Looking Toward 2011 - Stonington

So here we are..the last day of 2010, and a very successful year it was highlighted by a week spent fishing and la-dee-dahing in August at West Grand Lake..salmon and bass fishing on Lake George.. Pat and I mackerel fishing with our 5 year old grandson, Dustin, and, with our dogs, spending a lovely afternoon on the Penobscot River enjoying the Bangor Folk Festival ..a flat calm afternoon with my sister Linda observing a a "pod" of about 15 seals in a feeding frenzy.. an early morning breakfast on Flat Island with Mike and Deb.. and exploring many beautiful islands of the western gut of Penobscot Bay

In retrospect , I should have done a lot more photo documenting and started a log book of our trips from last year..Hopefully 2011 will show a better effort on my part in these respects..

So..time to move on to planning out 2011 and some new spots that we hope to enjoy.

First on the list is the very pretty harbor and village of

Stonington

My plan is to set out from Rockland very early in the morning..thru the Fox Islands Thorofare and due east to Stonington..I'm thinking there should be some pretty fine fishing and photo ops in and around the many islands and maybe an opportunity to work our way over to Isle Au Haut.. But that my require us to camp out on some deserted island..how horrible would that be..and on the way back we would have to spend some time cruising around and about North Haven and Vinalhaven..

Next Post..

The Kennebec River and Merrymeeting Bay

Twas The Night Before Caddis

T'was The Night Before Caddis

by Richard Frank

Thanks to mountain river journal blog

"Twas the night before Christmas when down by the stream
The full moon looked out on a chill winter scene.
A lone trout was sipping a midge in his brook,
Untroubled by worries of fishers with hooks.
Then from above a small sleigh did appear
Pulled by a brace of eight tiny reindeer.
It swerved of a sudden and down it did glide,
Settling its runners along the streamside.
The fat, jolly driver dove into his sled
And emerged with his three weight held high over head.
“Thank you my elves for this wand smooth as silk.
This break will be better than cookies and milk.”
So saying, he jumped from his sleigh with a chuckle,
Hiked up his boots and cinched up his belt buckle.
Santa meant business that cold winter’s eve.
A fish he would catch – that you’d better believe.
Looking upstream and down, he spotted that trout,
Then he open his flybox and took something out – “Size 32 midges are only for faddists
I’ll go with my favorite tan reindeer caddis.”
So he cast out his line with a magical ease
And his fly floated down just as light as you please.
And it drifted drag free down the trout’s feeding lane,
But the fish merely wiggled a fin of distain.
“Oh Adams, oh Cahill, oh Sulphur, oh Pupa,
Oh Hopper, oh Coachman, oh Olive Matuka!
I’ve seen every fly in the book and the box.
I’m old and I’m wary and sly as a fox.
To catch me you’ll need an unusual gift,
For a present this common no fin will I lift.”
Old Nick scratched his head for his time it grew short
The reindeer behind him did shuffle and snort.
He looked once again in his box for a fly
When a pattern compelling attracted his eye.
“The Rudolph!” he muttered and grinned ear to ear
“Far better to give than receive, so I hear.”
So he cast once again and his magic was true,
And the trout it looked up and knew not what to do.
“This fly has a body of bells don’t you know,
And if that’s not enough there’s a shining red nose!
I know it’s fraud and I know it’s a fake,
But I can’t help myself. It’s I gift I must take!”
So he rose in swirl and captured that thing,
Flew off down the stream. Santa’s reel it did sing.
“Ho!” shouted Santa, “You’re making my day.
If the heavens were water, you’d be pulling my sleigh.”
So, Santa prevailed and released his great rival
First taking great care to ensure its survival.
He then mounted his sled and he flew out of sight
Shouting, “Merry Caddis to trout and to all a good night!”

Big Ray

Our big boy..Ray

I just don't GET people who don't like dogs..We just LOVE our big boy Ray..He is a released Guide Dog and the very best dog I have ever, not owned, but been BLESSED with.

Maine Warden Service 130th Anniversary Documentary :: Section 1

Nice video on the Maine State Warden Service celebrating it's 130th anniversary.

Where Oh Where Art Thou Grand Lake?

The snow is falling and I'm thinking about fishing at West Grand Lake & Grand Lake Stream next spring..so I settled in at the keyboard with my coffee and started exploring literature related fishing blogs and at the same time looking thru some photos of our trip to West Grand last summer. It seems like a long time ago...

Thoroughfare Between West Grand and Pocumcus Lakes

So..I came across the following..it really struck me as the perfect way to describe the joy of fishing in such a setting as Grand Lake..

"With many persons, fishing is a mere recreation, a pleasant way of killing time. To the true angler, however, the sensation it produces is a deep unspoken joy, born of a longing for that which is quiet and peaceful, and fostered by an inbred love of communing with nature, as he walks through grassy meads, or listens to the music of a mountain torrent. This is why he loves occassionally — whatever may be his social propensity indoors — to shun the habitations and usual haunts of men, and wander alone by the stream, casting his flies over its bright waters: or in his lone canoe to skim the unrufflled surface of the inland lake, where no sound comes to his ear but the wild, flute-like cry of the loon, and where no human form is seen but his own, mirrored in the glassy water."

> Thaddeus Norris, American Angler’s Book, 1864.

The day is done at West Grank Lake from camp - August 2010

Saying Hello To The Neighbors..Tis The Season

My lab Ray and I had a nice walk yesterday down the field to say hello to our neighbors..An inquisitive yet shy group and somewhat suspicious..we did our best to be friendly..well Raymond was a bit peeved at their stand-offish-ness and voiced his opinion. They reciprocated by grumbling and growling at him , strongly getting the point across that our visit was totally unnecessary, and even trying to get Ray to electrocute himself on the fence. Ray, having in a previous walk, touched his nose to it and had apparently learned his lesson, would have none of their exhortations. I fear that there will be no detente in our relationship..It could get ugly..

My Bad..

GEORGES RIVER APPLETON



I've been a real slacker about my blog for the past two weeks..got stuck in neutral on the story about hunting with my Dad as I have so much stuff running thru my head that I got brain freezure (?)...gonna' put that one on the back burner until next fall..I've learned a lesson tho...gotta' have stuff "in the can" and ready to post for something like that...

Anyways..went fly fishing on the Georges River last weekend..No hits at all but I did manage to stumble around on the rocks and get achy knees from the cold water . Good thing I took a "wading staff", actually a snowshoe pole, with me to keep my upright....but it did help..I'll try a different spot this weekend if the weather co-operates... Maybe not...Rain/snow?