ROXBURY — Each February, during the state’s free family fishing days, local anglers look forward to the Roxbury Pond Ice Fishing Derby.
But while the Feb. 18 event is going to happen, the sponsor will be the Roxbury ATV Riders, not the Mexico Lions Club.
Therefore, the practice of a tagged brook trout worth $2,000, if caught, will not be taking place this year.
Roland Patneaude, King Lion of the Mexico Lions Club, decided recently not to have the event when, at a meeting to discuss the derby, they didn’t have enough members present to vote. The Larry Mercier Ice Fishing Derby, held by the club for the past 37 years, is a fundraiser for the club’s eyecare program.
When Mike Worthley, president of the Roxbury ATV Club, learned that the Lions Club was not going to host the annual event, he decided to take action. His club, formed in 2004, has more than 320 members.
“I talked to my wife about it, then called our seven board of directors. They said they had no problem with it.”
Patneaude is part of that board, but because he’s part of the Lions Club, he didn’t feel it was a good idea to help with the event, in part, because he doesn’t want people to think that the Lions Club is doing this and that there is a $2,000 fish prize offered this year.
Worthley said he had about a dozen volunteers to help run the event.
“The reason I decided to do this was mostly people talking on Facebook, hating to see it go.”
Contacted last week, Worthley noted it was only a week earlier that they decided they were going to do this.
“From the time I got the permit (to hold the event) to the time I got all the fish prizes sponsored, it was just five days.”
The entry fee is $8 (includes entry into the ice auger raffle).
Payouts include the following:
* For largest bass/largest pickerel: 1. $200; 2. $100; 3. $50.
* Largest trout: $150.
* Largest perch: $100.
Tickets are available at Ellis Pond Variety, Roxbury; Bethel Bait Tackle & More, Bethel; J&K Sporting Goods, West Paris; Mexico Trading
Post, Mexico; Jeff’s Bait & Tackle, Oxford; Rob’s Bait & Tackle, South Paris.
The day of the derby, tickets will be available at the Boat Ramp, Ellis Pond Variety.
FMI: call Mike Worthley at 545-2715.
Worthley said they’re working on having different door prizes. Besides the ice auger, they’re working on a pack basket with five traps, as well as a jet sled. “We have some money donated, so we’re going to do some door prizes for the youth as well.”
Anyone who would like to donate towards a door prize can contact Worthley at 545-2715.
“Tim Derouche has helped me out a lot as far as getting fish sponsors, and things like that,” noted Worthley.
Regarding parking, Worthley said he’s talked to the Roxbury selectmen and they’re going to plow out areas for parking. He’s also ordered a porta potty.
Worthley said a portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to Make-A-Wish of Maine.
Dennis Daniel of Ellis Pond Variety said his store will be open at 4:30 a.m. the day of the derby. He said the pizza oven will be all set for breakfast pizza and sandwiches, and the grill will be ready.
People can preregister for the derby as well as preorder live bait by calling 545-2713.
On the pond, as of Jan. 26, Daniel said small vehicles, snowmobiles and ATV were on the ice, along with eight ice shacks.
Patneaude has been a part of the fishing derby for 35 years.
When he joined the Lions 35 years ago, he was the youngest club member. Now, Roland and his wife, Gloria, are second youngest, only because a member of the Police Explorers decided to join the club.
Declining and aging membership is hurting the club.
“We inherited one member that remained from the Dixfield club, and he’s over 90,” noted Patneaude.
“I don’t want the club to fade away. This past year, we had our 50th year anniversary. We’re trying to raise money for an eye screening machine. It’s a portable machine we want to take to the schools to do eye screening for the kids to check if they need glasses or for eye diseases,” he said.
Patneaude said, “We’ve contacted Lions Club International and they’re going to let us do a membership drive (discounted). That effort will take place very soon.”
If they can get their numbers back up, he wants to see the Lions sponsor the ice fishing derby in 2018.
Worthley said that if the Lions Club is not able to do this event in 2018, the Roxbury ATV Club will do this event again.