02-28-2011, 10:22 PM
[size 2]Thompson, Conn. — A 10-year-old Thompson boy pulled $10,000 through a 6-inch hole in the ice on Sunday.
Evan Zanauskas hooked the lucky tagged trout at the Valley Springs Sportsmen’s Club’s ice fishing derby.
The Thompson Middle School student caught the fish using a lure he had tied himself, organizer Dave Bousquet said.
“There were tears in people’s eyes when we announced his name. The club was just electrified when they found out he won,” Bousquet said.
The annual ice fishing derby brought out the maximum 150 people, and forced organizers to turn another 30 or 40 away, organizer Steve Bousquet said. Usually, he said, about 120 take to the ice.
Steve Bousquet attributed the high turnout to last year’s catch of the top, $10,000 prize. In the 23-year history of the ice fishing derby, only twice before last year had someone reeled in the top prize. Even so, it’s often not the money, but the community that brings people back, Steve Bousquet said.
“Ice fishing is 80 percent socializing, and 20 percent fishing,” he said with a chuckle.
Across the pond, Thompson residents Eric Chausse and Dave Woods hoped for a bite. Chausse’s son, 13-year-old Eric Jr., had brought in a fish earlier, and his father had thrown back two very early on, hoping for something bigger.
Woods, a first-time ice fisherman, hadn’t caught anything, but was enjoying it, he said.
“He’d be liking it more if he caught a fish,” Chausse laughed.
Across the pond, Dan Very, of Thompson, was the model of persistence. In three years of participating at the event, he hadn’t caught a single fish. That was, until the flag on his tip-up went up about 10:30 a.m.
A small crowd gathered around as, from underneath the ice, Very pulled up a footlong bass. He later gave the fish to a nearby Putnam family. Eight-year-old Justin St. Martin’s eyes went wide as Very handed him the fish.
“Hold it with your finger in its mouth,” Very said as the boy tried to keep the fish from flopping out of his gloved hands.
“We’re going to eat good tonight,” Justin’s dad, Mike St. Martin, said.
Proceeds from the event topped $5,000, and will go to the Putnam Congregational Church steeple project.[/size]
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Evan Zanauskas hooked the lucky tagged trout at the Valley Springs Sportsmen’s Club’s ice fishing derby.
The Thompson Middle School student caught the fish using a lure he had tied himself, organizer Dave Bousquet said.
“There were tears in people’s eyes when we announced his name. The club was just electrified when they found out he won,” Bousquet said.
The annual ice fishing derby brought out the maximum 150 people, and forced organizers to turn another 30 or 40 away, organizer Steve Bousquet said. Usually, he said, about 120 take to the ice.
Steve Bousquet attributed the high turnout to last year’s catch of the top, $10,000 prize. In the 23-year history of the ice fishing derby, only twice before last year had someone reeled in the top prize. Even so, it’s often not the money, but the community that brings people back, Steve Bousquet said.
“Ice fishing is 80 percent socializing, and 20 percent fishing,” he said with a chuckle.
Across the pond, Thompson residents Eric Chausse and Dave Woods hoped for a bite. Chausse’s son, 13-year-old Eric Jr., had brought in a fish earlier, and his father had thrown back two very early on, hoping for something bigger.
Woods, a first-time ice fisherman, hadn’t caught anything, but was enjoying it, he said.
“He’d be liking it more if he caught a fish,” Chausse laughed.
Across the pond, Dan Very, of Thompson, was the model of persistence. In three years of participating at the event, he hadn’t caught a single fish. That was, until the flag on his tip-up went up about 10:30 a.m.
A small crowd gathered around as, from underneath the ice, Very pulled up a footlong bass. He later gave the fish to a nearby Putnam family. Eight-year-old Justin St. Martin’s eyes went wide as Very handed him the fish.
“Hold it with your finger in its mouth,” Very said as the boy tried to keep the fish from flopping out of his gloved hands.
“We’re going to eat good tonight,” Justin’s dad, Mike St. Martin, said.
Proceeds from the event topped $5,000, and will go to the Putnam Congregational Church steeple project.[/size]
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