Can I have the Front Seat? #33

It’s a very early morning in the North Maine Woods.  As the fog lifts off the water, and the loons, now quiet after having voiced their opinion much earlier, are now taking time out to rest their voice. As I look out over the water, I wonder what the day has to offer us.

 This particular morning, we prepare for our plane ride from Chandler Lake to Fourth Musquacook Lake to check on the camp there. Our chariot is at the end of the dock tied up and ready to go.

 As TC and I jump in with pilot Jason and Sherry, we can’t help but look out over Chandler Lake and just think about how beautiful this country is, and how lucky we are to be able to be a part of it. We are really looking forward to the short trip over, and will be taking in all the sites once in the air. As we leave the dock, TC, Sherry, Jason and I taxi over to the far end of the lake, I look back at the camps and just sit there in amazement.

 Jason and TC are in the front and Sherry and I are in the back. As Jason comes to the end of the lake, he turns the Cessna around and points it into the wind. He revs up the engine and lets it go. We gain speed and go by the camps and then the plane begins its climb into the air over the North Maine Woods. In no time we are up and making our way to Fourth. As we travel, Jason keeps me informed about where we are and what lakes and ponds lay below us. The morning is clear and we can see for as far as your eyes can take you.  We pass over ponds that I have fished and we take in new ponds that I would love to find my way to.

 I also notice the forest and the beauty that it has. You can see miles and miles of uncut greenery, only broken by the clear blue water.

In no time, we are descending at Fourth Lake and taxing up to the camps. This is my first time at the camps and they are beautiful.

We pull up to the dock, and Jason jumps out and ties his plane down. We all bail out and get a tour of another one of the best kept secrets in the North Maine Woods. I am told that this camp was once owned by International Paper and they used to come to it for retreats and other activities. Next to it is another smaller camp that is under repair, and a garage. We take it all in and promise to come back to stay sometime in the near future, but, unfortunately, it is time to get into the plane and head back. TC lays claim to the back seat, so I jump in the front.  I now have great viewing from my vantage point. Jason unties us and pushes the Cessna out. He starts the engines and quickly spins us around and revs the engine up. We travel down the waterway and up into the blue sky heading back to Chandler Lake. On our way back, Jason takes a bit of a detour to show me some new territory, including some great fishing spots, and he tells me how to get there over land. Then he points the plane in the homeward direction and in no time I can see Chandler Lake in the distance. Jason comes in over the tree tops and lands on the lake like we were on a carpet. He slows the plane down and steers it to the dock and cuts the engine as we glide back to where we started.

          As we come to a stop, I cannot help but think about the folks that frequented these woods many years ago, and how they got around before there were many roads. I am told that when Chandler Camps were first built, the only true access was by plane. A gentleman from Portage Lake used to fly the owners and all of their gear in and bring food and other items in as they needed them. If you stop and think about it, they were totally cut off from the outside world. Today in a world with TV, cell phones, computers, video games and what not, I bet it would be tough for many people to be that sheltered like they were.  What do you think? Could you have done it? I know I could have.

Temperatures Control the Fun  #32

Recently, Northern Maine has seen a tremendous drop in the outside temperature which causes us to bring our activities indoors for a time. Temps have fallen into the negative numbers at night and also subzero temps during the day. Outside activities consist of running out to start your car so it will be at least a little bit warmer and you won’t stick to the seat when you leave. Some temperatures have dipped to -23 in spots during the night which often causes you to be concerned about your vehicle and whether or not it will start. Thank goodness this sort of weather does not last long. Now, enough with the weather forecasting. So I am sure you are sitting there reading this and asking yourself, what in god’s green earth does he do when it is this cold. My reply is, great question, and here is the answer, I tie flies.  I would like to go on record of saying that my best friend when tying flies is “You Tube.” You can find almost everything you need on there, including how to tie a certain fly, what patterns look good and even what equipment is good and how does it work. I recently purchased a new fly tying vise, and in an effort to find the right one, I researched it using You Tube. I looked up a number of different vises and watched as the person on the other end showed how they worked. I finally arrived at a vise I felt would work for me and made the decision to order it. I got it this week and have been using it with great results. The Peak rotary vise serves my needs well and the fact that I now have a vise that rotates is very cool. Now, I have many flaws, but one of them is that when I get something new, I have a very hard time not wanting to use it right away. In this particular case, I set it up and started tying right away. I found a pattern on You Tube that I was really interested in and it looked like it might be a winner, so I tied 10 of them.  As is the case, the first few left a lot to desire, but as I continued, they came out better and better. So, the Bullet head Caddis is the new fly in my box and I can’t wait to try it out. Oh, and this is the first time I have tied a fly that requires spinning deer hair. Now I want to tell you that that is a lot of fun. The more you do it, the better you get at it. So, now that I have my 2013 supply of Bullet head’s what is my next adventure? How about some triple wing caddis flies or maybe I’ll just ask SIRI. I am sure she will have some advice.

One of my readers and good friend just sent me a box filled with different feathers he collected. They were exactly what I needed and I plan to dive into them soon when I start making the flies that require them. I wonder if he was trying to make a point when he sent them to me. Not to worry, I plan to have a few flies tied for him when he comes to Maine in June for our annual fishing trip. 

A Very Nice Christmas Present  #31

Winter is often the serious fisherman’s time to prepare for the upcoming season. That means you need to check your tackle, reels, lines and most importantly your flies. I spend the winter tying the flies I need to replenish my stock. After the New Year, my vice comes out, I make a list of what I need to accomplish what I am undertaking, and then I go to work.  This year, my plan is to tie some irresistible flies, green drakes, nymphs and of course, that fly that treated me so well last year.  By March, I will have them all completed and my gear will be ready to go. Fishing season starts in April, although many areas of the woods are not passible due to the snow and mud. Between now and then, time will fly by and before long, I will be in a canoe paddling out to my favorite holes.

Now, one other thing that you have to check are your rods. In December, I stopped by one of my favorite fly rod shops just across the Canadian border in Clair, New Brunswick. Clair is just across the border from Fort Kent, Maine. A number of years ago, I was introduced to Luc Gagne, who is a master fly rod builder. I am proud to own a rod that Luc built and it is by far, my favorite, and most cherished rod I have. Luc’s craftsmanship is exquisite. So, while I was there, he brought out a blank he was about to transform into a 9 ft 5 weight graphite fly rod. As he was showing me it, my mind began to wonder and I thought what a nice rod it would make for TC for Christmas. So, I asked Luc to put it together and call me when it was finished.  The weekend before Christmas, Luc emailed and told me that the rod was complete. We made arrangements to meet at his shop and when I saw it, his craftsmanship and skill had come through again. The rod was beautiful, and I immediately bought it and it became TC’s Christmas present. Now, both of us have a rod that Luc built and they will be in our family for a long time to come.  If you are looking for a well-built rod, I highly encourage you to email or call Luc. His rods are worth owning and they will last a lifetime if they are properly cared for.  As for the fishing season, TC is already talking about getting in the canoe and trying out that new rod. Come on, Spring!

If you would like more information on Luc Gagne and LG Fly & Rod, check out his website. You can find it at www.lgflyrod.com

Another Year Comes to a Close #30

There are only a handful of times during the year that I can say I really do not look forward to. The first snowstorm that blankets the ground and makes everything slippery is one. When the cold finally sets in and you have to go from the medium thickness jacket to the full all-out assault on cold thickness jacket would be the second. When you get to the North Maine Woods checkpoints and find them all boarded up and abandoned for the year, (November 23^rd this year) is another.  But the one thing that really bothers me the most is when I have to clean the rifle, and put the shells and hunting clothes up for the season. That means that we have gone through a full year of fishing and hunting and all that is left is snow and cold for the next five months. Now, I do spend time skiing, which helps pass the time, but my mind is really continually calculating the remaining time until I can see bare ground, warmer temperatures and the emergence of my fishing pole. That means that I have successfully weathered another winter and it is time to get out there and go back to what I love the most, the outdoors.

It has been a great year overall. I have done as much fishing as humanly possible and have spent as much time in the woods hunting both birds and deer as I could. I have ventured into new ponds, scouted new roads and made new friends. TC and I have spent a lot of time together and she has really begun to enjoy being out there with a fly rod, and this year getting to know a shotgun. We have been fortunate to have another great crop of partridge this year, and I am extremely impressed and pleased at the amount of sign I saw while hunting deer. One such adventure we had this year while deer hunting in the North Maine Woods was when TC and I left the truck and were walking into a chopping that had been regenerated with small firs. About two hundred yards into the chop, I noticed two deer standing about 125 yards down from us. One deer was looking our way and the other was looking in the opposite direction. I pulled up the rifle, scoped the deer and found them to be both does.  I dropped the rifle and continued to look at them, but what I did not see was the deer behind them and the deer to the right of them just into the woods a bit. TC saw the deer in the back take off running, but was not sure what it was. Then all of a sudden the deer on the right spun around and jumped off into the woods taking the two does with it. I only saw the back end, but from what I saw, it had to have been a buck. With the lack of snow, it was impossible to follow them and in no time, they were nowhere to be found.  They are such an amazing animal when you see them bounding over whatever is in their way.

Now, I don’t want you to think that everything is over, because it is not. There is something called Muzzle loading season where you have an extra week here in Northern Maine to hunt with a black powder rifle, and I have one of those contraptions. I do plan to get out a day or so and revisit the areas that had such promise during the regular firearms season.  At this juncture, I don’t care if I see a deer or not, just being able to get out and enjoy what this area has to offer is enough for me.  And after this week is over and I put away all of my hunting gear, I can unequivocally say that it was a great year, and I did most everything TC and I had set out to do. And as the sun sets this coming Saturday and the entire hunting season fades away, I have no regrets. After Christmas, I will pull out the fly tying vice and material and add to my inventory for the coming year, all be it with one eye to the ground waiting for the weather to warm up, the snow to be gone, and the ice to go out on the water. That will be my cue to pull out the fishing gear and start a new season.

What’s in a Name?  #29

The first couple of days of deer hunting season are really important to me. That doesn’t mean that the rest is not, however, those first couple of days are when I pack my bags and make the trip over to the western Maine area, and in particular, Rangeley. Now, I have been going there this first week for many years and have come to really enjoy what Rangeley has to offer in terms of the area to hunt and the people that live there.  My friend owns a camp on Rangeley Lake and that is the staging area for our hunting activities. I have had very good luck there over the years, and not only that, but I get to spend time with some guys I don’t generally get to see that often.

Now, Rangeley is an interesting town. I have come to know some of the inhabitants of the community and look forward to seeing them during my visit. You can be sure that most of them will come through the doors of the local pub there called Sarge’s at some point while I am there.  The interesting thing about that is I have never been told what their real names are. Yes, some folks around the Rangeley area have very interesting names that appear to have been given to them a long time ago. I must say, in most cases, they fit the part to a tee.

Take for example, Batman. He is the local driver there that you call upon when you want to make sure that you can have a good time at the local pub and not have to drive back to camp. During the winter, he works at Saddleback Mountain. If you want to know what is shaking in Rangeley, Batman can tell you. He has the up to the minute news scoop and is not afraid to color it in a way that will have the tears coming down your cheeks from laughter. Once, Batman had the door handle taken off his Toyota Camray. When he was asked if he was going to replace it, he said, heck no, a piece of rawhide works just as well and costs a whole lot less. While he was taking us back to camp one night this year, he turned around to us in the back seat and said, turn the tunes on. Apparently, the car does not have a working radio, so to provide a calm enjoyable atmosphere while you ride; he has a boom box with tapes. We finally figured out how to turn it on, and he kept asking for us to turn it up which we did. The songs were right out of the 60’s and we laughed all the way to the camp. If you recall the old Batman days, he always had music going when he was riding in the bat mobile. Need I say more?

The next character is Rooster. Now Rooster is a nice young man just scratching to get by and during his travels, got off the track. He did come through the doors at Sarge’s one night and came right over to our table. He told us that he was just out for a ride on his Harley and was living the good life. From talking to him, it seemed that he was really trying to keep the bus on the road and not let it drive off the embankment.

Duck would be the next character. Now if you were to see him, you would know why he is called Duck. He is the cook at Sarge’s and is very dedicated to his work. This year, Duck was so busy that he did not get a chance to come over and talk with us other than to say Hi as he passed. And as he passed, he kind of waddled by. Not to mention he kind of has the profile down pat.

There are a number of other characters in that area, and we hear and see them just about every time we are over there. They include Hoggie, Rum Belly and a new one I met this year, Hobbit. Now, I just met Hobbit this year for the first time and I have to say, he looks just like a Hobbit right down to his sneakers, that by the way don’t have any laces.

To make this even more intriguing, while hunting, we came across a blue haired troll sitting on a stump. At first, we looked at it and wondered how it had gotten there. Then our imagination got the best of us and we remembered we were in Rangeley and anything can happen….

I am sure there are more folks that I have not met and some interesting names I have not heard. The resounding theme that keeps coming back every time I visit is that of a group of people proud of where they live and working hard to make ends meet. Rangeley is truly a beautiful place to visit both from the hunting and fishing aspect, as well as the winter sports it has to offer. As I leave each year, I think to myself how lucky I am to have been able to spend time there, and I can’t wait until hunting season the next year and the chance to get caught up with all the folks. It is truly an adventure right out of a fairy tale novel. Oh, and did I say that the hunting is great too…

I Don’t Need To!  #28

Peter Davies had it all, a great family, a good practice that he had built from time, and he was well known in the community. He volunteered to help with community events, owned and piloted his own boat and cruised up and down the coast on weekends with his wife. He enjoyed fishing while on the boat, pulling in prize fish that so often the sea would offer him. Yes, Peter had it all. But Peter also had another side that few people knew of or concerned themselves with. Peter thought that he knew it all. He didn’t need any help from others, because when push came to shove, he had gotten out of messes on his own all his life.

So, when his friend Joe told him that he was going to take a hunters safety course, just as a refresher, and asked if Peter would like to tag along, Peter remarked, why do I need that? I know all about the woods and gun safety. I have never been lost and I have never injured anyone with a gun. Joe told him that he was taking it to refresh his skills and to get more familiar with the compass and the map. But, Peter continued to resist and in the end told Joe that he knew all of that stuff and had no use for the course or the waste of time in attending.

Fall came, and Peter was invited to join some of his friends for a couple of days of bird hunting. He was excited and gathered all of his gear including his in preparation for his trip to the woods. The day came when Peter loaded the car and took off to meet the gang. He arrived at the camp late in the day tired from the trip north. He spent the afternoon and evening socializing with the guys and had far more to drink than he should have. That evening, he found his way to his bed in the camp and passed out quickly. In the morning, the guys woke Peter up and told him to get ready as they were heading out to hunt. Peter, still feeling the effects from the night before, got his gear together and loaded it in the truck of the guy he was riding with that day named Bill. As they cruised the dirt roads, Peter had a shell in his hand and the gun by his side ready to jump out when a bird showed up. Shortly into the ride, both he and Bill spotted a bird on the side of the road. Peter loaded his gun and then jumped out of the truck. He started to walk toward the bird so as to close the gap between the two of them. Bill walked alongside him with his gun loaded. Just as they got to within shooting range, the bird took flight. Peter wielded around with gun raised and the muzzle of the gun passed right in front of Bill’s head. Peter continued to swing the gun by Bills head and pulled the trigger, but missed the bird. Bill immediately let Peter know that he had just pointed a loaded gun at him and not only that, but the gun was loaded in a truck which was against the law. Peter replied that he had total control of the gun at all times and would never have placed Bill in any danger. Bill told him to be more careful and not to load his gun while in Bills truck again.

When Bill and Peter got back to the camp, Bill told everyone about his day and what had happened with Peter. Everyone remarked that they were concerned about it, but Peter was such a nice guy that they hated to make an issue of it.

The next day, Peter and Bill once again paired up and struck out to find birds. About half way through the day, they ran into a flock of six birds standing on the road. Both Bill and Peter jumped out of the truck, loaded their guns and began firing at the birds. They both got one, and the others flew into the woods. Bill walked down the road to pick up his bird and all of a sudden, he heard a shot and it felt like a noise went right by his head. Bill swung around to find that Peter had seen a bird in the grass right next to Bill and had fired. As he began to say something to Peter, he noticed that Peter was reloading his gun and was running into the woods yelling, I just saw another one. Bill stayed calm and watched as Peter went out of sight. Minutes went by and Bill heard nothing. Bill yelled to Peter to see if he saw anything, but got no answer. Bill wanted to go into the woods, but was afraid of being in the same area as Peter, so he waited as more time passed. Finally after fifteen minutes passed and he had no contact with Peter, Bill decided to go see if he was ok. Bill pulled out his GPS and marked a waypoint where his truck was. He put his compass around his neck and started into the woods calling for Peter, but got no answer. Bill noticed that as he got off the road, the woods thickened and were very dark and grown in from the softwood trees. For twenty minutes, Bill went deeper and deeper into the woods yelling for Peter. Finally, Peter answered him and said, I am not sure how to get out, can you please come help me. Bill plotted a course to Peter using his voice and told Peter to stay where he was and not move. Eventually Bill got to where Peter was all huddled up. He noticed that Peter was soaked from sweat. He then took his GPS and plotted a course back to his truck with Peter alongside him. Once in the truck, Peter told Bill that he had seen a bird by the road and followed it into the woods. He kept seeing it and kept going deeper and deeper into the woods until he realized that he did not know where he was nor did he know how to get out. He wandered around trying to find his way out, but nothing reminded him of the path he took when he came in.

Once back at the camp, Peter walked over to Bill and thanked him for all he had done for him. He told Bill that he really thought he knew it all, but the few days he had spent with him reminded him of the lack of knowledge and skill he had. He told Bill that as soon as there was a hunter’s safety course available, he was going to sign up, and he was going to find some reading material to help him understand not only compass and GPS reading, but what you do if you are lost in the woods. Peter pledged to be a different hunter if they invited him back next year.

Do you know the moral of this tale? Can you pick out the things that Peter did wrong? What would you do differently if you were Peter? What would you do if you were Bill?

Cast and Blast, Anyone?  #27

As much as I enjoy the summer, and all the possibilities it has to offer us, I must admit that I am more partial to the fall. Now, that does require that I put my fly rod up and take out the guns, and that can be a bit traumatic for me.  However, there is a small, brief, window of time known to us die hards as “Cast & Blast” day.  Translated, that means that you fish just before the day the fishing season ends and then hunt the first day of the new season. And that, my friends is exactly what I did this year. Now, it is a wonderful thing when your wife says to you, I think you need to take a day off so we can go into the woods and fish one last time.  And so, TC and I set out last Friday for the North Maine Woods and one of our favorite ponds. Among other things, we packed the Coleman stove, some pots and our food; because it is always better this time of year to have a hot meal for lunch.  We spent the day on the pond and had some very good luck as the trout were willing to cooperate. Once we arrived at the pond, we found that we were not the only people to have the same idea. There were three men coming off the pond who had been there since early morning, and there were three people just preparing to shove off. While we were getting our equipment ready, we got a chance to talk with the folks coming off the pond. They were from the Bangor area and were staying at the Island Pond campsite. They had the same idea as we did and were doing a little fishing and then on Monday were going to do some bird hunting.  The group just going on the pond was from the Freeport, Durham area and was staying at Bradford Camps.  TC and I had a great day and brought home two trout. The woods were just beginning to show some great colors as the leaves were changing, and I knew that in a couple of days, they would be at peak color and there is no better site than that.

Now, the second part of the Cast & Blast began on Sunday when I headed up to Chandler Lake Camps to meet a group of 12 that was coming in to do some bird hunting.  All summer long, I had seen a lot of partridge and was really excited to start the new season. During the two days that we as a group hunted, we were not disappointed. The number of birds that we saw was unbelievable. After Tuesday, it was apparent that they were showing up in cycles.  You would see them early in the morning and then it would stop until late afternoon when they would come out again. We all had a great time and I even got to see a bear on the road during my travels. That coupled with a few moose, a couple of them very big, help complete a couple of wonderful days.

You know, our hunting group was comprised of folks from all over.  We had people from southern Maine, Vermont, Ohio and even one who now calls Texas home. I know I heard the same comment several times which I always keep in mind as I live and play here, and that comment was “ I can’t believe what you folks have here in Northern Maine, it is very special.”  They of course were referring to the North Maine Woods. Every time I heard that comment, I thought that I considered myself very lucky, indeed. And as Aroostook County is referred to as the Crown of Maine, I guess we could call the North Maine Woods the “Jewel of Northern Maine.”

And as I was driving out of the Jewel on Wednesday morning, looking at the woods and the brilliant colors that the trees were now sporting, I considered myself lucky and honored to be able to be just one of the many that pass through its gates and take part in what it has to offer. I will never lose sight of that fact.

Updates:

One of my readers sent my blog address to his Navy Seal friend and told him to read the blog about the Navy Seal and his dog.  Through that reader, I got an email back from the Seal who wrote the following:

Regarding your friend's post, give him a hooya from me. As you're an honorary part of the brotherhood, you understand how difficult a time that was for us. Nice to know that the spirit of the Team runs far and wide, even as far as northern Maine! I've always said that we'd all be much better off if we could emulate the selfless dedication of a dog to his master. Thanks again for sharing; it'll travel.

On another note, we traveled miles and miles in the woods this weekend in search of partridge that were not showing up well at all. When I came to work this morning, there was a spot on the window of one of our managers where something had hit it from outside. When I looked to the ground, there laid a partridge who must have died from the impact. Go figure.

Now, to Little Kearston and an update. I have been following her mother’s Facebook page and it appears that although Kearston is going through a lot right now, she is doing ok. We are keeping her in our prayers.