purchase their licenses. The DIFW estimates that with updates made online, the time for issuing a license will be cut down from 10 minutes to three minutes or less.

For more information, go to www.mainemoses.com.

Outdoor Calendar

Skiers, mark it on your calendars now: the cheapest time to ski at Sugarloaf/USA during the winter will be Jan 22-26, when the mountain hosts its winter carnival and will have lift tickets selling for $29.