Tall tales prevail in derby at Fort Kent

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Muskies are, according to various sources, “The fish of 1,000 casts.” According to other sources, they’re “The fish of 10,000 casts.”

At least those are the party lines uttered by organizers of the Fort Kent International Muskie Derby, when you skulk back to “Muskie Central” empty-handed … again.

After participating in the tournament for three straight years, all I can tell you is this: I’ve got a lot left to learn. One thousand casts? Ten thousand? A million?

It’s hard telling how many I’ve made. I lost count long, long ago. I have yet to land a muskellunge.

And I’m already making plans to return for next year’s fourth annual tourney.

The event is about far more than the fishing (or so we muskie-less anglers tell each other, over a cold pint at the bar that, coincidentally, serves as the base of tournament operations).

It’s about seeing old friends, making new ones, and enjoying a weekend in a community where people are genuinely glad to welcome you back.

A few highlights of the weekend that was:

. Flatlanders cash in: In past years, residents of the St. John Valley have fared exceptionally well in their home derby, as would be expected.

But there have been exceptions. Two years ago, for instance, Brooke Hidell of South Casco emerged as the second-place finisher.

This year, a Bangor-area resident was an early contender on the leader board, until several larger fish were brought to town and measured.

That angler, it should be noted, wasn’t without a certain local pedigree: Marty Kelly grew up in Allagash, and knew a few spots to target.

Kelly admitted he’d never fished for muskellunge before, but caught three fish (and lost two others) during his first full day of fishing.

This year’s winner was another Bangor-area angler. Alan Ashley of Carmel caught a 42 5/8-inch fish that weighed 18.2 pounds. Ashley took home $3,500 for his efforts.

Second place went to Jason Levesque of Fort Kent, whose 421/4-inch muskie was by far the heaviest caught during the tourney, at 22.3 pounds.

. Seeing is not believing: While some anglers struggle to hook and land their first muskie, those with an expert set of eyes along with them often fare better.

Dave Kelso, a guide who regularly takes his clients muskie fishing, took some sports onto the water for a busy weekend of fishing.

Kelso reported that his group caught some fish, though they often had to repeatedly cast lures to holding lies in order to get strikes.

Some places, Kelso said, he simply refused to leave because experience told him that fish would be waiting.

One of the most frustrating periods of the tourney for him, however, came when Kelso spotted a muskie suspended in a nice hole.

For more than two hours, he and his sports threw lures at the fish, and never did hook up.

Sight fishing, Kelso pointed out, can pay off … and it can drive you mad.

. Catching fish may not be easy, but catching up is: Head to northern Maine a few times, and you begin viewing each return trip as a homecoming of sorts.

And at events like this, the same faces keep popping up.

Faces like Hidell, the southern Maine fishing guide who always travels to the muskie derby and fishes with his dad.

Both are passionate about their fishing, and love to talk about the things that work … and the things that don’t.

As is Masardis angler Jim Spellman, whom I last saw on Munsungan Lake when we both were visiting guide Jim Carter at Munsungan Hunting & Fishing Club.

Spellman and a pal headed north for the derby, and though neither cashed in on the weekend, each seemed to be having a great time.

Over in Allagash, Wade Kelly was too busy to fish for muskies – at this time of year, he’s a full-time bear guide, and spends a lot of time carting bait into remote woods locations.

But the amiable guide is always eager to tell you where a fish might be lurking in his home waters.

As it turns out, Kelly was right: A fish was lurking in the pool he pointed out … even though that toothy brute didn’t care for anything I was tossing in its direction.

Late Sunday afternoon, as the derby wound down, Wade’s dad, Tylor headed to town with a familiar story about the one that got away.

It seems that Tylor Kelly hooked a potential derby-winner – he estimated the length more than 46 inches – and fought it for a half hour before the fish won the battle.

Tylor Kelly was fishing with his wife, Leitha in that pool, not far from their home.

The fish didn’t just win the lengthy tug-of-war, either: The monster escaped after snapping Kelly’s rod in two and eventually throwing the lure.

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