Top fishing derby prize named to remember founders

MEREDITH — The grand prize of the 46th Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby will now be known as the Sherman Sanderson Cup. Named for the event's founders, John Sherman and Bruce Sanderson, the top prize earns the winner $15,000. Sherman died in December, and the name change honors his contributions to the fundraiser.

Wendy Bagley, Rotary chair of the fishing derby, said a brief remembrance ceremony will occur just before they announce the winner at 3:30 p.m., on Sunday, Feb. 9. 

“We’re going to have his son speak a little bit about his dad, and we're going to have a moment of silence, remember him,” Bagley said.

The derby will be held Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 8-9. Like every year, participants are eager to catch a fish big enough to get on the leaderboard. Gary Olson of Nashua has never had a fish place, but is optimistic this year.

“That’s our goal. To get on the board,” he said. “It doesn’t have to last long. Just to get our picture taken.”

Jim Whitehouse is volunteering at the derby this year, and said conditions are great for ice fishing, with fresh snow on the lake for winter vehicles.

“It’s the perfect year, because the ice is thick enough and there’s snow on the ice,” Whitehouse said.

Bagley said Meredith Bay freezing is a good change from the past couple of years, where warmer weather prevented proper ice coverage on Lake Winnipesaukee. A new addition to the derby is a kids activity tent. There will be a scavenger hunt, cookie decorating, and a kids fishing clinic with New Hampshire Fish and Game. The public library and Squam Lakes Natural Science Center will also have stations set up. Bagley said the event is trying to provide more to do for families.

“Bring the families. We're trying to make it a more family fun, friendly event,” Bagley said.

Fishing brings families together. Brandon L'Heureux, who grew up in the Lakes Region, said he met his wife in 2016 at the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby. At the time, she had a boyfriend, but he held onto hope.

“She came out here, and we got to talking and chatting and flirting and, well, it was like a month later, she broke up with him,” L'Heureux said. “And here we are, six years later.”

The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl the next year, and he took that as a sign of fate for their relationship.

Tickets to enter the derby will be available for purchase until noon on Saturday, Feb. 8. Then they will begin drawing winners. Each $40 ticket allows an entry into the contest and chance to put a fish on the wall, as well as cash drawings. There are two $5,000 cash prizes, and a number of smaller cash prizes that can be won throughout the weekend. On Sunday, Feb. 9, Gov. Kelly Ayotte is expected to draw tickets for the prize-winning fish on the board. The money raised at the derby is given back to the community in donations, by request.

“We verify and make sure everything on the board is accurate. And then all the names go into a hat of all of the top seven fish,” Bagley said. “The governor will draw the winners.”