Muprh's Annual Ice Fishing Tourney Draws nearly 250

A total of 243 brave souls headed to the Nelson Reservoir in Saco on Saturday afternoon for a day filled with ice fishing fun as the year's installment of Murph's Annual Ice Fishing Tournament was held to honor the late Robert "Murph" Murphy.

"It's a great turnout," said Cindy Murphy, Murph's widow. As strong as the turnout was and as popular as the event has become, Murphy said that Murph most likely would have been embarrassed about the entire shindig.

"He would have been totally embarrassed," she said. "He would have thought it is too much hoo-hah."

"He would have been okay when it was smaller, I think," said Rhonda Dalby. "But now, he would have been overwhelmed."

Dalby said that this year there were many new contestants in the tournament, but most were return anglers. She said those in attendance who didn't know Murph quickly hear stories about the man from those who did and explained how the event came to be after his death in 2006.

"It literally came to me in a dream," said Rhonda. "I had a dream about it. I went out to dinner with Cindy the next day and told Cindy about the dream. In the dream it was boats and warm weather, but we ended up doing it in the winter."

The fish were biting on Saturday and the weighing in was fast and furious. In order to avoid any cheating, once a fish is reeled in – either walleye, Northern Pike or perch – anglers have to leave their fishing hole at once and bring in the live, unfrozen catch to be weighed (not so long ago, someone tried to have a fish weighed in that wasn't caught at Nelson during the tourney.) Pete Dalby and Preston Dalby staffed the weigh station on Saturday (like they do every year.)

"It is going good so far," Pete said at 9 a.m., two hours after the tourney kicked off. "We have had nine fish already."

Though the tournament was just underway, Pete said that there was already a bit of controversy as the biggest catch of the day to that point, a nine-pound walleye, came in to be weighed, but unfortunately was frozen stiff. At that point of the morning, Saco Levi Plouffe had netted the biggest perch at 8 oz and Malta's Billy Froman had caught the biggest, unfrozen, walleye at just under five pounds. Things would soon change.

Laurel's Elias Fraga ripped through the doors of the weigh station, dropped a walleye onto the scale and was stoked by the result.

"Six-point two-pounds," Pete cried out.

"That's alright," exclaimed Fraga.

"This is a blast said Elias Fraga Jr.

Not 60-seconds after Fraga took the walleye lead, someone came to the weight station and said that the former large walleye (the one that was frozen) had come back to life and was swimming around a bucket.

"If it is alive, bring it on back," Pete said.

Minutes later, Medicine Lake's Brandon French came through the door with the nine pounder in the bucket.

"You guys excepting that one?" French asked.

"That one scores," Dalby said as the fish wiggled in the scale.

Unfortunately for French, Shawn Elvsaas would bring in a walleye a few ounces heavier to take the contest.

After a day full of fishing, chili and raffles the winners where announced in all the catagories (see bottom of this story) and in an upset, Laynee Simpson (not yet a teen) narrowly defeated two-time defending champion Cole "The Pole" Pryor in the Biggest Lie contest.

"It was close," Rhonda said.

Biggest Walleye: Shawn Elvsaas, 9 lbs. 3 oz. Biggest Northern: Jason Brendan (Murph's son-in-law), 15 lbs. 3 oz. Biggest Perch: Billy Froman, 1 lb. Children ages 1-through-11 winners: Biggest Northern: Morgan Kuntz. Biggest Walley: Sam Melmand. Biggest Perch: Dustin Ostrum. Children ages 12-through-17: Biggest Northern: Ty Murphy. Biggest Walleye: Brent Yeska. Biggest Perch: None.

Prize winners: Pop-up Ice House: Clint Simpson. Jiffy Auger: Jody Simpson. Heater: Morgan Kuntz. Rifle: Russ Ost. Fisherman Only Auger donated by Hardware Hank's: Jason Mattila.