McClory: Results in for annual Winni Derby in N.H.

The results are in and Dennis Currier of Center Tuftonboro won the 29th annual Winni Derby with a 4.88-pound, 23 and an eighth inch salmon landed late Friday afternoon.It was the first day of the derby and he was fishing with his friend, Brian Foulds of North Andover. He caught the fish on an old orange streamer fly that he’d picked out of his tackle box. The pair was fishing near Cow Island in Tuftonboro on Lake Winnipesaukee.Currier took home the top prize in the derby, which was a Princecraft fishing boat with a 60- horsepower motor and trailer. The junior division winner was Michael Hederman, 15, of Barnstead, NH. His 4.20-pound salmon landed him a boat motor and trailer package also. Terrence White of South Ryegate, Vt., won $5,000 for landing the biggest lake trout, which weighed 6.46 pounds and 26.625 inches long.Frank McCarthy of Lowell, Mass won the second salmon prize with his 4.5-pounder, and Diane Ulrich of Wolfeboro was third with a 4.34-pound salmon.uWhen it comes to this type of weather, I am glad I own a few boats because if it continues to rain for 40 days and 40 nights, my family and I can pack up the boats and stay afloat to wait out the storm!Last Thursday I took a vacation day and headed north to fish Winni, taking with me two of my dearest old fishing buddies, Harry and Ken. I was the guest of my friend “Tom Cat.” It was probably the only day in the last two weeks that the sun was out. The fishing was just OK but at least it was sunny. We fished out of Meredith Harbor and at the end of the morning we tallied five salmon.Ken and Harry each caught a fish right in front of their favorite spot, the “Rock Pile”. Most of the fish were landed using lead core line fished at 5-6 colors. The fly of choice was a Meredith special and the lure of choice was a black, yellow and red wobblier named by Ken as “the butt ugly.”One fish tipped the scales at 3 pounds. The others were just barely keepers and were all returned to the water just the way Ken and Harry would have wanted it.Why do I say it this way? Well, it’s because I really didn’t have Ken or Harry with me, just their spirits and each of their favorite lead core fishing rod and reel set ups. You see, to me it is an honor to have been given this equipment by their widows, Phyllis and Donna, and I use them exclusively. They were fishing buddies that will never be forgotten and will always be fishing with me. I miss you guys.uThe arrival of spring means the arrival of newborn and just-hatched wildlife. These youngsters soon venture into the world on shaky legs or fragile wings and are discovered by people living and working nearby.Every year, the lives of many young wild creatures are upset by people who take baby wildlife from the wild in a mistaken attempt to “save” them.These well-meant acts of kindness tend to have the opposite result. Instead of being left to learn their place in the world, young wildlife removed from their habitat are denied important natural learning experiences which help them survive on their own.If these animals are released back into the wild, their chances of survival are reduced. Avoid these problems by following one simple rule when coming upon young wildlife: If You Care, Leave Them There!The young are quite safe when left alone because their color patterns and lack of scent help them remain undetected. Baby birds found on the ground may be safely picked up and placed in a nearby bush or tree.Parent birds are not disturbed by human scent. Leave fawns (young deer) where they are found. Fawns are safest when left alone because their camouflaging color help them remain undetected until the parent returns. Only when young wildlife are found injured or with their dead mother may the young be assisted, but must then must be delivered immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. It is illegal to possess most wildlife in Massachusetts.uOn the salt water fishing front, flounder are hitting well in Boston Harbor, especially at Georges Isl