Fort Kent muskie derby growing

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Two years ago, the St. John River raged as organizers staged their first Fort Kent International Muskie Derby.

Despite the high water and limited preparation time, 87 anglers showed up.

Last year, the water was so low, it would have been possible to wade from Fort Kent to Canada without stepping in knee-deep water.

But with months to plan, and an enthusiastic committee turning the event into a regional effort, 206 came to town and took part in what became not only a fishing tournament, but a two-day celebration.

Now it’s time for Round 3 … and you can rest assured that this year’s event will be even bigger and better.

This year’s derby will be held Aug. 12 and 13. Fishing will kick off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and the scales will be open until 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The derby features a $20,000 prize pool – up from $5,000 last year and $2,500 in 2004 – including a $3,500 prize for the longest fish caught by an adult, and the possibility of a $10,000 purse being awarded to the first angler to register the correct tagged fish.

The tournament will be held on the St. John River and all of its tributaries, including productive Glazier and Beau lakes.

According to derby committee member Darlene Kelly-Dumond, pre-registration has been brisk.

“Right now, with over 100 [registered], we’re way ahead of where our entrants were a year ago, and we’re attributing that to our Internet [Web site],” Dumond said.

Dumond said the derby – or something like it – has been a goal of the local business community for years. Fort Kent has staged several successful winter events, including the annual Can-Am Crown dog sled races and a World Cup biathlon competition, and business leaders have been looking for ways to create the same buzz during the summer months.

They’ve done just that.

“Now we don’t just have a little fishing tournament,” Dumond said. “We have a $20,000 purse, we have a huge fireworks show, one of the biggest that’s been in Aroostook County in years. We have a classic car, ATV and motorcycle parade. We have two street dances, and we have incorporated the chamber [of commerce] ploye festival [into the weekend].”

And in true St. John Valley fashion – remember, this is a place where nearly anything can be a cause for celebration and festivities – Dumond said a unique meal is being planned for Saturday … maybe.

“We’re having a moose roast,” she said.

There is one problem: They have no moose … yet.

“We’re hoping for road kill. We have every game warden, state police and local police officer on the lookout for road kill for the muskie derby,” Dumond said. “We’re not hoping for one. I want to clarify that. But if it happens and somebody would like to donate [a moose], we’re ready and waiting.”

If no suitable moose is found, Dumond said she does have a backup plan, although she was reluctant to share it.

“Come hell or high water, we’re going to some sort of game [supper] that night,” she said.

After extremely high and extremely low water made for challenging fishing in the first two years of the derby, Dumond said this year’s water levels are more moderate.

“It’s raining here right now,” Dumond said on Friday. “The gods are good. We want the rain, and we’re hoping the water stays where it is, because the fishing will be better [than in past years], and because our fireworks are going to go off on Fort Kent Island, between Fort Kent and Clair.”

While the winners of the derby will have to kill the fish they register, Dumond cautioned that derby organizers aren’t necessarily looking to have too many fish killed during the event.

“We are encouraging catch-and-release,” Dumond said. “We would eventually love to go catch-and-release, so we’re encouraging fishermen not to bring in fish under 30 inches.”

Dumond said that she has heard talk around town of fish in the 42- to 45-inch range being caught recently. Last year’s derby-winning fish – a 15-pound, 10-ounce fish – measured 391/4 inches.

And anglers looking for some advice on tackle can check the derby Web site (www.fortkent-muskie.com), or head to town and shop at the lure store at “Muskie Central” during the derby.

But if they’re looking for a quick suggestion, they may consider this: Think green.

A local girl recently floated down the St. John River on an inner tube near Allagash, and was surprised when something bit her foot and swiped one of her bright green flip-flops, Dumond explained.

“[The flip-flop] was the same color that’s on one of the best lures up here,” Dumond said with a chuckle. “Everybody can decide whether [they think] that’s folklore or not, but it happened.”

Words to the wise for potential derby entrants.

Allagash group to meet

If you’re interested in Allagash Wilderness Waterway and the complex issues that surround it, you may want to sit in on one of a series of meetings that’s coming up.

The Allagash Wilderness Waterway working group, which was formed during the latest legislative session in order to address the continued conflicts about the waterway, will meet on two days in Aroostook County.

On Aug. 12, there will be a working group meeting and public hearing from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Ashland High School.

Then, on Aug. 14, the group will move on to Fort Kent for a pair of events. First is the working group meeting, which will run from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Then, from 6-8 p.m., a public hearing will be held. Both sessions will be held at the Fort Kent town council chambers.

Coming up on ‘Going Outdoors’

Global Position Systems have become extremely popular among outdoors folk and urban dwellers alike over the past few years.

No longer are those handy GPS units the exclusive property of hunters, hikers and anglers. Nowadays, you’re just as likely to find one on a boat … or in a car … or even in a golf cart.

In Monday’s weekly installment of ‘Going Outdoors,’ we’ll take a light-hearted look at one GPS-related activity: Geocaching.

Geocaching is, essentially, a low-stakes treasure hunt, during which participants plug in the map coordinates of “caches,” then seek out those treasures.

On Thursday ABC-7 cameraman Dave Simpson and I traipsed all around Bangor and Brewer, looking for caches that we learned about by logging in at www.geocaching.com.

The day, unfortunately, didn’t go exactly as planned … though we did have fun and laugh a lot.

You can see how our adventure went by tuning in during Monday’s 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on ABC-7, or during the 10 p.m. FOX-22 news.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.