Fishing partners Wayne Newton and George Varney of Windham won second place at the 23rd Annual Winni Derby last Saturday with a 4.4-pound 25-inch salmon.
Though avid fisherman of the Lakes Region, this is the first official fishing tournament they have taken part in. Wayne and George rode Varney’s boat, “The White Lizard,” out to the New Hampshire derby held every year on Lake Winnipesaukee. The fishing duo used a secret sew-on smelt technique to bait the fish, the details of which they refuse to divulge. They described the catch as a joint effort.
“It was a fight,” Varney said. “Wayne was away from his pole at the time. So I grabbed it, hooked the fish and gave it to Wayne to reel in. When the fish was close enough to the boat, we double-scooped it with a net and brought it on board.”
The salmon happened to be the only fish they boarded that day, but it was all they needed to win second place and the prize of a $14,000 16-foot Lund fishing boat. Newton and Varney, who work together at G&K Motors (owned by Varney and his wife), don’t know exactly what they will do with the $14,000 boat. They intend to keep fishing the Lakes Region in the lucky White Lizard.
As for the prize-winning salmon? “It’s going to be the most expensive salmon we’ve ever eaten,” Varney said.
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