Welcome Home RV  #60

The North Maine Woods has a number of sporting camps within its boundaries. Many are very well run and offer the perspective customer a chance to spend time, whether it be to fish, hunt or just relax and take in the scenery.

TC and I have decided to try to visit some of them, and when we found out that our youngest son was coming for a visit, we decided that the Deboullie area would be a good place to go. Now, Deboullie has a number of excellent trout ponds within the park, which is owned by the State of Maine. It also has an excellent sporting camp situated right on Island Pond. I have heard that the pond has always been a great place to fish. When we found out that our son, RV, was coming, we immediately decided to book a stay at Red River Camps. We contacted the owner, Jen Brophy via email and found that she was extremely quick to respond. Jen let us know that she did have availability on the day we were looking for and just that quickly, we were reserved. There are several plans that you can take while at the camps. The American plan allows you to take advantage of full meals while there, with Gloria doing all of the cooking in the main lodge. The Housekeeping plan allows you to do the cooking, while in the confines of your specific cabin.

On the day we were scheduled to drive in, we left our home and headed to Portage, ME where we entered the North Maine Woods via the fish river checkpoint. Once through, we took the Hewes Brook Rd. It wasn’t long before we came up on a Chevy pickup towing a boat and trailer. Shortly after, we ran smack dab into a dust bowl. Allow me to explain. On this day, they must have graded the road, because the dirt was very fine and powder dry. As we came to this stretch of the road, the truck in front of us, which was traveling at about 15 mph, made our travel miserable. We could not see one foot in front of us. Now, anyone who has traveled the woods roads, knows that a dry dusty dirt road can be very dangerous, not only because you can lose sight of the truck in front you, but from any oncoming trucks, including trucks loaded with as much tree length logs as they can load on. Fortunately, we did not meet any this day and we were able to keep track of the truck in front of us. Eventually, we came upon the road that we needed to take to get to Deboullie. We continued to follow the truck with boat in tow. Generally, the rules of the road indicate that when someone is following you and they seem to be faster than you, you pull over and let them pass you. But this guy would have none of it. He stayed in the middle of the road and just kept going. We followed him at about 15-20 miles per hour the entire way into the park until he finally took a left to go to where I thought he might go, Togue Pond. After we escaped the truck, the plan was to drive to the camps, check in and put our gear in the cabin, and then do some fishing at one of the ponds. As we drove into the camps, we were immediately met by Gloria. Gloria is the jack of all trades at the camps. She cleans the camps, cooks and just about everything else. She greeted us, and then took us inside where she let us know that we were going to stay in the cabin marked Denny. She also let us know that dinner was served at six pm. We also met Jen Brophy. Jen is a second generation owner, having purchased the camps from her mother and father. Once we had checked in, we drove up the hill to our cabin, and what we found was a very clean well maintained cabin with hot and cold running water as well as full bathroom facilities. We put our gear inside and then made our way to do a little fishing.  First, we decided that we would have lunch. TC had packed some food for us, so we made a group decision to go to Pushineer Pond to see if one of their campsites was available. When we got there, we found one and spread our things out and had lunch. When we finished our lunch, we packed up and headed over to Perch Pond. As we drove in, we noticed that there was a large party of people at one of the campsites. We stopped and were immediately greeted by several of them. Now, for any of you who know the Martin family from St. Francis, you know that these guys are in a class all their own. Lance Martin came over and we introduced ourselves and immediately everybody remembered everybody from past years. At one point, someone under the tarp yelled out to TC, hey, you went to school with me. Then to top it off, another one of the Martins let us know that his daughter had just gotten married to a young man who went to school in the engineering program at UMO. In this little world, after hearing the name of the man, our son piped up and said that this man had been his roommate during his first year at UMO. Then Lance let us know that they really rough it when they come to this campsite, which incidentally, they do every year on the same dates. In the camp was a generator and a refrigerator. That’s right, a refrigerator. Lance told us that last year, they had brought a freezer, but that did not work so well because it froze everything. Then he showed us a hand carved trophy of a fish with a few names on it and said it was awarded to the person who catches the biggest fish every year. He said that one year, someone brought up a big frozen fish they had caught and tried to pass it off as being caught at the outing. They said it took them a little while to figure out that it did not get caught there and that guy was disqualified. We also noticed that someone had a pontoon boat parked at the shore. Now, for all of you folks who don’t know about Perch Pond, if you pushed the boat out and got the motor up to ¼ speed, you would then need to power it down and find a way to turn it around. Said another way, the pond was far too small for the boat, but they said they were enjoying it anyway. We eventually had laughed enough and decided that it was time to move on and do some fishing. We made our way over to Upper Pond and had a real good day. My job on this trip was not to fish, but just paddle TC and RV around. I was kind of like a guide.

When we returned to Red River Camps that evening, we noticed that there were a lot of people there. Jen told us that she had eight cabins on the complex, and all were full. As we waited for the six o’clock hour, we sat on the deck of Denny and looked out at the complex and the spectacular view of Island Pond. Clearly, this was a place where you could come to relax and enjoy the fact that there were no phones or the hustle and bustle of the busy world. We eventually made our way to the main lodge and sat on the deck that overlooks the pond. Several more people showed up waiting for the bell to go off signifying that dinner was served. While waiting, we got to meet a couple from southern Maine that had just come to relax, hike, canoe and kayak. They told us that they generally take a week and vacation in Maine, usually at a sporting camp.. There was also another party comprised of a father and son. The father was from Maryland and the son, South Carolina. They had been coming to the camps for a number of years and I found their knowledge of the Deboullie area to be quite good. As we finished up our dinner, we heard some knocking at the sliding glass window next to our table. We looked over and found a group of ducks on the deck at the slider pecking away at the door to get in. We watched them for a few minutes and they never stopped their assault on that door until finally, Gloria went over to open it and shooed them away. Our final conversations that evening centered on trying to catch a few fish on Island pond before dark set in. So, we excused ourselves and headed back to the camp to get prepared. RV and I grabbed a canoe on the dock and headed out on the pond. Joining us in an adjacent canoe were the father and son. We fished until dark and only finally surrendered when the headlamp came out and we could not see for the black of night.

That evening, we slept remarkably well and arose to a beautiful clear morning with the water as calm as it could be. We found our way to breakfast which Gloria had made and then said our goodbyes and proceeded to fish two other ponds before we headed home. We rode over to Denny Pond and tried our luck there using sink tip lines. Denny is very clear, but also very deep and using the fish finder I have, I noticed that the fish were in the deeper parts of the pond. Galilee pond is a short walking distance away from Denny, and we all decided to take some time and hike into it.  We found it to be a very long narrow pond at the foot of a big rock ledge. Although we did not fish it this day, TC and I promised that we would come back and try it before the season was over. We then decided that we would drive over to Perch again, and this time, put our canoe in the water. We had a great time fishing it, but who we ran into as we were coming off the water bares discussion. As we came off, a truck pulled in with a boat in the back. As they drove in, we could hear the dogs in the truck making their presence known. The driver got out, with a Coors light in his hand and I instantly knew where he came from by his accent. If you have never been to the Allagash or spoken to someone from there, you just can’t appreciate how they talk. TC and I grew up in Fort Kent and we heard it all our lives, but have never gotten tired of it. Well, this gentleman had us laughing to tears in no time. He asked where we were from and when we told him, he said, you won’t catch me there, no sir. I don’t like driving in that much traffic.  When RV told him where he lived, which is outside of Boston, the conversation was even funnier. He said you’d have to put me in a net to go there. He also kept saying that Deboullie was the “Purtiest” place in the world, yes sir. Then he let the dogs out of the truck and what we saw were two little Yorkshire Terriers. This guy told us that they were the best fishermen in the group. They go in the boat, spot a fish and dive in grabbing it and then return to the boat. When we had laughed as much as we could, we decided that it was time to leave. When I turned back to look at them, I noticed the two dogs, paws up on the side of the boat looking down at the water. Maybe he was not telling a fib about their diving in. No, that can’t be.

Afternoon came and we made our way back home. We had really enjoyed our time at Red River camps and the whole Deboullie region. Jen and her whole gang had made us feel welcome and the atmosphere was outstanding.

Sunday came and RV had to head home. As we took him to the airport, there was a touch of sadness that he was leaving so soon. I always tell people to enjoy their family when they are young, because time passes quickly and they will be gone before you know it. But, I looked at the weekend this way, TC and I had gotten to spend some quality time with him and had been able to take advantage of our region and the Red River Camps. I expect that we will do this again, and the next time, maybe stay a little longer.

www.redrivercamps.com

As we get closer to November, and the upcoming bear referendum vote, I urge you, and all Maine voters to take a look at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries website. They have added a page that talks about the referendum and have provided some excellent information. You can find the page using the URL below.

www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/mammals/2014BearReferendum.html

Deboullie

Every once in a while, you need to branch out or take a leap beyond normal and just plain go fishing at another location. And that is exactly what TC and I did. So, when TC said, why don’t you take the afternoon off and go fishing at Deboullie?  She did not have to ask twice.

Friday, when I got home from work, TC had all the equipment ready to load and was at the door waiting to take off. Now, for those of you who have not heard of the Deboullie Mountain region, you are really missing a wonderful area. Nestled in this area are some of the nicest clean, clear ponds and campsites that you will find anywhere. The land is owned and maintained by the State of Maine Parks and Recreation. Also, tucked in the parks confines is Red River Camps. These sporting camps have been there for some time and just simply are a vacationer’s paradise. Red River Camps, is however, for another blog so I will leave it where it is for now.

Deboullie Region is accessible through the North Maine Woods, from either Portage, Maine traveling up through the Fish River checkpoint and over the Hewes Brook Road, or from the Saint Francis, Maine checkpoint. The area includes a number of excellent trout fishing ponds and camping sites that are well maintained, with many sitting next to one of the ponds. There are also a number of hiking trails in the park that take you to spots where the scenery will take your breath away.

TC and I traveled up through Portage to Deboullie this day. Once in the friendly confines of the park, we headed straight for a pond that I last fished with TC’s father over ten years ago. At that time, we caught trout over 18 inches. Now, to access this pond, you need to carry your canoe a fair distance. I recalled a landing much closer that would get us on to the pond without having to carry too far. And that is where the day became interesting. When we first looked at the site, it appeared that there was enough water to paddle up into the pond. So, we put the canoe in the water and shoved off. That was mistake number one. We went a short ways and then the boat bottomed out, on mud, no less. And there we sat trying desperately to turn around and get back to shore. I was doing my best to get that boat to reverse course and TC was having fun at my expense. We would get it turned a bit and would hit more mud. Now, when I say mud, I mean the kind where when pushing the paddle in to get some sort of grip, it goes out of sight. Yes, it just keeps dropping with no end in sight. It reminded me of quick sand. Well, we moved and we pushed, and I knew there was no way for me to get out of the boat and physically turn it around, because down to the depths I would have gone. You know, like the Rambo movie where he comes up out of the mud, only I am not sure I would have been able to come up. As I labored to get that canoe to turn, TC was in the front having a grand old time. I knew she was trying her best, but I also knew she was laughing inside at me. When we finally got out and back to shore, the canoe looked like it had participated in a mud run and that is in fact what TC said. We had gone “mud canoeing”. Or as she implied, “doing a little red neck canoeing”.

Once back on dry, hard land, we pulled the canoe back onto the trail and decided that we would walk down to the landing zone and see if we could find any canoes already there. When we got there, a canoe awaited us and we put our gear in and off we went. The pond was as beautiful as I remembered it and the reflection of the rock face shined into the water. As we got on the pond, I looked across and saw a lone white tail deer on the shore. It appeared to be feeding. TC and I worked our way over as she fished and we got within 30 feet of her. She was content to feed on the grass by the water and although she kept us in sight, she seemed to understand that we were not going to harm her. We took a number of photos of her and then all of a sudden, she walked slowly into the woods and was gone. She reappeared later and continued to work the side of the water before she left for good. We fished the pond for a while and finally decided to head out. We replaced the canoe and took our gear back to the truck. Once we were packed, we decided to travel over to another pond in the park called Perch Pond and have our dinner. TC had brought spaghetti and homemade sauce and I had brought the Coleman stove. We fired it up and cooked the noodles and sauce and had a feast. Then we headed over to Pushineer Pond.  Pushineer has some very pretty campsites and generally is the most sought after area when campers come in. We just happened to find one that was empty and took the time to look at the beauty around us. We snapped a few photos and then decided to call it a day. We made our way to the Saint Francis checkpoint and then out to Fort Kent, where we stayed the night at TC’s dad’s place. We had to update him on our days fishing activities and at 89 years old, he was as sharp as ever letting me know that he was with me the last time we fished this pond and he caught some nice fish. He also remembered where the hole was and asked if I had found it. When I told him that I did not remember where it was, he let me know that his mind was still sharper than mine. The next day, we drove back into the park and decided that we would try another pond. We pulled the canoe off and loaded it and made our way out on the water. This time, we did not have to do any mud canoeing. We noticed the fish were jumping and it wasn’t long before I caught a nice 9 inch brook trout.TC had a few bites before the ominous clouds began to make their way over the mountains. Then all of a sudden the thunder cracked and we decided it was time to get off the water. Mother Nature gave us enough time to load our gear and canoe before the heavens opened up and the rain came beating down.  That rain continued to fall all the way back to Portage.

TC and I often remark that we lived so close to Deboullie all of our life, but never really took advantage of what it had to offer. We look back and say that it would have been a great place to take our boys and enjoy the real outdoors. We hope to make up for lost time and spend more time there in the future. And by the way, our youngest son will be flying in soon and we plan to spend time there, including a night at Red River Camps. That, my friends, will be the subject of my next blog, so stay tuned.

For more on the Deboullie area, visit this website:  

www.visitmaine.com/things-to-do/recreation-areas/deboullie-public-reserved-land/

www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/get_involved/planning_and_acquisition/management_plans/docs/Deboullie%20Brochure%20Color.pdf

One of the nicest ponds you will see 

A campsite view of Pushineer Pond

Roughing it! #58

There is absolutely nothing like getting away from the daily grind and spending some time clearing the mind so you can recharge your batteries and move on to what the next day brings. In order to do that, some curl up and read a good book and some travel and take in the sites. And then there are those of us who are “hard core.” Now, when I say that, I mean there is a group out there that really enjoys taking time off to new heights. Camping or tenting in a place with hot and cold running water and facilities is great, but there is also the beauty and serenity of tenting out next to a secluded pond or lake and as I call it “ Roughing it.”

So, when TC and I decided that we wanted to do some late evening, early morning fishing, and not wanting to drive back and forth, we made a decision to tent out. Now, TC took charge of the planning and preparation and I was charged with loading and driving. If you know me, you can understand why I was not part of the preparation. See, TC tells me that I always pack more than I need, and to some extent, that is true and I am guilty as charged. My defense is that I just don’t want to be caught short. But given the space requirements on a vehicle, this was a very good move. I just don’t need six pairs of sox for an overnight, and so on.

We decided that we would stay at the Peaked Mountain Pond campsite in the North Maine Woods. We have found that they do an awesome job of keeping their sites clean and mowed. The packing was completed and the truck was loaded, and at noon on Saturday, we departed for our destination. We had not stayed overnight in a tent in the North Maine Woods before, but we were really looking forward to it. As we passed through the six mile checkpoint and paid our camping fee of a whopping $10.00 each, we had to laugh when Ed, at the gate, commented that he had finally been able to drag some cash out of TC and I. See, we purchase our annual gate pass each year which entitles us to unlimited access to the woods, and not have to pay each time we go through the gate.  Once on the road again, we made our way up the dirt road to our final destination. When we arrived, and although the pond looked great, we decided to set up our tent first which we did. We looked at the camp sites there and settled on one nestled in the woods next to the pond. The site had a picnic table and a fire pit ring which we knew we would use later on. So, now, the tent was up and we made a command decision to eat first and then hit the pond and stay there until dark. Once again, that TC planning came through with flying colors as she had already prepared the meal, which only required us to reheat it on the Coleman stove.  There is just something about food cooked in the outdoors that tastes better than if we were dining in. During preparation, we had some company join us. The bugs were out and hovering looking for their meal. I quickly started a little fire in the pit and voilà, the bugs were gone. When we finished and had cleaned up the campsite, we made our way onto the pond. July can be a tough time to fish with the trout heading to the deep holes where the water is much cooler. We did, however catch a few and quickly put them back. Before we knew it, the evening was passing and the light was fading and we made our way to shore. As we settled down for the night, the quiet was just what the doctor had ordered. The only thing we heard was the loon on the pond and the water gently hitting the shore. It was not long before TC and I were fast asleep. Now, at one point during the night, I woke up, and when I did, I could hear the sound of something walking around our campsite. I listened as it got closer to our tent where it came to a stop. That was the last thing I heard before I woke with the sun coming up. As I rose, I could hear our friend, the loon greeting us with his call. I climbed out of the tent, with TC still fast asleep and fired up the Coleman and the coffee pot. I looked at the pond which was just like a mirror. Shortly, TC rose and we ate our breakfast. We both commented on how rested we felt and what a good night’s sleep we had. Before we headed out to fish, we decided to break camp and fold up our tent. Once we cleaned up the campsite, we got in the canoe and paddled out to the spot where we had caught some fish the night before. As I was paddling out, I thought about how it would be nice if we could see a loon either take off or land. If you have not seen this before, you are in for a real treat. They are nothing like a normal bird. Well, once we came to the spot where we wanted to fish, I dropped the anchor and away we went. It wasn’t long before I heard this big commotion and looked down the pond to where I saw a loon taking off. That loon did exactly what I wanted it to do. It got up in the air, traveled the length of the pond, made a circle and went back down the pond at a very low altitude. All of a sudden it dropped down to the water. Now, when it came in for a landing, it looked just like a big old sea plane. It landed belly first and skidded to a stop. My wishes had been answered. I had seen the loon attempt to take off and land. It wasn’t long after that when I again heard some commotion and looked down the pond and that loon was at it again. This time, I was ready, I pulled out my trusty camera and got the whole episode on video. That bird took off at a very low altitude, flew past our canoe, made that circle again and headed back down the pond and then dropped in the water again like a seaplane. For those of you that don’t know or have not seen a loon take flight, it takes them a long time to get up in the air. Often times, they make several trips up and down the pond, each time gaining a little altitude until they are up in the air and off. In this case, I think the loon read my mind, and although it had no intentions of leaving, he just wanted to give me a thrill, and grant my wish.

Eventually, we decided that it was time to leave and we came to shore and packed up. The trip had been a success and our batteries were well charged. We decided that we would do it again soon and that we would explore other places to camp. Just for a day, we were free of TV, cell phones and the daily stresses of life.  It was for us a moment to cherish and to thank the landowners for sharing their little piece of the world with us. We are already planning our next trip. Can anyone say “Churchill Dam.”

Plight of the Pinkham Road Fishermen #57

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “Where did the time go”? Or “Wow, the year went by so fast!” I would wager that you have more than once. Well, that is exactly what I said when it was once again time to have the yearly get together of the group known as the “Pinkham Rd fishermen”. Why are they called the “Pinkham Rd fishermen, you ask? Pinkham Rd is where the camp is that we stay at and where we gather to fish, hence the name. I expect you could say that the name is very scientific on my part.

Every year, a group of us get together to hash over old times, and make new memories so we have something to talk about when we get together the next year. This year, we had folks from a few different states as well as from Maine. There was Mark who not only owns the camp we stay at, but also knows the North Maine Woods like the back of his hand. Then, there was Jeff from Pennsylvania who has fished all over the United States, but had never fished on a pond until last year when he joined us. Oh, and he was rewarded with his first pond fishing experience by snapping the tip of his Winston Rod off in the trees. Ryan was new to our group this year, but very much up to the test when it came to fitting in. Roger joined us again with his tall tales and adventures. We continue to encourage him to write a book on his endeavors and he says he might when he retires. I predict it will be a “Pinkham Road best seller” when it comes out, full of stories about Roger and every aspect of his life. The key is that each year he joins us, he has a new chapter to tell us about. I think he is currently up to chapter 14 as of this year. Then there was Matt. Matt was a Maine boy who grew up here and went to UMaine where he graduated. Eventually, he found the love of his life and they now live in Minnesota. Matt is an avid outdoors person who is quickly being voted the most likely to sleep in a tent while at the camp. See, he often raises the roof on the camp at night while sleeping. He disputes that claim each morning when he wakes up as he is removing his headphones full of music he listened to all night long. I think he is the only one there that really looks rested each morning when he wakes up, if you get my drift. Not to be forgotten is Jon. Now Jon is the quiet one who this year was charged with picking both Matt and Jeff up at the airport and driving them up to the camp. His patience is outstanding because it feels like Matt makes him stop at a lot of places on his way to Presque Isle from Portland. This year, they arrived with a sandwich that they each bought at Matt’s favorite sandwich shop in Bangor. I believe that was stop number four on their ride up.  Jon is also known as the photographer of the group. Each year, he brings his camera and takes a number of great photos which serves as a reminder of what we have done. Last year, Jon did a great job of capturing all the adventures, and we were all looking forward to getting his email filled with photos. Last year, I recall catching some nice trout on Peaked Mountain Pond and Jon, who was in my canoe at the time, was taking photos of them. As we got to the landing, I laid out the fish we kept on the picnic table and asked him to take one more photo. You could see him checking his pockets and his face becoming more and more concerned. Eventually, he let us have the bad news. All of the photos he had taken of the event were lost along with the camera. There was no question that the camera had been lost on the pond before we came in to the landing. At that moment, we swallowed hard, all knowing that the memories of our trip were down under, in the deep blue water.

Each year, I am responsible for getting the food and sending out emails a couple of months in advance to get the “party started”.  Those emails inevitably get the comments started and the challenge going between us all. Now, I still think that I hold the upper hand, because having fished these waters quite a bit, I know what the trout are taking and have those flies tied up and ready to go. And each year, I end up sharing those flies so they can have a good time. The result was that we fished a few ponds and caught a lot of trout. Each time, we would put the fish back, keeping none during our trip.

During one of our trips into a pond, I had one of those life altering things happen to me where I just wanted to sink to the floor of the truck and not come up for a while.  I was fortunate, or unfortunate, however you chose to look at it, to have Matt and Jeff in the truck with me as we were driving into this pond. As we got closer, we came upon a Maine Warden truck parked off on the side of the road. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see the warden just off the road in the trees watching some fishermen on the pond with his binoculars. As we were passing, Matt yelled out with a very loud voice, “Warden Service”. Jeff and I sunk in the seat and I said what the (blank) did you do that for? His response was, “They do it on North Woods Law”. Anyway, we continued on to the campsite, which was a short ways away, and there was a truck parked in the yard. As we got out of the truck, I looked back down the road and here he came. The face he was making was unmistakable and I knew we were not in a good place. As he got closer to us, he asked who yelled. Matt, stepped right up and said I did and I am sorry. He continued on by saying that he had been watching those guys on the pond and that they were using worms and Matt may have just messed up his day. He left us and walked down the path to get the fishermen. At that point, Matt looked at me and said,” We should leave right now.” My response was, no, you made your bed, now you are going to lay in it. Soon, the warden came back up the path, now with another warden, and accompanying him were the four fishermen. We kept our space as the wardens dealt with them. At some point, the warden came back to Matt and apologized for the way he had handled himself which I thought was quite professional. After the wardens were done with the fishermen, we talked for a minute and they were off. Interestingly enough, the fishermen did not go back to the pond choosing to pack up and leave. That meant that we had it all to ourselves, which was fine with me. I do expect that next year this will be a focal point of our discussions when we assemble again. Maybe we can have the first annual warden calling contest. Nah, I think not.

The sad thing about these gatherings is that they seem to end as quickly as they start and our four days seemed to end way too fast. Sunday morning came and we packed up and left the Pinkham Rd camp for Presque Isle. Once we arrived in Presque Isle, we said our goodbyes and talked about how we could not wait until next year. If the quick passage of time is any indication of how soon next year will come, I had better start planning right now. Can anyone say “Warden Service”? Oh, and by the way, things can happen year after year, because Jeff did indeed snap the tip on his Winston rod again. I expect that he and Winston will now be on a first name basis and they will want to know when he makes his trip to Maine so they can have techs on standby.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions #56

We have to make decisions each and every day. Some decisions are minor and some require more thought and additional time. Many can be life altering and some are just simple and easy to decide.

Then there is a fisherman’s day where there are a number of very important decisions you have to make. Many will set the stage for how successful you will be that day. Let’s take a look at a few of them. First, there is the big one. Where are we going to go fishing? That decision requires some thought and a great deal of luck. Your decision will undoubtedly determine how successful you will be. Then, once that decision is made, you have to determine what rod to bring, what clothing you pack and what you are going to bring to eat. And it is always a good idea to keep your survival kit handy for those unexpected emergencies. Oh, and what canoe will you need. Some ponds are made for shorter canoes and some require longer ones. So it is important about deciding on the place you are going because then the canoe decision will fall in line. Now, there are times when the best laid plans have a glitch in them. That requires swift thinking and action to plug any holes that may occur, no pun intended.

Take for example our most recent trip. TC and I made a decision that we were going to drive to one of our favorite ponds this past Saturday morning. We got up, saw the weather report but decided to go anyway. We drove two hours to the pond, only to find that we were not the first people there. No, indeed, there were two vehicles parked at the camp site where you put your canoe in. Now, this is always challenging in that you have a decision to make about do we stay, or do we find somewhere else to fish? Often times, people don’t take kindly to you fishing on the pond if they got there first. However, seeing that the pond had plenty of room, we decided to unpack and give it a whirl. I did walk down to the campsite before we took our canoe off and the sports were tying on a line. I tried to make conversation, but there was little return on their end. We let them get on the water and then we unloaded the canoe, put our things in it and shoved off. As we were unpacking, I noticed that I had made my first mistake. I had brought the wrong pole for TC. I had intended to bring her Winston rod, which she had requested, but instead, I had brought the new IM-12 graphite rod we had bought at the sportsman’s show from T&T Company. No problem, it was going to be a good day to try it out so off we went. We could see the other two boats on the pond and there seemed to be very little action on their part. I had tied my special fly on my line and TC was using a green drake. It wasn’t long before I had a nice fish that grabbed the fly and gave me quite a fight. Eventually, I landed him and we made the decision that we would keep it. TC was not doing so well, so she tied on a variant of the fly I was using. The body was yellow and not green like mine. It was at that time that the fun began. TC hooked a few fish that we decided to put back, but the thing that caught my eye was that she was throwing her line out farther than she had ever done before, and with ease. The pole she was using was really working well for her and it was nice to see her shoot her line well beyond where she had never gone before. I know, it sounds a little like Star Trek.  At about 12:30, we decided to take a break and paddle to shore where we could have a bite. The group on the water followed us in and pulled out their food to eat. Again, I tried to make conversation, but there was little there, so I did ask how they had done and they said they had caught a couple. They never returned to the water, instead choosing to leave. We, on the other hand got back in the canoe and went out for round two. During the afternoon, we were treated to times when the fish would put on a show. They would jump and then the winds would come and they would stop. After the winds died down, they would jump again. TC just kept catching fish. In total, I netted nine of hers and she netted 5 of mine. We also never changed flies again. The ones we tied on worked very well once they dropped below the water. Around four PM, we saw some dark clouds moving in and the wind came up so we decided to call it a day. We came off the water with three nice trout and a very good day of fishing. Looking back on our day, I reflected on the decisions we had made. The pond was the right choice. The canoe was the right choice given the wind and the flies were the right choice. Even when I messed up the rod for TC, it was the right choice. Your decisions don’t always come out right, but this day they did. Now, it is time to start thinking about where we go next weekend. The cycle starts over and hopefully the choices we make will be as good as this trip. Time will tell.

TC and I enrolled in a program that will help the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologist keep track of our fish population. Once we enrolled, they sent us a booklet and asked us to keep track of where we fished, how many fish we caught each trip and the species as well as any markings on them. At the end of the season, they will collect the data. We feel it is important to help them in any way we can.

Also, I got a photo from some friends who were on a fishing excursion of their own. I added that photo to this blog. Good job Dale!

And Away We Go!  #55

  

I recall last November when I put the gun in the case and the hunting clothes away, being saddened because I knew winter was coming and my fishing and hunting seasons had come to a close for 2013.  I held on to the notion that it would soon come again and I would be back out there doing what I loved. Winter hung on and it seemed that I would never be able to get my fly rods out and get back into the North Maine Woods. But I knew that the time would come and eventually, the snow would go and the woods would be calling me again.

Finally, May came and on the 17^th, I was able to load the truck up and head to the woods. I was a bit concerned about what I would find and what if any snow would be left, but I ventured in anyway. As I entered the woods, I came to the six mile checkpoint for the first time in 2014. I was pleased to see Ed manning the checkpoint and my first order of business was to get TC and my season passes. Once that was completed, I was off. I told Ed that I was going to try to find a nice stream and that all I wanted was a chance to float my fly. I didn’t really care if I caught a fish or not. Once I left the gate, I decided that I would make my way to the Mooselook stream area where it intersected with the Pinkham Rd. I had enjoyed the rips there by the bridge on numerous occasions and that seemed like a good place to start. Once I was there, I parked along the road and immediately, noticed that the water level was not that bad. I put my neoprene waders on, added my fishing vest and off I went. I found my way down the hill and into the fast moving water. I had made a decision that today I was going to use my Grey’s 3 weight 7 foot rod. If you have never caught a fish on a 3 weight, you are really missing something. My friend Matt turned me on to this and it is really fun. After a while, I decided that I would continue down the road and try another area. I decided that my next stop would be Smith Brook. When I arrived, I noticed that there was plenty of water to wade in and again, I put myself together and into the brook I went. This time, I brought my camera and made a little video of the peacefulness and serenity that surrounds you while you are fishing. After playing with some fish, I decided to continue on and this time I chose to head over to the Mooselook Dam area. I had a lot of great memories of that area because both TC and my youngest son had fished there in the past and both had had good luck.

When I got there, the water looked good and was not too high. I got my 3 weight prepped and into the rapids I waded.  It wasn’t long before I got a tug on my line and as I looked toward my fly, I noticed that a nice fish had rolled over it. I watched as the fin came all the way out of the water. When I saw it, I said to myself, wow that is a nice trout. I pulled the line up and cast it back to where that fish rose in the rips. As the fly hit the water, the fish jumped all over it. With that 3 weight in my hand, I got what I had wished for, a good fight. The trout would come close, and then would find the strength to pull that line off into the rips again. We did that three or four times and I finally noticed that it had had enough. I pulled my net off my back and scooped the fish up. It was a beauty. I had made a decision while on my way in, that all fish today would get put back and that is what I did. I gave it a glance and put it back making sure that I gently moved it back and forth in the water. As quickly as it came in, it was gone. I continued fishing for about an hour and during that time, I caught four more nice trout. Each time, being careful to land them so I could put them right back, unharmed. After catching the fifth one, it began to rain and it poured. I decided that it was time to go and that the day had been a complete success. When I left home, I had decided that I did not care if I caught any fish, I just wanted to get into the woods. The fact that I caught five nice trout, was a bonus and the highlight of my day. As I drove out and came to the checkpoint, Ed greeted me and I handed him my day pass slip. I told him about my adventure and the fish I caught and then I headed home. It was a great start to the 2014 fishing season, one that I had not dreamed of, but I would take it. I had waited a long time and it was worth the wait. Now, I have the whole summer and fall in front of me. Let’s see, how I can top this ?

While I was traveling, I saw three rabbits, two that were still in the process of changing color from white to brown, and two road runners. One of the road runners pictures is posted below. The fact that I saw them is a real good sign for the fall.