Seventh annual Alexandria Ice Fishing Derby
BY PHILIPPE MORIN
pmorin@thereview.on.ca
ALEXANDRIA –Did you hear the one about the man who went fishing and ended up catching a brand-new ATV?
It happened on February 28 in Alexandria, Ontario, as more than 1,000 people descended onto the Mill Pond.
It was the seventh year for the Alexandria Ice Fishing Derby, which sees anglers trying to catch pike through holes in the ice.
You could say the tournament resembled a game of fishing bingo, with almost every 10 square meters of the pond having a line dangling.
Volunteer and master-of-ceremonies Mike Campeau said more than 200 fish were caught during tournament hours, from noon to 3 p.m.
All were released and some fish also escaped from a holding pen where the heaviest winners were being kept for later showing. (The pen was supposed to be like a bathtub carved in the ice, but someone cut too deep making it an easy escape through the bottom.)
Organizer Stéphane Lavigne said he used to hold tournaments in the Toronto region, but now hosts them on the Mill Pond in Alexandria.
He thanked the days sponsors for the $40,000 in prizes, which included new ATVs, ice augers, chainsaws, firearms, pressure washers, hunting equipment and more.
A total of $2,585 was also given to the Youth Centre of North Glengarry.
The days top five winners were:
Francois Leblanc, whose pike was 3.5 lbs;
Fred Osler, whose pike was 4.2 lbs;
Jordan Turner, whose pike was 4.3 lbs;
Aline Lavergne whose pike was 4.5 lbs;
and J.P. Poulin, whose pike was 5.9 lbs.
Lavigne said the tournament is expected to be held again next year — and no doubt some of the same fish will be pulled out and released again at that time.
Tournament organizer Stéphane Lavigne (here holding a wooden fish which was raffled off for Ducks Unlimited) thanked sponsors for providing more than $40,000 in prizes. Philippe Morin photo
The day’s top five winners: Francois Leblanc whose pike was 3.5 lbs; Fred Osler, whose pike was 4.2 lbs; Jordan Turner, whose pike was 4.3 lbs; Aline Lavergne, whose pike was 4.5 lbs; and J.P. Poulin, who caught a pike weighing 5.9 lbs. All the fish were released. Philippe Morin photo
Last year’s winner, Réal Lajeunesse from Maniwaki, was happy to catch a 3.05 lbs fish. It wasn’t enough to win him an ATV like in 2007, but he seemed happy nonetheless. Philippe Morin photo
Luke Miner, of Cornwall, holds up a pike he caught using his friend Harmen Licher’s line. Philippe Morin photo
Despite their being delicious when cooked, all the pike were set back into the waters on February 28. Philippe Morin photo
Waiting for a bite: A contestant relaxes by the ice during the tournament. Philippe Morin photo
Watch a multimedia presentation of this event by The Review's Philippe Morin.
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