The Maine Sportsman April 2025 Digital Edition

~ SPRING FISHING ISSUE! ~

Sportsman The Maine

April 2025 • $5.95

For Over 50 Years!

2024–2025 MAINE FISH STOCKING LIST P. 30-42

Postal Service Goes Fishing

22 Tips for Spring Fly Fishing P. 28

P. 4

Bigfoot Sighting at Baxter Park? P. 54 Hunting Camp: How to Get Invited Back P. 44, 45

2 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

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Libby Outposts – Then, and Now The outlying camps owned and operated by the Libby family have varied as much as the Maine weather.

The cabins started off as nothing more than a rough trapper’s cabin in the late 1800s, and transformed into what we have today.

The value of the cabins then as now is location. In the 1900s, these cabins were necessary for overnights on the canoe or hiking trails throughout the headwaters of the Aroostook and

Allagash Rivers.

The six generations of Libbys that have operated the cabins have all put their own stamp on these log cabins, and many if not most have had to be rebuilt to meet the expectations of the current day’s sportsmen and women.

The middle photo is from 1917 on our river, and shows the dress of the women then. In subsequent years, Orvis and L.L.Bean have changed the women’s styles to make climbing over rocks, brush and wading through quick water a bit more enjoyable.

Now, family members arrive decked out in their waterproof waders

and Gore-tex rain suits, and with improvements in transportation, they can travel here from Southern Maine in only a few hours.

Women hunters now come mostly to bird hunt, but the lady deer hunters in this 1940 photo (below, left; the owner’s mother and aunt) were very skilled, as shown by this harvest of big bucks.

Come let us start your family tradition in one of our wilderness locations. Call Matt or Ellen, (207) 5518292. The travel is more modern and faster, but the locations are as magic as they ever were.

¶

Grant’s Kennebago Camps If you travel to any destination in Delorme’s Maine Atlas & Gazetteer this year, let it be to Map 28, C-4. You’re looking at Kennebago Lake and the Kennebago River – places you want to be for some fine landlocked salmon, brook trout, and brown trout fishing; and the Rangeley Lakes Region, where fall brings wonderful ruffed grouse and American woodcock hunting. And it’s at Grant’s Camps that you should stay.

The 18 cabins range in size to accommodate large groups or single anglers. Each lakeside cabin has electric baseboard heat and/or a wood-burning stove. All have hot and cold running water, showers and flush toilets, and are

connected to the electrical power grid.

Wi-Fi is available in the dining room, at the office, and in the comfortable lounge next door.

Every cabin has a vintage 16-foot Rangeley boat with a 6-hp outboard motor available. Quiet, comfortable and stable, the boats are good platforms for fly fishing or just tooling around the lake checking out the history and watching – perhaps photographing – the wildlife.

Angling and upland bird hunting guides with gundogs are available to help you maximize your time fishing and hunting in this beautiful area of the Western Maine Mountains. In October, guests may fly fish in the lake and hunt

woodcock and grouse in the nearby covers –a true cast-and-blast experience.

Three meals a day are served in the comfortable dining hall, and bag lunches are available on request to take fishing, hunting or exploring. The food is excellent, and the table service is friendly and efficient. And the view of the lake and mountains through the large windows is photo-worthy.

Grant’s Kennebago Camps: 1-800633-4815, grantscamps@gmail.com, www.grantscamps.com – a very fine historic and iconic Maine sporting camp, run by John Blunt.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

4 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Editorial

Reasons for Optimism It’s sometimes easy to focus on the negatives, but for outdoorsmen and women here in Maine and the northeast, there’s a lot to be positive about: 1) The excitement we here at The Sportsman have experienced as we’ve partnered with Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to plan and produce the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show, March 28 - 30 at the Augusta Civic Center has been palpable, and the energy from exhibitors and attendees has given us a muchneeded boost as we shake off the last of the winter, and head into spring and summer.

2) We are just coming out of a good old-fashioned winter – one that saw ice anglers on our lakes and ponds, and a resurgence of snowmobilers riding the networks of ITS and local trails.

3) Last summer, anglers in locations as far apart as Sebago, Rangeley and Moosehead (not to mention the productive waters in Washington and Aroostook Counties) reported some of the best fishing in recent memory – both in terms of size of fish, and numbers – and there’s no reason to believe things will slow down.

4) More than 500 hunters applied for and received “Biggest Bucks in Maine” patches based on the results of the 2024 hunting season – the largest influx of new members into that patch club in many, many years.

5) More and more parents and other adults are taking young hunters out into the woods and fields – not just on Youth Hunting Days (which now often stretch over two days, rather than just one), but also during the regular seasons. Kids who are accompanied on hunts will absorb traditions and skills that will stand them in good stead when it’s their turn to mentor others.

6) The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife continues its highly-successful stocking program (see the most up-to-date stocking list on pages 30 through 42 of this issue), increasing fishing opportunities for anglers, while still being mindful of the need to protect native species inhabiting many of Maine’s lakes and ponds.

Hunting, fishing, boating and ATVing – there’s no reason these next few months can’t represent the “good old days” we’ll look back at in the future, so as our “Snapshots in Time” writer, Bill Pierce, always says, “Get out there and create some great Maine outdoor history of your own.”

Sportsman The Maine

ISSN 0199-036 — Issue No. 629 • www.mainesportsman.com PUBLISHER: Jon Lund MANAGING EDITOR: Will Lund will@mainesportsman.com BUSINESS MANAGER: Carol Lund carol@mainesportsman.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kristina Roderick kristina@mainesportsman.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nancy Carpenter nancy@mainesportsman.com DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR: Jon Mulherin distribution@mainesportsman.com Second class postage paid at Scarborough, ME 04074 and additional entry offices.

Email editorial inquiries to will@mainesportsman.com.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 12 Months $33 24 Months $54

Phone: 207-622-4242 Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Maine Sportsman, 183 State Street, Suite 101,­Augusta, ME 04330

TABLE OF CONTENTS Almanac by Will Lund.................................................... 12 Aroostook - “The County” by Bill Graves..................... 50 Big Game Hunting by Joe Saltalamachia.................. 45 Big Woods World by Hal Blood..................................... 47 Editorial.............................................................................. 4 Freshwater Fly Fishing by Lou Zambello....................... 28 Get Out There by Staci Warren.................................... 66 Jackman Region by William Sheldon.......................... 60 Katahdin Country by William Sheldon......................... 58 Letters to the Editor.......................................................... 6 Maine Sportswoman by Christi Elliott........................... 55 Maine Wildlife by Tom Seymour................................... 16 Moosehead Region by Tom Seymour......................... 62 New Hampshire by Ethan Emerson.............................. 73 Outdoors & Other Mistakes by Al Diamon.................. 77 Petzal Logic by David Petzal........................................ 44 Quotable Sportsman by Will Lund................................ 27 Rangeley Region by William Clunie............................. 70 Ranger on the Allagash by Tim Caverly...................... 54 Riding Shotgun by Robert Summers............................. 76 Saltwater Fishing by Bob Humphrey............................ 24 Sebago to Auburn Region by Tom Roth..................... 69 Self-Propelled Sportsman by Jim Andrews.................... 9 Shooter’s Bench by Col. J.C. Allard............................. 48 Smilin’ Sportsman by Will Lund...................................... 76 Snapshots in Time by Bill Pierce.................................... 11 Southern Maine by Val Marquez................................. 68

¶

Tales from the Warden Service by Ret. Lt. Doug Tibbetts. 53

On the Cover:

Trading Post (Classifieds)............................................... 48

On March 13, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service issued “Forever” stamps featuring five popular types of freshwater fishing lures. These include “wakebait” (which looks a lot like a Jitterbug), “spinner” (patterned after a Mepps Aglia), “spoon” (Dardevle Spinny, or Acme Little Cleo), “crankbait” (Strike King Bitsy Minnow?) and “popper” (Rebel Pop R).

There are days when the hard-working USPS folks likely feel underappreciated, but for this effort to celebrate the millions of us freshwater anglers, we give them a well-deserved tip of the Maine Sportsman cap.

Cover design by Kristina Roderick, Imagine Design Company, Oakland, Maine www.MaineSportsman.com

New England’s Largest Outdoor Publication

Tidewater Tales by Randy Randall............................... 64 Trapping The Silent Places by David Miller.................. 65 Trout Fishing by Tom Seymour....................................... 26 Vermont by Matt Breton............................................... 74 Western Maine Mountains by William Clunie.............. 72

GUEST COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS 2024 Maine Fish Stocking Report.............................30–42 April Fools’ Day Special Feature................................... 42 ATVing in Maine by Steve Carpenteri......................... 18 Boating by Nolan Raymond......................................... 21 GUEST: The Kamikaze Partridge by Jake Guay.......... 57 GUEST: The Learning Curve by Jim Fahey................... 43

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www.MaineSportsman.com

6 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters

Fashionable Winter Wear

To The Editor

Veterinarian Says “No” to Skunk Request

To the Editor: I very much enjoyed reading Tom Seymour’s “Skunk” column in the March, 2025 issue (see “Maine Wildlife,” p. 18). I wanted to relate my own skunk story.

In my 95 years, I have had all the “usual” pets (cats, dogs, horses, a goat and a parrot), as well as some more unusual pets, including a spider monkey, a red squirrel, a tarantula, a scorpion, a Maine crayfish, and land hermit crabs.

And I almost had a skunk. When my husband Bill and I lived for a while in Hartford, CT, we were driving back from a meeting when we noticed a family of skunks – a parent and three young ones – crossing the road.

As the last of the little ones approached the bushes, I reached out and – remembering advice from my father – picked the skunk up by the tail so it would not spray me.

www.MaineSportsman.com

We put the little fellow in a foam cooler. My husband made me sit in the back seat of the car on the drive home, holding the cooler.

When we got home, Bill said, “Now what are you going to do with your new pet?” I called several veterinarians, but (likely in part because it was a Sunday afternoon), each of them refused to descent the skunk (“If it sprayed, it would ruin my office,” one explained).

So we took the little guy back and reunited him with his family.

Anne Holmbom, Portland & Monson, ME

To the Editor: I have admired David Petzal’s writings for some time, so I thought I would say “Thanks!” I read his recent column on winter clothing (see “Cold-Weather Fashion Notes,” February 2025 issue; p.

66), and I strongly agree with his suggestion that the best outerwear for really, really cold weather is a baggy, windproof and waterproof parka.

For years of ice fishing, I have worn a forest-green, heavy, bad-weather rubber slicker “parker” I picked up at Cabela’s a long time ago. Many shoremen and ocean fishermen will attest to how warm these coats Norway’s Roald are.

They are Amundsen good for only two things: staying warm, and staying dry.

My buddies poke fun at me and ask if I’m headed out to sea to be featured on the television series “Deadliest Catch,” (Continued on next page)

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but the fact is that the parka lets in zero water and zero wind, and lets out zero heat.

Anthony Winslow, Gray ME The author responds: Thanks for the kind words, Anthony. For garb more modern than the rubber slicker, I am also a fan of oversize Helly Hansen jackets. I purchased one of their full-length rain parkas (down almost to my ankles) when I came to Maine, and wore it until the zipper died. I have also had good luck with Gore-Tex, which can be very effective.

Walk between the raindrops, Dave Petzal —

Model 42 – “Timeless Classic” To the Editor: That was a great article by William Sheldon about the Winchester Model 42 (see “Jackman Region,” March 2025 issue; p. 46).

I consider the Model 42 to be the Holy Grail of .410 pump-action shotguns.

Iconic classical Winchester

looks, and flawless performance.

Back in 1963 when they were last made, they sold for about $100.

I wish I could have purchased one back then.

The column brought back many fine memories.

Wayne Dengler, Danbury, CT —

“I Am a Mainer” To the Editor: Thanks for including my note in the March issue. I have one request, and two comments.

First, you listed my hometown as East Greenwich, RI. Please know that I am now a Maine resident, in Kennebunk.

And regarding the excellent March issue, let me convey a couple of compliments: First, after reading Tom Seymour’s “Maine Wildlife” article, I could almost smell the skunks.

And second, good job on the Smilin’ Sportsman jokes, especially the Taylor Swift item (p. 70). It’s a keeper, and I forwarded it on to several of my friends.

Reid S. Appleby, Jr., Kennebunk ME (Continued on next page)

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8 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Letters to the Editor

Trophy Gallery

(Continued from page 8)

Editor’s response: Sorry to mis-state your hometown, Reid – we’ll do better in the future. Glad you are in Maine!

And speaking of corrections, many readers took note that in our January 2024 issue, in the piece about the late Fred Thurston (see “Passing Fred’s Hat,” p. 61), we made an editorial error and ran an incorrect photo. A photo of Mr. Thurston is found to the left.

¶ Fred Thurston

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A Proud Trio Maine Sportsman subscriber Matthew Nicholson of Lisbon Falls was hunting in T12 R14 (Zone 1) on October 11, 2023 when he harvested this impressive 662-lb. bull moose using his .308. With Matt (left) are hunting companions Matt Wilson (center) and Daniel Nicholson. The bull was registered at Gateway Trading Post in Ashland. Matthew retained Outpost Adventure Guide Services to help organize the hunt.

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Self-Propelled Retirement for Less People around me don’t mention my upcoming retirement much. They never say, “Whatever will you do with yourself, Jim?” It’s not because they’re afraid of offending me.

It’s just that they don’t have an hour of their life to spend listening to my list of trips and plans in reply.

After more than 30 years at the same desk job, I’m not exactly sure how retirement will work out. But I do know that those of us who live and recreate in Maine are in a self-propelled retirement heaven.

And I do have few ideas.

At the Perfect Time and Place After the ice goes out on Rangeley each year, if we’re lucky, there may be a dozen flat-calm days over a period of the subsequent few weeks that offer safe trolling conditions for an open canoe. Any later than that, and the salmon and trout go deep. I like to row my trolling canoe, which is a little more stable, so add two or three more days

The author is looking forward to a leisurely life of relaxation when he closes his work office door for the last time. And here’s a list of the first fifteen places he intends to visit, to help him relax – lugging his canoe, mountain bike, fishing rods, and shotgun!

Steady eddy on the St. Croix. All photos provided by the author

each year.

Ice-out is unpredictable; blue bird weather is unpredictable; the weather for the entire month of May is unpredictable.

Throw in the requirements of a job, and the chances of the stars aligning so we can be there at that perfect place and time is vanishingly small.

I’ve only managed it a few times in 25 years, and I live 45 minutes away.

It’s the same way for all the most magic moments in Maine.

The first tracking

Bow trip on Attean Lake.

snow, the narrow window between ice-out and bad bugs on the Allagash, the short canoe season on the Upper St. John, a gentle stalking rain in November deer woods, snowshoeing deep powder on a windless February day, biking Acadia roads in April before the gate is open, and hiking Katahdin on the first summer day you can smell fall in the air.

Retirement offers the possibility of seizing those rare days.

This year, I’m promising myself to be ready

Poling the Allagash.

for ice-out – canoe on the rack, rigged rods at hand, and wooden oars ready to deploy. Less long-term planning for pre-set vacation dates on the calendar; more nimble adjustments to fickle weather, winds, and high water.

Not what’s planned for tomorrow, but what’s best for tomorrow.

On a Dime Plenty of posh places in Maine are full of retirees. But we self-propelled oldsters could not live or recreate in a better place for an economical

outdoor retirement.

Think about three new epicenters of your retirement life – Baxter State Park, the North Maine Woods, and Acadia National Park.

Even at non-resident rates, a full annual gate pass to all three of these gems, combined, is less than $200! If we are over 70, it’s likely free.

That’s a rough total of 3.75 million acres at our disposal for camping, hiking, canoeing, biking, fishing, hunting, and just sitting by the campfire. Even with additional modest camping fees, it’s by far the best deal east of the Mississippi. And it covers a total area larger than the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!

World-class canoeing on the Allagash and St. John, hunting the only sustainable moose population in the contiguous U.S., fishing at thousands of remote lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, biking and hiking and camping in coastal enclaves once exclusively owned and inhab(Continued on next page)

Morning on Webb Lake. www.MaineSportsman.com

10 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Self-Propelled Sportsman (Continued from page 9)

ited by millionaires, and camping in the wilderness shadow of Maine’s highest peak, considered sacred by indigenous people.

Add to that the mostly-free access to another 750,000 acres contained in Bureau of Public Land units and state parks.

Go ahead, tell me there’s a better deal out there.

Too many places to explore; not enough years left. That’s the special sauce.

New Skills and New People Last fall, I joined the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association for $15, with purely selfish intentions. I knew the group managed a shooting range near the Sugarloaf resort, and I had some

moose and deer rifles to sight in.

For that price, you might expect a gravel pit strewn with broken glass and a wobbly card table. But the CVOA range was magnificent. Gate-controlled access to a huge area that looked out on a panoramic view of Bigelow Mountain, indoor and outdoor trap shooting stations, and rifle and handgun ranges with solid covered benches.

I haven’t shot clay birds in more than 20 years, so my wingshooting could sure use some practice.

In addition to regular shooting matches, CVOA also offers volunteer-led meet-ups for skiing, biking, hiking and paddling trips.

Their published hiking

Setting out across Flagstaff Lake.

Nahmakanta Public Lands.

guide is extraordinary.

As a long-time member of a few organizations that offer similar group trip opportunities (Friends of Baxter State Park, Maine Wilderness Guide’s Association, Appalachian Mountain Club) – I realize I’ve neglected to take advantage of all these groups have to offer.

I’m also a long-time member of the solitude club. But I look forward to changing that

focus.

Long Trails and Camp Calling Maine’s long trails might get some priority in my retirement plans. Hiking the 100mile Wilderness portion of the AT, or canoeing the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, or biking the length of the Downeast Sunrise Trail, should all be attempted while I’m physically able.

And of course, the ever-popular goal –

more time at camp.

Every Maine sportsman has one. Maybe it’s been in the family for generations; maybe it’s a particular cabin we’ve adopted at a private sporting camp; even repeatedly-used campsites take on special meaning.

Mine has only been in the family for 40 years, of course it needs a little work.

If I can just find the time.

¶

Seminary Brook flows into the St. John River.

Umsakis Lake, from Ledges Campsite. www.MaineSportsman.com

Retirement will allow the author more time at camp.

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“Snapshots in Time”

Historical Glimpses from Maine’s Sporting Past Compiled by Bill Pierce, Former Executive Director, Outdoor Heritage Museum

This bear-tracking story is a true tale of perseverance that appeared in the January 26, 1906, edition of the MAINE WOODS newspaper. This account highlights how tough and hardy Maine’s true woodsmen were. We hope you enjoy it.

“Through Temple, Weld and Carthage, Chase Raged 12 Days”

Pearl Jenkins and Frank Gray, of Temple, were the persevering hunters. At the last ditch, old bruin, weighing 400 pounds, turned at Bay Temple, Jan. 23, 1906.

Last Wednesday the 17th, came the climax to a strenuous chase, when Pearl Jenkins and Frank Gray of Temple killed a monster black bear in Carthage basin. The bear was a Temple bear and was started near Spruce Mountain 12 days before. Gray and Jenkins tramped every day from dawn until dusk, building a fire and sleeping at night in the lee of some cliff or thicket. Young Jenkins was the first to get a shot at the bear, breaking its fore shoulder. This occurred near Weld village. For two days more, Bruin, noted to be on three legs, kept just ahead of his relentless pursuers.

Finally, he was overtaken and, once at

bay, made a wicked charge. A storm of lead greeted him, and a ball in the neck caused but a shake of the head. And when with near a score of small caliber bullets in his body he had nearly reached Gray, a well-placed shot just back of the ear by Jenkins ended the career of the Bruin. The bear would prove to weigh four hundred pounds and had jet black fur of great length.

Mr. Dolbier of Farmington bought him entire, paying $40 [the equivalent of $1,402.69 today].

When Mr. Jenkins, senior, had been without news of the boys for eight days, he started out to look for them. He got some news of them in Weld, but not until later was his Bearship killed and the father notified. He went after the trio the next day, and brought them home. The bear drew crowds of spectators en route and at

Temple, and until he was finally sold.

The hunters crossed Mt. Spruce, Mt. Blue, Tumbledown, Saddleback, Sugarloaf, Cherry Hill, and others during their long and tedious chase – some of these mountains more than once. The total length of time they were pursuing Bruin was fourteen days, during which time they were traveling nearly all the time with only scant rations.

Much of their food they got at farmhouses along the trail. While in Weld they were joined by Mr. Eugene Twaddle of that town.

[Wow…how many readers know of ANY sportsman today that would show such dogged determination in pursuit of their quarry? These guys were really something.

Until next time, stay on the track as you venture forth to make some Maine outdoor history of your own!]

In pursuit of the giant bear, “the hunters crossed Mt. Spruce, Mt. Blue, Tumbledown, Saddleback, Sugarloaf, Cherry Hill, and others during their long and tedious chase – some of these mountains more than once.” Illustration provided by the author

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Almanac

12 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Three Minutes with a Maine Guide

By Lisa DeHart

Cook Over a Wood Fire, Not on a Stove Cooking over an open fire connects you to the woods in a way a stove never will. Once you commit to cooking every meal over an open fire, you are forced to learn many skills your food depends on.

When the stakes are that high, you pay attention, you prepare, anticipate, and learn from mistakes, so you won’t make them again. And ultimately, inevitably, you get better at all of it, and enjoy better and better meals that you made.

In short, there is nothing so satisfying or connected to nature.

So many skills spider-web off of

Maine Guide Mike Patterson carries water toward a campfire kindled under the downwind edge of a tarp. Photo provided by Lisa DeHart

Compiled and Edited by — Will Lund —

cooking over an open fire. How to recognize good cook wood – not just the little ambience wood that you burn for campfire stories. How much wood is enough.

Gonna rain tonight? How to tarp a fire so you can still make a good breakfast, and drink way too much cowboy coffee in the morning.

If anything, rain makes hot coffee in the morning more critical, not less.

How to build a fire pit for cooking.

Cooking fires are square; story-telling fires are round.

How to build and clean up a meal as efficiently as possible, so it doesn’t take all night and you don’t burn a cord of wood. How to manage time so you’re not eating or cleaning up in the dark – that’s a fail.

Did you canoe all day in the rain, and now you need to gather wood? The inside of the wood is dry, and now is your chance to work on your “Wood Splitting 101” skills.

I started out as a baker before I was a Guide, so my obsession with good wood-gathering goes way back. Nothing needs to be bigger around than your arm. The wetter the conditions, the smaller you will split your wood.

Do you know how to tarp a fire so you and the guests can relax, eat, dry out, warm up and enjoy a fire, with everything under the tarp?

Commit to cooking over wood, and you will learn how. It’s a journey that I promise you won’t be sorry you took.

—

Guide Talk

by John LaMarca

An Ode to Small Town Tagging Stations As we approach the spring season on Wild Turkey, I feel the need to write a thanks to the unsung heroes of the hunting process – small town tagging stations. After a successful harvest of a deer, moose, bear or turkey (unless you opt to “self-register” the turkey online), you must register the harvest with the state at a certified tagging station. In many cases, these certified places are small family-owned convenience stores, gas stations, or sporting goods stores.

Since everyone must register at one of these stations, they become an epicenter of the hunting community. Many have felt the excitement of shooting a deer at last light, getting the deer in the truck, and going to tag it. As you pull into the station, you encounter several other successful hunters, all there to do the same thing. As you get out of your vehicle, you become part of the community of hunters who have gathered to see each other’s harvest and to hear their hunting stories. The laughter and excitement of success can be felt in the air as their respective harvests are being tagged. It’s not uncommon to have local townsfolk come to the tagging stations in the morning and again at dusk, just to see the harvest and hear the adventures.

Some tagging stations even do the pinnacle of small-town hunting success, (Continued on next page)

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the “Wall of Fame.” After registering your animal, they may have a board where they will put your name; date of the hunt; the hunter’s town of residence; location of the harvest; and the size, weight or antler points of the game animal.

My local tagging station, Bowdoinham Country Store, does this, and I love it.

a guest I guided. You read the list, and see something like, “Town Harvested: Bowdoinham, Bowdoinham, Bowdoinham, Bowdoin, Richmond, Bowdoin …

Madison, Wisconsin?!” Yup, one of mine!

Or my favorite to date, “Göttingen, Germany”?! True story, and he doubled up on wild turkeys. Seeing those distant hometowns on the list certainly draws some attention.

So while you are at the tagging station, thank the attendant, and buy your gas, a coffee and maybe a breakfast sandwich. Do your part to support these small businesses, since without them, we’d lose a valuable component of our hunting community.

—

Trailintel Aims to Serve Snowmobilers, Clubs and Businesses

Photo provided by John LaMarca

As a guide, one of my favorite pastimes is looking down the Wall of Fame list as the season goes on, and seeing my guests in the lineup, because when it comes to the “hometown of the hunter” category, it’s like one of those “One of these things is not like the other” situations. You can usually tell when it was

What’s the very best source of information about snowmobile trail conditions, the benefits of club membership, and business establishments that cater to enthusiasts?

Why, other riders, of course!

And a newly-expanded company, Trailintel, offers a computer and smartphone application that serves to connect riders – and their information – together in a single location.

The app permits riders to navigate the most direct route from point to point; learn of trail closures and detours; communicate among each other; establish their own profiles; and post photos. The

The electronic trail maps offered by Trailintel are easy to view, as shown by this screenshot of the ITS trails that converge just south of Moosehead Lake.

Photo: Trailintel

app also makes it easy for riders to join and support area clubs.

“Our goal is to offer a complete and easy solution for riders, clubs, and supporting businesses, as well as other components crucial to the sport,” explained Trailintel’s Paige Callan. “We do this by providing real-time, accurate information to riders and sponsoring clubs. We also offer live trail updates, club management services, mapping and communication tools, and an easy-to-use, intuitive design.”

Several Maine clubs, including those in Carrabassett Valley, Solon and Lexington, are currently using Trailintel. Basic services – such as state trail maps, rider profiles, photo-sharing, and gas station locations – are free, while an optional monthly fee unlocks enhanced features such as local trail maps, club boundaries, and Garmin navigation capabilities.

(Continued on next page)

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Almanac (Continued from page 13)

In addition to snowmobilers, the company plans to offer its services to ATV riders, first in the northeast, and then in other states.

Learn more at Trailintel.com.

—

Trivia question: How Did the Splake Get its Name?

Most savvy Mainers know that a splake is the result of the crossing of a male brook trout and a female togue.

But why is the resulting hybrid fish called a “splake”?

The answer is found at the end of this Almanac.

—

Removing Snow from the Roof of Your Remote Camp or Cabin

by Will Lund If you are residing full-time in your home, it’s relatively easy to keep snow from accumulating on your roof.

New-fallen (fresh) snow is pretty light – on average 3 pounds per square foot of snow, according to folks who measure this type of stuff – so it can be easily

dealt with by using a telescoping or segmented roof rake.

Those same folks who measure stuff tell us that wet, compacted snow weighs more than 20 pounds per square foot, while ice weighs more than 55 pounds per square foot.

If you own a remote camp or cabin in the Maine woods, you are not likely to be able to visit the location after every snowfall. The result is that when you do have an opportunity to get to the structure, using a 4-wheel drive vehicle, snowmobile – or, in the case of our wilderness camp in Monson, snowshoes – you will likely face a roof full of heavy, compacted snow, including several layers of ice.

Heavy snow with ice layers spells the end of ice rakes, since users (“Guilty, your Honor”) tend to bang them down heavily on the rooftop ice-pack, trying to bust through the thick crust. Our roofrake has been duct-taped together as long as I remember – not a reassuring condition.

So what do you do? Against all safety recommendations, you clamber onto the roof, and you try to make this expedition as safe as possible, given the fact that you are standing on slippery snow and ice, shoveling slippery snow and ice, and you are perched between 15 and 30 feet in the air.

First Steps 1) Anchor your ladder securely.

Goes without saying, right? Using the heel of your boot, pound out a good base for each leg of the ladder. At the edge of the roof, make a groove or slot in the snow to accommodate the width of the ladder, to reduce the risk that the ladder will slide.

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2) Have someone stand on the bottom rung of the ladder for your first trip up.

Their weight will keep the ladder secure, and they will also be able to snowshoe down the lake for help if you fall off.

3) When you start shoveling, leave a safety margin of snow along the edge.

The goal here is not to fall off the roof. If you start sliding down the roof, or if you simply step backwards without realizing where you are, this “margin of safety” can help prevent a bad outcome.

Walkable Path 4) Leave yourself a walkable path of deeper snow up any steep pitches to the peak of the roof. As much as you think a roof of asphalt shingles will always provide a non-skid surface, the fact is that a thin layer of snow and ice on top of a shingle makes for a very slippery walk.

So as you climb to the peak, however you plan out your shoveling process, always leave yourself a walkable path up or down, removing the path (and the snow along the roof’s edge) last of all, as you With the job nearly descend the final done, the editor’s time. wife Sara completes 5) Don’t damage the final step – the roof. Once clearing away the you’ve gotten path of deep snow through the lay- that has allowed her ers of ice toward to scramble up and the shingles, use down the roof while a heavy plas- accessing the peak tic shovel rather and steep sides. W. than metal, if the Lund photo (Continued on next page)

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plastic one will do the job.

Paratroopers’ Approach 6) Wherever you are on the roof, look down and decide where you want to jump or fall if you lose your balance.

Deep snow will certainly help cushion your fall, but also remember that the same deep snow may hide stumps and rocks that will have you limping for a while. P a r a t r o o p ers advise a feet-first landing, with knees together and slightly bent, followed by a roll to the safer side of the terrain, all the while doing what you can to protect your head.

Have you had adventures or misadventures shoveling snow off a steep camp or cabin roof? Share your story with us at Will@MaineSportsman.com.

—

What Type of Trout Is This?

by Lou Zambello

See the trout photo accompanying this piece? You may think this is the type of April Fool’s humor that the Maine Sportsman used to slip into every April edition.

But such is not the case. It’s real.

It’s called a palomino trout, and it continues to gain favor among anglers in the Northeast.

This palomino trout is the result of an unusual genetic occurrence that can now be duplicated in hatcheries. Photo provided by the Lou Zambello

You are no doubt familiar with our native fish – the lake trout and brook trout – and our introduced species – the rainbow and brown trout.

The palomino trout is a distinctive variant of the common rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This truly unusual fish originated decades ago, when a hatchery in West Virginia noticed a pale trout swimming with a school of normal-looking rainbows.

From that one genetic variant – like the blue lobsters occasionally caught in Maine – hatcheries are able to produce identical offspring, that then mature and continue to breed true.

The result is a vibrant yellow-orange trout that maintains the characteristic red stripe of the rainbow trout, but lacks the typical dot pattern.

Palomino trout are stocked in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Anglers enjoy catching them because of their striking appearance. Palominos grow as fast as normal rainbow trout, and despite their visibility in the water, survive as well as normal rainbows.

You can’t catch palomino trout in Maine, but the author is going to take a trip next spring to Connecticut to try to land one – just for fun.

—

Backpacking Hack: Tough, Tough, Trash Compactor Bags When you are canoeing or backpacking, it’s important to keep certain items – including food and sleeping bags – as dry as possible.

For that purpose, some folks use trash compactor bags.

While they are expensive compared to regular trash bags, they cost far less than the “dry bags” used by canoeists and kayakers in wet conditions. Unlike thinner-gauge regular trash bags, compactor bags are very strong and very stretchable, and can be used multiple times.

They can be tightly rolled and clamped at the top in the same manner as a dry bag, to prevent water infiltration.

Some hikers use them to line the insides of their well-worn backpacks, with the result that the backpacks can be set down on wet ground without concern for dampening the pack’s contents.

One downside mentioned by campers – some of the bags are infused with a strong perfume (remember – they are designed to hold squished trash), so look for unscented or lightly-scented brands.

—

“Splake” Trivia Answer (from page 14)

A togue is also called a lake trout.

A brook trout is known by some as a “speckled trout.”

Combining the “sp” from speckled, and the “lake” from lake trout, results in the moniker (or, more properly, the portmanteau), “Splake.”

¶

April 2025 Sunrise/Sunset Bangor, ME DATE RISE 1 Tue 6:13 2 Wed 6:11 3 Thu 6:09 4 Fri 6:07 5 Sat 6:05 6 Sun 6:04 7 Mon 6:02 8 Tue 6:00 9 Wed 5:58 10 Thu 5:56 11 Fri 5:55 12 Sat 5:53 13 Sun 5:51 14 Mon 5:49 15 Tue 5:48

SET 7:04 7:05 7:06 7:08 7:09 7:10 7:11 7:13 7:14 7:15 7:16 7:18 7:19 7:20 7:21

DATE RISE 16 Wed 5:46 17 Thu 5:44 18 Fri 5:43 19 Sat 5:41 20 Sun 5:39 21 Mon 5:38 22 Tue 5:36 23 Wed 5:34 24 Thu 5:33 25 Fri 5:31 26 Sat 5:29 27 Sun 5:28 28 Mon 5:26 29 Tue 5:25 30 Wed 5:23

SET 7:23 7:24 7:25 7:26 7:28 7:29 7:30 7:31 7:33 7:34 7:35 7:36 7:38 7:39 7:40

April 2025 Tides Portland, ME DATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed

HIGH AM PM

1:31 2:21 3:15 4:16 5:23 6:34 7:45 8:49 9:43 10:31 11:13 11:53 12:03 12:35 1:06 1:38 2:13 2:52 3:37 4:29 5:26 6:27 7:31 8:32 9:29 10:22 11:15 — 12:19 1:10

2:09 3:04 4:04 5:10 6:19 7:28 8:32 9:26 10:13 10:53 11:29 — 12:30 1:05 1:40 2:16 2:55 3:38 4:27 5:21 6:19 7:17 8:13 9:05 9:54 10:42 11:30 12:08 1:01 1:54

LOW AM PM

7:53 8:46 9:45 10:48 11:57 12:13 1:27 2:35 3:32 4:20 5:03 5:42 6:18 6:52 7:26 8:01 8:38 9:20 10:08 11:01 11:57 12:12 1:15 2:18 3:16 4:09 5:01 5:53 6:45 7:37

8:07 9:00 9:58 11:03 — 1:08 2:15 3:12 4:00 4:42 5:18 5:52 6:24 6:56 7:29 8:04 8:42 9:26 10:16 11:11 — 12:55 1:53 2:47 3:38 4:27 5:16 6:05 6:56 7:48

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16 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Wildlife:

Woodcock and Other Early-Spring Critters

by Tom Seymour

I have gone trout fishing on every opening day ever since I can remember.

I even fished, without success, on April 1, 1987, the year of the great flood.

With the exception of the last several years, winter-like conditions were the norm on the first of April.

This lifetime of opening-day outings has given me an insight into the life cycles of various forms of wildlife. Creatures that I never thought would be active in such wintry conditions seem undaunted by ice, snow and cold temperatures.

One of the most incongruous sightings of all were the various woodcock I flushed while wading through snowdrifts to my favorite pool. Woodcock are the last thing anyone would expect to see on April 1. But they are there, and in fact they’re somewhat common.

“Impossible,” some might say. Well, when viewed at face value, woodcock presence does seem impossible, at least until you hear the rest of the story. The secret lies in spring seeps, those places near little streams where water oozes from the ground, even in winter. The ground does not freeze around these places, allowing woodcock to probe the earth for earthworms and insect larvae.

Thus, even in the midst of a blinding blizzard, woodcock feast comfortably.

Driving Urge Woodcock stand among legions of migratory birds arriving in Maine as soon as mid-March and early April.

“But why so early?”, we might ask. It’s all about the numbers – days from winter’s end to freeze-up in fall. Birds must arrive, mark out their territory, go through their courtship rituals, mate,

Woodcock are the last thing anyone would expect to see while wading to a trout pool on opening day, but there they are! nest and rear their hatchlings so that the young birds can grow to maturity in time to migrate the following fall. Thus, the birds operate on a tight schedule.

Even if the birds do their part, nature can intervene in dramatic ways.

Young upland game birds – grouse and woodcock – sometimes experience a high mortality rate in years with prolonged cold and wet spring weather.

Such conditions induce respiratory illness, which kills a large proportion of that year’s young.

Hunters know well that unfavorable spring weather reduces the number of young birds available. Sometimes, the bulk of a fall’s kill is composed of older, mature birds – a direct result of poor springtime conditions.

Amazingly, birds have the ability to bounce back in numbers, in only one year’s time. As per woodcock, their biggest threat is not harsh Maine weather, but lack of habitat in their southern wintering grounds. Development of prime woodcock habitat has caused a drastic decline in woodcock numbers nationwide.

March found me standing on the sunny side of my toolshed, soaking in the sun’s warmth. Something flitting about on my gravel driveway caught my attention. It was a small, orangish-colored butterfly. I could scarcely believe my eyes. A group of small, early spring butterflies, collectively known as “Angel Wings,” often fly about, low to the ground, in late March and early April.

These same butterflies overwinter here, hiding in the fissures in the bark of hardwood trees, camouflaged to fool avian predators.

Another early-spring butterfly, Mourning Cloak, has a black body with cream-colored edging on the wing margins. These are the next in line to Angel Wings, as far as earliest appearance dates.

When seeing either one of these butterflies in early spring, I always stop and observe them. It seems remarkable to have a flying insect, more in tune with summer, flying about while last winter’s snowbanks remain along roadsides. Little things such as this bring joy to the outdoor person’s life.

Other Species Just as we don’t usually think of woodcock in early April, few people are on the lookout for butterflies. But on warm, sunny days in late March and early April, a few butterflies do make their presence known. Maine butterflies that become active in early spring include Mourning Cloak and Angel Wing butterflies. Of the two, Angel Wings are the very earliest.

One unusually balmy day in late

Snakes Alive Even cold-blooded creatures such as snakes come alive in April. I once watched a perfectly healthy garter snake swimming along the shore in a pool where I was trout fishing on opening day.

Snakes living in woodpiles and beneath manmade structures also come out early in spring to soak up the sun on unusually warm days.

Also, earthworms come to the top of the ground in late March and early April. The reason for the “Worm Moon” in March is that certain beetle larvae come out in that month. But so do earthworms, and they in turn offer food for early arriving robins – a sure sign of spring.

Sometimes, spring rains drive nightcrawlers from their burrows, and they cover the ground by the hundreds.

So keep an eye out this April for the early critters. They just might surprise you.

Photo by Eric Holbrook

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���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 17

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18 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

ATVs: Poor Maintenance Leads to Bad Results

by Steve Carpenteri

We’re just weeks away from another Maine ATV season, which means it’s time for riders to get their vehicles in trail-worthy shape. Whether your ATV is old, new or somewhere in between, you need to

Don’t do what these guys did, or you’ll end up just like them – paying towing and repair bills. take good care of it if you want to keep it out of the shop when riding conditions are at their best.

NEVER COMPROMISE

Preventative Maintenance is Key Pre-season admonitions, warnings and advice, while solidly based on past experi-

ence and manufacturers’ recommendations, somehow get lost in translation as eager riders gear up for a day on the trail.

Most riders simply fire up their machines and head down the trail without carefully inspecting their units, making necessary fluid changes, adjustments, inflations and parts replacements. A (Continued on next page)

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fair number of ATVs fall victim to rodents chewing up wires over the winter. Batteries go flat to the point of no return; fuel residues and sediments gum up plugs, injectors and carburetors; tires develop flat spots – the list is endless, and all these problems can put an end to your ATV season before it even starts.

If you’re not going to heed the warnings contained in your owner’s manual, perhaps the actual misfortunes of a couple of Maine riders, as detailed below, will make an impression.

A Long Walk Home Before a certain experienced ATV rider put his machine away for the winter, he decided to take one last run over the muddy,

rutted trails that he had permission to use.

Over the winter, he left his machine covered with the dried, caked mud.

The following spring, he gassed up and headed out for a day in the wilderness, confident that his nearly-new machine was up to the challenge. It started right up, and seemed to be running well.

What could possibly go wrong?

On and on he rode, putting miles behind him while negotiating the deep holes, water obstacles and muddy terrain typical of Maine in springtime.

One particular mud hole was deep and wide, made worse by the fact that it was on a tight turn with steep, slippery banks.

Our hero had been across this gaping rut

Without either door and without a windshield, our second intrepid rider had to endure a long, cold trip home in a driving rain. Photo by Mark Lundquist

100 times in the past with no trouble, but this spring was different in two important ways: There had been weeks of steady rain,

so the water was exceptionally high. Also, the muddy banks were still frozen underneath, offering little or no traction on that

sharp, elevated turn.

As he urged his vehicle straight ahead into the muddy mess, (Continued on next page)

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20 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

ATVing in Maine (Continued from page 19)

According to one Maine rider, who asked that his name not be used for this story, it’s always a good idea to check the condition of your winch before you need it to extract your ATV from a mud-hole, especially when you are many miles from home. Photo credit: Dreamstime

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it sunk down to the floorboards, wheels spinning futilely in the cold, deep water.

“No problem,” thought our intrepid rider. “I’ll just hook up the winch and pull myself out.”

And therein lies the rub. Pulling 50 feet of cable out the back of the machine and hooking it to a sturdy spruce tree, our rider started up the winch, and waited for it to do its work. Just as the winch reached full capacity and began pulling the ATV out of the hole, the cable – rusted through by the previous season’s caked-on mud – snapped, and slashed uselessly into the woods.

Soaked to the skin and covered with mud, our hero was forced to abandon his sinking rig and walk over two miles over that wet, slippery trail.

If only he had taken the time to clean the mud off his machine the previous fall!

The Doors Came Off! Another long-time ATV rider had an inkling that something was wrong with his machine when the doors began to rattle ominously at the end of the previous season. Forgetting (or ignoring) the signs, he backed his rig into the shed for the winter, and thought no more about it till the following spring.

This fellow’s favorite early-season outing has always been to take a ride around his rural Central Maine property and look for deer antlers that had been shed over the

winter. As one might expect, most of the bigger sheds are found in the worst kind of terrain – thick, swampy cover where whitetails are likely to spend the majority of their time during the harsh winter months.

Our rider took advantage of a balmy weekend where only “a little” rain was forecast.

Unfortunately, just as he reached the wettest, thickest part of his property, the light drizzle turned into a deluge. Visibility was so poor that he decided to turn around and head for home.

The most convenient spot for a U-turn was a high berm at the far end of a farm pond.

As our rider whipped the ATV around, that ominous rattling became louder and more pronounced. As the rig bounced over a pair of stumps, both doors fell off – the rattling had been caused by the door pins that had rusted and broken in their hinges.

With no doors, and with the front windshield removed (based on the balmy weather prediction), he had to drive home in a torrential downpour that soaked him, his dog, and everything he had in the front seat – clothes, binoculars, his lunch, and the .223 rifle he kept on hand in case he encountered a coyote in his travels.

Lesson learned: Take care of your ATV, and it will take care of you. Neglect your machine, and plan for some rough riding or long walking.

¶

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 21

A Good Boating Season Starts with Proper Storage and Pre-Season Prep

by Nolan Raymond

Hopefully, you spent some time last fall putting your boat away carefully. We always wrap our pontoon boat; in fact, we have been able to reuse one wrap for multiple years.

In addition, we have always added fuel stabilizer to the fuel and let it run into the system. This prevents the gasoline from breaking

With another promising boating season around the corner, it’s time to pull the boat out of storage and prep it for the water. Whether it’s a 14-foot aluminum boat or a 25-foot center console, preseason preparation will result in more enjoyment out on the water. down over time, which could cause clogs in the lines. We have always used Sea Foam in our boat motors and snowmobiles, but various other brands such

as Sta-Bil also do the trick.

In addition, we take anything that mice can chew – life jackets, ropes, fenders, and blankets – and

stow them in the garage in bags.

Winter Prep As for our small fishing boat, aptly named The Rig, storage is much simpler.

Although we do have a trailer, the boat is typically stored on the shore by our camp for the winter. We emp(Continued on next page)

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22 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Boating (Continued from page 21)

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The author’s 22-foot center console – which he says typically requires a little more work to prep for the season, compared to his smaller aluminum boat. All photos by the author

ty everything out of it, from electronics to lines, remove the motor (after running Sea Foam through it) and the fuel tank, and store them away. We then simply haul the boat up the beach to an area that offers some natural cover, flip it over, and tie it up. This way, it’s ready to roll in the spring – just roll it upright, load it up, and we’re on our way.

As for storage of the motor, we have done a couple of things.

After using care to run all the water out of the cooling system, we now keep the motor locked up in the unheated camp through the winter, and haven’t had any issues.

In previous years, we have stored it in the basement of our home where it is above freezing – usually only if it needs maintenance.

Spring Cleaning After pulling the boat out and getting it uncovered, make sure to take some time to clean everything really well – if you keep your boat on the water

all summer, you may not have another good chance to use a vacuum or deep-clean it.

After that, I make sure to pack everything away that lives in the boat, such as larger safety equipment. In this case, the pontoon boat, a 22-footer, is required to have life jackets for everyone on board, a throwable device, a fire extinguisher (since there are enclosed compartments), and a sound-producing device.

The aluminum boat is prepared pretty similarly, but it’s not practical to keep life jackets on board in the open boat, since there’s really no great place to stow them – they take a beating when exposed to the elements. So keep life jackets handy under cover on your camp porch or in a dock box, and be certain there’s one on board for everyone before getting in your boat and leaving the beach or dock.

Also, I like to keep all of my fishing gear inside the camp, when (Continued on next page)

(Continued from page 22)

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���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 23

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The author reports that his 14-foot open aluminum boat can be set up for fishing in less than 30 minutes.

I can. Leaving stuff in the boat for a day isn’t a big deal, but it does tend to get abused an awful lot when left out too long.

Oil and Grease Ensure Smooth Operations In addition to setting the boat up, now is the time to take care of any required maintenance. If you’re mechanically skilled, you may want to clean the carbs on your older carbureted motor, replace the plugs and any worn fuel lines.

On pull-start motors, lightly lubricate the pull-cord rewinder.

If you didn’t replace the grease in the lower unit last fall, now

would be a good time.

Additionally, an oil change on a four stroke would be a good idea.

Many boats have grease fittings along the steering cable and trim tab components, so greasing all those vital points is a good idea, while the boat is out of the water.

Lastly, you should use this time to tidy up any odds and ends you can think of – I’ve found that it’s much more convenient to deal with these issues in the pre-season. That way, when the time is right, you can get out and use the boat, rather than spending your time working on it.

¶

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The family’s pontoon boat is shown here docked up with power for a shop vac – a luxury that’s more difficult to arrange once the summer gets busy.

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24 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Fish Trivia Another saltwater season is almost upon us. In the meantime, some of you are still spending days drilling holes in the ice, and evenings at your local pub’s trivia night.

I can’t help you with the former, but the following might come in handy for the latter.

Cod Did you ever wonder why cod were revered enough to earn the adjective “sacred?”

It’s a long story, and best told in Mark Kurlansky’s book, Cod. The subtitle, “A Biography of the Fish

What “shellfish” has no shell, but three hearts?

What shark looks so much like a mako that it’s referred to as a “fako”? Whether or not this knowledge makes you a better angler, it’s sure to come in handy on trivia night!

That Changed the World,” is no exaggeration. This single species is responsible for several wars, and in large part, the settlement of the New World. Long before Europeans fled religious persecution to establish settlements, they sailed across the Atlantic to catch cod.

And for several centuries afterwards, the

species fueled western economies.

Haddock Meanwhile, the lowly haddock has long been a lady-in-waiting to the cod. Its two black spots are sometimes referred to as “the devil’s thumbprint,” a derogatory reference to the cod’s elevated status. When stocks crashed, along with most other groundfish

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stocks, fisheries managers said the species would never recover.

As recently as three years ago, recreational anglers were landing only 15% of the total allowable catch (TAC).

Bag limits rose to 15 fish per day, and could have gone higher, but agencies were concerned about by-catch mortality on cod.

Swordfish There were several unique characteristics about the culture of Red Paint People, who showed up rather suddenly along the coast of Maine around 4,500 years ago, flourished for a few centuries, and then disappeared almost as quickly. One is their ritual of burying tribe members in graves of red ocher soil – from which they got their name - along with intricate artifacts. Another is that they routinely caught swordfish, presumably from dugout canoes (take that, Linda

The dark spot on a haddock’s side is sometimes referred to as the devil’s thumbprint, alluding to the species’ lower status when compared to the sacred cod. Photo provided by Bob Humphrey

Greenlaw!). That in and of itself is a remarkable feat, but it also suggests swordfish were once far more abundant in nearshore waters. That notion is supported by more recent records from a once-prosperous small boat fleet centered around Bailey Island.

Monkfish Also called “goosefish,” this species can be summed up in one word: ugly. They look like the bottom of the ocean, which (Continued on next page)

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 25 (Continued from page 24)

provides perfect camouflage for them to lie in wait for unsuspecting prey. When something swims or sidles by, they open a gaping maw lined with sharp teeth and suck it in. They’ll eat about anything, but because crabs and lobsters are so abundant on the ocean floor, they make up a big part of the monkfish’s prey.

That imparts a flavor to the fish’s flesh that has earned it the nickname “poor man’s lobster.” Give it a try.

unique among fish in that they can maintain a body temperature above the temperature of surrounding water.

As a result, they can linger longer in the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine. While less abundant during the cold season, they can be caught almost year’round. Furthermore, scientists believe the Gulf of Maine is a “pupping” area, and in

Porbeagle “Por … what?” It’s a shark that is actually quite common off the coast of Maine.

Porbeagles belong to a group of sharks called “lamnids,” which also includes the mako, great white and salmon shark. This group is

late summer, ground and tuna fishermen are menaced by 3-4foot pups. To be kept, they must be at least 54”, and they’re actually quite tasty, much like the mako. That, and their close resemblance, has earned them the nickname “Fakos,” and most anglers claiming to have caught a mako proba(Saltwater Fishing continued on page 27)

Off the Maine coast, encounters with porbeagle sharks have been on the increase in recent years. Bob Humphrey photo

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26 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Early Springtime Fishing Ice had gone out only a week earlier, and the water had a translucent quality.

Bits of wood and other debris from the previous winter floated on the surface.

We were trolling for salmon around a rocky point, so close that I could touch the glacial erratic boulders with the tip of my fly rod. A salmon slammed my Gray Ghost fast and hard, peeling line from the reel so quickly that I suffered a line burn on my forefinger where I foolishly held the line against the rod.

The salmon finally came to net – a shining beauty that still exhibited a yellowish sheen, the result of spending the winter beneath a dark covering of ice. My finger hurt, but I didn’t care as I admired my prize.

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stance, a small mountain stream near me heats up during the second week of April, and depending upon the amount of rainfall, closes down in midMay. Someone fishing there before or after these dates may conclude that the stream contains no trout.

This highlights the importance of trying streams at different times, and not writing off a place simply because it didn’t produce on any given day.

I like to keep a journal of when trout bite in the different streams.

After a few years pass by, you can tally up something like an average date when trout bite well.

As a rule, the smaller the stream, the earlier trout will bite, and the larger the stream, the later it becomes productive.

Small streams drain off quickly after winter’s snowmelt and after the spring rains, while larger streams take longer to come down to fishable levels.

Don’t assume that trout won’t bite in murky water. Small streams, especially, see the year’s best fishing while the water is high and cloudy in early April. After the water clears and recedes, trout migrate upstream or downstream to more suitable habitat.

(207) 450-5883 • www.klcme.com

(Continued on next page)

Timing is everything, since smaller streams become productive earlier than larger streams.

Fish stocked in streams tend to hang out in roadside pools, while those placed into ponds disperse more quickly. Here, the author reveals his best springtime trout and salmon tactics.

A faint scent of wood smoke tickled my nostrils – an indication that someone in a lakeside camp had fired up their woodstove.

Everything was good. It was spring and the salmon were biting. This scenario plays out all over Maine each spring, often some time in April.

While the smelt runs don’t begin in earnest until early May, salmon begin queuing up around tributaries in anticipation of the spawn.

Go Slow While fast trolling with streamer

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flies takes fish during smelt runs, pre-run trolling requires a slower speed. Not too slow, since some speed is necessary to keep feathers on streamer flies compressed, to help the illusion of a swimming smelt. Even so, April’s frigid, icemelt water does little to inspire salmon to expend too much energy to chase a speeding smelt, or in this case, a speeding fly or lure.

The same holds true for trout. Cold-induced slow metabolisms dictate that we use slower trolling speeds than normal if we want to take brown, brook or rainbow trout.

Streamer flies are not recommended for trout now, but single-hook options such as Joe’s Smelt and Wood Special elicit hits.

Also, bait, either smelt or shiners, do well in the icy waters of April. Again, go as

slowly as possible. You don’t need any added attractions when using live fish as bait, but a small chrome dodger, perhaps 18 inches ahead of the bait, may attract fish to your offering.

Don’t bother trolling in the usual deep-water haunts, since trout will hang near shore in no more than 15 feet of water. Try to keep your bait or lure near bottom as you go, and be ready to set the hook at a moment’s notice, since strikes can be half-hearted now. Be vigilant, go slow, and you may score on early season trout.

Streams, Too All streams are not created equal. That is, each body of flowing water has its own timetable for when trout bite best. Some of our smaller streams have a limited window of productivity. For in-

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���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 27 (Continued from page 26)

Stocked Verses Wild My rundown on small-stream fishing is aimed at wild, naturally-occurring trout. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) stocks myriad streams and rivers with catchable-size trout each spring (take a look at the most recent stocking lists in this issue of The Sportsman). These freshly stocked fish

will usually bite even during less-than-optimal conditions.

The department also stocks lakes and ponds in spring; however, fish in streams are usually more easily taken. In streams, DIF&W usually stocks fish in large, roadside pools. Trout tend to remain in these pools until either they get caught out, or warm water forces them upstream to cooler

climes.

It’s different with fish stocked in ponds.

These fish have a larger territory in which to roam. True, many fish remain near the point of stocking for much of the season, but more often, they disperse on their own, meaning you need a boat to fish for them.

Good luck!

¶

Fishing stocked streams in early April is a good bet.

Tom Seymour photo

Saltwater Fishing

and representing a significant hazard to navigation for unwitting boaters.

But when motivated, they can move quite quickly, and even breach.

(Continued from page 25)

bly caught a ’beagle.

Ocean Sunfish The ocean sunfish, or mola mola, just might be the oddest fish found in the Gulf of Maine. There was a viral video several years ago of a couple of Bostonian anglers who encountered one. If you haven’t seen it, look it up and watch, with no children present.

The best way to describe them is like a bluefin tuna with a quizzical look on its face, that’s been cut in half, though even that doesn’t quite measure up. They have large eyes and two large fins but basically lack a tail, and can grow over to be 1,000 pounds. As

Quotable

Sportsman

by Will Lund

“[Place] names change all the time….

I have a suggestion for renaming Maine…

‘LeaveUsTheHeckAlone’.

Sure, it’s long, but only two letters longer than Mooselookmeguntic.”

A Durham, Maine resident’s Opinion letter, Maine Sunday Telegram, Feb. 23, 2025 — “Given how fast information travels, record fish stories are mere blips in a Google news feed these days.”

“Are Record Fish Stories as Captivating as They Used to Be?,” OutdoorLife, Dec. 21, 2023. The author, Joe Cermele, argues that stories about state, national or world-record fish used to be a lot more exciting, since photos were grainy and black and white, and there were always many doubters about any claim to

The author describes the ocean sunfish as resembling “a bluefin tuna with a quizzical look on its face, that’s been cut in half.” Sara Holmbom photo

their name implies, they tend to loll at the sunny surface, moving slowly along a title. Cermele bemoans “the loss of the barroom banter that wove records [from the 1930s, 40s and 50s] into the fabric of fishing cultures,” and opines that controversy is critical for a legend: “You almost need a contingent of non-believers,” he writes, “for the story to travel and live on.”

— “This chunky thumper delivers about 250 foot-pounds more energy at 200 yards than does the 30-30 pushing a 170-grain bullet.”

Ron Spooner Outdoors, “Straight Walled Rifle Cartridges Compared (and Why We Have Them),” in reference to the .450 Bushmaster cartridge. The story reports that some states – to prevent long shots traveling out of hunting grounds and into residential areas – allow only certain rifles for deer hunting – namely, those with straight-sided (as opposed to bottleneck-shaped) cartridges. Regulators in those states believe safety improves if hunters are limited to using relatively low-velocity, large-caliber centerfire rifle

Squid Sure, they make for good calamari and striper bait, but these shell-less members of the mollusk family also have several interesting characteristics. They have three hearts – two that push water through the gills, and one that pumps blood around the body. Not only can they change skin color, from red and orange to blue and green, but some species can also produce their own light. As most folks know, they also produce “ink” as a defense mechanism.

¶

cartridges with ballistics similar to that of a shotgun.

— “Progress might have been alright once, but it has gone on too long.”

Ogden Nash, American poet, 1902 – 1971 — “It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a deer hunter – shooting is a perishable skill, and you need to practice it.”

Josh Honeycutt, “16 Deer Hunting Mistakes You Won’t Make Again Next Season,” OutdoorLife, January 1, 2025, about hunters learning from the mistakes they made last season.

— “At ABC Rubbish, it’s Satisfaction Guaranteed or Double Your Garbage Back.”

Slogan for a Norway, Maine company offering residential and commercial rubbish removal, according to its MapQuest listing. www.MaineSportsman.com

28 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Lou’s 22 Tips for April Fly-fishing Success Congratulations – we made it through winter, and a new fishing season is here.

Now, let’s catch a few fish. Here are my top 22 tips for successful April fly-fishing. Fishing conditions differ significantly from “The County” to Kittery, so adapt the timing as needed. If you’re still frozen in, save these tips for May. 1. Headwaters for Brookies – Often, the best early fishing if waters are still cold and high from snowmelt is in small headwaters and tributaries for brook trout. Water runs clear, the current is manageable, and native or wild fish feed early in the spring.

Last year, I caught a

half-dozen hand-sized trout in a tiny stream within walking distance of Portland on April 1st.

2. Salter Brook Trout – Try your hand at catching salter brook trout. These sea-run fish migrate from the ocean into coastal streams in early spring. From Portland to Eastport, especially mid-coast northward, look for unimpeded streams entering the ocean. In off-colored water, use small, brightly colored streamers.

3. Squirmy Wormies Work – Especially in red or pink, they’re deadly in early April.

4. Learning to Tie Flies? – Early season favorites such as

A small brook yielded this April holdover brownie. All photos: Lou Zambello

Woolly Buggers and Squirmy Wormies are easy patterns to start with.

5. Stocking Reports – The state

stocks a few waters in April. Check Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s online report regularly. Reviewing the most recent report found in this issue of The Sportsman is helpful for anticipating when stockings might occur. Sometimes online info is not posted until several days after the fact.

6. Stocked Fish Are Clueless – Recently stocked trout don’t recognize natural food yet. Use brightly colored attractors, such as Mop Flies, Wood Specials, and Crystal Buggers.

7. Adjust for High/ Fast Water – Slow your drift and get deep using sink tip lines, sinking leaders, and

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proper mending. Fish are sluggish in the cold water and won’t chase your offers in fast water or near the surface.

8. Warmwater Species: Go Shallow – Bass, sunfish, pickerel and pike hug the shoreline after ice-out, especially on southand east-facing banks that warm up first.

Slow retrieves are key, since fish are sluggish.

9. Best Warmwater Flies – Leeches, Woolly Buggers, Squirmy Wormies, and soft-hackle marabou smelt imitations work better in cold water. It is too early for poppers or other topwater fare.

10. Find Pre-Spawn Crappies – In southern Maine, crappies move into brushy areas and stream inlets.

Try small white marabou jigs.

11. Go Pike Fishing – Post-spawn pike move into sun-warmed shallows. Use floating or intermediate lines with large streamers and strong tippets (wire or heavy mono).

12. Top Early Pike Fly – Try a red-collared, white rabbit-strip streamer modeled after a tarpon fly.

13. Early Ice-Out Trout Ponds – Fish shallow, dark-bottomed areas exposed to the sun. They warm up first, drawing trout to feed on midges.

Beaver ponds fish well early in the season.

14. Rising Trout – If trout are sipping (Continued on next page)

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 29 (Continued from page 28)

midges, try small dark-bodied emergers, Black Gnats, and Griffith’s Gnats. If the trout are picky, switch tactics and try a small attractor streamer like a Wood Special. The hungry fish won’t turn down a bigger meal.

15. Ice-Fishing Ponds – Target ponds that are stocked heavily in the fall for ice fishers.

They don’t catch them all – especially with recent warmer winters having fewer days of ice cover (not this winter, though!).

16. Follow the Smelt Runs – In parts of Maine, smelt spawn in April, drawing trout, salmon, and other predatory fish. Find those stillwaters, then locate incoming or outgoing streams where smelt are running (can be seasonal creeks),

Worm patterns are the author’s first choice for early spring fishing.

Sabattus Pond offered up this pike in April.

and fish the nearest deeper water.

17. Smelt Run Hotspots – Check local reports, fly-fishing forums, or ask fly shops for smelt waters.

18. Smelt Patterns – “Ghost” patterns, Marabou Soft-hackle Streamers (with or without coneheads), and my Cosohammer pattern are go-to favorites. But any smelt imitation is worth trying.

19. Early Stoneflies – The first bug emergence for streams and rivers are the early

to emerge, and fly patterns tied with materials that undulate or wiggle underwater work best.

21. Stay Warm – Anglers often have to end April expeditions early because they are shivering and can’t get warm. Frigid water sucks the heat from you, even on a 70-degree day. Dress for the water temperature, not the air.

22. Go South for Better Fishing – Invest a few hours in travel time, and go to where April fly-fish-

black or brown stoneflies – sometimes spotted when the snow hasn’t melted yet.

Look for them scurrying around bankside trees and rocks. Fish dry fly and nymphal imitations.

20. Early Stonefly Imitations – If you see rising fish, try a size16 dark Klinkhamer or black-foam Puterbaugh Caddis as closeenough imitations. If nymphing, try a size18 black nymph with wiggly rubber legs.

Early stone nymphs actively swim to shore

ing is more productive. Lower elevations and southern waters warm up first. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and southern Maine fish well in April, usually better than central or northern Maine. I am proud of my book, Flyfisher’s Guide to New England, and readers have told me it has allowed them to gain familiarity with many New England waters.

¶

www.MaineSportsman.com

30 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Maine Fish Stocking Report 2024

(current as of 3/10/25) TOWN

WATER

SPECIES

Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn Durham Durham Durham Durham Lewiston Lewiston Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore

ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) AUBURN L AUBURN L BASIN B PETTINGILL PARK P ROYAL R ROYAL R MEADOW B MEADOW B NEWELL B NEWELL B STETSON B STETSON B ANDROSCOGGIN R ANDROSCOGGIN R BEAVER PARK P #2 BEAVER PARK P #3 BEAVER PARK P #3 LITTLE R LITTLE R BARTLETT P BARTLETT P BARTLETT P BARTLETT P BRETTUNS P BRETTUNS P BRETTUNS P BRETTUNS P

QTY

ANDROSCOGGIN BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT L.L. SALMON LAKE TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

515 355 360 515 515 200 500 1150 300 200 200 200 100 100 150 150 150 300 300 200 100 100 200 300 500 440 500 300 40 300 500 500 25

SIZE (INCH) DATE 9 10 9 11 11 14 8 7 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 10 10 10 10 7 10 9 10 8 12 17 10 8 12 17

04/25/24 05/08/24 05/14/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 10/03/24 06/04/24 05/17/24 04/24/24 05/16/24 04/22/24 04/30/24 04/18/24 05/07/24 04/18/24 05/07/24 04/24/24 05/31/24 04/18/24 05/07/24 04/18/24 04/18/24 10/18/24 05/07/24 05/01/24 04/11/24 10/07/24 10/07/24 11/19/24 04/11/24 10/07/24 10/07/24 11/19/24

TOWN Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Mechanic Falls Mechanic Falls Mechanic Falls Mechanic Falls Mechanic Falls Minot Minot Minot Minot Minot Minot Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland

WATER BRETTUNS P LONG P LONG P ROUND P ROUND P ROUND P ROUND P ROUND P ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) RANGE P (LOWER) RANGE P (LOWER) RANGE P (LOWER) RANGE P (LOWER) RANGE P (MIDDLE) RANGE P (MIDDLE) RANGE P (MIDDLE) RANGE P (MIDDLE) RANGE P (MIDDLE) RANGE P (MIDDLE) RANGE P (UPPER) RANGE P (UPPER) RANGE P (UPPER) RANGE P (UPPER) RANGE P (UPPER) THOMPSON L

SPECIES BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT L.L. SALMON

QTY 100 500 100 200 400 400 25 100 350 550 350 350 100 300 400 300 300 200 25 300 200 300 300 100 350 15 325 650 50 400 10 150 300 50 750

SIZE (INCH) 9 12 12 10 12 7 17 12 9 9 11 11 14 9 9 11 11 14 20 14 12 14 12 14 12 19 12 14 20 12 19 12 14 20 8

DATE 05/01/24 10/07/24 10/03/24 04/11/24 10/07/24 10/10/24 11/19/24 10/03/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 10/03/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 10/03/24 11/27/24 02/15/24 10/07/24 02/11/25 10/04/24 01/23/24 10/07/24 11/15/24 10/04/24 10/02/24 11/27/24 10/07/24 11/15/24 10/03/24 10/02/24 11/27/24 06/04/24

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���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 31 TOWN Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Poland Turner Turner Turner Turner Turner Turner Turner Turner

WATER TRIPP P TRIPP P TRIPP P TRIPP P WORTHLEY P WORTHLEY P WORTHLEY P WORTHLEY P WORTHLEY P WORTHLEY P CRYSTAL (BEALS) P CRYSTAL (BEALS) P NEZINSCOT R NEZINSCOT R NEZINSCOT R PLEASANT P PLEASANT P PLEASANT P

SPECIES BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON

QTY 400 100 50 40 200 750 175 15 75 75 250 250 650 200 1075 100 400 50

SIZE (INCH) 9 12 18 20 10 8 12 17 9 12 12 7 10 9 9 10 12 12

DATE 05/07/24 11/06/24 12/03/24 11/26/24 04/02/24 10/17/24 10/17/24 11/06/24 05/07/24 11/06/24 10/07/24 10/10/24 05/08/24 04/26/24 04/26/24 05/08/24 10/07/24 10/29/24

Dyer Brook Dyer Brook Eagle Lake Forkstown Twp Forkstown Twp Fort Fairfield Fort Kent Fort Kent Fort Kent Grand Isle Haynesville Haynesville Haynesville Hodgdon Hodgdon Houlton Houlton Houlton Island Falls Island Falls Island Falls Island Falls Limestone Limestone Limestone Limestone Linneus Linneus Linneus Linneus Littleton Littleton

STILES P BROOK TROUT STILES P BROOK TROUT DICKWOOD L BROOK TROUT MATTAWAMKEAG R (EAST BRANCH) BROOK TROUT MATTAWAMKEAG R (EAST BRANCH) BROOK TROUT MONSON P BROOK TROUT FISH RIVER BROOK TROUT FISH RIVER L.L. SALMON MICHAUD P BROOK TROUT CORBIN P BROOK TROUT MATTAWAMKEAG R BROOK TROUT MATTAWAMKEAG R BROOK TROUT MATTAWAMKEAG R BROOK TROUT HODGDON DEADWATER BROWN TROUT STEWART P BROOK TROUT BROWN P BROOK TROUT CHURCH ON THE HILL P BROOK TROUT LOGAN L BROOK TROUT PLEASANT L BROOK TROUT PLEASANT L L.L. SALMON ROCK CRUSHER P BROOK TROUT ROCK CRUSHER P BROOK TROUT DUREPO L BROOK TROUT DUREPO L BROOK TROUT LIMESTONE STREAM BROOK TROUT TRAFTON L BROOK TROUT DREWS (MEDUXNEKEAG) L BROWN TROUT DREWS (MEDUXNEKEAG) L SPLAKE MUD P BROOK TROUT MUD P BROOK TROUT CARRY L BROOK TROUT DEEP L #1 BROOK TROUT

250 150 2000 1000 600 2000 1000 650 200 200 1500 600 660 250 250 100 150 250 1700 650 300 200 2000 500 200 2500 450 500 600 50 1500 600

10 8 8 10 10 10 13 12 10 10 10 10 10 12 10 10 10 10 10 7 10 13 8 13 11 8 9 13 10 18 8 8

04/11/24 09/30/24 09/23/24 05/08/24 05/29/24 04/23/24 09/26/24 09/26/24 05/13/24 05/13/24 05/08/24 05/29/24 06/11/24 09/30/24 04/11/24 04/11/24 05/30/24 04/30/24 04/11/24 05/23/24 04/30/24 10/07/24 09/19/24 10/08/24 07/03/24 09/19/24 04/26/24 10/25/24 04/11/24 11/07/24 09/24/24 09/30/24

AROOSTOOK

TOWN Mapleton Masardis Molunkus Twp Molunkus Twp Monticello Monticello Monticello Monticello Moro Plt Moro Plt New Canada New Canada New Limerick New Limerick New Limerick Oakfield Oakfield Oakfield Oakfield Oakfield Orient Orient Orient Portage Lake Presque Isle Presque Isle Presque Isle Presque Isle Reed Plt Saint John Plt Squapan Twp T11 R10 WELS T11 R4 WELS T11 R8 WELS T11 R8 WELS T12 R14 WELS T14 R8 WELS T14 R8 WELS T14 R9 WELS T15 R9 WELS T15 R9 WELS T16 R4 WELS T16 R4 WELS T16 R4 WELS T16 R5 WELS T17 R12 WELS T17 R4 WELS T18 R10 WELS T19 R11 WELS T19 R12 WELS T4 R3 WELS T7 R5 WELS

WATER SPECIES HANSON BROOK L BROOK TROUT SCOPAN STREAM L.L. SALMON MOLUNKUS L BROOK TROUT MOLUNKUS L L.L. SALMON CONROY L BROOK TROUT CONROY L BROOK TROUT CONROY L SPLAKE MEDUXNEKEAG R (NORTH BRANCH) BROOK TROUT HALE P BROOK TROUT ROCKABEMA L BROOK TROUT DAIGLE P BROOK TROUT SLY BROOK L (THIRD) L.L. SALMON NICKERSON L BROOK TROUT NICKERSON L BROOK TROUT NICKERSON L BROWN TROUT MATTAWAMKEAG R (EAST BRANCH) BROOK TROUT SPAULDING L BROOK TROUT SPAULDING L BROOK TROUT SPAULDING L BROOK TROUT TIMONEY L BROOK TROUT GRAND L (EAST) BROOK TROUT GRAND L (EAST) BROOK TROUT GRAND L (EAST) L.L. SALMON PORTAGE HILLS COUNTRY CLUB P BROOK TROUT ARNOLD BROOK L BROOK TROUT ARNOLD BROOK L BROOK TROUT ECHO L BROOK TROUT MANTLE L BROOK TROUT HANNINGTON P BROOK TROUT BLACK P BROOK TROUT SCOPAN L SPLAKE MCNALLY P (UPPER) BROOK TROUT SCOPAN L SPLAKE ROUND MOUNTAIN P BROOK TROUT ROWE L BROOK TROUT UGH L BROOK TROUT ISLAND P BROOK TROUT MOCCASIN P BROOK TROUT BEAVER TAIL P BROOK TROUT BLACK P (LITTLE SO) BROOK TROUT TOGUE P L.L. SALMON MADAWASKA L BROOK TROUT MADAWASKA L BROOK TROUT MADAWASKA L L.L. SALMON CROSS L L.L. SALMON FOX P BROOK TROUT LONG L L.L. SALMON GLAZIER L LAKE TROUT BEAU L LAKE TROUT RIDEOUT P BROOK TROUT MATTAWAMKEAG L L.L. SALMON UMCOLCUS L BROOK TROUT

QTY 2500 350 800 300 500 50 200 275 700 800 500 150 400 800 200 600 800 400 50 3000 1500 600 2100 150 300 1000 6000 500 300 400 550 1000 550 450 250 1000 500 90 295 70 250 200 1300 140 140 200 3800 1000 800 50 600 500

SIZE (INCH) 8 12 13 12 10 18 13 10 8 10 8 7 10 13 12 10 9 13 18 8 9 13 7 10 10 13 8 11 10 8 13 11 13 10 13 8 7 11 11 11 7 14 14 17 17 8 8 6 6 8 12 13

DATE 09/24/24 09/26/24 10/08/24 10/08/24 04/30/24 11/07/24 10/25/24 05/13/24 09/23/24 05/06/24 10/08/24 05/15/24 04/11/24 10/07/24 09/30/24 05/08/24 05/16/24 09/30/24 11/07/24 09/19/24 05/24/24 10/09/24 05/16/24 05/13/24 04/30/24 10/30/24 09/25/24 05/29/24 05/01/24 09/23/24 10/23/24 06/04/24 10/23/24 05/15/24 10/16/24 09/23/24 09/30/24 05/15/24 05/15/24 05/15/24 06/13/24 11/08/24 11/12/24 11/08/24 11/08/24 09/23/24 05/28/24 05/15/24 05/15/24 09/23/24 10/02/24 10/16/24

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32 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————— TOWN T9 R3 WELS TC R2 WELS Weston Weston Weston Weston Weston Weston

WATER SPECIES NUMBER NINE L BROOK TROUT MEDUXNEKEAG R (NORTH BRANCH) BROOK TROUT DEERING L BROOK TROUT DEERING L L.L. SALMON FAULKNER L BROOK TROUT GRAND L (EAST) BROOK TROUT GRAND L (EAST) BROOK TROUT GRAND L (EAST) L.L. SALMON

QTY 500 275 750 320 200 1500 600 2100

SIZE (INCH) 7 10 10 7 13 10 13 7

DATE 09/30/24 05/13/24 05/01/24 05/16/24 09/26/24 05/02/24 10/09/24 05/16/24

Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Bridgton Brunswick Brunswick Casco Casco Casco Casco Casco Casco Casco Cumberland Cumberland Falmouth Falmouth Gorham Gorham Gorham Gorham Gorham Gorham Gorham Gorham Gorham Gray Gray Gray Gray Gray Gray Gray Gray Harrison Harrison Harrison Harrison Harrison Harrison Naples Naples Naples Naples Naples Naples Naples Naples Naples Naples Naples Naples New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester New Gloucester North Yarmouth North Yarmouth North Yarmouth Pownal Pownal

SACO R SAND P SAND P ADAMS P HIGHLAND L HIGHLAND L LONG L MOOSE P STEVENS B STEVENS B STEVENS B STEVENS B WILLETT B WOOD P WOOD P COFFIN P COFFIN P COFFEE P PARKER P SONGO R SONGO R THOMAS P THOMAS P THOMAS P PISCATAQUA R PISCATAQUA R PISCATAQUA R PISCATAQUA R ALDEN'S P ALDEN'S P LITTLE R LITTLE R LITTLE R LITTLE R LITTLE R (NORTH BRANCH) LITTLE R (NORTH BRANCH) LITTLE R (NORTH BRANCH) COLLYER B COLLYER B COLLYER B CRYSTAL L (DRY P) CRYSTAL L (DRY P) CRYSTAL L (DRY P) CRYSTAL L (DRY P) CRYSTAL L (DRY P) CRYSTAL (ANONYMOUS) P CRYSTAL (ANONYMOUS) P ISLAND P LONG L LONG L LONG L COLD RAIN P COLD RAIN P COLD RAIN P LONG L MUDDY R MUDDY R MUDDY R TRICKEY P TRICKEY P TRICKEY P TRICKEY P TRICKEY P BRANDY B LILY P PINELAND P PINELAND P ROYAL R ROYAL R ROYAL R SABBATHDAY L SABBATHDAY L SABBATHDAY L SABBATHDAY L STEVENS B STEVENS B STEVENS B CHANDLER B CHANDLER B ROYAL R CHANDLER B CHANDLER B

300 200 15 400 600 150 500 650 400 400 150 900 400 650 325 200 200 300 200 300 300 300 15 30 150 250 150 900 100 100 550 550 200 800 100 100 300 300 900 800 285 15 250 250 25 250 75 300 1500 95 500 300 500 100 500 150 300 300 800 50 50 100 800 100 300 200 150 200 300 350 500 400 15 350 100 200 200 100 150 300 400 300

9 12 19 10 9 12 12 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 12 10 10 12 12 10 10 12 17 18 10 9 10 9 10 10 10 10 9 9 10 10 9 10 10 9 12 19 12 14 20 12 8 9 12 18 12 10 8 12 12 9 10 10 9 12 12 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 10 12 19 12 10 10 10 10 9 9 10 9

05/02/24 10/10/24 11/15/24 04/02/24 05/02/24 11/01/24 10/25/24 06/04/24 04/18/24 05/13/24 05/02/24 05/02/24 05/02/24 05/02/24 11/01/24 05/16/24 06/06/24 11/22/24 10/11/24 04/17/24 05/06/24 10/08/24 11/22/24 12/04/24 04/17/24 05/14/24 04/17/24 05/14/24 05/07/24 05/19/24 04/22/24 05/07/24 05/13/24 05/14/24 04/21/24 05/07/24 05/14/24 04/11/24 04/30/24 05/05/24 10/07/24 11/15/24 10/21/24 10/03/24 11/27/24 10/08/24 05/30/24 04/24/24 10/22/24 12/03/24 10/25/24 05/16/24 10/10/24 10/10/24 10/25/24 04/25/24 05/15/24 06/04/24 04/25/24 10/08/24 11/18/24 05/30/24 04/10/24 04/11/24 04/03/24 04/15/24 05/24/24 04/22/24 04/30/24 05/15/24 04/10/24 10/11/24 11/15/24 10/04/24 04/15/24 05/02/24 05/14/24 04/17/24 05/01/24 05/15/24 04/17/24 05/01/24

CUMBERLAND

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BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT

TOWN Pownal Raymond Raymond Raymond Raymond Raymond Raymond Raymond Scarborough Sebago Sebago Sebago Sebago Sebago South Portland South Portland South Portland South Portland South Portland South Portland Standish Standish Standish Standish Standish Standish Standish Standish Standish Standish Standish Standish Standish Westbrook Westbrook Westbrook Westbrook Westbrook Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Windham Yarmouth Yarmouth Yarmouth Yarmouth Yarmouth

WATER CHANDLER B (EAST BRANCH) CRESCENT L JORDAN R JORDAN R NUBBLE P NUBBLE P PANTHER P SEBAGO L NONESUCH R BARKER P BARKER P NORTHWEST R NORTHWEST R PEABODY P HINKLEY P (LOWER) HINKLEY P (LOWER) HINKLEY P (LOWER) HINKLEY P (UPPER) HINKLEY P (UPPER) HINKLEY P (UPPER) OTTER P #2 OTTER P #2 OTTER P #2 OTTER P #2 OTTER P #2 OTTER P #4 OTTER P #4 OTTER P #4 OTTER P #4 OTTER P #4 SACO R SACO R SACO R BEAVER P MILL B MILL B MILL B PRESUMPSCOT R CHAFFIN P CHAFFIN P CHAFFIN P CHAFFIN P CHAFFIN P PETTINGILL P PETTINGILL P PETTINGILL P PLEASANT R PLEASANT R PLEASANT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R PRESUMPSCOT R SEBAGO L (LITTLE) SEBAGO L (LITTLE) SEBAGO L (LITTLE) ROYAL R ROYAL R ROYAL R ROYAL R ROYAL R

SPECIES BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT

QTY 500 200 300 300 100 25 450 2000 450 150 75 100 100 350 200 50 400 200 50 400 200 600 125 15 400 100 300 75 10 400 200 200 300 200 150 150 250 400 200 500 100 15 400 300 100 80 500 500 1450 600 400 400 300 300 400 300 150 100 15 100 900 400 550 100 75 200 200 100 1000 700 50 200 200 100 775 50

SIZE (INCH) 10 12 9 10 10 12 12 8 9 9 12 9 10 8 8 12 8 8 12 8 10 8 12 17 8 10 8 12 17 8 10 10 9 10 10 10 9 9 10 8 12 19 8 12 12 12 10 10 9 10 10 10 10 10 12 12 12 12 19 12 9 9 9 12 18 10 12 18 12 14 20 10 10 12 9 18

DATE 04/17/24 10/25/24 04/24/24 05/20/24 05/22/24 10/11/24 10/25/24 06/04/24 05/14/24 05/29/24 11/08/24 04/25/24 05/15/24 05/30/24 10/17/24 10/17/24 11/19/24 10/17/24 10/17/24 11/19/24 04/23/24 10/15/24 10/15/24 10/31/24 11/19/24 04/23/24 10/15/24 10/15/24 10/31/24 11/19/24 04/25/24 05/09/24 05/02/24 04/17/24 04/17/24 05/06/24 05/14/24 05/14/24 04/10/24 10/16/24 10/16/24 11/15/24 11/19/24 10/16/24 12/18/24 10/16/24 04/22/24 05/06/24 05/01/24 04/22/24 05/02/24 05/14/24 05/24/24 06/06/24 10/10/24 10/25/24 11/01/24 11/20/24 11/20/24 12/18/24 05/13/24 05/14/24 05/31/24 10/16/24 12/03/24 09/27/24 10/24/24 12/03/24 10/10/24 10/09/24 11/27/24 04/22/24 04/30/24 10/17/24 05/15/24 12/03/24

Alder Stream Twp Alder Stream Twp Alder Stream Twp Avon Avon Avon Beattie Twp Carrabasset Valley Carthage Carthage Chain of Ponds Twp Chain of Ponds Twp Chain of Ponds Twp Chain of Ponds Twp

BLANCHARD P DEAD R (NORTH BRANCH) DEAD R (NORTH BRANCH) MOUNT BLUE P MOUNT BLUE P SCHOOLHOUSE P BOUNDARY P CARRABASSETT R PODUNK P WEBB R BUG EYE P CARIBOU BOG CHAIN OF PONDS CHAIN OF PONDS

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

350 750 750 200 750 125 700 250 350 700 200 150 1450 600

6 10 10 12 13 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12

10/04/24 05/06/24 05/22/24 10/30/24 10/02/24 05/16/24 05/24/24 04/19/24 05/13/24 04/24/24 05/06/24 05/06/24 05/06/24 09/23/24

FRANKLIN

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 33

25SPAD7223_AprilHuntFishAd_MaineSportsman.indd 1

2/13/25 3:38 PM

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34 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————— TOWN Chain of Ponds Twp Chesterville Chesterville Chesterville Chesterville Coplin Plt Coplin Plt Dallas Plt Dallas Plt Dallas Plt Dallas Plt Dallas Plt Dallas Plt Dallas Plt Dallas Plt Dallas Plt Eustis Farmington Farmington Farmington Farmington Farmington Farmington Farmington Industry Industry Industry Industry Industry Industry Industry Industry Industry Jim Pond Twp Jim Pond Twp Jim Pond Twp Jim Pond Twp Jim Pond Twp Jim Pond Twp Jim Pond Twp Kibby Twp Kingfield Kingfield Kingfield Kingfield Kingfield Kingfield Kingfield Kingfield Kingfield Kingfield Lang Twp Lang Twp Lowelltown Twp Madrid Madrid Madrid Madrid Madrid Madrid New Sharon New Sharon New Sharon New Sharon New Sharon Perkins Twp Perkins Twp Phillips Phillips Phillips Phillips Phillips Phillips Phillips Phillips Phillips Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Rangeley Sandy River Plt Sandy River Plt Sandy River Plt

WATER OTTER P EGYPT P NORCROSS P NORCROSS P NORCROSS P DEAD R (SOUTH BRANCH) DEAD R (SOUTH BRANCH) DEAD R (SOUTH BRANCH) DEAD R (SOUTH BRANCH) DEAD R (SOUTH BRANCH) GULL P LOON L LOON L LOON L LOON L SADDLEBACK L BARNARD P MT BLUE HIGH SCHOOL P SANDY R SANDY R SANDY R SANDY R TEMPLE STREAM TEMPLE STREAM CLEARWATER P CLEARWATER P CLEARWATER P CLEARWATER P CLEARWATER P MUDDY B MUDDY B MUDDY B MUDDY B GREENBUSH P JIM P (BIG) JIM P (LITTLE) TEA P TEA P TEA P (LITTLE) VILES P (LITTLE) HURRICANE P CARRABASSETT R CARRABASSETT R CARRABASSETT R CARRABASSETT R CARRABASSETT R DUTTON (SHILOH) P GRINDSTONE P GRINDSTONE P PINNACLE P PINNACLE P DEAD R (SOUTH BRANCH) DEAD R (SOUTH BRANCH) INDIAN P (BIG) BEAL (TROUT) P HARVEY P HARVEY P HARVEY P SANDY R SANDY R CROWELL P CROWELL P SANDY R SANDY R SANDY R HILLS P HILLS P LONG COVE P LUFKIN P LUFKIN P SANDY R SANDY R STETSON P TOOTHAKER P TOOTHAKER P TOOTHAKER P DODGE P HALEY B HALEY B HALEY P HALEY P QUIMBY P RANGELEY GUIDES P RANGELEY GUIDES P RANGELEY GUIDES P RANGELEY L RANGELEY L ROUND P EDDY P LEDGE P MIDWAY P

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SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

QTY 150 300 800 25 100 220 200 440 400 400 900 200 3500 350 100 1000 1250 55 1500 350 1000 1800 220 200 1500 1000 250 30 250 50 50 100 50 75 550 1000 1000 100 270 360 1000 450 200 150 200 200 1200 250 500 150 50 220 200 1950 1600 200 150 50 200 50 1250 25 350 50 900 350 2200 100 100 350 500 50 800 400 200 250 750 150 150 600 450 350 75 82 110 1000 900 400 400 250 350

SIZE (INCH) 10 10 12 17 12 10 10 10 10 12 10 10 6 12 7 10 7 10 10 12 9 9 10 10 10 12 13 19 13 10 10 10 10 12 10 7 10 7 3 3 7 10 10 12 11 11 6 10 7 10 9 10 10 7 6 10 12 13 10 12 12 17 10 12 9 10 7 10 12 13 10 12 6 10 6 13 10 10 10 10 14 10 10 10 10 10 7 10 6 6 6

DATE 05/16/24 04/22/24 10/23/24 11/15/24 11/08/24 04/29/24 05/22/24 04/29/24 05/22/24 10/08/24 05/24/24 05/09/24 09/27/24 10/09/24 05/09/24 05/16/24 10/28/24 05/02/24 04/24/24 10/08/24 05/13/24 05/15/24 05/02/24 05/21/24 04/23/24 10/07/24 10/22/24 11/15/24 10/07/24 04/12/24 04/23/24 05/28/24 06/06/24 10/16/24 05/15/24 10/16/24 05/21/24 05/21/24 06/11/24 06/11/24 09/30/24 04/19/24 05/07/24 10/08/24 05/21/24 06/05/24 10/01/24 05/07/24 10/28/24 05/07/24 05/29/24 04/29/24 05/22/24 09/30/24 10/08/24 05/22/24 10/09/24 10/22/24 04/24/24 10/08/24 10/18/24 11/15/24 04/24/24 10/08/24 05/13/24 04/22/24 10/09/24 05/22/24 10/30/24 10/07/24 04/24/24 10/08/24 09/27/24 04/22/24 10/09/24 10/22/24 05/14/24 05/14/24 06/05/24 05/14/24 10/23/24 05/09/24 05/14/24 06/05/24 06/28/24 05/14/24 05/14/24 05/14/24 09/27/24 09/27/24 09/27/24

TOWN WATER Sandy River Plt ROCK P Sandy River Plt SANDY RIVER P (MIDDLE) Sandy River Plt SANDY RIVER P (MIDDLE) Sandy River Plt SANDY RIVER P (MIDDLE) Sandy River Plt SOUTH (PINE TREE) P Strong PORTER L Strong PORTER L Strong PORTER L Strong PORTER L Strong PORTER L Strong PORTER L Strong SANDY R Strong SANDY R Temple TEMPLE STREAM Temple TEMPLE STREAM Township 6 North of Weld MUD POND Township 6 North of Weld TUMBLEDOWN P Township D BEAVER P Township D BEAVER P Township D MOXIE P Township D SPENCER P Township E LONG P Township E ROUND P Township E SWIFT RIVER P Weld WEBB L Weld WEBB L Weld WEBB L Weld WEBB L Weld WEBB L Weld WEBB L Weld WEBB L Weld WEBB L Wilton VARNUM P Wilton VARNUM P Wilton WILSON P Wilton WILSON P Wilton WILSON P Wilton WILSON P Wilton WILSON P Wilton WILSON P Wilton WILSON P Wilton WILSON P Wilton WILSON STREAM Wilton WILSON STREAM Wilton WILSON STREAM Wyman Twp THE HORNS P

SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

QTY 500 200 600 300 600 1210 250 1250 250 75 300 500 100 330 300 450 450 1900 150 200 800 2850 1520 450 500 500 500 500 50 600 100 100 1000 100 433 433 433 366 366 366 150 150 250 495 450 300

SIZE (INCH) 6 10 10 13 6 10 9 13 13 19 14 10 12 10 10 2 6 7 12 6 6 6 6 6 12 13 12 13 17 12 14 12 10 7 10 10 10 12 13 12 14 12 10 10 10 3

DATE 09/27/24 05/14/24 05/14/24 10/22/24 09/27/24 04/23/24 05/29/24 10/22/24 10/23/24 11/15/24 10/18/24 04/24/24 10/08/24 05/02/24 05/21/24 05/16/24 09/27/24 10/09/24 10/09/24 09/27/24 09/27/24 09/27/24 09/27/24 09/27/24 10/15/24 10/15/24 10/16/24 10/16/24 11/18/24 10/28/24 10/15/24 10/28/24 05/14/24 05/14/24 05/21/24 05/21/24 05/21/24 10/17/24 10/17/24 11/14/24 10/17/24 10/29/24 04/19/24 05/01/24 05/21/24 06/18/24

Amherst Amherst Amherst Aurora Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Bar Harbor Brooksville Brooksville Bucksport Bucksport Bucksport Bucksport Bucksport Bucksport Dedham Dedham Dedham Deer Isle Deer Isle Eastbrook Eastbrook Eastbrook Ellsworth Ellsworth Ellsworth Ellsworth Franklin Gouldsboro Gouldsboro Great Pond Great Pond Great Pond Hancock Hancock

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON LAKE TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

260 550 250 50 125 125 175 600 50 3375 50 33 125 600 1125 75 500 700 100 100 25 25 28 350 700 300 86 1100 50 300 50 47 500 400 92 1350 225 300 700 375 200 550 125 200

8 8 8 13 8 8 10 7 13 7 7 19 8 7 7 13 13 12 12 13 18 13 15 9 13 7 15 7 9 12 7 19 7 7 19 7 10 9 14 12 9 13 10 8

10/03/24 10/03/24 10/03/24 10/16/24 10/31/24 10/31/24 04/23/24 10/15/24 10/15/24 10/24/24 05/24/24 11/21/24 10/31/24 10/31/24 10/31/24 10/31/24 10/10/24 10/10/24 10/21/24 10/21/24 11/21/24 10/15/24 11/20/24 04/18/24 10/16/24 05/09/24 11/20/24 10/03/24 05/01/24 10/30/24 05/08/24 11/21/24 05/09/24 05/09/24 11/20/24 04/26/24 05/02/24 04/23/24 10/09/24 11/07/24 05/09/24 10/30/24 05/02/24 11/05/24

HANCOCK

DUCKTAIL P PARTRIDGE P TROUT P BRANCH P (UPPER MIDDLE) BREAKNECK P (LOWER) BREAKNECK P (UPPER) BUBBLE P BUBBLE P BUBBLE P EAGLE L EAGLE L EAGLE L HALFMOON P LAKE WOOD WITCH HOLE P WITCH HOLE P WALKER P WALKER P HANCOCK P JACOB BUCK P JACOB BUCK P JACOB BUCK P JACOB BUCK P JACOB BUCK P PHILLIPS (LUCERNE) L PHILLIPS (LUCERNE) L PHILLIPS (LUCERNE) L LILY P LILY P MOLASSES P MOLASSES P MOLASSES P BRANCH L GREEN L GREEN L GREEN L LITTLE P JONES P JONES P GREAT P KING P LONG P SIMMONS P SIMMONS P

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 35 TOWN Hancock Mariaville Mount Desert Mount Desert Mount Desert Mount Desert Mount Desert Mount Desert Mount Desert Mount Desert Mount Desert Mount Desert Oqiton Twp Oqiton Twp Oqiton Twp Orland Orland Orland Orland Orland Orland Orland Otis Otis Otis Otis Otis Southwest Harbor Sullivan Sullivan Sullivan Sullivan Surry Surry Surry Surry T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T10 SD T28 MD T28 MD T28 MD T3 ND T3 ND T3 ND T3 ND T3 ND

WATER SIMMONS P HOPKINS P ECHO L ECHO L ECHO L HADLOCK P (LOWER) HADLOCK P (LOWER) HADLOCK P (UPPER) HADLOCK P (UPPER) JORDAN P LONG (GREAT) P ROUND P DUCK L DUCK L SELMORE (KILLMAN) P CRAIG P CRAIG P CRAIG P HEART P ORLAND R ORLAND R TODDY P BEECH HILL P BEECH HILL P SPRINGY P (LOWER) YOUNGS P YOUNGS P LONG (GREAT) P FLANDERS P FLANDERS P LONG P QUARRY P PATTEN P (LOWER) PATTEN P (LOWER) TODDY P TODDY P ANDERSON P FOX P FOX P FOX P LONG P LONG P LONG P (LITTLE) RAINBOW P SALMON P SPRING RIVER L SPRING RIVER L SPRING RIVER L TILDEN P TUNK L TUNK L LEAD MTN P (LO & MD) LEAD MTN P (UPPER) WILLIAMS P SIDE PISTOL L SPRING L SPRING L WEST L WEST L

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SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON BROWN TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

SIZE (INCH) 13 13 7 13 7 7 13 7 13 7 13 13 8 7 8 7 13 7 9 10 13 7 7 19 14 8 13 7 9 14 8 7 12 7 9 9 8 10 7 12 13 12 8 8 8 13 12 16 8 10 7 9 9 13 9 8 7 10 13

DATE 11/05/24 11/04/24 10/24/24 10/24/24 05/24/24 10/15/24 10/15/24 10/15/24 10/15/24 05/24/24 10/30/24 10/30/24 09/26/24 05/14/24 09/26/24 10/17/24 10/17/24 05/09/24 04/17/24 05/02/24 10/21/24 05/09/24 05/08/24 11/20/24 11/04/24 11/05/24 11/05/24 05/24/24 05/01/24 10/02/24 10/03/24 10/22/24 10/21/24 05/09/24 05/01/24 04/18/24 10/03/24 05/02/24 10/11/24 10/11/24 10/30/24 10/30/24 10/03/24 10/03/24 10/03/24 10/11/24 10/11/24 11/13/24 10/03/24 05/02/24 05/08/24 05/09/24 05/09/24 10/23/24 05/14/24 09/24/24 05/17/24 04/24/24 10/11/24

TOWN T3 ND T3 ND T32 MD T32 MD T32 MD T32 MD T32 MD T32 MD T34 MD T34 MD T35 MD T40 MD T40 MD T40 MD T40 MD T40 MD T40 MD T40 MD T40 MD T40 MD T40 MD T9 SD T9 SD Tremont Winter Harbor Winter Harbor

WATER WEST L WEST L PICKEREL P PICKEREL P PICKEREL P PICKEREL P PICKEREL P TITCOMB P LOVEJOY P LOVEJOY P BURNT LAND L CRYSTAL P LOON P NICATOUS L NICATOUS L NICATOUS L NICATOUS L OXHEAD P (MIDDLE) OXHEAD P (MIDDLE) OXHEAD P (UPPER) TROUT P DONNELL P DONNELL P SEAL COVE P BIRCH HARBOR P BIRCH HARBOR P

SPECIES L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON SPLAKE SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON LAKE TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

QTY 450 55 500 600 60 50 90 350 800 75 450 700 300 55 525 1200 800 150 50 450 300 450 250 200 175 75

SIZE (INCH) 7 18 10 13 14 18 14 10 7 13 10 8 8 18 13 10 13 13 18 8 8 7 7 9 7 13

DATE 04/24/24 10/31/24 05/07/24 10/08/24 11/13/24 11/13/24 12/03/24 05/17/24 09/24/24 09/24/24 05/22/24 09/24/24 09/24/24 10/31/24 11/14/24 05/03/24 10/15/24 10/11/24 11/14/24 09/24/24 09/24/24 05/08/24 04/26/24 04/23/24 10/22/24 10/22/24

Augusta Augusta Augusta Augusta Augusta Augusta Augusta Augusta Augusta Augusta Augusta Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade China China China China China Clinton Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Gardiner

SAM ASSOC. P (LOWER SMALL) BROOK TROUT SAM ASSOC. P (LOWER SMALL) BROOK TROUT SAM ASSOC. P (LOWER SMALL) BROOK TROUT SAM ASSOC. P (UPPER BIG) BROOK TROUT SAM ASSOC. P (UPPER BIG) BROOK TROUT SAM ASSOC. P (UPPER BIG) BROOK TROUT TOGUS P BROOK TROUT TOGUS P BROOK TROUT TOGUS P BROOK TROUT TOGUS P BROWN TROUT TOGUS VA HOSPITAL BROOK TROUT BELGRADE STREAM BROOK TROUT BELGRADE STREAM BROOK TROUT GREAT P BROWN TROUT GREAT P BROWN TROUT LONG P BROOK TROUT SALMON L (ELLIS P) BROOK TROUT SALMON L (ELLIS P) BROOK TROUT SALMON L (ELLIS P) BROWN TROUT CHINA L BROOK TROUT CHINA L BROOK TROUT CHINA L BROWN TROUT THREEMILE P BROOK TROUT THREEMILE P BROWN TROUT SEBASTICOOK R BROOK TROUT ECHO L (CROTCHED P) BROOK TROUT ECHO L (CROTCHED P) BROOK TROUT ECHO L (CROTCHED P) BROOK TROUT ECHO L (CROTCHED P) L.L. SALMON ECHO L (CROTCHED P) LAKE TROUT ECHO L (CROTCHED P) SPLAKE COBBOSSEECONTEE STREAM BROOK TROUT

200 150 50 200 100 100 400 200 550 400 300 275 165 500 3000 165 440 500 400 200 200 1250 300 600 250 550 400 250 400 100 200 1000

10 8 13 10 8 13 10 10 13 9 10 10 10 12 12 10 10 13 12 10 13 12 13 9 10 10 12 7 8 6 13 10

04/18/24 10/18/24 10/18/24 04/18/24 10/18/24 10/18/24 04/24/24 05/21/24 10/25/24 04/24/24 04/24/24 04/12/24 05/02/24 10/21/24 10/23/24 04/12/24 04/12/24 10/29/24 10/29/24 04/22/24 10/25/24 10/10/24 10/27/24 05/06/24 04/25/24 04/12/24 10/10/24 11/06/24 05/30/24 04/16/24 10/18/24 05/03/24

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Jerry’s Food Store 63 Houlton Street Island Falls, ME We promise to never share your personal information!

★★★★★

Open Mon–Wed 7AM–6PM Thu–Sat 7AM–7PM Sun 9AM–5PM

186 Sabattus Road, Sabattus, ME (207) 375-6253 2 Miles Off I-95 Exit 86 Family Owned & Operated Hardware/Sporting Goods Store

(207) 463-2828

jerrysfoodstore848@hotmail.com

www.jerrysfoodstore.com

FISHING TACKLE & WORMS Fish Mattawamkeag Lake, River and Many Nearby Ponds!

TROUT • SALMON • BASS

PIZZA, SUBS & SALADS Deli • Bakery • Beer & Wine Groceries • Hardware

www.MaineSportsman.com

36 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————— TOWN Litchfield Litchfield Litchfield Litchfield Litchfield Manchester Manchester Manchester Manchester Manchester Manchester Manchester Manchester Manchester Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Monmouth Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Rome Sidney Sidney Sidney Sidney Sidney Vassalboro Vassalboro Vassalboro Vienna Vienna Vienna Vienna Vienna Vienna Waterville Waterville Waterville Windsor Windsor Windsor Winthrop Winthrop Winthrop Winthrop Winthrop Winthrop Winthrop Winthrop Winthrop Winthrop

WATER SPECIES LITCHFIELD SPORTSMAN CLUB P BROOK TROUT LITCHFIELD SPORTSMAN CLUB P BROOK TROUT WOODBURY P BROOK TROUT WOODBURY P BROOK TROUT WOODBURY P BROWN TROUT COBBOSSEECONTEE L BROWN TROUT FAIRBANKS P BROOK TROUT FAIRBANKS P BROWN TROUT JAMIES (JIMMIE) P BROOK TROUT JAMIES (JIMMIE) P BROOK TROUT JAMIES (JIMMIE) P BROOK TROUT JAMIES (JIMMIE) P BROOK TROUT JAMIES (JIMMIE) P SPLAKE TYLER P BROOK TROUT COBBOSSEECONTEE L BROWN TROUT COCHNEWAGON P BROOK TROUT COCHNEWAGON P BROOK TROUT COCHNEWAGON P BROOK TROUT COCHNEWAGON P BROOK TROUT COCHNEWAGON P BROWN TROUT JUG STREAM BROOK TROUT MONMOUTH SPORTSMAN CLUB P BROOK TROUT SAND P (TACOMA LKS) BROOK TROUT SAND P (TACOMA LKS) BROOK TROUT SAND P (TACOMA LKS) BROWN TROUT WILSON STREAM BROOK TROUT MINNEHONK L BROOK TROUT MINNEHONK L BROOK TROUT MINNEHONK L BROOK TROUT MINNEHONK L BROOK TROUT MINNEHONK L BROOK TROUT MINNEHONK L BROOK TROUT MINNEHONK L SPLAKE MINNEHONK L SPLAKE PARKER P BROOK TROUT PARKER P L.L. SALMON MCGRATH P BROOK TROUT MESSALONSKEE L BROOK TROUT MESSALONSKEE L BROOK TROUT MESSALONSKEE L BROWN TROUT MESSALONSKEE L BROWN TROUT MESSALONSKEE L SPLAKE MESSALONSKEE STREAM BROOK TROUT MESSALONSKEE STREAM BROOK TROUT MESSALONSKEE STREAM BROOK TROUT LONG P RAINBOW TROUT GOULD P BROOK TROUT MESSALONSKEE L BROWN TROUT MESSALONSKEE L SPLAKE SILVER L BROWN TROUT SILVER L RAINBOW TROUT CHINA L BROOK TROUT SPECTACLE P BROOK TROUT SPECTACLE P BROWN TROUT FLYING P BROOK TROUT FLYING P BROOK TROUT FLYING P BROOK TROUT FLYING P BROWN TROUT FLYING P L.L. SALMON KIMBALL P BROOK TROUT MESSALONSKEE STREAM BROOK TROUT MESSALONSKEE STREAM BROOK TROUT MESSALONSKEE STREAM BROOK TROUT SAVADE P BROOK TROUT SAVADE P BROOK TROUT SAVADE P BROOK TROUT MARANACOOK L BROOK TROUT MARANACOOK L BROWN TROUT MARANACOOK L L.L. SALMON MARANACOOK L LAKE TROUT NARROWS P (LOWER) BROOK TROUT NARROWS P (LOWER) BROOK TROUT NARROWS P (LOWER) LAKE TROUT NARROWS P (UPPER) BROOK TROUT NARROWS P (UPPER) BROOK TROUT WAYNE F&G CLUB P BROOK TROUT

QTY 100 100 200 300 250 900 50 50 300 300 300 400 100 250 1600 300 500 40 300 300 75 200 300 300 200 300 200 300 250 200 40 100 200 125 500 300 400 500 200 150 500 200 440 440 1000 4400 200 2000 1000 25 75 250 500 150 220 350 200 150 100 800 220 200 440 300 100 30 400 200 350 100 200 200 100 400 400 200

SIZE (INCH) 10 10 10 12 9 12 13 12 10 10 10 14 13 10 12 13 12 17 14 12 12 10 10 12 9 10 10 12 7 13 17 14 13 13 12 12 13 10 10 14 12 13 10 10 8 14 10 12 13 12 14 10 10 12 10 12 13 12 12 8 10 10 10 13 13 17 13 12 8 6 10 13 6 10 13 10

DATE 04/16/24 05/16/24 04/28/24 10/17/24 05/07/24 10/24/24 11/05/24 10/21/24 04/25/24 04/30/24 05/21/24 10/22/24 10/22/24 05/16/24 10/09/24 02/21/24 10/17/24 11/19/24 11/26/24 10/11/24 10/17/24 04/30/24 04/25/24 10/17/24 05/07/24 04/28/24 04/16/24 10/10/24 11/06/24 11/06/24 11/19/24 11/26/24 10/18/24 11/26/24 10/10/24 10/28/24 11/05/24 04/17/24 05/21/24 04/18/24 11/07/24 11/26/24 04/17/24 05/02/24 11/25/24 11/07/24 04/16/24 10/09/24 11/01/24 10/21/24 10/05/24 04/22/24 05/11/24 10/27/24 04/12/24 10/23/24 11/06/24 10/21/24 10/28/24 10/03/24 04/17/24 04/17/24 05/02/24 10/27/24 11/07/24 11/19/24 11/01/24 11/01/24 05/30/24 04/16/24 04/19/24 11/11/24 04/16/24 04/19/24 11/11/24 05/16/24

Appleton Appleton Appleton Appleton Appleton Appleton Camden Camden Camden Camden Camden Camden Camden Camden

SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SENNEBEC P GOOSE R HOSMER P HOSMER P HOSMER P HOSMER P HOSMER P MEGUNTICOOK R MEGUNTICOOK R

150 600 240 150 120 250 200 250 250 500 50 200 400 200

15 10 10 14 9 13 10 10 13 8 12 12 10 13

04/17/24 05/10/24 05/24/24 04/17/24 05/28/24 10/12/24 04/30/24 04/30/24 10/28/24 11/21/24 10/28/24 11/07/24 04/30/24 10/28/24

KNOX

www.MaineSportsman.com

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

SPECIES RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT

QTY 100 200 750 500 300 75 200 1000 250 500 500 300 150 30 250 75 500 200 150 240 150 750 120 350 125 125 400 200 100 30 100

SIZE (INCH) 14 10 7 13 12 12 13 7 10 13 8 7 13 17 7 13 8 13 15 10 14 9 9 13 10 10 9 13 13 17 12

DATE 10/17/24 04/19/24 10/25/24 10/25/24 10/25/24 10/24/24 11/01/24 10/03/24 04/19/24 10/22/24 11/21/24 10/22/24 10/22/24 11/19/24 10/22/24 10/22/24 11/21/24 11/06/24 04/17/24 05/24/24 04/17/24 05/07/24 05/28/24 10/12/24 04/28/24 04/28/24 05/10/24 10/27/24 11/07/24 11/19/24 10/27/24

PINKHAM P ADAMS P KNICKERBOCKER P KNICKERBOCKER P KNICKERBOCKER P WILEY P WILEY P WILEY P BISCAY P BISCAY P MCCURDY P PEMAQUID R PEMAQUID R PEMAQUID R PEMAQUID R PEMAQUID R PEMAQUID R ROSS P ROSS P ROSS P UPPER P LITTLE P PEMAQUID P PEMAQUID P DAMARISCOTTA L PEMAQUID P THOMPSON'S ICE P THOMPSON'S ICE P THOMPSON'S ICE P KALERS P KALERS P MEDOMAK P (LITTLE) MEDOMAK P (LITTLE) MEDOMAK P (LITTLE) MEDOMAK R MEDOMAK R MEDOMAK R MEDOMAK R MEDOMAK R MEDOMAK R PETERS (GROSS) P WALDOBORO QUARRY P MONTSWEAG B POLY CLARK B

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

200 250 200 300 200 250 600 100 400 350 250 400 100 400 200 150 150 250 300 200 100 500 200 750 1000 200 100 250 50 350 100 200 100 100 350 1200 480 400 250 240 200 200 400 100

13 10 10 13 11 10 7 13 13 12 12 10 15 10 9 12 12 10 8 13 10 10 13 9 12 13 10 8 13 13 12 10 13 12 15 10 10 14 9 9 10 10 10 10

10/30/24 04/02/24 05/08/24 10/24/24 05/10/24 05/08/24 10/24/24 10/24/24 10/29/24 10/29/24 10/29/24 04/16/24 04/16/24 05/06/24 05/06/24 11/07/24 11/08/24 05/06/24 11/06/24 11/06/24 05/16/24 04/29/24 11/01/24 04/29/24 10/10/24 11/01/24 05/06/24 11/05/24 11/05/24 10/29/24 10/29/24 05/07/24 11/01/24 11/01/24 04/17/24 05/07/24 05/24/24 04/17/24 05/07/24 05/28/24 05/16/24 05/14/24 05/08/24 05/08/24

GOODWIN P PEPPERPOT P RICHARDSON P (LOWER EAST) RICHARDSON P (UPPER EAST) RICHARDSON P (WEST) BROKEN BRIDGE P CROCKER P CROCKER P HUTCHINSON P HUTCHINSON P MOSQUITO P SONGO P SONGO P

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON

150 100 300 500 750 300 200 15 200 200 75 150 70

6 12 10 10 10 6 8 12 12 12 6 12 12

09/27/24 10/08/24 05/16/24 05/16/24 05/22/24 10/03/24 10/03/24 10/03/24 10/04/24 10/18/24 10/02/24 10/04/24 10/21/24

TOWN Camden Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope Isle Au Haut Rockland Rockland Rockland Rockport Rockport Rockport Rockport Rockport Rockport Rockport Union Union Union Union Union Union Vinalhaven Vinalhaven Warren Washington Washington Washington Washington

WATER MEGUNTICOOK R ALFORD L ALFORD L ALFORD L ALFORD L ALFORD L HOBBS P LONG P (TURNERS L) CHICKAWAUKIE P CHICKAWAUKIE P CHICKAWAUKIE P MACES P MACES P MACES P ROCKY P ROCKY P ROCKY P TOLMAN P SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SEVEN TREE P BOOTH QUARRY P LAWSON QUARRY P SAINT GEORGE R CRYSTAL P CRYSTAL P CRYSTAL P CRYSTAL P

Alna Boothbay Boothbay Boothbay Boothbay Boothbay Boothbay Boothbay Bremen Bremen Bremen Bristol Bristol Bristol Bristol Bristol Bristol Bristol Bristol Bristol Bristol Damariscotta Damariscotta Damariscotta Jefferson Nobleboro South Bristol South Bristol South Bristol Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Waldoboro Wiscasset Wiscasset Adamstown Twp Adamstown Twp Adamstown Twp Adamstown Twp Adamstown Twp Albany Twp Albany Twp Albany Twp Albany Twp Albany Twp Albany Twp Albany Twp Albany Twp

LINCOLN

OXFORD

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 37 TOWN WATER Albany Twp SONGO P Andover ELLIS R Andover ELLIS R (WEST BRANCH) Batchelders Grant Twp WILD R Batchelders Grant Twp WILD R Bethel ANDROSCOGGIN R Bethel ANDROSCOGGIN R Bethel ANDROSCOGGIN R Bethel ANDROSCOGGIN R Bethel ANDROSCOGGIN R Bethel ANDROSCOGGIN R Bethel ANDROSCOGGIN R Brownfield BURNT MEADOW P Brownfield BURNT MEADOW P Brownfield BURNT MEADOW P Buckfield NEZINSCOT R (EAST BRANCH) Buckfield NEZINSCOT R (EAST BRANCH) Buckfield NEZINSCOT R (WEST BRANCH) Buckfield NEZINSCOT R (WEST BRANCH) Byron ELLIS P (LITTLE) Byron ELLIS P (LITTLE) Byron ELLIS P (LITTLE) Byron SWIFT R Byron SWIFT R Byron SWIFT R Canton ANASAGUNTICOOK L Canton ANASAGUNTICOOK L Canton FOREST P Canton WHITNEY B Denmark HANCOCK P Denmark LONG P Denmark SAND (WALDEN) P Dixfield AUNT HANNAH B Dixfield AUNT HANNAH B Fryeburg CLAYS P Fryeburg CLAYS P Fryeburg CLAYS P Fryeburg CLAYS P Fryeburg CLAYS P OUTLET Fryeburg LOVEWELL P Fryeburg LOVEWELL P Fryeburg ROUND P Fryeburg SACO R Fryeburg SACO R Gilead ANDROSCOGGIN R Gilead ANDROSCOGGIN R Gilead ANDROSCOGGIN R Gilead ANDROSCOGGIN R Gilead ANDROSCOGGIN R Gilead ANDROSCOGGIN R Gilead ANDROSCOGGIN R Gilead ANDROSCOGGIN R Gilead WILD R Gilead WILD R Grafton Twp SPECK P Greenwood ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) Greenwood ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) Greenwood ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) Greenwood ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) Greenwood ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) Greenwood INDIAN P Greenwood INDIAN P Greenwood OVERSET P Greenwood SOUTH & ROUND PDS Greenwood SOUTH & ROUND PDS Greenwood TWITCHELL B Greenwood TWITCHELL P Greenwood TWITCHELL P Hanover ANDROSCOGGIN R Hanover ANDROSCOGGIN R Hartford BUNGANOCK B Hartford NEZINSCOT R (EAST BRANCH) Hartford NEZINSCOT R (EAST BRANCH) Hiram CLEMONS P (BIG) Hiram CLEMONS P (LITTLE) Hiram CLEMONS P (LITTLE) Hiram CLEMONS P (LITTLE) Hiram HANCOCK B Hiram OSSIPEE R Hiram OSSIPEE R Hiram OSSIPEE R Hiram SACO R Hiram SACO R Hiram SACO R Hiram STANLEY P Hiram STANLEY P Hiram STANLEY P Lovell BRADLEY P Lovell BRADLEY P Lovell CUSHMAN P Lovell HORSESHOE P

SPECIES L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

QTY 30 400 400 250 750 300 375 600 150 600 250 700 150 100 50 500 8000 2000 32000 500 4000 50 400 200 150 500 17 200 100 1000 300 300 100 100 300 100 100 50 250 1100 250 150 150 150 700 375 200 300 250 300 1000 75 750 250 400 400 400 1332 6666 600 500 300 300 200 100 600 150 150 1000 2000 500 1500 21000 150 150 400 100 125 470 470 1640 200 200 300 10 950 25 100 50 300 200

SIZE (INCH) 18 9 9 10 10 10 12 9 18 9 12 11 12 9 12 9 2 9 2 10 7 7 10 9 11 12 18 11 9 12 10 12 10 10 10 12 9 12 10 9 12 10 10 10 10 12 18 9 12 18 11 20 10 10 6 10 10 3 4 9 10 10 6 12 8 9 12 12 10 9 9 9 2 12 10 8 12 10 10 10 9 10 10 9 19 10 20 9 12 9 10

DATE 11/22/24 05/14/24 05/14/24 05/10/24 06/03/24 05/23/24 10/03/24 05/01/24 05/15/24 05/17/24 10/02/24 05/17/24 10/11/24 05/29/24 11/17/24 04/26/24 05/24/24 04/26/24 05/24/24 05/13/24 10/15/24 05/13/24 04/19/24 04/30/24 04/30/24 10/20/24 11/29/24 06/05/24 05/04/24 10/04/24 04/02/24 10/11/24 04/19/24 05/21/24 04/23/24 11/18/24 05/18/24 11/17/24 04/23/24 05/02/24 11/01/24 04/23/24 04/25/24 05/09/24 05/23/24 10/03/24 05/15/24 05/17/24 10/02/24 05/16/24 05/17/24 12/02/24 05/10/24 06/03/24 09/27/24 04/19/24 05/03/24 06/07/24 06/07/24 05/08/24 04/23/24 04/17/24 10/02/24 10/04/24 05/30/24 04/30/24 10/04/24 10/22/24 05/20/24 05/01/24 05/01/24 04/26/24 05/05/24 10/11/24 04/23/24 10/11/24 10/11/24 05/20/24 04/24/24 05/08/24 04/30/24 04/25/24 05/09/24 05/02/24 11/20/24 04/03/24 12/02/24 05/31/24 11/17/24 04/24/24 06/05/24

TOWN Lovell Lovell Magalloway Plt Magalloway Plt Magalloway Plt Mason Twp Mexico Mexico Mexico Milton Twp Newry Norway Norway Norway Norway Norway Norway Norway Norway Norway Norway Norway Norway Otisfield Otisfield Otisfield Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Paris Paris Paris Paris Paris Paris Paris Paris Parkertown Twp Peru Peru Peru Peru Peru Peru Peru Peru Porter Porter Porter Porter Porter Richardsontown Twp Richardsontown Twp Roxbury Roxbury Roxbury Roxbury Rumford Rumford Rumford Rumford Rumford Stoneham Stoneham Stoneham Stoneham Stoneham Stoneham Stow Stow Sumner Sumner Sumner Sumner Sweden Sweden Township C Township C Upton Waterford Waterford Waterford Waterford Waterford Waterford Waterford West Paris

WATER HORSESHOE P KEZAR L AZISCOHOS P BEAVER P (LITTLE) STURTEVANT P TROUT P ANDROSCOGGIN R ANDROSCOGGIN R ANDROSCOGGIN R CONCORD R SUNDAY R PENNESSEEWASSEE L PENNESSEEWASSEE L PENNESSEEWASSEE L PENNESSEEWASSEE L PENNESSEEWASSEE L PENNESSEEWASSEE L OUTLET PENNESSEEWASSEE L OUTLET PENNESSEEWASSEE P (LITTLE) PENNESSEEWASSEE P (LITTLE) PENNESSEEWASSEE P (LITTLE) PENNESSEEWASSEE P (LITTLE) SPECK P #2 GREELEY B PLEASANT L THOMPSON L ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) GREELEY B ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) HALLS P HALLS P HALLS P HALLS P HALLS P HALLS P HALLS P LINCOLN P NEZINSCOT R (EAST BRANCH) SPEARS STREAM SPEARS STREAM WORTHLEY P WORTHLEY P WORTHLEY P WORTHLEY P WORTHLEY P BICKFORD P BICKFORD P BICKFORD P CHAPMAN P COLCORD P RICHARDSON LAKES RICHARDSON LAKES ELLIS (ROXBURY) P ELLIS (ROXBURY) P SWIFT R SWIFT R ANDROSCOGGIN R ANDROSCOGGIN R ANDROSCOGGIN R CONCORD R ELLIS R BACK P (5 KEZARS) KEEWAYDIN L KEEWAYDIN L KEEWAYDIN L KEEWAYDIN L VIRGINIA L COLD R COLD R ABBOTTS P CUSHMAN P NEZINSCOT R (EAST BRANCH) NORTH P KEYES P STEARNS P RICHARDSON LAKES RICHARDSON LAKES B POND BEAR P BEAR P BEAR P KEOKA L KEOKA L KEOKA L MOOSE P ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE)

SPECIES BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

QTY 150 400 500 1500 200 400 125 125 675 500 800 75 200 40 1850 50 100 100 300 700 200 100 150 150 400 750 260 300 360 260 260 100 150 300 300 750 100 15 50 50 33 1200 250 200 600 300 15 400 900 25 50 15 300 150 100 3200 800 1450 50 200 150 125 125 675 1000 400 200 400 250 100 20 300 450 400 650 600 500 250 300 250 2000 380 350 400 50 200 600 120 30 500 600

SIZE (INCH) 12 8 6 6 14 6 12 12 11 9 10 10 12 18 14 20 9 9 9 8 12 12 6 9 8 8 9 10 9 11 11 14 9 10 10 8 12 17 9 12 18 10 10 9 9 12 19 12 11 20 12 19 12 10 12 10 14 12 17 9 11 12 12 11 9 9 9 9 12 12 18 12 10 9 6 6 10 12 12 12 10 14 7 9 8 13 12 12 18 10 10

DATE 11/17/24 05/17/24 09/27/24 09/27/24 10/17/24 10/02/24 10/10/24 10/03/24 05/21/24 04/30/24 05/20/24 05/30/24 10/22/24 11/22/24 10/01/24 11/27/24 04/26/24 05/04/24 04/26/24 10/08/24 10/08/24 10/18/24 10/02/24 05/04/24 06/04/24 06/04/24 04/25/24 05/08/24 05/14/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 10/03/24 05/04/24 05/08/24 04/02/24 10/08/24 10/08/24 11/06/24 05/31/24 11/06/24 11/29/24 05/16/24 05/08/24 05/04/24 04/30/24 10/18/24 11/18/24 10/12/24 06/05/24 12/01/24 10/11/24 11/20/24 10/21/24 04/23/24 10/29/24 05/07/24 10/17/24 09/25/24 11/18/24 04/30/24 04/30/24 10/10/24 10/03/24 05/06/24 04/30/24 05/14/24 04/24/24 04/24/24 10/04/24 10/22/24 11/22/24 10/04/24 05/19/24 05/19/24 10/02/24 10/02/24 05/08/24 10/02/24 10/11/24 10/08/24 05/03/24 10/24/24 05/16/24 04/24/24 05/30/24 10/23/24 10/08/24 10/22/24 11/22/24 05/16/24 04/19/24

www.MaineSportsman.com

38 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————— TOWN West Paris West Paris West Paris West Paris West Paris Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock Woodstock

WATER ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) ANDROSCOGGIN R (LITTLE) BRYANT P BRYANT P BRYANT P BRYANT P CONCORD P (LITTLE) CONSERVATION CAMP P CONSERVATION CAMP P NORTH P NORTH P SHAGG P SHAGG P WASHBURN P

SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT

QTY 600 666 3333 150 600 500 300 100 325 600 100 100 275 100 500 150 250

SIZE (INCH) 10 3 4 9 10 9 12 8 10 6 10 10 9 12 10 10 6

DATE 05/03/24 06/07/24 06/07/24 05/08/24 05/08/24 04/24/24 10/08/24 05/30/24 04/17/24 10/02/24 06/03/24 06/05/24 05/31/24 11/06/24 04/23/24 04/17/24 10/03/24

Bangor Brewer Brewer Brewer Burlington Burlington Clifton Corinna Dexter Dexter Dexter Dexter Dexter Enfield Enfield Enfield Enfield Enfield Enfield Enfield Enfield Enfield Enfield Enfield Etna Grand Falls Twp Grand Falls Twp Hampden Hermon Lakeville Lakeville Lee Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lowell Lowell Millinocket Millinocket Millinocket Millinocket Mount Chase Mount Chase Mount Chase Mount Chase Mount Chase Newport Old Town Old Town Old Town Old Town Old Town Old Town Orono Orrington Orrington Patten Patten Patten

KENDUSKEAG STREAM BROOK TROUT PENOBSCOT CLUB P BROOK TROUT PENOBSCOT CLUB P BROOK TROUT PENOBSCOT CLUB P BROOK TROUT BURLINGTON FIRE P BROOK TROUT BURLINGTON FIRE P BROOK TROUT FITTS P SPLAKE SEBASTICOOK R (EAST BRANCH) BROOK TROUT PUFFERS P (ECHO L) BROOK TROUT SEBASTICOOK R (EAST BRANCH) BROOK TROUT WASSOOKEAG L BROOK TROUT WASSOOKEAG L BROOK TROUT WASSOOKEAG L L.L. SALMON COLD STREAM BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P L.L. SALMON ETNA P BROOK TROUT PASSADUMKEAG R BROOK TROUT PASSADUMKEAG R BROOK TROUT SOUADABSCOOK STREAM BROOK TROUT HERMON P BROOK TROUT SYSLADOBSIS L (LO) L.L. SALMON SYSLADOBSIS L (UP) L.L. SALMON SILVER (MATTAKEUNK) L BROOK TROUT CARIBOU,EGG,LONG P BROOK TROUT CARIBOU,EGG,LONG P BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P (UPPER) BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P (UPPER) BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P (UPPER) BROOK TROUT COLD STREAM P (UPPER) L.L. SALMON EDWARDS FAMILY KIDS FISHING P BROOK TROUT EDWARDS FAMILY KIDS FISHING P BROOK TROUT EDWARDS FAMILY KIDS FISHING P BROOK TROUT EDWARDS FAMILY KIDS FISHING P BROOK TROUT EDWARDS FAMILY KIDS FISHING P BROOK TROUT ROCKY B BROOK TROUT ROCKY B BROOK TROUT ROUND P (LITTLE) BROOK TROUT ROUND P (LITTLE) BROOK TROUT UPPER P BROOK TROUT UPPER P BROOK TROUT PASSADUMKEAG R BROOK TROUT TROUT P BROOK TROUT JERRY P BROOK TROUT JERRY P BROOK TROUT JERRY P BROOK TROUT JERRY P BROOK TROUT SHIN P (LOWER) BROOK TROUT SHIN P (LOWER) BROOK TROUT SHIN P (LOWER) L.L. SALMON SHIN P (UPPER) BROOK TROUT SHIN P (UPPER) L.L. SALMON SEBASTICOOK R (EAST BRANCH) BROOK TROUT MUD P BROOK TROUT MUD P BROOK TROUT MUD P BROOK TROUT MUD P BROOK TROUT MUD P BROOK TROUT STILLWATER R BROOK TROUT STILLWATER R BROOK TROUT BREWER L L.L. SALMON BREWER L L.L. SALMON GILES P BROOK TROUT WILEY P BROOK TROUT WILEY P BROOK TROUT

1000 150 425 50 55 55 400 275 250 110 500 750 500 200 110 100 100 17380 200 400 800 350 700 1125 350 9975 725 200 500 1000 300 700 500 200 250 250 400 320 150 150 125 125 20 150 150 300 125 400 30 725 410 500 500 50 40 500 300 200 300 25 275 180 650 65 60 320 250 250 175 92 200 165 40

10 10 8 13 10 10 9 10 12 10 10 8 8 10 10 10 10 2 14 10 10 13 13 7 13 2 10 10 13 7 7 13 13 14 10 10 13 7 10 10 13 14 18 10 10 10 14 13 18 10 10 10 13 13 18 10 13 7 13 7 10 14 13 14 18 13 10 10 13 15 10 14 18

04/22/24 04/10/24 10/15/24 10/15/24 04/09/24 05/14/24 04/18/24 04/17/24 10/30/24 04/17/24 04/17/24 10/30/24 05/30/24 05/02/24 05/14/24 05/21/24 05/29/24 06/05/24 01/02/24 04/09/24 04/24/24 10/02/24 10/04/24 04/24/24 10/23/24 05/29/24 05/29/24 04/26/24 10/23/24 05/14/24 05/14/24 10/08/24 10/08/24 11/21/24 04/09/24 04/24/24 10/07/24 04/24/24 04/09/24 05/14/24 10/07/24 11/06/24 11/06/24 04/24/24 05/14/24 05/17/24 11/18/24 10/09/24 11/21/24 05/29/24 05/17/24 05/01/24 09/27/24 10/24/24 11/07/24 05/03/24 10/07/24 05/03/24 10/07/24 05/03/24 04/17/24 01/02/24 10/22/24 11/18/24 11/18/24 12/04/24 04/24/24 04/24/24 10/15/24 11/20/24 05/30/24 11/22/24 11/22/24

PENOBSCOT

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TOWN WATER Seboeis Plt SEBOEIS STREAM Seboeis Plt SEBOEIS STREAM Soldiertown Twp T2 R7 WELS TROUT P Springfield MATTAGODUS STREAM T1 R8 WELS MILLINOCKET L T1 R8 WELS MILLINOCKET STREAM T1 R8 WELS MILLINOCKET STREAM T3 Indian Purchase Twp SMITH P T3 Indian Purchase Twp SMITH P T3 R9 NWP CEDAR L T3 R9 NWP CEDAR L T3 R9 NWP CEDAR L T3 R9 NWP ENDLESS L T3 R9 NWP ENDLESS L T3 R9 NWP FLATIRON P T4 Indian Purchase Twp PEMADUMCOOK CHAIN L T4 Indian Purchase Twp PEMADUMCOOK CHAIN L T4 R7 WELS LUNKSOOS L T5 R7 WELS DAVIS (WAPITI) P T6 R6 WELS GREEN MOUNTAIN P T6 R8 WELS HAY L T6 R8 WELS HAY L T6 R8 WELS HAY L T7 R8 WELS IRELAND P T7 R8 WELS MILLIMAGASSETT L T7 R8 WELS SCRAGGLY L T7 R8 WELS SCRAGGLY L T8 R7 WELS CARRY P

SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON SPLAKE L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT LAKE TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT

QTY 250 250 350 250 1280 700 300 250 25 150 55 300 300 400 250 900 150 1200 300 200 400 200 160 100 700 900 240 200

SIZE (INCH) 10 10 10 10 7 10 13 13 13 7 18 13 7 13 13 13 13 8 10 8 10 13 12 4 6 10 7 8

DATE 05/02/24 05/21/24 05/15/24 05/01/24 05/07/24 05/01/24 10/11/24 10/11/24 10/24/24 05/07/24 11/01/24 11/08/24 05/22/24 11/05/24 11/21/24 09/24/24 10/24/24 09/23/24 05/09/24 09/23/24 05/03/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 06/13/24 05/15/24 05/03/24 05/03/24 09/23/24

Abbot DRUMMOND P Abbot DRUMMOND P Abbot DRUMMOND P Abbot DRUMMOND P Abbot DRUMMOND P Abbot PIPER P Abbot PIPER P Abbot PIPER P Atkinson ALDER STREAM Beaver Cove PRONG P Beaver Cove PRONG P Beaver Cove PRONG P Beaver Cove PRONG P Big Moose Twp FITZGERALD (MTN VIEW) P Big Moose Twp FITZGERALD (MTN VIEW) P Big Moose Twp FITZGERALD (MTN VIEW) P Big Moose Twp FITZGERALD (MTN VIEW) P Big Moose Twp INDIAN P Blanchard Twp PISCATAQUIS R Blanchard Twp PISCATAQUIS R Blanchard Twp WHETSTONE P Blanchard Twp WHETSTONE P Bowerbank BEAR P Bowerbank MILL B Brownville NORTON P Brownville PLEASANT R Dover-Foxcroft BRANNS MILL P Dover-Foxcroft BRANNS MILL P Dover-Foxcroft DUNHAM B Dover-Foxcroft DUNHAM B Dover-Foxcroft DUNHAM B Dover-Foxcroft DUNHAM B Dover-Foxcroft GARLAND P Dover-Foxcroft GARLAND P Dover-Foxcroft GARLAND P Dover-Foxcroft PISCATAQUIS R Dover-Foxcroft PISCATAQUIS R Dover-Foxcroft PISCATAQUIS R Dover-Foxcroft PISCATAQUIS R Dover-Foxcroft PISCATAQUIS R Dover-Foxcroft PISCATAQUIS R Dover-Foxcroft PISCATAQUIS R Dover-Foxcroft SEBEC L Dover-Foxcroft SNOWS P Dover-Foxcroft SNOWS P Dover-Foxcroft SNOWS P East Middlesex Canal Grant Twp SPENCER P (BIG) Elliottsville Twp GREENWOOD P (LITTLE) Elliottsville Twp MCLELLAN P Elliottsville Twp RABBIT P Elliottsville Twp SMITH P Frenchtown Twp ROACH P (FIRST) Frenchtown Twp ROACH P (FIRST) Greenville MOOSEHEAD L Greenville SAWYER P Greenville SAWYER P Greenville SAWYER P Greenville WILSON P (LOWER) Guilford BENNETT P (BIG) Guilford BENNETT P (BIG) Guilford DAVIS P (FIRST) Guilford DAVIS P (FIRST)

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT LAKE TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON

250 250 250 250 25 500 100 300 250 2100 2100 1100 50 2700 2700 1400 50 1000 400 400 1300 1100 300 250 150 1000 1200 75 400 400 400 200 300 300 100 750 1500 250 750 750 500 750 2000 250 250 100 1000 150 300 100 100 3300 1800 2000 700 650 350 500 600 150 700 200

10 10 10 13 18 10 7 9 10 10 10 12 18 10 10 12 18 7 10 10 10 10 9 10 13 10 13 18 10 10 10 13 10 10 7 10 10 10 10 10 10 13 6 10 10 13 10 7 7 7 7 10 7 7 10 10 13 7 10 9 13 7

04/26/24 05/10/24 05/28/24 10/03/24 11/19/24 05/13/24 05/13/24 05/13/24 05/02/24 04/30/24 05/23/24 09/25/24 11/19/24 05/07/24 05/23/24 09/26/24 10/30/24 05/08/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 04/26/24 05/23/24 05/13/24 05/02/24 10/30/24 04/25/24 10/04/24 11/06/24 04/25/24 05/21/24 06/10/24 10/03/24 04/11/24 05/23/24 09/24/24 04/23/24 04/25/24 05/08/24 05/14/24 05/15/24 05/23/24 10/10/24 04/23/24 04/11/24 05/14/24 10/03/24 05/28/24 09/24/24 09/24/24 09/24/24 09/24/24 05/07/24 05/15/24 05/09/24 05/03/24 06/03/24 10/04/24 05/15/24 05/02/24 05/28/24 10/03/24 05/15/24

PISCATAQUIS

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 39 TOWN WATER Guilford DAVIS P (FIRST) Guilford PISCATAQUIS R Guilford PISCATAQUIS R Guilford PISCATAQUIS R Guilford PISCATAQUIS R Guilford PISCATAQUIS R Guilford PISCATAQUIS R Kingsbury Plt KINGSBURY P Lake View Plt SCHOODIC L Lake View Plt SCHOODIC L Lake View Plt SCHOODIC L Lake View Plt SCHOODIC L Lake View Plt SEBOEIS L Lake View Plt SEBOEIS L Lake View Plt SEBOEIS L Lake View Plt TURTLE P Lily Bay Twp MOOSEHEAD L Medford SCHOODIC STREAM Milo MILO FARM (HARRIS) P Milo MILO FARM (HARRIS) P Milo MILO FARM (HARRIS) P Milo MILO FARM (HARRIS) P Milo MILO FARM (HARRIS) P Milo SEBEC R Milo SEBEC R Monson BELL P Monson DOE P Monson DOE P Monson DOE P Monson HEBRON L Monson HEBRON L Monson HEBRON L Monson HEBRON L Monson HEBRON L Monson LILY P Monson PISCATAQUIS R Monson PISCATAQUIS R Monson SOUTH P Monson SPECTACLE P Monson SPECTACLE P Monson SPECTACLE P Moosehead Junction Twp GRAVEL PIT P Moosehead Junction Twp GRAVEL PIT P Moosehead Junction Twp GRAVEL PIT P Moosehead Junction Twp GRAVEL PIT P Moosehead Junction Twp POWER TROUT P Moosehead Junction Twp POWER TROUT P Moosehead Junction Twp SHADOW P Moosehead Junction Twp SHADOW P Moosehead Junction Twp SHADOW P Parkman BENNETT P Parkman HARLOW P Parkman HARLOW P Rainbow Twp BEAN P (LOWER) Rainbow Twp BEAN P (UPPER) Rainbow Twp CLIFFORD P Rainbow Twp CRESCENT P Rainbow Twp DEBSCONEAG L (5TH) Rainbow Twp HOLBROOK P Rainbow Twp MURPHY P (BIG) Sangerville BLACK STREAM Sangerville BLACK STREAM Sangerville CENTER P Sangerville CENTER P Sangerville CENTER P Sangerville MANHANOCK P Sangerville MANHANOCK P Sebec BEAR B Sebec SEBEC R Sebec SEBEC R Sebec SEBEC R Shawtown Twp LONG BOG Shawtown Twp ROACH P (FOURTH) Shirley BUNKER P (BIG) Shirley SHIRLEY P Shirley SHIRLEY P T1 R11 WELS DEBSCONEAG L (6TH) T1 R11 WELS LEAVITT P T1 R13 WELS LAZY TOM P T1 R9 WELS PEMADUMCOOK CHAIN L T1 R9 WELS PEMADUMCOOK CHAIN L T1 R9 WELS PEMADUMCOOK CHAIN L T10 R10 WELS ISLAND (CHASE) P T10 R10 WELS MOUNTAIN P T10 R11 WELS ELBOW P (UPPER) T2 R10 WELS HALE P T2 R12 WELS BEAN P T2 R12 WELS TEN-FORTY P T2 R13 WELS RAGGED L T2 R9 WELS ABOL P T2 R9 WELS ROCKY P

SPECIES SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT LAKE TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

QTY 250 750 3000 2250 750 750 1000 1000 2000 900 200 600 800 55 500 500 1500 4600 100 100 75 80 10 400 850 350 550 500 200 875 450 850 4600 4000 100 400 400 360 900 900 150 250 250 250 250 250 250 175 175 200 350 450 25 600 250 250 225 1600 500 525 250 250 1000 1000 1200 1050 75 250 500 500 250 300 400 200 600 300 600 500 350 900 150 4500 750 275 360 400 150 450 2000 750 200

SIZE (INCH) 9 10 10 10 10 10 13 7 10 13 13 7 12 18 13 8 7 2 10 10 13 13 18 10 10 7 10 10 12 10 10 10 7 8 7 10 10 7 10 10 9 10 10 10 12 10 10 10 10 7 10 13 18 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 10 10 10 13 9 12 18 10 10 10 13 8 10 10 10 13 7 7 7 13 13 6 10 8 11 8 7 8 10 8 8

DATE 05/15/24 04/23/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 05/15/24 05/23/24 10/09/24 05/10/24 04/09/24 09/25/24 10/24/24 04/25/24 10/02/24 11/01/24 10/30/24 09/24/24 05/13/24 06/04/24 04/11/24 05/14/24 10/03/24 10/24/24 11/19/24 05/08/24 05/23/24 09/24/24 04/26/24 05/31/24 09/24/24 04/11/24 04/17/24 05/14/24 11/01/24 11/04/24 09/24/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 09/24/24 04/17/24 05/21/24 04/29/24 04/29/24 05/15/24 05/23/24 09/24/24 05/08/24 05/31/24 04/29/24 05/15/24 09/24/24 04/17/24 10/03/24 11/06/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 04/25/24 05/14/24 04/17/24 10/01/24 04/29/24 10/23/24 11/06/24 05/02/24 05/08/24 05/23/24 10/10/24 09/25/24 05/20/24 05/13/24 04/17/24 10/16/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 09/24/24 10/24/24 05/07/24 05/15/24 09/23/24 05/15/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 10/15/24 05/20/24 09/20/24 09/20/24

TOWN T2 R9 WELS T2 R9 WELS T3 R10 WELS T3 R10 WELS T3 R11 WELS T3 R11 WELS T3 R11 WELS T3 R11 WELS T3 R11 WELS T3 R13 WELS T3 R13 WELS T4 R13 WELS T4 R9 NWP T4 R9 NWP T7 R10 WELS T7 R10 WELS T7 R10 WELS T7 R11 WELS T7 R9 NWP T7 R9 NWP T7 R9 WELS T7 R9 WELS T7 R9 WELS T8 R10 WELS T8 R11 WELS T9 R11 WELS TA R10 WELS TA R10 WELS TA R11 WELS TB R10 WELS Trout Brook Twp Trout Brook Twp Willimantic Willimantic Willimantic

WATER ROUND P TOGUE P (LOWER) CELIA P DRAPER P CARRY P CHESUNCOOK P FOWLER P MCKENNA P ROCKY P DEER P PINE P (BIG) SALMON P SEBOEIS L SEBOEIS L CARIBOU P (BIG) CARIBOU P (LITTLE) THIRD (MATAGAMON) L HAYMOCK L HOUSTON P INDIAN & DAM PONDS BEAVER P (BIG) MITCHELL P MITCHELL P MATTHEWS P PILLSBURY P (LITTLE) CURRIER P (FIRST) JO-MARY L (UPPER) JO-MARY L (UPPER) LONG P JO-MARY P BILLFISH P FROST P GRINDSTONE P GRINDSTONE P HORSESHOE P

SPECIES BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT LAKE TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT

QTY 250 400 250 350 500 700 400 800 75 500 1600 900 200 700 180 90 1700 1000 1400 1000 450 300 100 200 1500 100 1500 600 100 300 300 250 775 200 1300

SIZE (INCH) 8 10 8 8 8 7 8 8 8 10 8 8 7 10 11 11 8 7 7 7 10 8 13 8 8 8 10 7 7 8 8 8 7 7 7

DATE 09/20/24 05/07/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 10/15/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 09/25/24 05/20/24 09/25/24 10/15/24 05/07/24 05/07/24 05/15/24 05/15/24 09/23/24 05/09/24 09/24/24 09/24/24 05/15/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 09/23/24 10/17/24 09/23/24 05/02/24 05/02/24 09/25/24 09/27/24 09/23/24 09/23/24 09/24/24 09/24/24 09/24/24

Arrowsic Arrowsic Bowdoin Bowdoin Georgetown Georgetown Phippsburg Phippsburg Phippsburg Phippsburg Phippsburg Phippsburg Phippsburg Topsham Topsham Topsham Woolwich Woolwich Woolwich Woolwich

SEWALL P SEWALL P CAESAR P CAESAR P CHARLES P CHARLES P CENTER P CENTER P CENTER P SILVER L SILVER L SILVER L SPRAGUE P EDDY P (BIG) EDDY P (BIG) EDDY P (BIG) NEQUASSET L NEQUASSET L NEQUASSET L NEQUASSET L

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT

250 30 200 20 150 75 100 100 15 50 600 10 200 500 75 10 300 500 200 150

13 17 12 17 7 12 14 12 19 12 8 19 8 9 12 19 9 12 14 20

10/30/24 11/19/24 10/18/24 12/03/24 10/18/24 10/18/24 02/05/24 10/18/24 12/03/24 10/18/24 12/03/24 12/03/24 10/02/24 10/18/24 10/18/24 12/03/24 05/07/24 11/07/24 10/17/24 11/23/24

Alder Brook Twp Alder Brook Twp Anson Anson Anson Athens Attean Twp Attean Twp Attean Twp Attean Twp Attean Twp Attean Twp Attean Twp Bald Mountain Twp T2 R3 Bald Mountain Twp T2 R3 Bald Mountain Twp T2 R3 Bowtown Twp Bowtown Twp Bowtown Twp Bowtown Twp Brighton Plt Brighton Plt Brighton Plt Canaan Canaan Canaan Canaan Canaan Canaan Caratunk Caratunk Caratunk Caratunk

HALE P TRICKEY P KENNEBEC R KENNEBEC R KENNEBEC R WESSERUNSETT STREAM ATTEAN P CLEARWATER P LOON P WOOD P (BIG) WOOD P (BIG) WOOD P (BIG) WOOD P (BIG) AUSTIN P AUSTIN P AUSTIN P (LITTLE) KING P MOOSE P OTTER P OTTER P (NORTH) SMITH (WEEKS) P SMITH (WEEKS) P SMITH (WEEKS) P CARRABASSETT STREAM LAKE GEORGE LAKE GEORGE LAKE GEORGE LAKE GEORGE LAKE GEORGE DIMMICK P (BIG) DIMMICK P (LITTLE) MACDOUGALL P MACDOUGALL P

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT L.L. SALMON RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

800 450 500 2250 2000 400 1100 350 750 2365 100 500 1000 1200 550 3800 450 650 4500 3000 375 300 13 300 300 400 200 50 500 2600 2500 100 100

7 7 13 9 9 9 7 7 7 10 18 7 13 10 12 6 7 7 8 7 12 12 18 10 8 12 12 12 14 6 6 10 12

09/30/24 09/30/24 10/07/24 05/20/24 05/28/24 05/03/24 05/20/24 09/30/24 09/30/24 05/01/24 10/30/24 05/01/24 10/18/24 04/30/24 09/26/24 09/26/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 10/04/24 10/08/24 11/05/24 04/12/24 10/30/24 10/30/24 11/07/24 10/29/24 10/29/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 04/22/24 09/27/24

SAGADAHOC

SOMERSET

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40 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————— TOWN WATER Caratunk MOUNTAIN DIMMICK P Concord Twp TIBBETTS P Concord Twp TIBBETTS P Concord Twp TIBBETTS P Concord Twp TIBBETTS P Concord Twp TIBBETTS P Dennistown Plt CROCKER P Dennistown Plt RANCOURT P Dennistown Plt SUGAR BERTH P Dennistown Plt WOOD P (LITTLE BIG) Embden BLACK HILL P Embden EMBDEN P Embden EMBDEN P Embden EMBDEN P Embden FAHI P Embden FAHI P Embden HANCOCK P Embden HANCOCK P Embden HANCOCK P Embden KENNEBEC R Embden MILL STREAM Embden MILL STREAM Embden MILL STREAM Embden SANDY P Embden SANDY P Embden SANDY P Embden SANDY P Embden SANDY P Fairfield FAIRFIELD REC (PAL) P Fairfield FAIRFIELD REC (PAL) P Fairfield FAIRFIELD REC (PAL) P Fairfield FAIRFIELD REC (PAL) P Fairfield KENNEBEC R Forsyth Twp BEAVER P Forsyth Twp LONG P Hammond Twp LANE P (LITTLE) Harmony HARMONY FIRE P Harmony HIGGINS B Hartland GREAT MOOSE L Hartland MORRILL P Hartland MORRILL P Hartland MORRILL P Hartland SEBASTICOOK R Hobbstown Twp CHUB P Hobbstown Twp SPENCER L Holeb Twp HOLEB P Holeb Twp HOLEB P Holeb Twp HOLEB P Holeb Twp MCKENNEY P Jackman HEALD STREAM Jackman SANDY STREAM Lexington Twp SPRUCE P Long Pond Twp LONG P Madison WESSERUNSETT L Madison WESSERUNSETT L Madison WESSERUNSETT L Madison WESSERUNSETT L Madison WESSERUNSETT L Madison WESSERUNSETT L Mayfield Twp PALMER P Misery Twp CHASE STREAM P (LITTLE) Moose River DAYMOND P Moose River SUPPLY P Moscow CHASE P Moscow WYMAN L Moscow WYMAN L Moxie Gore FISH P New Portland CARRABASSETT R New Portland CARRABASSETT R New Portland CARRABASSETT R New Portland CARRABASSETT R New Portland CARRABASSETT R Norridgewock SANDY R Parlin Pond Twp PARADISE P (UPPER) Parlin Pond Twp PARLIN P Parlin Pond Twp SMITH P Pierce Pond Twp BASIN P Pierce Pond Twp HORSESHOE P Pierce Pond Twp KILGORE P Pierce Pond Twp KILGORE P (UPPER) Pierce Pond Twp PIERCE P Pierce Pond Twp SPLIT ROCK P Pittsfield SEBASTICOOK R Pleasant Ridge Plt BEAN P Pleasant Ridge Plt LOST P Pleasant Ridge Plt ROWE P Rockwood Strip T1 R1 NBKP MOOSEHEAD L Rockwood Strip T2 R1 NBKP DEMO P Rockwood Strip T2 R1 NBKP RODERIQUE P Saint Albans INDIAN P (BIG) Saint Albans INDIAN STREAM

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SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

QTY 2400 100 100 100 100 100 2200 450 900 500 1000 2750 1200 428 350 20 550 550 100 650 70 77 70 440 200 650 200 13 330 330 250 50 2000 150 1000 300 100 220 800 250 250 200 150 250 350 1000 375 500 1000 500 500 1700 3000 2000 125 1200 800 47 900 650 575 200 400 600 650 1400 600 300 300 250 200 200 800 75 2700 650 1800 110 525 250 600 300 750 800 750 1650 1500 3800 450 500 330

SIZE (INCH) 3 10 10 10 7 13 10 7 7 9 6 10 12 14 12 19 10 12 13 9 10 10 10 10 7 12 12 18 10 10 7 12 9 6 8 7 10 10 12 10 12 12 10 10 7 10 7 9 8 10 10 6 10 12 12 9 12 18 12 10 7 7 10 10 10 13 6 10 10 12 11 11 9 7 10 7 7 10 10 6 7 3 10 6 6 10 7 7 7 13 10

DATE 05/21/24 04/23/24 05/29/24 06/06/24 10/29/24 10/29/24 05/09/24 09/30/24 09/30/24 05/20/24 10/01/24 05/01/24 10/29/24 10/24/24 10/15/24 11/15/24 05/02/24 10/10/24 10/10/24 06/07/24 04/12/24 05/01/24 05/28/24 04/30/24 10/15/24 10/15/24 10/08/24 11/05/24 04/17/24 05/02/24 10/21/24 10/21/24 05/07/24 09/30/24 10/02/24 09/30/24 05/07/24 04/17/24 10/16/24 05/07/24 10/30/24 10/08/24 04/25/24 05/23/24 05/23/24 05/20/24 05/20/24 05/20/24 10/02/24 04/25/24 04/25/24 10/01/24 05/30/24 10/04/24 10/04/24 05/03/24 10/16/24 11/05/24 11/08/24 05/22/24 10/07/24 09/30/24 05/20/24 05/22/24 06/10/24 10/09/24 10/01/24 04/19/24 05/07/24 10/08/24 05/21/24 06/05/24 05/13/24 09/30/24 05/02/24 09/30/24 10/01/24 05/16/24 05/16/24 10/01/24 05/16/24 05/20/24 04/25/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 04/30/24 05/09/24 09/30/24 09/30/24 10/17/24 04/17/24

TOWN WATER Sandwich Academy Grant Twp OTTER P Sandwich Academy Grant Twp OTTER P (LITTLE) Sapling Twp KENNEBEC R Sapling Twp KENNEBEC R Skowhegan HIGHT P Skowhegan KENNEBEC R Solon BAKER P Solon KENNEBEC R Solon KENNEBEC R Solon WENTWORTH P Solon WENTWORTH P Solon WENTWORTH P Solon WENTWORTH P Squaretown Twp INDIAN P (LITTLE) T3 R4 BKP WKR DEAD RIVER T3 R4 BKP WKR DEAD RIVER T3 R4 BKP WKR DEAD RIVER T3 R4 BKP WKR DEAD RIVER T3 R4 BKP WKR SHAW P (LOWER) T3 R4 BKP WKR SPRING L T3 R4 BKP WKR SPRING L T3 R4 BKP WKR SPRING L T3 R5 BKP WKR BILL MORRIS P Taunton & Raynham Academy Grant BRASSUA L Taunton & Raynham Academy Grant LONG P Taunton & Raynham Academy Grant WEST OUTLET (MOOSEHEAD L) Taunton & Raynham Academy Grant WEST OUTLET (MOOSEHEAD L) Taunton & Raynham Academy Grant WEST OUTLET (MOOSEHEAD L) Taunton & Raynham Academy Grant WEST OUTLET (MOOSEHEAD L) Taunton & Raynham Academy Grant WEST OUTLET (MOOSEHEAD L) Taunton & Raynham Academy Grant WEST OUTLET (MOOSEHEAD L) The Forks Plt LONG (MARTIN) P The Forks Plt MOSQUITO P The Forks Plt MOXIE P The Forks Plt MOXIE P Thorndike Twp FISH P Thorndike Twp LUTHER P

SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

QTY 475 200 1500 800 200 800 100 200 1750 500 525 21 400 1250 1300 250 100 100 150 1400 950 75 500 500 1980 660 100 500 600 400 500 500 500 2800 500 3050 1500

SIZE (INCH) 7 7 10 12 10 9 12 10 9 10 12 18 13 6 9 13 7 14 12 9 13 14 6 7 10 10 10 10 10 12 7 10 10 10 7 7 7

DATE 09/30/24 09/30/24 04/26/24 09/24/24 04/12/24 05/14/24 10/18/24 06/25/24 05/14/24 04/23/24 10/03/24 11/05/24 10/03/24 10/07/24 05/29/24 10/22/24 05/29/24 10/22/24 10/24/24 05/29/24 10/22/24 10/22/24 10/01/24 05/09/24 04/29/24 04/18/24 05/10/24 05/10/24 05/23/24 09/26/24 05/10/24 04/22/24 05/16/24 05/30/24 05/22/24 09/30/24 09/30/24

Belfast Belfast Brooks Brooks Brooks Burnham Knox Knox Knox Knox Liberty Liberty Liberty Lincolnville Lincolnville Lincolnville Lincolnville Lincolnville Lincolnville Lincolnville Northport Northport Palermo Palermo Palermo Palermo Prospect Prospect Searsmont Searsmont Searsmont Searsmont Searsmont Searsmont Searsmont Searsmont Searsmont Searsmont Swanville Swanville Swanville Swanville Unity

GOOSE RIVER GOOSE RIVER SANBORN P SANBORN P SANBORN P SEBASTICOOK R DUTTON P DUTTON P DUTTON P DUTTON P SAINT GEORGE L SAINT GEORGE L SAINT GEORGE L MEGUNTICOOK L MEGUNTICOOK L MEGUNTICOOK L MOODY P MOODY P NORTON P NORTON P KNIGHT P KNIGHT P BOWLER (BELTON) P SHEEPSCOT P SHEEPSCOT P SHEEPSCOT P HALFMOON P HALFMOON P LEVENSELLER P LEVENSELLER P LEVENSELLER P LEVENSELLER P QUANTABACOOK L SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R SAINT GEORGE R GOOSE RIVER GOOSE RIVER SWAN L SWAN L SANDY STREAM

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

100 200 250 200 100 250 100 350 200 50 500 2000 1000 200 200 1000 250 200 250 100 450 500 300 500 500 500 200 350 400 200 250 40 400 150 900 240 150 120 300 200 400 1000 500

10 8 10 13 12 10 10 7 13 12 10 7 8 12 12 14 8 13 13 9 13 8 10 10 10 13 10 13 7 13 13 17 13 15 10 10 14 9 10 8 10 7 10

04/22/24 11/02/24 05/05/24 10/18/24 10/18/24 04/24/24 05/05/24 10/18/24 10/18/24 10/18/24 04/25/24 10/25/24 05/30/24 10/24/24 11/07/24 10/06/24 11/06/24 11/06/24 11/05/24 05/16/24 11/15/24 11/21/24 04/25/24 04/18/24 05/03/24 10/25/24 05/05/24 11/02/24 10/19/24 10/19/24 11/07/24 11/19/24 10/19/24 04/18/24 05/10/24 05/24/24 04/18/24 05/28/24 04/22/24 11/02/24 04/22/24 10/17/24 05/06/24

Alexander Baileyville Baileyville Beddington Beddington Beddington Beddington Beddington

PLEASANT L MEDDYBEMPS L MEDDYBEMPS L PLEASANT RIVER L PLEASANT RIVER L PLEASANT RIVER L PLEASANT RIVER L SOUTHWEST P

L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON SPLAKE SPLAKE

175 350 250 700 40 25 350 25

7 7 7 13 18 11 13 13

05/07/24 05/07/24 06/05/24 10/28/24 11/14/24 10/01/24 10/16/24 10/16/24

WALDO

WASHINGTON

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 41 TOWN WATER Calais CLARK B (MAGURREWOCK S) Calais KEENE L Calais KEENE L Calais KEENE L Calais NASHS L Calais NASHS L Calais NASHS L Charlotte JAMES P Charlotte LEDGE (BALD LEDGE) P Charlotte PENNAMAQUAN L Charlotte ROUND L Cherryfield SCHOODIC L Cherryfield SCHOODIC L Columbia MEYERS P (NORTH) Columbia MEYERS P (NORTH) Columbia MEYERS P (SOUTH) Cooper VINING L Cooper VINING L Cutler ACKLEY P Cutler NORSE P Danforth GRAND L (EAST) Danforth GRAND L (EAST) Danforth GRAND L (EAST) Danforth GREENLAND P (LITTLE) Deblois FOXHOLE P Deblois FOXHOLE P Deblois FOXHOLE P Deblois FOXHOLE P Deblois MIC-MAC P Deblois MIC-MAC P Deblois PINEO P Deblois PINEO P Deblois SPECTACLE P Devereaux Twp MOPANG L Devereaux Twp MOPANG L Devereaux Twp MOPANG L East Machias GARDNER L Edmunds Twp COBSCOOK BAY STATE PARK P Forest City Twp SPEDNIC L Forest City Twp SPEDNIC L Forest City Twp TOMAH L Grand Lake Stream Plt GRAND LAKE STREAM Grand Lake Stream Plt GRAND LAKE STREAM Grand Lake Stream Plt GRAND LAKE STREAM Grand Lake Stream Plt GRAND LAKE STREAM Grand Lake Stream Plt GRAND LAKE STREAM CANAL Grand Lake Stream Plt GRAND LAKE STREAM CANAL Grand Lake Stream Plt GRAND LAKE STREAM CANAL Grand Lake Stream Plt GRAND LAKE STREAM CANAL Kossuth Twp PLEASANT L Kossuth Twp PLEASANT L Lambert Lake Twp LAMBERT L Lambert Lake Twp LAMBERT L Lambert Lake Twp LAMBERT L Marion Twp LONG L Marion Twp PATRICK L Marshfield MIDDLE R Marshfield SIX MILE L Marshfield SIX MILE L Marshfield SIX MILE L Marshfield SIX MILE L No 14 Twp - Cathance Twp CATHANCE L Northfield BOG L Northfield BOG L Northfield BOG L Northfield PEAKED MOUNTAIN P Robbinston GOULDING L Robbinston GOULDING L Robbinston MONEYMAKER L Roque Bluffs SIMPSON P Roque Bluffs SIMPSON P T18 MD BPP PIKE BROOK P (EAST) T18 MD BPP PIKE BROOK P (WEST) T18 MD BPP PIKE BROOK P (WEST) T19 ED BPP LOVE L T19 MD BPP MONTEGAIL P T19 MD BPP MONTEGAIL P T19 MD BPP MONTEGAIL P T26 ED BPP HOSEA PUG L T30 MD BPP PEEP L T30 MD BPP SALMON P T30 MD BPP SALMON P T31 MD BPP - Day Block Twp BERRYPATCH P T31 MD BPP - Day Block Twp BERRYPATCH P T37 MD BPP SECOND L (OLD STREAM) T43 MD BPP MONROE L T43 MD BPP MONROE P (EAST) T43 MD BPP MONROE P (WEST) T6 ND BPP GRAND L (WEST) T6 ND BPP POCUMCUS L T6 R1 NBPP PORK BARREL L

SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON SPLAKE L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT SPLAKE BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT

QTY 150 1500 150 700 400 300 35 1250 800 1200 525 75 250 150 300 100 850 50 400 350 1500 600 2100 150 150 250 50 10 1000 100 100 50 850 300 55 400 1500 400 1000 833 500 200 200 200 300 50 150 50 150 1000 600 1000 250 50 250 100 450 100 1000 200 25 500 600 300 50 250 1100 75 600 400 50 300 1200 75 200 2500 175 25 150 1300 400 50 150 25 350 3150 600 500 10000 500 500

SIZE (INCH) 10 8 14 8 8 11 19 8 8 12 12 13 7 9 8 9 8 14 8 8 10 13 7 10 10 8 13 18 7 13 7 13 8 11 19 13 7 9 8 8 8 9 10 11 12 9 9 9 10 9 7 8 7 7 13 13 10 10 8 14 18 7 14 11 15 13 8 14 8 10 9 8 8 13 11 8 14 18 10 8 8 14 8 14 10 8 8 8 7 7 8

DATE 05/01/24 10/17/24 10/17/24 11/18/24 10/09/24 10/09/24 11/13/24 10/02/24 10/02/24 10/01/24 10/02/24 10/09/24 05/08/24 05/08/24 10/08/24 05/08/24 10/02/24 10/09/24 10/02/24 10/02/24 05/02/24 10/08/24 05/16/24 05/17/24 04/10/24 10/16/24 10/16/24 11/14/24 10/09/24 10/09/24 10/09/24 10/09/24 10/08/24 10/01/24 11/13/24 10/16/24 06/05/24 06/04/24 05/21/24 05/28/24 09/24/24 05/02/24 05/22/24 05/02/24 05/22/24 04/22/24 05/02/24 05/14/24 05/22/24 05/15/24 05/15/24 09/26/24 05/21/24 06/06/24 10/16/24 10/02/24 05/01/24 05/01/24 10/22/24 10/22/24 11/14/24 05/07/24 10/22/24 10/22/24 11/13/24 10/16/24 10/09/24 10/09/24 10/09/24 05/01/24 04/23/24 10/08/24 10/08/24 10/09/24 10/01/24 10/08/24 10/08/24 11/14/24 05/22/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 10/01/24 05/22/24 10/10/24 10/11/24 10/11/24 05/23/24 05/23/24 10/02/24

TOWN Topsfield Topsfield Topsfield Topsfield Topsfield Trescott Twp Trescott Twp Vanceboro Vanceboro Whiting Whiting Whiting Whiting Whiting

WATER FARROW L FARROW L MUSQUASH L (EAST) MUSQUASH L (EAST) MUSQUASH L (EAST) LILY L LILY L SPEDNIC L SPEDNIC L INDIAN L INDIAN L INDIAN L INDIAN L INDIAN L

Acton Acton Acton Acton Acton Acton Berwick Berwick Berwick Berwick Berwick Berwick Berwick Berwick Biddeford Biddeford Biddeford Biddeford Buxton Buxton Buxton Buxton Buxton Buxton Dayton Dayton Dayton Dayton Dayton Dayton Dayton Eliot Eliot Hollis Hollis Hollis Hollis Hollis Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunk Kennebunkport Kennebunkport Kittery Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon Limerick Limerick Limerick Limerick Limerick Limerick Limington Limington Limington Limington Limington Limington Limington Limington Lyman Lyman

MOOSE P WILSON L WILSON L WILSON L WILSON L WILSON L KEAY B LITTLE R LITTLE R LITTLE R LITTLE R MATHEW'S MILL P WORSTER B WORSTER B THACHER B WILCOX P WILCOX P WILCOX P LITTLE R SACO R SACO R SACO R SACO R SACO R COOKS B COOKS B SACO R SACO R SACO R SWAN POND B SWAN POND B YORK P YORK R DEER P DEER P DEER P DEER P TOWN OFFICE (MEMORIAL) P ALEWIFE P ALEWIFE P KENNEBUNK R KENNEBUNK R KENNEBUNK R KENNEBUNK R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R WARD B WARD B BATSON R GOFF MILL B KITTERY CLUB P GREAT B GREAT B LITTLE R LITTLE R LITTLE R LITTLE R BROWN B LEAVITT B LEAVITT B OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) HORNE (PEQUAWKET) P HORNE (PEQUAWKET) P HORNE (PEQUAWKET) P HORNE (PEQUAWKET) P HORNE (PEQUAWKET) P HORNE (PEQUAWKET) P OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) SACO R KENNEBUNK P KENNEBUNK P

SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

QTY 750 750 800 320 80 150 1100 600 1010 600 2000 200 25 700

SIZE (INCH) 10 8 9 7 7 10 8 7 7 10 8 14 18 8

DATE 05/01/24 11/19/24 05/15/24 05/15/24 06/06/24 05/01/24 10/17/24 05/21/24 06/06/24 05/01/24 10/23/24 10/23/24 11/14/24 11/18/24

BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

50 250 15 300 100 17 200 300 300 200 400 200 200 200 100 200 100 100 950 200 500 150 50 750 200 200 400 150 500 300 400 200 200 600 100 100 50 200 50 10 200 300 500 800 300 100 500 1200 50 150 150 200 300 100 100 100 100 150 200 700 200 100 100 475 275 600 100 400 50 150 75 50 200 300 500 300

12 12 19 9 12 18 10 10 10 10 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 12 9 10 10 10 12 9 10 10 12 10 8 12 10 12 10 12 17 10 10 10 9 10 12 9 12 18 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 10 10 10 10 10 9 14 10 12 10 12 18 10 9 10 12

10/15/24 10/15/24 11/08/24 05/29/24 11/01/24 11/28/24 04/16/24 04/16/24 05/03/24 05/08/24 05/13/24 04/16/24 04/10/24 05/03/24 04/16/24 04/12/24 05/01/24 05/24/24 05/09/24 04/25/24 05/09/24 10/17/24 11/20/24 05/02/24 04/16/24 05/01/24 05/02/24 10/17/24 05/02/24 04/16/24 05/01/24 10/16/24 05/07/24 10/16/24 10/16/24 05/10/24 11/01/24 05/08/24 10/17/24 10/31/24 04/18/24 04/18/24 05/01/24 05/13/24 05/07/24 10/17/24 05/13/24 10/08/24 12/03/24 04/18/24 05/01/24 04/10/24 04/10/24 05/08/24 04/16/24 05/03/24 04/16/24 05/03/24 05/08/24 05/15/24 05/10/24 04/16/24 05/08/24 04/24/24 05/08/24 04/30/24 02/08/24 04/02/24 10/17/24 05/10/24 11/01/24 12/03/24 04/24/24 05/02/24 04/09/24 10/16/24

YORK

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42 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ——————————————————————————————————————————————— TOWN Lyman Lyman Lyman Lyman Lyman Lyman Lyman Lyman Lyman Lyman Newfield Newfield Newfield Newfield Newfield Newfield North Berwick North Berwick North Berwick North Berwick North Berwick North Berwick Old Orchard Beach Parsonsfield Parsonsfield Parsonsfield Parsonsfield Parsonsfield Parsonsfield Saco Saco Sanford Sanford Sanford Sanford Sanford Sanford Sanford Sanford Sanford Sanford Sanford Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh

WATER KENNEBUNK P KENNEBUNK P KENNEBUNK P KENNEBUNK P PARKER (BARKER) P PARKER (BARKER) P PARKER (BARKER) P ROUND P ROUND P ROUND P ADAMS P (ROCK HAVEN) OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) SYMMES P SYMMES P GREAT WORKS R GREAT WORKS R GREAT WORKS R GREAT WORKS R NEOUTAQUET R NEOUTAQUET R MILLIKEN MILLS P LONG P LONG P LONG P PENDEXTER B SOUTH R SOUTH R CASCADE FALLS B NONESUCH R GREAT WORKS R GREAT WORKS R LITTLEFIELD P LITTLEFIELD P LITTLEFIELD P MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM L MOUSAM L MOUSAM L

SPECIES BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT

QTY 15 150 200 25 750 100 15 200 300 50 250 100 100 350 100 15 400 400 150 800 250 300 200 250 15 300 150 150 150 200 100 200 200 350 550 75 350 300 150 900 13 20 375 20 1170

SIZE (INCH) 19 12 14 20 8 12 19 10 8 12 12 10 10 9 12 19 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 19 12 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 12 10 10 12 9 18 18 12 19 12

DATE 11/08/24 10/22/24 10/22/24 12/02/24 10/16/24 10/16/24 11/08/24 04/09/24 10/16/24 10/16/24 10/15/24 04/24/24 05/08/24 04/30/24 10/15/24 11/08/24 04/16/24 05/03/24 06/07/24 05/10/24 04/16/24 05/03/24 05/07/24 10/11/24 11/20/24 10/21/24 04/24/24 04/24/24 05/08/24 05/07/24 05/07/24 04/16/24 05/03/24 04/16/24 10/17/24 10/17/24 04/16/24 05/03/24 10/17/24 05/15/24 11/28/24 12/03/24 10/15/24 11/08/24 10/16/24

TOWN Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh Shapleigh South Berwick South Berwick South Berwick South Berwick South Berwick South Berwick South Berwick South Berwick Waterboro Waterboro Waterboro Waterboro Waterboro Waterboro Waterboro Wells Wells Wells Wells Wells Wells Wells Wells Wells Wells Wells Wells York York York York York

WATER MOUSAM L MOUSAM L MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R MOUSAM R OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) OSSIPEE R (LITTLE) SQUARE P GREAT WORKS R GREAT WORKS R GREAT WORKS R KNIGHT P KNIGHT P KNIGHT P KNIGHT P WARREN P ISINGLASS P OSSIPEE L (LITTLE) OSSIPEE L (LITTLE) OSSIPEE L (LITTLE) OSSIPEE L (LITTLE) OSSIPEE L (LITTLE) OSSIPEE L (LITTLE) ELL (L) P GREEN B MERRILAND R MERRILAND R MERRILAND R OGUNQUIT R OGUNQUIT R OGUNQUIT R OGUNQUIT R OGUNQUIT R STEVENS B WEST B CAPE NEDDICK R JOSIAS R JOSIAS R SMELT B UNNAMED B

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SPECIES L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT L.L. SALMON L.L. SALMON RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT RAINBOW TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROWN TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT

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QTY 200 40 150 100 50 300 20 100 100 700 500 100 100 300 150 750 200 15 200 200 400 25 200 20 2800 50 160 100 300 300 1150 300 300 600 400 13 800 150 200 75 150 100 100

SIZE (INCH) 12 20 10 10 12 9 18 10 10 9 12 10 10 10 10 8 12 19 11 10 12 19 12 20 10 20 11 10 10 10 9 10 10 9 12 18 12 10 10 10 10 10 10

DATE 10/29/24 12/03/24 04/16/24 05/03/24 10/17/24 05/15/24 12/03/24 04/24/24 05/08/24 04/30/24 10/21/24 04/16/24 05/08/24 05/10/24 04/16/24 10/16/24 10/16/24 11/08/24 05/20/24 04/02/24 10/15/24 11/08/24 10/29/24 12/03/24 04/03/24 12/02/24 05/20/24 05/07/24 04/18/24 05/07/24 05/13/24 04/10/24 05/07/24 05/13/24 10/21/24 11/28/24 10/21/24 05/07/24 04/10/24 04/10/24 05/07/24 05/07/24 04/18/24

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 43

— Guest Column —

The Learning Curve

by Jim Fahey Hunting snowshoe hare with beagles is a challenge. There are a lot of variables that affect the final outcome.

Many miscellaneous factors impact the hunt, such as the abilities of the hound or hounds, environmental conditions, and the hare’s tendencies and characteristics.

However, the ability of the hunter should not be understated.

The experienced hare hunter does all the little things that make the difference between fresh rabbit stew or Dinty Moore out of a can. Even when the hunter does everything right, shots and shot opportunities still get missed.

Gearing Up Dressing for the weather and being prepared is a must.

Hunters have to consider wearing clothing that allows them to move through the woods quietly without overheating. At the same time, the hunter has to be able to stay in one place for extended periods of time without getting cold.

A knapsack allows a hunter to pack away an extra layer or gloves when they’re not needed. It also allows the hunter to carry a few extra items. I always carry a compass, knife and fire starter in my pockets. An extra compass, batteries for the GPS, headlamp, snack and a bottle of water are good items to have in a pack. Depending upon the time of day

What skills must a hare hunter learn and practice in the woods in order to become successful? This tutorial provides information and tactics that will benefit new and experienced hare hunters alike.

Stan Gomm and his grandson Parker waiting for the hare to come through.

Photo provided by the author

and situation, you can add or take away certain things.

I prefer good rubber boots for keeping my feet dry. There are bound to be encounters with water, mud or snow on a hare hunt.

Observation Skills Patience is perhaps one of the most important skills a hare hunter needs. Most of the time, posting up near where the start is made by the hounds is prudent. Allowing the chase to develop while remaining quiet is a good tactic. When the chase is headed away

from you is an ideal time to fine tune your position.

Selecting the best observation point that includes as many shooting lanes as possible is important.

Clearing those lanes quietly – and also the area under your feet – is wise. Whether it’s leaves and sticks or snow, I like to have quiet, solid ground under my boots.

Sometimes it becomes apparent the chase is just not going to come back your way, or maybe there’s a time constraint that dictates you move in

on the chase. This is where confidence in your woods skills comes into play. You have to be both able and comfortable to go hundreds of yards into the woods.

Hare like to travel habitat edges and corridors. Knowledge of their habits gives the hunter an advantage.

Familiarity with an area and past hunting experience there makes a big difference.

Hare often travel the same runs and cross in the same spots. The first time hunting a new area always adds an extra challenge.

Keeping Silent When a new stand location is selected, the hunter needs to remain as quiet as possible and set up quickly.

We always like to say that the only thing you should move is your eyeballs. Avoid shuffling your feet, turning your head quickly, or snapping branches.

As it becomes apparent that a sighting is imminent, I like to raise my shotgun 3/4 of the way to my shoulder and look over the barrel. This helps eliminate last-second movement that could turn the hare from its direction of travel, costing you a shot opportunity.

As a younger hunter, I carried a 12-gauge pump action shotgun. I now use a .410. I find it light to carry, and it’s effective in the types of ambush locations I choose.

Whatever your preference, I do recommend setting the firearm up with a sling. It makes it much easier to traverse rough terrain and thick woods, especially when leading a hound on a leash.

Attention to these finer details will make a difference in the hunt. They were gleaned from veteran hunters and from 40 years of first-hand experience. If a hunter new to hare hunts adopts these practices, it will accelerate the learning curve.

¶

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44 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

How to Get Invited Back – Part 1 If you travel someplace to hunt and fish, your deportment will have a lot to do with whether you get to go there a second time. In order to ease your way in the world, here are some pointers on how to get invited back.

1) Want to get the door slammed in your face, but good?

Be dangerous with guns.

This is the heavyweight champ of bad behavior. Entering a bunkhouse, a tent or a vehicle with rounds in the magazine or up the spout makes you pure poison. Pointing a gun, loaded or empty, at someone is even worse.

2) Just about every lodge or camp has rules. These are not suggestions, and they’re not optional.

At a South Carolina deer camp where I hunted, there was a rule against using DEET indoors. More than one bug-bitten hunter sprayed the stuff in a small room, and then passed out from it. Management did not care to find its clients flat on the floor with the reek of DEET in the air. If you hit the DEET inside, you’ll then be directed to hit the road outside.

All the hunting there was from treestands, and the camp rule was that if you got out of your stand and took a tour of the swamps on foot, you were warned. There was no second warning. Searching for lost www.MaineSportsman.com

The author has hunted and fished all around the world. He says he’s learned to say “Thank you” in Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Shona, Swahili – and even in Texan. hunters among the alligators and canebrake rattlesnakes did not make for good order in camp.

3) An offer of help around camp is always appreciated.

But jumping right in without asking is not.

If you volunteer to haul kindling into the cabin, that’s fine. If you wrench the camp axe out of its stump and start whaling away on the firewood without so much as a by-your-leave, that’s another matter. Your hosts don’t know if you’re a descendant of Paul Bunyan, or if you’ve never handled an axe before. They do know what will happen if you whack yourself in the ankle with one. The rule is, either ask first, or butt out and let the people do the work who know how.

4) If the hunt involves some effort on your part, you’re obliged to be in reasonably good shape.

If you’re not, and can’t get that way, let management know well in advance.

Your hosts want you to succeed, but they can do only so much. You have to put out. Find out beforehand what you’re going to have to do, and how tough it is, and

be honest about your abilities. Sometimes you have to work, and work hard.

I know of one middle-aged hunter who was in very good shape and went on an elephant hunt. He walked and walked and walked, which is typical. He got his tusks, but he lost 25 pounds in two weeks.

His wife went to the next Safari Club convention, looked up his professional hunter, and said, “I came all the way to Reno to tell you that if you ever do that to my husband again, I will cause you bodily harm.” Then she stalked off.

5) In hunting and fishing, luck is not distributed equally.

If someone you detest gets a critter that places in Boone and Crockett and you strike out, that’s the way it goes. Congratulate him.

The corollary to this is, sometimes everything vanishes, and no one gets anything.

If this happens, you thank the people who invited you for their efforts, and for a fine time, and tell them you hope you can come back when your luck is better.

No elaboration necessary.

6) Don’t brag.

In Texas, they say if you can do it, it ain’t

braggin’. I don’t care.

You may be the Wrath to Come in the woods of Maine, but if you travel, you’re not in Maine anymore. Shut up about your abilities. If you want to tell stories on yourself, that’s fine. If you want to be a legend in your own time, let others do the work for you.

If you make a fantastic shot, shut up and act like you do it every day. Other people will broadcast your glory far and wide.

The late John Wootters, a Texan who was a wonderful rifleman, once took a monstrous whitetail buck at what was then a truly fantastic distance. “You got him!” yelled his awestruck guide at the top of his lungs. “Yes,” drawled John, having not turned a hair. “I shot at him.”

7) Never whine and complain. Never.

I once hunted in Africa with a fellow named Tom who was to whining and complaining what Tom Brady was to playing quarterback. He was fat and out of shape, an atrocious shot, and complained about everything at all times.

Finally, our professional hunter, whose name was Alan and who had a very limited tolerance for whining and complaining, de-

cided he’d had enough.

Wearing a smile that would have looked well on a crocodile, Alan told Tom that obviously it was his rifle’s fault, and pointed to what he said was a termite mound. “Use the mound as a rest,” said Alan, “and I’ll put up a target, and we’ll get your gun sighted in properly.”

This would have been fine, except the termite mound was actually an anthill inhabited by safari, or Siafu, ants. When menaced, they swarm whatever the threat is, and then bite in unison. I’m told it feels like getting a massive electric shock. On the second shot from his .375, that’s what happened to Tom. He let out a shriek that would have shamed an elephant, ripped off his shirt, and went thundering off into the sunset, slapping wildly at himself.

The whining and complaining stopped, but he was not invited back.

8) The most useful sentence in any language is “Thank you.”

I’ve learned to say “Thank you” in English, Texan, Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Shona, and Swahili, and used them all at one time or another.

You don’t need to be charming. Just being polite does nicely in its place.

¶

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 45

How to Get Invited Back – Part 2 Over the past 30 years, it’s been my privilege to hunt at more than 30 hunting lodges across the U.S. and Canada. No matter where these hunts took place or what we hunted, I feel fortunate to have been invited back to each lodge. I was blessed with great friends to share these trips with and to have undertaken my adventures in the company of those who had far more experience than me.

Traveling with experienced hunters helped me avoid making rookie mistakes when visiting a lodge for the first time. For those who aren’t yet veteran visitors of sporting lodges, the following provides a glimpse of the good, the bad and the ugly of a fully guided hunting trip.

1) Do – Come prepared: If you’ve never forgotten something small, you aren’t human. However, forgetting big ticket items or very important things, doesn’t make a good first impression. Don’t be the sport who forgets to pack rain gear, warm clothing or ammunition. Make a list, and check it twice.

2) Don’t – Don’t guide the guide: A really good way to upset the outfitter and not be invited back, is to tell them what to do, or to try and change the plans they

Joe Salty offers his Top 10 do’s and don’ts when visiting a new sporting lodge. have for you. Be confident in the choice you made, and trust that the outfitter knows the area, the game and the conditions, better than you do.

3) Do – Bring realistic expectations: Booking a whitetail hunt in Massachusetts and expecting to see lots of 140 class bucks would be foolish, yet every year, hunters leave lodges unhappy and even angry after

not seeing the animals they wanted to see.

Know where you’re headed, what class of animals you can expect to see and more importantly, what the outfitter uses when calculating “success rates.”

4) Don’t – Drink beyond your tolerance level while in camp: The last thing anyone wants to see or hear while trying to enjoy themselves on a guid-

ed hunt, is a loud, obnoxious drunk. One of the quickest ways to wear out your welcome is to be “that guy” or “that girl” at the lodge.

Casual drinking is just fine – just don’t overdo it.

5) Do – Show up for the hunt in proper physical condition: When I showed up for my Idaho elk hunt, I was in excellent physical shape. I knew we’d be hiking at high ele-

vation (5,000-12,000 ft) and we could potentially put on 3 - 6 miles per day. I jogged, climbed stairs and the steepest hills I could find, in preparation for that hunt. Though the elevation took time to get used to, the hiking part was easy.

My guide was pleased with my conditioning.

6) Don’t – take on too much: For those who aren’t a fan of below-zero temperatures, it’d be unwise to book a late-season hunt in Saskatchewan. For hunters who (Continued on next page)

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Big Game (Continued from page 45)

like to sleep in and stay up late; a rut hunt in Iowa, where all-day sits from dark to dark

are expected, would be foolish.

7) Do – Be respectful to the outfitter’s

support staff: Good manners and overall kindness toward the cooks, cleaning staff and the guide’s family, is vital. Support staff often work behind the

Trophy Gallery

Grand Slam and Biggest Buck in 2024 Wendy Delano of Dresden had a productive year of hunting in 2024 – culminating in a “Biggest Bucks in Maine” club patch, as well as a Grand Slam for taking a whitetail deer, a black bear, a wild turkey and a moose all in the same calendar year. This boar was taken in Greenbush on September 6th with a 6.5 Creedmoor. She traveled to T12R7 Wels to harvest a 528-lb. cow moose on October 30. She tagged a 203-lb. whitetail buck in Dresden on November 6. And back on May 16, she bagged this 20.5-lb. turkey, during a hunt in Jefferson. Good job, Wendy!

scenes to make the hunt a memorable one. If the food is good and the lodge is clean, it’s a good idea to leave a separate tip for the support staff. Be especially nice to the camp chef. There might even be an extra treat waiting for you at the end of the day.

don’t make them wait until 5:15 a.m. Guides are often responsible for multiple sports.

When one is late, everyone is late. Not only will the guide be unhappy, but also the other sports won’t appreciate your lack of consideration. If anything, be early.

8) Don’t – Be careless when handling firearms: To echo and reinforce David Petzal’s sentiment (see “Part 1,” page 44), fewer things make me feel more uncomfortable than being “blazed” by a person who isn’t safety-conscious with their firearm. Safe handling of firearms in camp, on the range, in the parking lot or getting into or out of a blind or stand, is vital.

Your guide won’t be impressed when he or she is handed a loaded rifle, barrel first. Safety should always be first.

10) Don’t – be selfish: Unless you’ve booked a one-on-one hunt, it’s likely your guide will be working with other hunters. We should all expect to have a fantastic experience, but it’s important to remember, there are other clients for them to consider, before, during and after our hunts. Sometimes, it’s not just about you.

Guided hunts aren’t cheap. We often save for long periods to go on a bucket-list trip.

We all expect to have fun and hope to harvest game.

Got other advice? Please share it with David Petzal and me, so our readers will be better prepared to have a great time and be welcomed back on their next guided hunt.

9) Do – Be ready on time: Each morning or afternoon, sports are asked to meet their guide at a designated location. When the guide says be ready to leave at 5:00 a.m.,

¶

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���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 47

Persistence

by Hal Blood I consider persistence to be the most important concept a deer hunter needs to understand and commit to, in order to consistently put their tag on bucks. I’ve written and talked about it many times, but I feel strongly that this is the key to success in anything you do. You need to understand the importance of it and how it relates to hunting in the Big Woods.

Without persistence, you are leaving a lot to chance or luck.

Webster’s dictionary defines persistence as: “To refuse to give up, especially in the face of opposition; to continue insistently; to endure or remain.” Of all the successful deer hunters that I know, this is the one trait that they have in common.

Whether they are stand hunters, still hunters, or trackers, these hunters persist when other hunters give up.

There is a lot of opposition to face while hunting in the Big Woods. It might be the weather, with bitter cold temperatures, wind, rain, or snow. It might be that a buck you are tracking crosses a river, goes into a swamp, or heads for the top of a mountain.

Maybe you’re hungry, thirsty or just plain tired. All of these things become an opposing force to be reckoned with.

“It would have been easy to give up on the big buck’s tracks, as I was soaked through to the skin from all the snow that had gone down my neck while I’d been crawling through the fir trees.”

The author calls this buck “Fat Horns.” Hal worked very, very hard to gain the opportunity to draw a bead on the trophy whitetail. Photo provided by the author

These are the things that most hunters use as an excuse to give up. And that is why most hunters are not consistent at tagging a buck. It’s easy to give up or quit. It’s not easy to be persistent.

It’s also not easy to consistently kill good bucks. If you just grasp the importance of persistence and commit to it, I guarantee you will become a more successful deer hunter.

Give it Your All Persistence is giving 100% to the hunt, and being satisfied that you did everything you could that

day to get a chance at a buck. The biggest racked buck that I’ve ever guided a hunter to was taken by a hunter who made a commitment to stay in his stand all day for the entire week. As it turned out, he shot that buck at 11:00 a.m. on the first day of the hunt. The point is that he committed to the stand after I told him that another client had sat there the previous week but left the stand to come out for lunch every day.

Several times, I had hunters shoot a buck on Saturday, after sitting on the same stand

all week.

Over the years at our camps, I’ve shown

hunters places on a map where I know there are deer. I was always amazed at how many of them would come back and tell me they couldn’t find any deer sign there.

I knew right off why they didn’t find any sign. It was because they never went far enough into the woods to find it. They might go out for a couple of hours, and then go back to the truck for coffee or lunch.

They didn’t have the persistence to keep going until they found the sign. Then they might go to another piece of woods and do the same thing. Those hunters are trying to make it as easy as possible, and therefore their tags will usually go unfilled. You have to keep going. Spend all day in that piece of woods, and you just (Big Woods World continued on page 49)

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48 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

The .270 Winchester – Still Favored After a Century of Success This year marks the centennial of one of America’s most popular and enduring rifle cartridges, the .270 Winchester. Created in 1925 for the Winchester bolt-action Model 54, the .270 has clawed its way to the top of the popularity charts and outlasted a slew of other ballistic innovations to reign with three or four other most utilized hunting rounds of the car-

The .270 Winchester – a .30-’06 necked down to accommodate a .277-inch slug – is exactly 100 years old, but the caliber’s effectiveness and popularity show no sign of slowing down. tridge era.

Sharing the podium here in Maine and throughout North America with the .270 are the .30-30 Winchester, .30-’06 Springfield, and the .308 Winchester. At 73 years old, the .308 is now the only one

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In his book Popular Sporting Rifle Cartridges, author Clay Harvey wrote, “In the eyes of many, the 270 is the finest deer-class cartridge to ever see light of day.”

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Writing more than 40 years ago, Clay Harvey said, “The level of popularity of the .270 is remarkable.

Consider this: The .270 was not a military cartridge like the .308 and .30-’06; it was not a ground-breaking cartridge like the 3030.”

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It was simply an accurate, hard-hitting success on a variety of game that U.S. hunters appreciated in the mid-1920s, and continue to do so a hundred years on.

In the words of Frank C. Barnes in Cartridges of the World, “At the time of introduction, it offered better long-range performance than any other big game cartridge available on the American market.”

That led to its adoption by almost every maker of bolt-action, high-powered sporting rifles in the world, as well as Remington pump-action and Browning semi-automatic rifles, a status it still enjoys.

Military Roots To respectfully contradict Mr. Harvey, the .270 Winchester does indeed have a military connection. It is constructed from the brass case of the .30’06 Springfield (which served the US Army from 1906 to 1954), necked down to receive a .277-inch bullet, and is otherwise identical to the .30-’06.

The design will handle bullets from 90 grains up to 150 grains, but today no companies factory-load anything lighter than 100 grains. Bullets of 130 grains are the most popular loads for deersized game. These reach velocities of over (Continued on next page)

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 49 (Continued from page 48)

3,000 feet per second, and develop muzzle energies in the realm of 2,700 foot-pounds – more than enough to set a deer on its way to the dinner table.

For heavier game, 150-grain bullets often prove a better choice.

The .270 shoots flatter than its rival .30-’06, making it nominally more accurate at range, but the .30-’06 may best the .270 on significantly heavier game when the ’06 can employ 180-, 200-, or 220-grain bullets to greater effect.

However, comparing and contrasting the .270 and the .30-’06 can devolve into a waste of a good argument. As Frank Barnes said, “Assuming the hunter uses the proper bullet for the job at hand, there isn’t a great deal to argue about. Anyone trying to make a big case for one against the other is beating a pretty dead horse.”

That said, with both of these centu-

Three fine rifles on the shooter’s bench all chambered in the century-old .270 Winchester. On top is a Ruger #1-B. In the middle is a pre-’64 Winchester Model 70 Super Grade. On the bottom is a pre-’64 Winchester Model 70 Standard Grade. All are the “finest kind” of Maine deer rifle. Photo: J.C. Allard

rions still huge successes in the field and in the marketplace, and no signs of gaining obsolescence or anything else on offer overtaking them, the arguments around the campfire will likely go on. Fans are just that way.

Big Woods World (Continued from page 47)

might find the sign left by the buck of your lifetime.

Tracking Persistence When it comes to tracking, it is going to take persistence – and a lot of it – to consistently tag bucks. The old mossy-horn bucks of the north didn’t get that way for no reason. Some of these bucks live in the nastiest out of the way places and will take you through some of the thickest, roughest terrain to get there. If you don’t persist and stay with these bucks, your chances of killing one of them are slim.

You may have to press along at a fast pace on a track for hours, just to catch up to a buck. The track might take you through a swamp where you have to struggle to keep water from

Spin Offs As with the .30-’06 before it, the .270 has become the parent to several offspring designed to copy its attributes. The first arrived in 1943 when California’s Roy Weatherby released the .270 Weatherby Magnum.

According to Barnes, “The popularity of the

.270 Winchester made it almost mandatory for Roy Weatherby to include this cartridge in his line of commercial magnum rifles.”

In 1957, Remington Arms brought out the .280 Remington, another example from a .30-’06 necked-down case. Since then, we’ve had the .280 Ackley

going over your boots. Maybe the buck takes you up over a mountain that is so thick on top that you have to crawl on your hands and knees in places to get through it. Maybe the track takes you into a maze of other deer tracks, and it takes you some time to sort it all out. Are you willing to do all of those things? That’s where persistence really comes into play.

Hunters tell me all the time that while tracking a buck, they lost the track. To me, there is no such thing as losing a track. Sure, you may get confused, but the track is still there, and you can find it if you have persistence.

One of my better bucks, “Fat Horns,” I shot after four hours of sorting out tracks in a fir thicket that he and a doe had used for a playground all night.

That buck and doe had raced and chased in and out of head-high fir trees covered with snow.

Improved, .270 Winchester Short Magnum, and – in 2015 – the .28 Nosler.

All these efforts produced fine alternatives to the original, but none have significantly bested it where it counts – in the field.

No one who owns a .270 Winchester should set it aside to purchase a .280 Remington or a .270 Weatherby. The .270 Winchester remains the hunter’s cartridge it was a century ago.

If anything, it has improved, due to advances in bullet design that were not available in 1925 or even 1945. The .270 earned its place among the top sellers by performance, and it appears to be starting its second century in the same manner.

No one who owns a .270 needs to be concerned about replacement just because it has some age on it.

Like good wine, the .270 is vintage, not old. Keep on using it.

¶

I eventually went everywhere they had gone. I had missed their tracks where they had jumped across a brook.

Through the process of elimination, I knew I had missed where they came out of that fir thicket, so I made a bigger circle and found the tracks.

Five minutes later I jumped the buck and doe from their beds. An hour later, I peeked over a knoll, and caught the buck standing in the hardwoods. I touched off my 7600 carbine, and that was the old boy’s last day in the woods.

It would have been easy to give up on the big buck’s tracks, as I was soaked through to the skin from all the snow that had gone down my neck while I’d been crawling through the fir trees. Instead, I have that buck hanging on my living room wall.

Be persistent, and your success in the woods – as well as in life – will soar!

¶

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50 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Aroostook’s April Outdoor Options When most folks hear the word “spring,” visions of fresh grass, budding trees, blooming flowers and colorful songbirds flow through their minds.

In The Crown of Maine, however, dregs of snow, slush, mud, and ice-covered lakes abound, as winter refuses to release its frosty grip docilely. Anglers long for enough open water to cast a worm from a riverbank, or the miracle of a stretch of stream free-enough of ice to allow wading and casting a nymph or streamer.

Unusually mild winter weather the last two years yielded a bit earlier access to local waterways, but The County still lags up to a month behind the rest of the state.

Visiting anglers need to plan accordingly –

on the west riverbank beside the bridge, both located in Fort Kent Mills. Upriver of the bridge are several small islands and many large boulders which are submerged during freshet conditions, and these are spread out over about a 250’ stretch of water.

Salmon and trout lay up by the dozens in the slow, calm pools and eddies behind these natural barriers.

Though it’s possible to cast worms or lures from either shoreline, trolling tandem streamers or brightly colored size 7 floating Rapalas will yield more action. Dardevle lures, Al’s Goldfish or a size 44 silver/ copper Sutton Spoon are proven metal options. There’s an accessible launch site for large, stable canoes

The author directs readers to all his favorite and most productive spots – the ultimate how-to, whereto guide to fishing The County in the early spring.

A couple of hearty bait casters brave the bank-side snow and bitter wind to throw worms into the pool between the Mars Hill dam and bridge in the middle of town on Route 1A. All photos by Bill Graves

call friends who live in Aroostook, or perhaps the local Fisheries and Wildlife office, for updates, especially if trolling on regional lakes is the primary

goal.

Possible Pools Anxious anglers in the Saint John Valley area will want to keep an eye on a couple of sections of the

Fish River for early open water action this month. Fort Kent residents will remember the old bridge that’s been closed for many years, and the sawmill

(Continued on next page)

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Bill Graves donned insulated chest waiters and wore longjohns to withstand the frigid water of April fishing along a stretch of the Meduxnekeag near Houlton. Whatever the discomfort, it’s eased by catching just one brown trout.

(Continued from page 50)

and boats in the 16foot range about 1/2 mile above the bridge just off Market Street, which – for visitors unfamiliar with the town – is an extension of Route 161.

Farther south a few miles is Soldier Pond Village, and a wide spot in the Fish River where a couple of brook inlets often break up the ice to allow early season fishing. There’s a boat launch area near the Soldier Pond bridge, and lots of opportunities to cast from shore.

In the alternative, you can float a canoe and troll, even if only a portion of the pond is ice-free.

Other Options In the Caribou area, anxious April anglers might keep an eye on the confluence of Little Madawaska River – it’s a great brook trout pool. The same is true of the stretch of water on the Aroostook River in Presque Isle just above the Route 1 bridge where Presque Isle Stream enters. This spot is very simple to reach, has an off-road parking area, and offers plenty of shoreline

Locations to launch a canoe or small boat are scarce during April in Aroostook County. This silver leaper was taken from a stretch on the Fish River the third week of April.

for several bait casters along the slower eddy and backwater formed by the merge.

The next two possibilities are perennial favorites for early open water wading – the fairly large pools below the Mars Hill and Robinson Dams.

Weighted flies or a sinking fly line will improve your odds. A walk of less than 50 yards from several parking spots just off a nearby road offers quick access at each location, but wear hip boots, as banks are steep and often still layered with snow.

For that reason, wad-

ing along the edge will offer more and better casting options.

A final prospect for early ice-free fishing is a stretch of the Meduxnekeag River upstream from Houlton Bridge, in a spot called Cary’s Mills.

Route 2A parallels the stream only yards away, and a big bend forms a placid stretch of water that clears of ice early. The exciting draw of this waterway is the chance to hook a brown trout as well as abundant brook trout.

For this location, chest waders ensure full access, and I’d suggest casting brightly-hued

Allagash Lakes Region

Mike Wallace of Brunswick travels north every spring. When an unusually warm, early-season melt takes place, a few spots on local rivers yield dependable trout trolling.

streamers for the most consistent results.

Atlantic Salmon After over six decades of fly fishing for Atlantic salmon, this challenging-to-hook, high-leaping, hard-fighting finned quarry is my personal selection for king of the freshwater game fish. Since it’s now an endangered species in Maine, with no season on any of our previously-great salmon rivers, I’ve made other accommodations to satisfy my passion.

From my home in Presque Isle, I can be casting over a pool at more than a dozen

acclaimed salmon rivers in Quebec or New Brunswick after just a three-hour drive.

These include the Restigouche, Matapedia, Miramichi, Renous, Matane, Cascapedia, Bonaventure, and St. Jean Rivers, to name a few, and they offer the chance to hook and land a double-digit silver leaper, making it worth the drive from anywhere in New England.

During the summer, it can cost over $1,000 a day to fish pools on most of these rivers, since much of the water is private(Continued on next page)

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Elliot Sleeper of Caribou ignored the frigid weather and only partially-cleared ice at Soldier Pond to be on the water in midApril. You need only one trophy like this to make the trip worthwhile.

Pete Dube, owner of the Restigouche hotel and part-time guide, uses the leader to guide a good size spring salmon to be released at canoe-side on the Matapedia River.

Lee Shaw of Nashville, Tennessee caught this hefty female Atlantic salmon during a late April outing on the Matapedia River in Quebec.

Roger Shaw of Mars Hill displays one of several large spring salmon taken while fishing Quebec rivers in early April. The cost of spring fishing was minimal, and it was just over a two-hour drive.

Lee Shaw fights a spring salmon in heavy water that really puts a bend in the fly rod.

It’s not unusual to hook several fish during early season fishing.

Bill Graves gets ready to remove a colorful 4/0 spring salmon fly and release a huge hook-jaw back into the high, fast murky water of the Restigouch River.

The County (Continued from page 51)

ly owned, but during black salmon season in the spring, all runs are public access. In Quebec, it’s not even necessary to have a

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Occasionally while casting for and catching black salmon, one of the few bright fish returning to fresh water will grab an angler’s fly.

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must be released, but fighting one of these brutes that often weigh over 20 lbs. makes the entire trip worthwhile.

It’s not uncommon to catch 8 or 10 black salmon per day, while several hundred casts a day over various pools often won’t produce a strike during the summer season for bright fish.

Salmon season on Maine-adjacent Canadian rivers is often in full swing this month, at least two weeks before Aroostook waterways are even fishable.

Every angler should catch at least one Atlantic salmon in their lifetime; it might just ruin you for other species, but to me, that’s a risk worth taking.

¶

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 53

You Should Give Us a Break The smelts always run early at West Lake in T3ND and T40MD – sometimes long before the ice goes out. The lake and tributaries are closed to the dipping of smelts, leaving them to be swallowed up by the abundant landlocked salmon population.

On this particular night in early April 1995, Wardens Bill Chandler and Dave Georgia had plans to spend the evening guarding the smelts, and I decided to tag along.

Arriving at the Lake We arrived just after dark and stashed our vehicle out of sight.

The small inlet we decided to watch was on the northeastern end of the lake. It featured a sandy shoreline, and it was just beyond the last cottage dotting that shore. The ground was pretty much bare of snow, and the ice on the lake was clear.

Small areas of water had opened up at various spots in close to shore.

We took up a position adjacent to that last cottage where we could keep an eye on that inlet. Before long the moon came up, causing reflections off the shiny ice. The temperature dropped down along with a little breeze, and staying warm became an issue.

Time Passes We passed the time in quiet conversation. I found a picnic table to spread out on, thinking that I might

Caught with their hand in the cookie jar (or more precisely, their long- handled smelt net in the offlimits inlet), the suspects attempted to pull out their ace card.

As the two wardens approached the suspects and identified themselves, the dip net and bucket went flying into the air, and the pair of suspects took off in the opposite direction across the stream, at a dead run. Doug Tibbetts photo

take a nap, but it was too cold to be comfortable.

Sometime around 10:30 p.m., Georgia nudged me and said, “Look – there are two people walking on the ice.” He raised his binoculars to watch them, and whispered, “They’re walking away from us, and must be heading for ‘the basin’.”

There was also an inlet at the basin where smelts did spawn, but not so many as where we were.

We decided to just sit tight and wait for them to return, as they must have come from one of the cottages off to our left, so they’d most likely be back our way.

Waiting for Them to Come Back Waiting and wait-

ing in situations like this can be quite vexing. You wonder if you made the right decision. Maybe these guys will get all kinds of smelts over in the basin and never come back by where you are. Maybe we should have tried to follow along behind them, keeping them in view.

We hoped that based on our experience, we had made the right decision.

There They Are We took turns looking through the binoculars to catch a glimpse of them coming back our way. Finally, two silhouettes appeared, heading in our direction along the edge of the lake off to our right. Now, we had to wait to see if they were going to walk

back past us; in that event we would need to encounter them as they came abreast of our position.

As they came closer, their direction changed slightly, and they headed in the direction of the small brook that we were staked out on. As they were almost at the shoreline, we could tell they were carrying some items with them, but we weren’t sure exactly what.

They Are Doing Something Trying to see what they were doing with the binoculars was not possible, as in close to shore, the shadows made everything darker.

Bill and I decided to start making our way along the shore-

line to get in a better position to see what was going on. As we got closer, we determined they were in the process of attempting to dip smelts with a long-handle dip net.

We did know that smelts were present, as we had checked shortly before these two individuals had returned from going down towards the basin.

After watching for a minute or so, we decided it was time to make our move.

We walked in their direction, turned on our flashlights, and identified ourselves.

As soon as we did, a bucket and smelt net went flying, and two men started running in the opposite direction. We had to jump across the brook to pursue them, but only for a short distance, since they apparently realized there was no place to go, and gave themselves up.

We took them in tow, and gathered up their smelting equipment, along with about a pint of spilled smelts.

Then we met back up with Warden Georgia, and utilized the picnic table in which I’d tried to take a nap, to complete some paperwork.

During that process, one of the men stated, “We work for the State of Maine, too! You should give us a break.”

Warden Chandler replied, “That would be a good reason not to.”

¶

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54 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Was Bigfoot Sighted in Baxter Park?

Big Foot or Sasquatch, often described as a mythical, hairy, human-like creature, is said to live in the forests of North America, especially in the Pacific Northwest.

Over the years some have claimed that they had seen the elusive creature while hiking in Maine.

Here is a tale so awe-inspiring it needs to be shared. As told by close friends who I’ll call Fred and Ethel.

One day Fred and I were reminiscing about our youth. “You know,” he began, “I spent summers as a boy in Baxter State Park. My folks visited the park whenever possible, often camping at Katahdin Stream Campground.

Our favorite hikes included Katahdin Falls, up the Owl and a trail today called the Blueberry Ledges [see Map 50 of DeLorme’s Maine Atlas]. During my youth, the Ledges had a different name.

Cindi and Pete “In the early ’60s, there was a Ranger named Pete. He was a nice sort, who visited our campsite often.

That same summer there was a counselor named Cindi who worked at the Natarswi Girl Scout camp on Lower Togue Pond.

Pete and Cindi often hiked together.

“During one adventure, they discovered a scenic waterfall on Kawww.MaineSportsman.com

You never know what natural wonders you might encounter in the wilds of Maine.

Blueberry Ledges, which were later informally renamed for Cindi and Pete.

Photo by Baylee Brodeur

tahdin Stream, near where the stream joins the West Branch of the Penobscot River. The two couldn’t wait to share their news about this gorgeous spot with others.

Eventually, Cindi’s unit named the area ‘Cindi and Pete Pool’ in their honor.

“Twenty-five years later, while my young

wife and I were discussing our mutual love for Baxter Park, she told of the Cindi and Pete Pool, and suggested we go for a day hike. Parking our truck near Abol Bridge, we began the 2-mile climb. As we walked, my wife and I could feel the heat of the day increasing.

The broiling heat, as my grandfather used to say, would ‘tumble a bumblebee in flight to a flower.’

“By the time we arrived at the Cindi and Pete Pool, the cool water invited us to escape the oppressively hot temperatures. But we hadn’t brought swimsuits. No problem. My

wife and I were in a remote part of the park, with little chance of being discovered. So, we swam au natural, with clothes piled neatly on a horizontal log a few feet away.

“I should add that at the time I had a very bushy beard, which my wife said had patchwork highlights of red, blond, and brown.

“Just as we were taking a dip, my wife hit me on the shoulder and nervously whispered, ‘Here comes a dog, from the east!’ “‘Not possible,’ I thought, as pets are not allowed in the park.

“Following her pointed finger, I saw the approaching canine, closely followed by a man and his wife.

Not wanting to be seen in our exposed state, my wife slithered through the water, and hid behind a large piece of dri-ki.

“Looking for camouflage, my only choice was a two-and-a-halffoot tall clump of a rhododendron. Crawling behind the shrub, I watched the two draw closer, nearing the place where our clothes were waiting.

My wife whispered, ‘For gosh sake, do something before they see us!’

Bigfoot Sighted “Not having many options, and realizing the shrub was high enough to appropriate(Ranger on the Allagash continued on page 56)

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 55

Tips for Paddling in the Kenduskeag Canoe Race The 16.5-mile Kenduskeag Canoe Race, located in Kenduskeag Maine, is one of the largest paddling races in the country.

Held every April, the 55-year-old race features Class III rapids, and ends in the concrete canals of Downtown Bangor.

If you’d like to enter the iconic Maine event, below are some tips and techniques. I am not a professional paddle racer, but I’ve done the race five times (capsized twice) in a two-man canoe, so most of my advice is for beginners who want to stay dry and go fast.

Gear If you have different canoe options, length is the single most important factor when it comes to speed. The longer the canoe, the faster.

Weight should be another factor, since there are two mandatory portages, and your arms will already be toast from all the paddling. Canoes like the Old Town Penobscot 174 or 164, or Discovery 169, are race favorites.

Bring an extra paddle, bail buckets, snacks, and water or a CamelBak hydration pack. Secure all this extra gear to the boat.

Zip your cell phone and car keys in your PFD pocket. Write your name and phone number on your paddles and on a sticker

with the fast current are beneficial.

6 Mile Falls, the largest drop in the race, is the first whitewater you will encounter. There is an optional portage, but if you plan to go down the falls, check the water levels, and plot a course the morning of the race. Television crews, and spectators – nicknamed “river vultures” – await to watch, and they delight in the carnage.

I always stick to the left as I approach the falls. Give a good berth between you and the craft ahead of you, so if they get stuck, you can avoid them. If they don’t get stuck or capsize, follow them.

Communicate consistently with your partner, and get low in the canoe (on your knees) as you go down the falls.

After 6 Mile Falls, the water moves quickly, so your paddling will shift from paddling hard to steering to avoid rocks and other boats. Keep the bow pointed downstream, and take standing waves head on.

“Television crews, and spectators – nicknamed ‘river vultures’ – await at 6 Mile Falls to watch, and they delight in the carnage.”

Shopping Cart Falls is one of two major sets of rapids in the race. Here, the author and her husband Travis navigate the standing waves. “Your canoe will fill up with water,” writes the author, “so take a minutes to stop and bail when you make it through.” Photo by Orwin SantaCruz

inside the canoe. Float bags, foam, or a twin sized air mattress work well in the center of the canoe, to take up space. This helps keep water out, and makes it easier to empty your canoe if you flip.

The water is freezing in April, so many paddlers wear wet suits. However, even a lightweight wetsuit tends to cause sweating once you begin paddling. Many paddlers wear wool or polyester. Don’t wear cotton. If you can, have a friend waiting with a change of dry clothes at the finish line.

Canoe Strokes The more experienced paddler should be in the stern, since that person does the

steering. The bow paddler watches for rocks, and serves as a propulsion motor – paddle, paddle, paddle. Short, powerful strokes on opposite sides of the canoe are the most efficient. The stern paddler tends to overpower the bow paddler, so the stern paddler should call out when to switch sides.

When paddling through rapids, fight the urge to hold on to the gunnels, and instead, keep paddling.

A paddle in the water is another point of contact, which provides stability. Be sure to practice your paddle strokes, especially white-water strokes.

You’ll save valuable time by not switching hands while

in rapids.

Familiarize yourself with strokes like draw, cross draw, and pry, and practice communicating with your partner.

The Course The first 10 miles of the race are flat, so you’ll be paddling hard. This is where you’ll sweat if you wear a wetsuit. It’s also where reading a river and traveling

(Continued on next page)

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56 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Six-Mile Falls poses a series of challenges.

Photo by Michele Barker

Paddlers use many colorful terms to describe whitewater features, including standing waves, hydraulics, and haystacks. 6 Mile Falls contains all of the above. Photo by Orwin SantaCruz

Maine Sportswoman (Continued from page 55)

There are two mandatory portages, in addition to the optional portage around 6 Mile Falls. Practice different canoe carrying techniques with your partner ahead of time, and decide which one works best.

Shopping Cart Falls is the other ma-

jor rapid during the race. I stick to the right. Your canoe will fill up with water from the splashing, so take a minute to stop and bail when you make it through.

Safety You must wear a PFD. Proper footwear

Ranger on the Allagash (Continued from page 54)

ly provide cover from the waist down, I slowly rose, exposing a bare chest.

With a raised right hand, I said, “Excuse me!’

“The visitors stopped dead in their tracks and stared. The lady loudly screamed, ‘Oh no – it’s a Sasquatch!’

All three of them – wife, husband and dog – spun on a dime and scurried back the way they’d come.

(old sneakers or water shoes, not boots) is critical for the portages. If you capsize, float on your back with your feet down-river, toes up. When it’s safe, swim toward shore.

Avoid being downstream of your canoe, as you could get stuck between it and a rock.

At most hairy areas, there are rescuers to assist.

Downtown Bangor. Note the extra paddle, and the inflatable insert intended to prevent the canoe from swamping. Photo

by Travis Elliott

Have Fun … … but not too much fun. Drinking alcohol is against race rules, despite homeowners barbecuing along the river route cheering and offering free beer.

Many paddlers dress up in bunny ears or banana costumes, and play music.

Because the water levels vary so much year to year, each

“Once the coast was clear, we pulled our garments on over wet bodies, and headed back to our truck.

“So, if you ever hear about a report of Bigfoot being seen in Baxter Park, likely it was just a couple trying to cool off on a sweltering day. After returning home, I immediately shaved my beard.”

“And one more thing,” Fred added.

“Don’t you dare let my wife know I told you the story.”

“Oh no, Fred,” I replied. “I’ll never tell a soul …. unless ….”

“Unless what?” Fred nervously

race is vastly different. High water years mean faster times and fewer exposed rocks, around two hours for first place, while low water years see closer to three hours for first place.

The Kenduskeag Canoe Race is a fun tradition that every paddler should experience!

¶

asked.

“It’s a delightful story, and I suspect others may have been in a similar situation. Would it be ok if I use the account for my column if I change your names?”

“Well, I guess that would be alright.

Just don’t tell my wife.”

So dear readers, that is my real-life Bigfoot tale. Does it sound familiar?

Tim Caverly has authored thirteen volumes about Maine.

¶

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���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 57

— Guest Column —

The Kamikaze Partridge

by Jake Guay, elwinransom17@gmail.com A gentle rain was sprinkling down from above an ocean of pointy spruce trees on either side of the desolate Allagash dirt road. A beat-up pickup quietly rolled along, over the soggy shale gravel and deep puddles. I was in the truck, riding shotgun, along with at least four other passengers, and we were all looking for a big Zone 1 bull.

To my left rested a brand-new lever-action Browning .308, waiting empty and patiently to see its first action. At my right, I clutched my unloaded pump-action 20 gauge.

Loose shells clicked quietly together in my opposite pocket.

Considering it was already Thursday of hunt week and we hadn’t seen anything, my morale was deflated, but not gone. Rather than giving up, I had elected to pay closer attention to a more abundant target – the ruffed grouse, known throughout Maine as the “pahtridge.”

One Shot As the pickup crested the next hill, two grouse rested in the road in front of us.

The driver slowed and halted the truck, and I jumped out, racked two shells in, and stepped into the ditch.

I was trying to line up their heads for a twofer.

Quickly, the birds became fidgety, and knowing I had half the time I was used to, I wasted no time in pull-

There are many ways to hunt partridge in Northern Maine. The author says that different approaches to the hunt tell us something about the character of the hunter, and what stage they’ve reached in their development from shooter to sportsman.

How a person hunts ruffed grouse tells you a lot about their personality and development as a hunter, according to the author. Aaron Smith photo

ing the trigger.

The nearer of the two fell over in a cloud of feathers. The other bird leapt into the sky with the trademarked sound of thundering wingbeats.

The bird ascended a bit, and winged its way toward the trees, away from me. Then it slowed in midair

and almost ... rotated.

In place. Soon, I realized the bird was now facing me, losing altitude, but accelerating directly toward me.

Everything played out in about three full seconds, and by the end of the sequence, the second bird’s head had landed right on my boot. We drove off

with one fewer shell casing, and two more birds.

That Friday, we left with a small bull, but the tale of the kamikaze partridge would always remain the second-greatest story of the week, and it’s still one of my best campfire stories.

Differing Strategies; Same Result Having killed more than a few of the fast-moving bush-chickens since that week, I’ve realized there’s actually a variety of ways to pursue them, and it’s been enlightening to examine how everyone in my family does it differently.

My mother’s fiancé prefers to crawl along the dirt road in his pickup, no faster than seven miles per hour, carefully scanning the trees for well-camouflaged stump-impersonators.

My grandfather, on the other hand, has had me as a passenger as he drove 30 miles an hour while looking for birds. Obviously, he possesses an entirely different philosophy on scouting.

It’s clear that for some, thoroughness and scrutiny are ideal, while others prefer to cover more ground.

My grandfather, a retired Game Warden who spent much of his career working with dogs, has learned the intricacies of canine-enhanced grouse hunting.

I, on the other hand, had found great satisfaction in spotand-stalk squirrel hunting as a younger hunter. You can probably imagine how I felt the first time I stepped into the woods with my Remington 870 (Partridge continued on page 59) www.MaineSportsman.com

58 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Taking the Ice-Out Challenge!

I pulled my hood strings tight and slipped my hands into a pair of jumbo-sized ski mittens. Chemical hand warmers filled my shoes and pockets. A brisk wind massaged the remaining ice on Grand Lake, in Grand Lake Stream.

Ice-out fishing on Grand Lake can have its challenges. We – Gerry Gavin and I – were probably pushing the limits of true ice-out and our 14-foot rented boat. Those aluminum seats radiated cold.

But, we had made the trip to Grand Lake Lodge, and we’d take whatever weather came our way. So what if we were trolling along the edges of huge sheets of floating ice?

Timing ice-out on any lake feels like buying a lottery ticket. Last year, Grand

Many factors go into fishing in the early spring.

When will the ice go out? When will the lake start to “turn over”? What’s the best way get to the depth of the fish – lead-core line? A downrigger? Fishing this time of year is clearly as much an art form as a science.

Anglers looking to take the spring “ice-out challenge” should expect some pieces left over from winter. Spring storms shouldn’t keep anglers home, as some leftover ice and snow adds to the mystique of early-season fishing. Ultra-light rods and warm clothing rule the day. Shutterstock photo

Lake iced out on April 9. In 2017, ice-out was April 26. Historically,

it runs from the beginning of April to the first week of May.

As the Water Turns Anglers all have their theory on when

to wet a line. One camp argues for true ice-out.

That’s when the lake is clear of ice. Another group likes to wait anywhere from three or four days to a week after ice-out to let that water “turn.”

Turning is simply a term used to describe the action of water from the colder bottom of the lake rising to the top, as water from the warming top sinks to the bottom. This mixing action will in time help equalize the water temperature.

More importantly, this yearly phenomenon mixes oxygen from the bottom and top thermoclines. This seismic shift also pries nutrients from the bottom of the lake. Some of those nutrients make it to the upper thermoclines.

While opinions vary, 45- to 50-degree water seems to be the favorite for landlocked salmon. They will follow the cooler water to the top during the turn. This triggers the traditional strategy of trolling fly lines on or near the surface after the turn.

Another element to pursuing silversides involves alewives.

Salmon gorge on these minnows.

Alewives migrate to the inlets to spawn. Salmon, swimming in favorable water temperatures, follow their food source to the top.

Journal Notes Having fished on (Continued on next page)

www.MaineSportsman.com

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 59 (Continued from page 58)

both ends of ice-out timing, a few salient points evolved from my notes. Yes, it pays to keep a journal. Recording weather conditions, ice-out dates and general notes as to what tactics caught fish and which ones were losers.

For me, my best year was two days after ice-out. Salmon were in the top two feet of the water column, and aggressively attacked my offerings.

I troll two flies in tandem. A micro swivel in front of each fly makes that work slick.

The idea? That a colorful, flashy front fly grabs the silverside’s attention, and triggers an attack on the more traditional trailing fly. Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men all have flaws.

On two occasions, my bent rod suffered under the strain of not one, but two salmon at the same time. The problem with that, aside from tangles, involves two fish going in separate directions.

It’s a different kind of fight.

My son, Matt, bought a slider rig, and hooked up a smelt to drag behind the boat.

Ever the competitor, he was challenging my tandem streamer rigs.

In the end, live bait and hand-tied flies battled to a draw.

As the surface temperature warms, these hard-fighting fish chase those optimal temperatures provided by the depths of the lake. This changes the strategy.

Lead core lines, for both fly and traditional rods, take center stage when the fish drop five or ten

Partridge (Continued from page 57)

at my side, instead of the usual Gamo pellet gun, as I attempted to pick off some birds on my own.

The differences in hunting strategies have always made me smile at how they serve as a reflection of a person’s character. As I’ve studied them more, I’ve found that there’s a lot to be learned about a person from how they hunt. If you remember the five stages of growing hunters (Shooter Stage, Limiting Out Stage, Trophy Stage, Method Stage, and Sportsman Stage) from Hunter’s Ed, you might notice how different strategies fit well into each of these stages.

Fulfillment One of the most important things to be aware of, as a developing hunter and a person in general, is how we define success.

The ideal goal for most devoted hunters is to get to the point that you enjoy the entire scope of the hunting experience. You might even discover a passion for sharing it with new participants,

Early season anglers like Parker Capwell troll flies looking for landlocked salmon chasing alewives near the top of the water column. This means getting up early, and dressing warmly. This silversides fell to a traditional Black Nose Dace tied on a 6X hook. Anglers also troll live bait, with equally good results.

Bill Sheldon photo

feet. Some anglers use planer boards. Controlled depth fishing requires a downrigger.

Last year on the big lake, we were just too late. Reports from other anglers indicated the fish were down 10 to 15 feet. It was my time to experiment

so they can benefit from the things you’ve learned and loved for so long.

One of the most resonant and helpful principles in life – particularly during this phase of my life – that hunting has taught me is this: It’s a sign of growth, when you’re not afraid to let your definition of success evolve and change.

All the ups and downs of hunting work together to refine us on a deeply personal level. Hunting develops virtues such as patience and humility, and teaches you to adapt to what’s happening around you.

I realize it takes time, experience and growth, but witnessing the true joy and fulfillment in the eyes and laughter of my proud grandparents after a successful hunt always affirms that every moment spent with cold fingers and tired feet, walking long trails, and fighting just to stay awake, is gonna be worth it.

Jake Guay is a young writer who enjoys the outdoors.

¶

with downrigger fishing.

trolling fly rods shortly after ice out. Which also leaves me guessing exactly when that will happen.

The internet is a great source for a history of ice-out dates on most major waters.

This can help with the guesswork. Checking with local ice fishermen about ice thicknesses on various waters provides another clue.

In the end, I’m just going to ask Susan Bard from Grand Lake Lodge when I should make the reservation.

Getting Deep In spite of having a trolling rod on board, I was stubborn and found a way to clip my fly line to the lead cannon ball. Results were marginal at best. I’ve tried using the downrigger and am just not a fan of it. I don’t care for lead core line, either.

With that said, the largest fish to come aboard my boat, a behemoth lake trout, came connected to a lead core line. It works, and works well.

That leaves me

¶

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60 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Spring Creek Fishing is Here and Now! Moving water bubbled along while I dealt with the alder that snatched my line.

My late editor, Ken Allen, often wrote that spring fishing started in earnest when alder leaves were the same size as the ears on a white-footed mouse.

On this crisp morning, mouse ears feasted on my size 16 bead head Pheasant Tail.

Spring creek fishing requires a different mindset than casting to rising trout on

Fast water, light lines, whippy rods, small flies and overhanging alders – fishing tiny swollen streams in the springtime is an entirely different game! some of the region’s many lakes and ponds.

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Expect lots of vegetation, and plenty of clear, cold water. The canopy of saplings that stand guard along the banks create challenges in both access and casting lanes.

Brook Trout Heaven This time of year, brook trout – which are measured for spunk, not size – thrive in this annual phenomenon.

Square-tails operate best in water temperatures between 44 degrees and 64 degrees.

Throughout the years, hardcore trout bums have consistently told me that 58 degrees is the sweet spot for optimal feeding.

Finding these often-nameless spring creeks involves looking

for those squiggly blue lines on topographical maps. Either modern screen maps or old school DeLorme maps will unlock these hidden gems.

Jackman anglers live and thrive in brook trout heaven. The Cold Stream drainage accounts for the lion’s share of Kennebec River Brook trout. Anglers often target the more popular ponds that make up the drainage, ignoring many of the difficult-to-access feeder streams.

Anglers who like to sleep in will appreciate the peak feeding hours that start late morning and run until midday. On the downside, that might mean

skipping lunch.

Movin’ Slow Successful spring creek anglers use adaptive tactics pursuing the colorful brookie. That starts immediately after boots hit the ground. Move slowly, and observe everything. Trout bums will need every bit of intel they can gather before wetting a line.

The approach to a gurgling tributary demands a slow pace and a keen eye. The old adage of “observe and evaluate” takes top priority. Notice everything, from sunlight to bird activity.

Why birds? Simple. Birds eat their fair share of bugs.

They might just tip an astute angler off to an insect hatch on an easy-to-overlook pool.

Even if the trout have lock-jaw for surface (Continued on next page)

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bugs, there’s a good chance the underwater nymphs are the meal of the day.

From the approach to the bank, to wading, think SLOW. A methodical, deliberate approach to the bank avoids spooking these human-shy fish. Approach at a low angle, and take that earlier noted sunshine into account.

It’s very difficult to do, but painfully slow wading is mandatory. Once you’re in the stream, one baby step at a time will eventually cut the distance between brook trout and the tip of a favorite rod.

Tackle Thoughts Small, ultralight spinning rods work perfectly for these trout. Most anglers pursue these colorful salmonids for their beauty and challenge, not their size.

Reels spooled with 2through 4-pound test cast and catch fish perfectly.

Same goes for a fly rod. I have a couple of 3-weight rods that perform flawlessly.

The shorter of the two is a scant six feet long.

This makes fighting alders with line-catching mouse ears a bit easier.

I must admit I’ve cradled some of the newer one-weight fly rods in my arms.

Seems perfect. Inexpensive click-and-pawl fly reels do a satisfactory job of holding the line. No need for a disc drag here.

I’m a big believer in using as small a diameter leader as possible. This time of year, small bugs dominate the spring creek scene. My largest trout to date came to hand with a size 22 nymph attached to the business end of an 8X leader.

Fine leaders and small flies require patience and a good set of cheater glasses. As age takes its toll, magnifying glasses have kept me in the game. Fly anglers need to be efficient tying on leaders and small flies while standing in moving water.

A low rod angle migrates into a low hooking angle. Overgrown banks or a low

Snowmelt swells Jackman Region tributaries this month. Anglers in the know do some bushwhacking to access overlooked spring creek fishing. Ultra-light spinning gear and shorter fly rods give anglers all the casting firepower they need. The author favors a six-foot, 3-weight fly rod when fishing spring run-off.

Shutterstock photo

hanging canopy may require this low and slow methodology. Alders don’t just catch fishing line – they also grab hats with reckless abandon.

Allen Tips Another lesson I learned from Ken Al-

len – resting the pool – has paid dividends. If there’s nothing going on in a pool or stretch of water, give it a rest.

Sometimes just 20 or 30 minutes will make a huge difference.

Lastly, don’t overlook pools that mea-

sure the size of a bushel basket. Spring creek trout will hang in the smallest of water holes. Drop a line, and take the spring creek challenge.

¶

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62 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Nature Awakens April marks a turning point in the Moosehead Region.

Early April seems like just more winter, but toward month’s end, oncoming spring cannot be denied.

While ice-out dates vary for Moosehead and other area lakes, early springs over the last several years have seen boaters out, trolling for salmon. This year may not grace us with such opportunities, since we will have just come through something like an old-fashioned winter, temperature-wise.

Still, late April can hold surprises, and the dedicated angler can always find some action, even if it is only on brook trout in small streams.

For me, just the mere chance of taking a trout or two, or perhaps an early salm-

A myriad of options present themselves to the determined angler. If the lake is still frozen, head for the river. If the river’s running too fast, then find a quieter stream. on, is enough to spur my enthusiasm. Last summer was a long time ago, and the prospect of a fish on the line this April – any fish – comes as a welcome way to initiate the new season.

Trolling Moosehead Most years, enough open water exists near the mouth of Moose River to allow for trolling. Also, the river itself offers trolling in a protected environment. On cold, windy days, which are not uncommon in early spring, Moose River stands as a dependable trolling site.

Regarding trolling on Moose River, the Maine Department

of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (DIF&W) has some special regulations in place, so check the current Maine inland fishing laws booklet. The lower section of the river, as defined in the law book, is open under general law, and no special tackle restrictions are in place.

Anglers head for the area of the lake in front of Moose River, as well as the river itself, not only because they are often the only open-water options available, but because salmon and togue stack up in front of the river to feed upon spawning smelt. Consequently, live smelt, available from area

bait dealers, make the best possible offering.

Come May, this area of Moosehead sees more boats fishing than at any other time of the year. We’ll discuss this further in the May issue.

Brook Fishing Depending upon remaining snow depths and whether or not shelf ice presents a danger, the West Outlet of the Kennebec River offers some early season fishing.

Stocked in spring and fall with brook trout, as well as salmon (see the stocking list in this issue starting on page 30), many of these fish remain in the river over the winter and

are available in early spring. Note that salmon fishing here is restricted to catchand-release.

The key to success in fishing rivers and streams in April is to fish slow and deep.

Don’t expect smashing strikes, either. Instead, be on alert for a gentle tap, signaling that a fish has taken your bait or lure.

Speaking of bait, a live smelt, allowed to swim near bottom in large pools, such as the dam pool at the West Outlet, may account for a big, carryover trout. The old saying that lures take more fish, but live baitfish take bigger fish, stands as true in rivers as it does in lakes.

Don’t discount artificial lures, either.

Trout Magnets, my favorite trout lures, (Continued on next page)

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larger. Also, these are well-fed, fat and sassy.

The MDIF&W rearing stations use highgrade feed, with the result that the fish’s flesh is orange-colored, and very sweet.

Note that this river is wide in spots, but the average person can cast nearly halfway across for the most part, negating the need for wading, for those who are uncomfortable walking on slippery stream bottoms. You can catch all the trout you want just by casting from shore.

(Continued from page 62)

are available from the manufacturer, Leland’s Lures, with non-lead jigheads.

These lighter model jigs will need some extra weight to get them down to the fish, so attach at least two b.b.size non-lead split shot about 10 inches above the jig. Keep the two shot close together, or else they will act like a bolo and wrap around the end of your fishing rod.

Go South If conditions around Moosehead Lake and environs are just too winterlike, then consider going a bit south and fishing the Piscataquis River in Guilford and Dover-Foxcroft. The DIF&W stocks the river at regular intervals all spring, often begin-

If you can catch a few trout like this on April 1, says the author, you will have done very well. Photo provided by Tom Seymour

ning in late April, given that water levels are conducive to fishing.

Last year, DIF&W began stocking the Piscataquis on April 23 and continued

throughout May, with a grand total of 10,150 10-inch brook trout.

These numbers ensure that anyone visiting the river during the stocking season should not be disappointed.

In addition to the numbers stocked, note too that the 10-inch size does not mean that all fish measure exactly 10 inches. Some may fall short of that, but many will run a bit

April Options So don’t write off April for fishing in the Moosehead Region. If you are determined, you can find action, either on a lake, river or stream.

¶

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64 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Chipmunks & West Side Story You remember the Sharks and the Jets – the rival street gangs in West Side Story? That’s what we call the chipmunks terrorizing our back and front yards, the Sharks and the Jets, because they act like hoodlums.

They are not cute and musical like Simeon, Theodore and Alvin – that’s for sure. No, these chippies are wily and street-wise and bent on destroying our brick walkway and undermining our porch.

They are everywhere. Like the gangs in the musical, they loudly defend their territories. Early in the morning we hear the high-pitched squeaking and chirping incessantly telling all the world they are in the ’hood and don’t be messing with them.

Krup Them!

Getting rid of them is not easy. I have a friend in North Carolina who shoots red and grey squirrels. Those are his gangster pests. Red squirrels chewed their way into his attic and ransacked the house. The squirrels raised a family, coming and going through a small gap in the soffit.

My friend is past climbing tall ladders, so he hired the local exterminator.

They poisoned the squirrels and closed the hole, but my friend had to tear apart the ceiling to extract the dead rodents.

He was not happy about that.

He put a silencer on his air rifle. I told him I thought air guns were silent anyway, but he said they still make a distinct sound when fired, so he mounted the silencer, and now the neighbors have no idea he’s sitting on the back porch busting red and grey squirrels.

Years ago, my father-in-law bought a .22 rifle for squirrel control. He’d had it with the little criminals marauding mother’s bird feeders. Sure enough. Dad was ready when the first greyer swung through the tree branches and leapt onto the bird feeder. He cracked open the porch door, rested the little Marlin against the door frame, pulled the trigger, and blew a hole right through Mother’s prized bluebird house. Mother was not pleased. The collateral damage was too costly.

Chipmunks are even smaller targets, and harder to hit. www.MaineSportsman.com

When it comes to battling destructive chipmunks, the author views himself in the middle of a gang war, with the Sharks and the Jets of West Side Story arrayed against him on the other side. He becomes Officer Krupke, heading off to do battle, with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim.

Photo credit: kids.nationalgeographic.com

The Rumble The only successful trap I’ve used is a 5-gallon bucket partly filled with water and sprinkled with sunflower seeds.

This has proven to be a deadly combination for our Jets and Sharks, and even Alvin. I hate to do it, but like the street gangs in the story, they don’t leave me much choice. Politely yelling “Go away” or “Scram” just falls on deaf little chipmunk ears.

Their appetite for sunflower seeds is their undoing. I use five-gallon buckets filled about 1/3 with water. I sprinkle a cupful of sunflower seeds on top of the

water, and park the buckets on the back walkway and the porch railing out front.

Sometimes I lean a piece of wood up against the rim of the bucket for a ramp, but experience has shown that’s not necessary for catching all the chipmunks there are.

These traps may be simple, but they are deadly. The squirrels lust after the sunflower seeds, and drop down into the bucket and drown.

In the morning, I check each pail for casualties. Sometimes there are 5 or 6 in each bucket. We keep the buckets baited for a few more days, until there aren’t any more dead chipmunks to dispose of.

I suppose we are culpable to a degree, because of my wife’s bird feeders.

The spilled seeds are a smorgasbord for the chipmunks and grey squirrels. And they are innocent, the little buggers. All they’re looking for is a free lunch.

I am conflicted, and lie awake wishing there was another way. Maybe if competing chipmunks had a turf war, like the Sharks and the Jets, they would wipe each other out. But nature is more benign than that. They might fight and raise their tails and chirp loudly, but these displays seldom end in death.

Gang Warfare Against Prolific Vandals The damage they did to our sidewalk cost $1,200 to repair. And they keep coming. That’s the other thing. I believe it’s another aspect of how nature works.

That is, when there’s a void or vacancy in the habitat, animals figure out how to fill it. Like the beavers at camp that move in and dam up the culverts to make a pond because there were no beavers there already. Same for the chippies. We think we’ve decimated the population and the sidewalks are safe to walk once again, but within days we hear the squeaks and see them scurrying into the foundation and between the cobble stones and thumbing their little black noses at us.

They are tenacious little beasts. And prolific. So, I close the book on my ethics and rummage up my buckets and go after the Jets and Sharks once again, not forgetting Simeon, Theodore and Alvin.

Am I guilty of inciting gang warfare?

¶

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 65

The Secret Love Life of Weasels Furbearers breed at different times of the year, and the average litter size varies depending on environmental and other conditions.

Overall life expectancy varies as well, even among members of a single family, such as the weasel (Mustelidae) family.

Within that category, the otter lives the longest (up to 15 years old), compared to the fisher (up to 10 years), the martin (9), the mink (7) and the weasel (6).

In the “real world” of nature, however, most live a much shorter period, due to predation and environmental conditions.

Breeding cycles differ among species, and the effect of the different timing is to avoid over-population and to prevent inbreeding.

Survival of the fittest ensures that prime genetics are passed along. Quality, not quantity, is the end result of this breeding.

Let’s address the breeding cycles of members of the weasel family.

Otter Most otter do not breed until they are two years of age. Otter mate in the water, with breeding occurring in the early spring – March or April.

As with other members of the weasel family, the biological process is unusual, in

Otters mate in the water. Martin are loudly passionate. Some furbearers keep the family together; others disperse right away. Learn about the relationship successes and challenges of otter, fisher, martin, mink and weasel.

Otter families tend to stay together as a family unit. This characteristic differs from the behavior of other other members of the weasel family, in which the males leave after mating, requiring the females to raise the young and also find different mates for the following cycle. Photo by Gary Wing

that once the fertilized eggs start to develop, the sequence stops for a period of time. This

dis-continuous development is called “delayed implantation,” and it puts the birth-

ing process on hold for weeks or months.

Before the young are born, the female

Pound for pound, the weasel may be the most aggressive animal in all of North America. On occasion, males reportedly fight to the death over females.

Photo provided by the author

runs the male off, but allows him back to help teach the young to swim and catch fish.

The otter couple, along with their young, become a close family unit, and seem to enjoy socializing together. Although they are nomadic, they – unlike other members of the weasel clan – appear to enjoy a carefree and happy family life.

The pair is able to mate again only a few days after the birth of a litter.

Fisher For fisher, mating occurs in April. The total gestation period is lengthy – about 352 days – because of the aforementioned process of delayed implantation, which in the case of fishers, postpones the birth for many months.

The male fisher does not stick around, so the female is required to care for the young.

One to four kits are born in March or April. Normally, more females than males are born.

After giving birth, the female fisher must divide her time between caring for her young, and also searching for a new mate for the following year’s mating cycle.

The female is able to mate again within a week’s time of giving birth.

(Trapping continued on page 67) www.MaineSportsman.com

66 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Turkey Hunting 101 Turkey hunting holds a special place in my heart. It was the catalyst that began my love of hunting, and it’s the perfect hunt for beginners. What’s great about turkey hunting is that there isn’t that emotional attachment to cuteness that so often stops potential hunters from seeing the whole picture of hunting and its purpose. There’s the pursuit, the wait, and the harvest, giving a hunter the feeling of either success or failure, but the experience leaves them wanting to come back for more.

Solo v. Partner I love turkey hunting with a partner, but I’ve also hunted solo.

If you’re just learning to turkey hunt, I highly suggest you have a partner to do the calling. Hunting solo is much harder because you need to learn the mouth calls, which requires time to practice and develop the right call every time you try.

I have totally blown a hunt with a crappy attempt at mouth calling while hunting solo.

If hunting solo, you can start with a handheld call, but switch to a mouth call when they get closer.

Turkeys have such a keen eye and ability to see even the slightest movement down to an eye blink, that using handheld calls in solo hunts can be extra challenging. By having a partner do the www.MaineSportsman.com

The author’s first turkey -- a 24.5-lb. Boss Tom, tagged in 2008. John Warren photo

calling, sitting away from the hunter, the turkey will come into the caller, giving the hunter the perfect opportunity for a shot without giving away their position.

I’ve even hunted in a group of three hunters, which was successful, but was also challenging. When the turkeys came over the knoll, we hadn’t set the ground rules on who would shoot which turkey. My son was ready to shoot the one on my side because it was bigger, when I told him we couldn’t shoot across each other.

There was some immediate disappointment, but in the end, we both shot nice birds; however, Mom still has bragging rights on the biggest one. Setting ground rules early on

not only prevents disappointment, but also provides for a safer hunt.

Rule 1: Scout Turkey hunting requires scouting – you have to know routes along which the turkeys are feeding, roosting and traveling throughout the day.

The best way to do this is to find turkeys during the morning and then at dusk, look for large trees, particularly pine stands and listen. Turkeys will gobble from the trees even though they’re settling in for the night. By knowing where turkeys roost at night, you can set up nearby without spooking them in the morning.

Rule 2: Gun and Ammo Believe it or not,

there is appropriate gun and ammo for turkey hunting. You can use a shot gun, a 12 gauge is the most often used with specific turkey shot; however, I’ve seen 20 gauge also used with a #4 or #5 shot, which is a good fit for younger hunters. My shotgun only takes three, three-inch shells, while some shotguns can take up to five 3 ½ inch shells.

I’ve found that a good shot requires only one shell. If your gun has a modifiable choke, a full choke producing a close grouping is better.

Rule 3: Dress Appropriately Turkey hunting requires good camouflage. This includes a hat with a visor, face mask, gloves, and either tall boots,

or short boots with socks that have no red, blue or white. Why? Because tom turkey display red, white or blue head, and no one wants to be mistaken for a turkey during turkey season.

With ticks as they are, pre-treating gear with tick repellent is essential. I recommend layering clothing so that ticks cannot find their way to skin.

Tuck undershirts into waistbands, and pant legs into tall socks.

I find mornings can be chilly if not downright cold, but then by mid-morning, I’ll have to shed some layers to prevent sweating. Luckily turkeys don’t use smell as a defense, so if you like to wear makeup, want to sweat, or pile on the bug spray, it won’t affect the hunt.

Rule 4: Decoys and Other Gear I’ve used decoys for most of my hunts, but have found that as much as a decoy can bring in a bird, it can also alert them that something isn’t quite right. I’ve had more than one tom turkey balk at my hens as soon as it saw them.

A couple hens and one tom are ample if you decide to use decoys.

Again, it’s helpful to have a partner lend a hand in carrying all this gear.

I also like to have an elevated to get off (Continued on next page)

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 67

On April 12, 2023, the author’s trail cam showed some early spring strutting action.

(Continued from page 66)

the ground, due to ticks. There are vests that allow for carrying gear, and a pad to sit to keep you dry, but they’re not very effective for keeping ticks away.

Rule 5: Setting Up When choosing a

site, select a spot that can provide cover, or plan to set up a blind in advance – whether a full enclosure, or burlap fence. Have a tree large enough so that you can rest against it and conceal your back.

Remove leaves around your seat. This will help eliminate noise

Trapping (Continued from page 65)

Marten As in the case of otters and fishers, the mating process for martin is unusual, in that it features delayed implantation.

Marten do not breed until they are two years of age. Mating normally occurs in July. The birth is delayed around 250 days. Litter sizes are usually four or fewer.

As with fisher, once the young marten are born, the female martin immediately starts searching for a new mate. Marten become very vocal during mating, making a variety of squeals, hisses and screams.

Mink Male mink travel long distances looking for mates. Breeding takes place in late January to early March. A normal litter of pups or kits averages four, and the female raises the young alone.

and ticks.

Have your partner set up 10 yards or so to your dominant side.

I do this so that when the turkey approaches, I won’t have to move as much to take my shot. Since I’m right-handed, my husband always sets up to my left side, slight-

Like other members of the weasel family, mink exhibit delayed implantation, and the embryos do not implant until approximately 30 days before birth.

Gestation times vary from 40 to 75 days. Young are born in April or May. Weasel Being a prolific species, the male weasel aggressively searches for any and all mates. Breeding takes place in the early summer, and like the other members of the family, delayed implantation results in the female bearing her young the following spring.

Perhaps because there are more males than females, males can exhibit extreme aggressiveness among males vying for the attention of a female. Reportedly, males will sometimes fight to the death over a female, making weasels among the most aggressive of all North American animals, especially on a pound-for-pound basis.

¶

The author got pushed to her alternate site, and when she got there she shot this huge tom.

ly behind me so that he’s out of my shooting lane.

Rule 6: Be Patient Turkey hunting requires patience.

Turkeys don’t always do as you plan, so be ready to pivot. Having more than one spot scouted is helpful. I’ve

found that chasing turkeys can be futile, and eventually they come to where you are, so patience is key.

Whatever you do, enjoy it, since harvesting a turkey is just the icing on top.

¶

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68 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Not All Dams on the Mousam River are Bad In the late 1800s, a B.C. Jordon steamboat pulled a large boom full of logs down the center of Mousam Lake. A steady thumping of the engine and black smoke from the stack were familiar to local farmers and workmen – they paid little attention as it chugged down the lake. As usual, a few kids were playing on the log boom, despite warnings from the parents. Others just hung onto the nest of logs and enjoyed a free ride down the lake.

At the southern end of Mousam Lake, kids scattered, and the boom of logs was opened. Awaiting loggers armed with pikes forced logs downstream into the Mousam River. These logs supplied wood for the saw mills a mile downstream. Once cut into wooden planks, they were then delivered to shipyards in Kittery and Bath for decks and hulls on sailing ships.

A few years later, the Bath Shipyard (renamed Bath Iron Works) was refitted and began constructing iron ships.

This development dealt a death-blow to the sawmills in the area, and they were forced to shut down operations. You can still see the stone works of the B.C. Jordon mill, located under the CMP power lines that cross Route 109 in Emery Mills.

Dam History In 1772, a small wooden dam was built on the Mousam River in Emery Mills. Logs and fish could easily navigate the low dam. This original wooden dam was replaced in 1899 with a stone dam complete with a system of gates to control water flow – it still stands today.

This new dam formed Lower Mousam Lake and controlled water levels in Square Pond, Goose Pond and Mousam Lakes. The dam was initially built to supply consistent water needed to generate electricity to mills and power street cars in Sanford.

Today, these mills rely on CMP electricity, and the old water-power generators became relics. Back when we were students at Sanford High School, my friend Robert Guinard and I worked one summer disassembling the old generators and dumping the large medal parts out the four-story windows into a large dumpster. They paid us well, but we would have done it free. It was great www.MaineSportsman.com

Some dams along the Mousam are relics that serve no purpose, and they should be removed, says the author. However, the Emery Mills dam holds back water for four separate lakes and ponds, and is therefore an important source of recreation for the public, and tax revenue for neighboring towns.

This is the outlet of the Emery Mills Dam. The dam is an important part of southern Maine history. Photo by Val Marquez

fun – much better then picking apples in Acton, like many of our classmates.

Even though this dam is no longer needed to provide a water source to generate electric power, the Emery Mills dam should not be considered obsolete like the controversial, no-longer-useful dams farther downstream. This dam provides a major source of recreation, and contributes to the regional economy.

Earns its Keep Let’s fast-forward to Square Pond in Acton on July 4th, 2024. Jan and Mike Johnson, Shirley and Harold Danis, and Doris and I were sitting on the Johnsons’ boat eating pizza and sipping cold beverages. It’s a ritual we enjoy over the summer.

We were not alone. The lake had hundreds of boats, all covered with colored lights, cruising on the main lake.

At dusk, it looked like D-Day on Omaha Beach – everything from kayaks to large party boats, lined up facing the west

side of the lake – waiting. At dark, the fireworks began, and continued during the evening. We could also see the sky light up on the southern horizon from Mousam Lake’s fireworks.

Not All Boating, Pizza and Beer In an interview printed in A History of Shapleigh, Maine for the Shapleigh Bicentennial, Mr. Waldo Meader detailed the great fishing in the lake during the 1920s. Meader reported, “There was wonderful salmon fishing (in Mousam Lake) then. We could go after school in the spring, nearly any night, and catch one or two weighing 2 to 4 pounds.”

He then added, “Salmon spawned in November at the head of Pump Box Brook. I’ve seen spawning in water so shallow you could pick them up by the tails.” He added that “Kenneth Meader caught one through the ice that weighed 11-¾ pounds.”

Today, lakes and waterways formed by the Emery Mills Dam still have some of the best fishing in southern Maine.

Thanks to MDIFW’s long-time stocking program, salmon fishing in Mousam Lake is still available, and the angling is only getting better.

In my opinion, the Emery Mills Dam is one of the most important recreational structures in the area. It has bettered the lives of thousands of people. Further, it was a key ingredient that led to the development of industry in this area of Southern Maine. In fact, this dam started the industrial revolution in the Mousam valley.

Today, it maintains water levels for the “lakes region,” which in turn provides recreation, including fishing and boating. The old stone dam also helps local economies through property tax revenues from shoreline construction, since Square Pond has over 400 camps and homes along its banks, and Mousam has about the same.

Removing old and useless dams along the Mousam watershed, or at least adding fish passageways to them, is important, and environmentalists and anglers should continue working to that end.

However, the Emery Mills dam needs to remain, although I would support addition of an effective fish passageway.

¶

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 69

Sebago Salmon Anglers Hope for Repeat Banner Year Bait balls of alewives were so thick on the Big Lake, reports the author, that his depth sounder misinterpreted the mass of fish to be the lake’s bottom!

Last year was the best salmon year on Sebago Lake (DeLorme Atlas, Map 5, B-1) that most of us can recall. We caught multiple salmon, many in the four- to five-pound range – native fish with unclipped fins – and all were healthy and plump. I keep a daily log of all guided and personal trips, and my boat landed more than 100 salmon between April and September. What a year!

Neighbor Mark Carrol and I headed out one Sunday morning when I didn’t have clients. Mark grew up in Falmouth, but lives in Massachusetts now and has a camp next to mine on the lake. I told Mark that fellow guide Glen Gisel and I fished the day before and caught more than 25 salmon. Mark wanted some salmon for dinner, so we headed to the same spots Glen and I had fished.

I prefer to troll with a fly rod, as nothing compares to a lively salmon on a wispy fly rod. I also wanted to up our chances, so I set two planer boards out with lead-core line.

No sooner did I have all lines in the water when the fish started biting. I was using a variety of Northeast Troller spoons, most-

ly in pink and orange.

We caught 14 salmon, releasing all but four for Mark’s feed.

Great Season But what caused us to have such a great salmon season?

Several factors. First, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) biologist Jim Pellerin and crew conducted a spin survey to assess lake trout populations. The results showed that lakers were down 30 percent. Fewer lakers translates to more feed for salmon.

Second, the smelt population ran black up the Songo River last spring. The mouth of the Songo River has always been a traditional spot to fish in April, primarily due to the smelt run. Anglers trolling past the end of the buoys latched onto salmon and lakers

hanging out intercepting smelt coming back down into the lake.

Typically, the fishing was good there for about a week, but last April I caught salmon and the occasional laker from Cub Point to Outer Island throughout the whole month.

Third, there is a relatively new player on the forage fish scene, the alewife.

Alewives have made a stronghold on the lake, and huge schools of the baitfish are spotted all around the lake. Last spring, while trolling through Frye’s Gut, my downriggers, which automatically adjust to dips and rises in the bottom structure, started going berserk and reeling in, then playing out, cable. I thought I was having a major electronics meltdown, but it turns out I had gone over a giant school

Mark Carroll of Hingham, MA fished with the author last spring, and took home a good feed of healthy salmon from Sebago Lake. Photo by Tom Roth

of alewives, and the sensitive electronics thought it was bottom.

That’s how dense this bait ball was!

This scenario repeated itself several times throughout the summer. Other guide buddies had similar experiences.

The good thing was when we found these bait balls, we found the fish. Lakers and salmon were suspend-

ed at the depth of the bait, and were easy targets. Interestingly, some of these bait balls remained in the same spot for a week or more. Fish caught near these bait schools were chock-full of bait and often burped up fish once in the boat.

Some of the alewives were six inches long!

(Sebago to Auburn continued on page 71)

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70 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Rapid River Receives Rave Reviews The Rapid River begins at Middle Dam, on the western shore of Lower Richardson Lake (see DeLorme’s Atlas, Map 18, B-1).

The dam releases lake water to form the start of the Rapid River, and it flows for approximately six miles to the northeast shore of Umbagog Lake – a body of water situated on both sides of Maine’s western border.

The drop in elevation from Lower Richardson Lake to Umbagog Lake is quite dramatic; hence the name “Rapid” River. Anglers should be aware of the heavy currents in the river, and take precautions. A wading staff and boots with metal cleats are wise choic-

Maine’s Rapid River, which flows west from Lower Richardson and Pond in the River, has gained national acclaim for its fly fishing (trout and salmon), and for its difficult access and fast-moving water. It’s also steeped in tradition, and some folks are working hard to maintain that sense of history. es to help you stay upright and dry. You must also understand there are many places that cannot be reached by wading.

Rapid River Fame The Rapid River has always had exceptional fishing, with folks coming from all over the world to fish for large Eastern brook trout. National publications routinely draw attention to this famous river for

its remote beauty and exquisite fly-fishing adventures.

Noted angling author David Humphries recently published an online article titled, “31 Places to Fish In the USA” on his popular website, “Guide Recommended.”

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Much of the land surrounding the Rapid River has been purchased by Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) and the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust (RLHT), to protect this pristine paradise. The limited and difficult access also serves to restrict excessive pressure and overuse in the area.

Even though the river isn’t too lengthy, an angler should get help locating the best fishing spots by hiring a guide. Depending on the particular time of

Louise Dickinson Rich wrote her classic book “We Took to the Woods” in the 1930s. It describes the joy and natural beauty she discovered while raising a family in the remote woods along the Rapid River. Her work may have sparked the conservation effort that eventually resulted in the protection of much of the land along the river.

year, fish will be located in different places up and down this river.

In other words, an angler could fish all day in the wrong spot and come up empty-handed. So play it smart and hire a guide. They also have a keen understanding of the flies these huge brookies (Continued on next page)

���������������������������������������������� The Maine Sportsman • April 2025 • 71 (Continued from page 70)

and landlocked salmon like to eat.

Another reason to hire a guide for fishing this river is because they can help with access. The average Joe will have difficulty getting in and out of the area, because of its remote location.

It’s a 15-mile drive on confusing gravel roads that are often the sites of logging activity. If you’ve ever encountered a fully-loaded logging truck coming at you down a narrow dirt road, you know what I’m talking about.

Lakewood Camps Lakewood Camps (lakewoodcamps.com), the only public lodging

available on the Rapid River, has been operating since 1853. The rustic camps, located on the scenic shoreline of Lower Richardson Lake, are also within walking distance of the upper reaches of the Rapid River.

Lakewood Camps makes your trip into this remote and wild location a snap, by ferrying you in from the south end of Lower Richardson Lake at their dock at South Arm. The camp owners can also set you up with local guides, to make the fishing adventure the best possible.

Staying at Lakewood Camps allows you to fully enjoy yourself, focus on the

Sebago to Auburn

(Continued from page 69)

Iconic Mooselook Wobbler What was ironic about last season is that some days we really had to work hard to get lake trout, but the salmon came easily. And it didn’t seem to matter what we threw at the fish for lures – all patterns seemed to work.

Angling buddy and Sebago regular Bill Tapley of Lisbon joined me on my boat one day and was looking through my tackle box. He pulled out a yellow

fishing, and leave the cooking to the camp chef.

I called one of the owners of Lakewood Camps, David Middleton, and he told me about offering something new for folks who are staying in their camp.

Middleton said, “To help keep the wonderful memories of this historic region alive, I’ve invited fishing experts and local historians to host informative seminars after our evening meals.

The guides can tie flies and explain fishing techniques, while the historians will tell traditional stories from this region. I hope these presentations will rekindle the spark

of history that is such an important part of this area.”

The depth of history the Rapid River holds, plays out in a book written by Louise Dickinson Rich.

Mrs. Rich, the cousin of another famous author, Emily Dickinson, wrote “We Took to the Woods.” Written in the 1930s and published in the early 1940s, the memoir tells us the story of Mrs. Dickinson Rich’s life living on the banks of the Rapid River, just a few miles down from Lakewood Camps. Rich and her husband lived in a camp that is still standing. It’s known as the “Forest House.”

Several years ago, I visited the Forest

perch pattern Mooselook Wobbler that the company had sent me years ago. It had never seen the water, but Bill liked it. He tied it on, and it soon became my best-producing lure. Sadly, I lost it on a big laker, but I went out and bought a few more.

Last season, I never used bait, because lures worked all spring, summer, and fall. Some days required a slightly faster boat speed and watching for bait, and adjusting to the depth of the bait school was critical, but even anglers with a simple fish-finder could adapt and do well. Fish were oftentimes close

House. I felt honored to walk through the same home where the famous author lived.

In fact, her typewriter is still sitting in the room she used to create her memoirs. I could almost picture her sitting and writing, while she took in the awesome view of the wild river and scenic woodsy surroundings.

I am pleased and gratified that the new owners of Lakewood Camps have taken steps to keep the history of this storied region fresh and alive, as well as operating and maintaining Lakewood Camps so folks can take a step back in time.

¶

to the surface, so I was able to use fly rods with sinking line up until mid-August. Guide Dan Hillier is like me and prefers old-school fly rods for trolling, so he lines a few reels with monofilament and uses them in conjunction with his downriggers. I may adopt that technique this year!

Active fisheries management strategies, plentiful bait fish, and anglers using old and new techniques, have combined to bring the heyday of salmon angling back to Sebago Lake. Let’s hope it’s here to stay!

¶

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72 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Great Fishing in the Western Maine Mountains I remember a local fellow telling me that if I kept writing about fishing on the Androscoggin River, people would over-run the river and catch all the fish. He said he had noticed more people fishing on the river the past few years, and that the numbers of anglers had increased since I started writing my first columns for The Sportsman back in the early 2000s.

I kindly told him that I guided clients on the river routinely, and hardly ever saw anyone else fishing. I also told him that the majority of anglers I took fishing were from other states, and not one of them ever kept a fish from the Androscoggin River.

I also told the naïve young man that I never wrote about specific parts of the river to fish. I always

Beautiful ponds surround the Western Maine Mountains region, full of feisty trout and salmon. William Clunie photo

suggest a more generic reference, like, “Smallmouth bass fishing is best from Rumford to Canton Point, while the upper sections of the Androscoggin River seem to hold more trout.” Those two references are miles long, and allow readers to find “their own” special hot spots.

Reality The truth of the matter is, folks in this region have so many other places to fish that they don’t

need to focus on the Androscoggin River.

There are so many great trout- and salmon-fishing locations in the Western Maine Mountain Region that anglers often head out away from the big river.

One look at a map, and anglers will notice plenty of small streams and ponds throughout the region. Study the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s (MDIF&W’s) website, and locate the special rules sec-

tion for waters in this area, to find out the best places to fish. And here’s a little hint – the ones with the most regulations, are the best places to fish.

Another way to locate good fishing is to find the latest MDIF&W fish stocking report, like the one in this issue of The Sportsman. This will tell you exactly what kind of fishing to expect from each stream, river, pond, and lake.

Another indication of a great fishing

location is the degree of difficulty to access the water. I find most folks are less inclined to hit a fishing location that is tough to get to. In fact, most don’t like to hike in to fish. I can understand it in certain situations – hauling the kids, the spouse, the dog, and all the gear in a few miles could be tough, so the roadside fishing locations might work out better.

However, some great fishing can be found by looking for hiking locations that include a glacial trout pond at the end of the hike. Several great hikes in this region offer camping and fishing for any angler who doesn’t mind climbing up steep trails for a few hours. It sure beats fishing with a crowd.

(Western Maine continued on page 75)

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An Open Letter to Hunting Influencers Dear Hunting Media Influencers, If you have a YouTube channel, are a podcast contributor, have a following on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, this old-media style of print may not reach you. But if it does, listen up. This column is for you.

I know many of you personally and even call some of you friends. When questioned or criticized about your motives to become “content creators” you’ve often defended yourselves as just “trying to protect what we do for others and pass it along to the next generation.”

Frankly, I don’t buy it. Not when nearly 100% of your content is you killing stuff, talking about killing stuff, or pushing products that will supposedly help you kill more stuff faster.

Though I’ve made disparaging comments in the past about your online existence, I’ve come to terms that you probably aren’t going anywhere. And you seem to only be gaining traction and multiplying. So, if you are here to stay, this is what I ask of you. And if you truly care about the future of our outdoor way of life, it is what is demanded of you.

You can actually accomplish something meaningful beyond bragging about your latest big buck, or hawking your shallow “merch.” Here’s a few ideas:

pating in a public lands cleanup project or helping to instruct youth at a Hunter Education class.

Encourage attendance at informational hearings and public-input sessions on outdoor legislation. Share research articles or give commentary about wildlife habits or population trends. It could even be as simple as sharing a link for your local gun club’s skeet shoot or benefit spaghetti dinner.

Our columnist throws down the gauntlet, challenging social media icons (and would-be icons) of the hunting world to get involved in constructive projects, take controversial stands, and become role models for the next generation.

Community There are many conservation-oriented causes and events out there. Help promote them. Interview some of your state’s wildlife biologists or foresters on what they are doing to increase certain habitats. Shoot a special “episode” for your YouTube channel of you partici-

Take a Stand There’s lots of legislation concerning our outdoor pursuits. It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon of sharing a guttural resistance to a wide-arcing anti-hunting bill. Of course, those bills rarely have any chance of gaining formidable traction, though, so your opposition is moot. It’s also easy to support obvious pro-hunting legislation, such as allowing Sunday hunting in Maine.

It’s another thing entirely to take a stance on an issue that divides the hunting community. After all, you risk upsetting or losing some of your audience. Subjects such as cell camera use, baiting, hound hunting, resident-only seasons, antler/point restrictions, crossbows, and posted land, are all polarizing issues within the hunting community.

Again, I know many of you personal(New Hampshire continued on page 75)

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74 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

Spring Salads I live in the northern-most reaches of Vermont, so spring is a moving target.

Some years, the sap is almost done running on my south-facing sugar bush by the first weekend of April; other years, we boil well into the middle of the month. My grandmother used to call that last run of the year the frog run, noticing that when the peepers (and wood frogs) start calling, sugaring is about done. That final run is still sweet, but doesn’t have much maple flavor left, so it gets set aside for secondary uses, like sweetening recipes when strong maple doesn’t really fit.

The chorus of frogs accompanies a few other spring rituals that break me out of my winter habits. The second Saturday in April is when open season for trout begins in Vermont after the ice fishing closure on March 15th (be sure to check regulations for specific bodies of water). Not a big gap in time, but a big shift in techniques.

I typically break out my flyrod, though a short pole and a worm serve me well for a couple of brookies to accompany my other favorite spring activity – gathering edible plants.

Gathering Greens I focus on two greens in my spring foraging – ramps and fiddleheads.

Both plants need to be properly identified and www.MaineSportsman.com

The author looks forward to springtime, since wilderness green-up includes ramps (wild leeks) and fiddleheads (emerging ostrich ferns). Want more?

Soon, you’ll see dandelion greens, horseradish, and morel mushrooms. Be certain of your identifications, but if you know what you’ve got, what a great way to create a fresh salad to accompany the first open-water trout of the year!

Ramps ready for light foraging. Photos provided by the author

harvested sustainably.

In my experience, ramps, also known as wild leeks, can be mistaken for trout lilies and for young false hellebore. Both lookalikes grow in similar areas, and are part of early green-up. Proper identification is important, especially with false hellebore,

since poisoning requires medical attention.

The keys for me are the pure green leaf of the ramp (trout lilies are usually mottled looking), the separate reddish stems (false hellebore isn’t red, and usually comes off a single common stem) and, when picked, the

strong oniony-garlic smell. The smell is so important that if you don’t have that pungent odor, it probably isn’t a ramp.

Fiddleheads are the coiled starts of the ostrich fern. They are deep green in color and are covered with a brown paper as they erupt out of the crown

A brookie, ready for the fry pan.

(like a clump of roots).

The stalk of the fern has a deep channel in it. The robust heads typically face inward toward the center of the crown. This delicacy is often found on riverbanks and in wet soil.

Other ferns will have fiddleheads, but are usually pale, lack the deep channel on the stem, and don’t have the paper on them.

Both of these edibles need to be accurately identified, so it is best to accompany an experienced forager to get started.

If someone takes you out, don’t give up their spots, and don’t return there on your own without some discussion with the forager.

Foragers are possibly tighter-lipped about locations than deer hunters!

These plants should be harvested sustainably.

While the bulbs of ramps are delicious, they should be harvested very sparingly, since once the bulb is gone, that plant will never return. If you take just one leaf from the pair (sometimes there are three), the plant will be able to produce year after year for you.

Ramps take seven years to mature, so need plenty of time to grow and can be quickly over-harvested.

When working with fiddleheads, typical advice is to harvest less than half of the (Continued on next page)

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heads from a crown, though I lean more toward just a third, to make sure the plant stays healthy. I also try to observe if anyone else has been harvesting, and avoid picking any if this is the case. I tend to grab just enough for a meal at any one time. I don’t tend to put much away for later, though both plants are great pickled and canned. I’m

generally hesitant to buy these items; I tend to think that wild foraged items shouldn’t be subjected to “industrial” level harvest. The ephemeral nature of these plants leads me to believe they should be enjoyed ephemerally and not have a profit made from them.

Joyful Eating A few other plants are periodically part of my spring harvest,

Western Maine (Continued from page 72)

Camping and Fishing I started hiking into elevated fishing locations back in the 1990s, and never looked back. I liked combining hiking, camping, and fishing. It was a great way for me to completely get away from it all. I caught my own fish for dinner, camped out overnight, and woke up the next day to catch breakfast – now that’s what they call living large.

I learned to trim down the weight of my hiking gear to the bare minimum.

Switching to titanium cooking pans and utensils helped. Buying a water filter eliminated carrying in a bunch

New Hampshire (Continued from page 73)

ly. You have opinions on these things.

Sometimes really strong, well-articulated opinions. Quit cowering behind your cameras, and share them!

Your audience deserves to know where you stand on these things. And if you really do believe that some of these issues have the ability to negatively affect the way of hunting that you so purport to love and want to “preserve and pass down to the next generation,” then aren’t you obligated to do something about them?

Grow some … courage. What’s more important, your followers, or your conscience?

Role Models I worked several years at a conservation-oriented summer camp. The back of our shirts said, “Professional Role Model” instead of the typical “Staff.” I hated that T-shirt, and never wore it outside of the camp. I felt that

and something I keep looking at digging into more. Dandelion greens, horseradish, and morel mushrooms all start to make appearances in April, though usually later than fiddleheads and ramps.

Horseradish root isn’t native to New England, but has taken up residence, especially around old farms. It is strongly flavored in the spring, and is a delicious accompaniment to po-

tatoes or those first venison burgers on the grill.

As a kid, I remember watching my grandfather stand over his table-mounted hand mill in the kitchen, with tears running down his face, grinding horseradish for the year ahead. Top off with a little white vinegar in a mason jar and it keeps well.

Dandelions are also not native, and the bitter greens can

form part of a salad or be wilted. Lastly, morels are the most mysterious to me – I’ve found only a few, but they are delectable!

The ideal spring meal is a couple of brook trout fried up, served with some wilted ramps, steamed fiddleheads, and covered with a maple syrup vinaigrette. All the best April flavors on a plate!

¶

of heavy water bottles. Freeze-dried food was a lightweight option if I didn’t catch enough fish for a meal.

Heavy denim jeans and cotton clothing were exchanged for lightweight, wicking fabric. Down or synthetic insulation replaced heavy wool items. Canvas tents were replaced with much lighter silicone/nylon tents.

My ancient, heavy and bulky sleeping bag was passed down to my kids for sleepovers, and I got a modern, super-light bag, insulated with a synthetic material that rivaled down (and kept me warm even if it got wet).

I don’t hike in to fish glacial ponds anymore, but I still do some hiking to get away from the crowds. There are

plenty of ponds and streams in this region that keep me busy throughout the fishing season.

If anglers do their homework, it’s not that hard to find some great fishing locations. As a matter of fact, if an angler started searching for great fishing on the Androscoggin River alone, it would keep them busy. The big river does have great smallmouth bass fishing, as well as northern pike, rainbow trout, brown trout, some brook trout, and an occasional landlocked salmon.

As long as folks handle fish with care and return them to the Androscoggin River, we’ll keep having great fishing for generations to come.

my every move and word was being scrutinized. I guess that was part of the intention of the shirt, though, to make you think before you did.

I can’t imagine the kind of pressure you must feel having so many eyeballs seeing your most intimate and adrenaline-induced moments in the woods.

But, then again, I guess you volunteered to wear the shirt.

So conduct yourselves well. Act like your video is being produced for the person who is on the fence about hunting, because some of the people who watch it may very well be. Respect the animal. Graphic goriness is part of hunting. But it doesn’t have to be part of your YouTube video. Don’t video you standing over a critter, high-fiving, as it gasps and convulses in its last throes of death. No photos with a dripping, bloody tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. Be humble and grateful for the gift that it is. Exemplify this humility, not in premeditated cliché words to the camera, but in how you carry and

conduct yourself in that weighty moment.

¶

Culture God knows many of you have egos … so let me stroke them for you for a moment: you have tremendous clout and influence. You have the ability to communicate to a large swath of the hunting community. Not only that, but what you say matters. You have the ability to sway opinions, end trends, and set new ones. There, now take a step back and give some thought to what tremendous good you can do with this power.

A popular phrase in the political world is, “Politics is downstream of culture.” This alludes to the idea that any meaningful long-term change begins with changing the culture, not the laws. You all are the culture. You set the tone. You start the trends. Let’s make sure you are trending our community in the right direction. Please, for the love of hunting.

¶

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Smilin’ Sportsman

The judge looked down from the bench, and asked the defendant, “What did you steal, Mr. Trettenbouche?”

The man replied, “A can of peaches, Your Honor.”

“And how many peaches were there in the can?”

“Six, sir,” admitted the man.

“OK, you will serve 6 days in prison,” ruled the judge.

Suddenly, the defendant’s wife shout-

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ed from the back of the court room, “Your Honor, he also stole a jar of peanuts!”

— Advice for single dads: Remember – if you wait long enough to cook dinner, everyone will be happy with cereal.

— “Doctor, please help – my husband broke his leg.”

“Sorry, but I’m a vet. I specialize in horses.”

“Come on – it can’t be that big a difference!”

“You’re right – just let me get my rifle from the car.”

— A man in a bar noticed a friend at a table, drinking by himself. Approaching the friend, he commented, “You look terrible. What’s the problem?”

“My next-door neighbor died in August,” explained the friend, “and left me $25,000.”

“Hey, that’s tough,” the man replied.

“Then in September,” the friend continued, “my barber died, leaving me $90,000.”

“Wow. Two friends gone in two

months,” said the man. “No wonder you’re depressed.”

“Then last month, my pastor died, and left me $15,000.”

“Three folks close to you, lost in three months. How sad.”

“Then this month,” continued the friend, “absolutely nothing!”

— A doctor and a lawyer were talking at a party. Their conversation was constantly interrupted by people describing their ailments to the doctor, and asking for free medical advice. After an hour of this, the exasperated doctor asked the lawyer, “What do you do to stop people from asking you for legal advice when you’re out of the office?”

“I give it to them,” replied the lawyer, “and then I send them a bill.”

The doctor was skeptical, but agreed to give it a try. The next day, he prepared a stack of bills, and went to the mailbox to mail them.

When he opened up the mailbox, he found a bill from the lawyer.

¶

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Winter Woes If you complained about the weather this winter, you need some historical perspective. Fifteen thousand years ago, Maine was buried under a sheet of glacial ice a mile thick. Roads would have been impassable – if there had been any roads. Schools and businesses would have been closed for eons – if there had been any schools and businesses. Tourists would have been demanding refunds – if there had been any tourists.

There also would have been problems with freezing to death, starving to death and expiring from sheer boredom.

In short, Maine was an unattractive piece of real estate during the last ice age.

How much more pleasant everything is today. We have insulated clothing.

We have fancy footwear that allows us to walk across ice with impunity – assuming impunity wants to join us on our jaunt. We have snowmobiles if we don’t want to walk, and cross-country skis if we want to make walking more tiring.

Winter is a virtual paradise compared to what our ancestors had to endure. Or would have had to endure if any of our ancestors were hanging around Maine 15,000 years ago. Which they weren’t.

Sacrifice a Case of Ale In honor of the hardships these mythical ancestors didn’t endure, I have a ritual I perform each spring. My friends and I toss 24 cans of Rogue Dead Guy ale into a volcano to appease Mother Nature and ensure a good harvest.

Oops, sorry. Wrong ritual. To celebrate the end of winter, we mix up some gin and tonics, and venture out on the deck for the first time in months. We wear shorts and T-shirts and put on playlists heavy on Jimmy Buffett songs.

In a brief time, we’re freezing to death and have recovered our memories as to why one poorly-mixed G&T is more than enough, and why we never want to hear “Cheeseburger in Paradise” again.

But those are complaints for a different season. Spring – with its pesky insects, mud, tax deadlines and the return of Boston’s anemic American League baseball team – deserves its own whiney column about its shortcomings. This isn’t that column. If you’d been paying attention at all, you’d have guessed that

The only thing worse than snow and ice, is when it all starts to melt. G&Ts on the deck, anyone?

The author plans to enjoy a celebratory cocktail on his back deck – as soon as his back deck emerges from under the snow. Photo by Greg Rakozy

this column is about the failure of winter to live up to expectations. The disappointments visited upon us by other seasons will just have to wait their turn.

There are ways to deal with wintery annoyances. You could spend part of the year somewhere warm, where they have hurricanes, floods, uncontrolled fires, exotic tropical diseases, and they play Jimmy Buffett songs all the time like they’re the national anthem.

Of course, those of us who can’t afford such luxury will regard you as a wimp, and raid your liquor cabinet while you’re gone.

You could take up winter sports, such as ice skating, skiing, polar bear dips, and having your frost-bitten toes amputated. Or there’s that Scandinavian thingie, where they ski and shoot

rifles. That seems every bit as much fun as that other Scandinavian thingie where they put lye on raw fish and eat it.

Suddenly, listening to Jimmy Buffett doesn’t seem quite so nasty.

Parson Brown In the meadow, you could build a snowman and pretend that he is Parson Brown. Your neighbors might find this disconcerting and start crossing the street when they see you approaching.

And the real Parson Brown could take legal action.

Eventually, you may come to realize the simplest solution to the woes of winter is to stay inside. Keep the woodstove stoked and the Old Fashioneds coming with regularity. Perhaps those neighbors you alienated with the reverend snow person will take pity on you, and bring over homemade soups and pies.

Probably not, though. They haven’t forgiven or forgotten the previous spring when you refused to turn down the Jimmy Buffett tunes. At some point, you’ll likely have to go outside to forage for sustenance and whiskey, since in much of this rural state, Uber Eats isn’t an option.

You could have planned ahead for this eventuality by burying a bunch of frozen pot pies in the back yard. If you covered them with sufficient insulation, an inconvenient thaw won’t have rendered them little ptomaine incubators.

If you failed to do this, they’ll still make fine dinners for annoying in-laws and those neighbors who didn’t think the Parson Brown snowman was funny.

While staying inside has its downsides (starvation, cabin fever, daytime TV talk shows), it also allows you to avoid one of winter’s most unpleasant byproducts: slush. Neither snow nor rain, this blobby impediment to walking to the mailbox serves no useful purpose (Slushies cannot be defined as useful) and should have been outlawed years ago, right around the time the last ice age was melting.

Al Diamon writes the monthly column Politics & Other Mistakes for The Bollard magazine.

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78 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

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www.overheaddoorofbangor.com WELLINGTON – Welcome to Wellington! Come and see this turn key camp with all the amenities you need, plus all the privacy you want! Set on a sprawling 10.32 acres on a beautifully landscaped lot. Just bring your family and friends. Everything you need is here. 2 RV sites set on concrete slabs with water and electric and a pump house. Washer and dryer hookup and 2 heat pumps. Enjoy the fire pit and man-made pond just 2 miles from Kingsbury Pond. Snowmobiling and 4 wheeler access is close by.

MLS #1615184 – $169,000

HARTLAND – Approximately 112 acres of surveyed land on a town maintained gravel road, with power available at the road. Nice spot to build your home or camp. The ROW from Huff Hill Rd. offers a nice gravel road for more access to this property and is also the ATV and snowmobile trail.

The property features beautiful views as well. Currently in tree growth for tax purposes. Tax figure is estimated only. (23025Sa1002) MLS #1537236 – $142,000

DALLAS PLT – Ideally located 2.21 acre parcel offers elevated panoramic mountain views, glimpses of Haley Pond and Gull Pond. Shale driveway in place, building site cleared, 3 bedroom septic plan available, UG power. Enjoy snowmobile/ ATV access from your door. Plus just minutes to Rangeley amenities, Saddleback ski area, 4-season recreation. MLS #1606041 – $169,000 MAGALLOWAY PLT – Year-round, fully renovated two bedroom cabin just steps from Sturtevant Pond Brook, which flows into the Magalloway River. 1300 feet of water frontage. Cabin is fully furnished. Full foundation with new furnace and 2 forms of heat. Just 10 miles to Errol, NH, 45 minutes to Gorham, NH, 15 miles to Aziscohos Lake, and 25 miles to Rangeley and Oquossoc. Property is surrounded by 1800 acres of conservation preserved land! MLS #1593219 – $295,000

– Building Opportunities – D

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Dexter – This 84-acre wooded lot is on a town maintained road. No matter the season, bring your ATV, snowmobile, skis, snowshoes, hiking gear and take in all this property has to offer. MLS #1579300 – $199,000

D

Readfield – This 8.1-acre lot at 1740 Main Street is situated in a tranquil town where you’ll benefit from a close-knit community and the charm of rural life. Enjoy nearby recreational opportunities and the beauty of nature. MLS #1598994 – $94,000

PALMYRA – Nice 1.13 acre building lot near the golf course with a short commute to Newport, Pittsfield or Skowhegan. The lot is wooded and slopes toward the rear property line. It would make a nice lot for a daylight foundation or place to park your camper. MLS #1503619 – $19,500 CONCORD TWP – 5.56 surveyed acres of high and dry land on the Pleasant Ridge Road. Beautiful spot and very well-wooded. This would be a perfect place to build your weekend retreat or your dream home. Potential views of the surrounding area are possible. This property is only a few minutes drive to downtown Bingham and the Kennebec River boat launch. From this location, you can explore thousands of acres of the north woods. Excellent fishing, hunting, ATV and snowmobile trails are at your fingertips. MLS #1507152 – $34,000

SANDY RIVER PLT – Newly built 3 bedroom, 3 bath, energy efficient home on 1.6 acres. The home features a spacious lower level family room, main level with open living/kitchen/dining and 2 bedrooms, and a 2nd level with primary bedroom with bath, and loft sitting area. Most furniture can be included in sale. Wired for portable generator. Deeded common area with waterfront on Beaver Mt. Lake is shared with 4 owners. Close to amenities and 4-season activities. MLS #1606654 – #584,500

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ANSON – Nice 42 acre surveyed lot offering excellent views! This property is located on a town maintained paved road with power available at the road. Plenty of wood remains and the wildlife is abundant. A small intermittent stream runs through the property. Perfect hunting area with several apple trees throughout. There is an old unused dug well and 2 hunting sheds on the property. Great spot to build your dream home or camp. MLS #1603543 – $149,900 CONCORD TWP – A cozy tiny house or camp located in the Concord countryside. This charming tiny house sits on a flatbed trailer. The home has power, stream drawn or carry-in water, and an outhouse. Picturesque Little Houston Brook runs through the property with a series of small falls and riffles. This cabin is on 5.3 surveyed acres and could serve as your primary home or your cabin in the woods. This property could be an ideal outpost for guiding and hunting. Close to the Kenenbec River and numerous ponds. This property is also only minutes from thousands of acres of land that is open to the public. ATV and snowmobile access is nearby. MLS #1585504 – $150,000 OAKLAND – 20 acres of prime hunting land. Well, septic, driveway, power and a 1992 Redmond single wide 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom mobile home are all in place. With a little TLC you could make this your full time residence, hunting cabin or a place to stay while building your dream home. The home sits nicely off the road with plenty of privacy. There are many deer in this area and the timber has not been cut in at least 32 years. This property is in a great rural location and is just a short drive to in town Oakland, Waterville and Interstate 95. MLS #1607239 – $125,000 PALMYRA – Beautiful 4.13-acre lot on a quiet country road in Palmyra. Just a short distance to I-95.

This lot offers over 600 feet of road frontage to ensure your privacy. Soil test has been completed and all corners are pinned and lines are marked. This lot has an abundance of wildlife and has many flat areas to build your home or camp. A small brook flows through the property. Power is available at the street. MLS #1609989 – $39,000 4/25

Julian Harwood

Your Maine Guide to Real Estate juliantharwood@gmail.com | 207-592-7223 www.LaerRealty.com www.MaineSportsman.com

80 • April 2025 • The Maine Sportsman ———————————————————————————————————————————————

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