Hot Locations For Salmon And Trout

By Capt. Jim Hirt

I would like to share with you some of my key locations to find fish and the hottest set ups for early summer presentation.

The most important factor at this time of the year is water temperature. I recommend a must-item for you is a surface temperature gauge. Your gauge can be a simple hand held thermometer or a unit built into your fish locater.

Early summer is a great time for Coho and Chinooks. They prefer water temps in the mid fifties. Think about it, the temperature of Lake Michigan is in the 48-degree range. The most active fish are in the top twenty-five feet of water. Read more

Maine Ice Fishing Report For January 28, 2008

Region A – Southwestern Maine

Angler use on the smaller ponds in York and Cumberland counties has lightened up quite a bit as anglers begin to venture out onto bigger waters, which have gained some appreciable ice since the earlier January thaw. Nonetheless, those small waters are still producing some decent fishing opportunities, particularly for the 8-11 inch advanced fingerling brookies. For example, I interviewed five anglers at Barker Pond in Lyman on Saturday morning (1/25). Three had each caught a brookie, the fourth had caught 2 brookies, and the last angler managed to land 6 brookies including one of the larger fall yearlings (12-14 inches). Kids fishing Round Pond in Lyman are still having some great fishing, too. Read more

Maine Ice Fishing Report – Jan. 20, 2008

From the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Region A – Southwestern Maine

Over the last two weeks Jim Pellerin and Brian Lewis have prepared weekly fishing reports featuring waters they have been surveying under the Catchable Brook Trout Study. This week’s report will focus on Crystal Lake (Gray) and Sabbathday Lake (New Gloucester), the two waters that I am surveying during the month of January.

For those who may not be aware, fisheries staff working out of both the Southern and central Maine regional fisheries headquarters are participating in this research project to assess angler catches of legal size stocked brook trout in different types of lake and ponds. The results of this investigation will be used to guide future stocking allocations and ramped up production of 12 – 14 inch fall yearling brook trout. Read more

National Heritage Areas Stealing Your Property And Limiting Your Rights

I have written some here at the Black Bear Blog and Blogging the Maine Outdoors about National Heritage Areas. Just last week, I wrote an article at Blogging the Maine Outdoors about a summit which also took place last week at the Sunday River Ski Resort. That summit was to discuss the economic impact of trails to Maine’s economy.

Maine Gov. John Baldacci has been pushing for more promotion of Maine’s natural resources and appears to be an advocate for the establishment of more “preserved” lands including National Heritage Areas. Part of this summit at Sunday River was to discuss the prospects of mapping and inventorying lands and waterways in order to protect them. Included in that process was to tap into federal money available to protect these lands through National Heritage Areas. Read more

“Working Toward World Class”. At What Expense?

A very troubling article appeared Saturday in the Lewiston Sun Journal announcing this Tuesday’s annual meeting of the Androscoggin River Watershed Council to be held at Sunday River Ski Resort. The keynote address is to be delivered by David Vail, a professor of economics at Bowdoin College. He will speak on “Tourism Strategy for Maine’s North Woods: Getting to World Class.” Mr. Vail is also a member of Gov. Baldacci’s steering committee on natural resource-based industries.

His talk will focus on efforts over the past four years to turn Maine’s Northern Forest region into a world class tourist destination. He hopes that will happen in three steps. Read more

Wading Through A Fishing Adventure

By Tom Remington

It was late when we left Bethel, Maine and headed for Baxter State Park. There were several others in our party who had gone ahead of us and would have camp set up long before darkness would set in. Wayne and I were doing the good family thing that all parents should do; we attended our daughters dance recital on Friday evening. We had our gear packed and as soon as the party was over, we headed north. It would be about 4 hours before we arrived at the campsite.

The campground was actually outside the State Park and was privately owned but the only way in that hour of the day would have to be the main entrance. Read more

North Woods Fly Fishing

By A. Sayward Lamb

Spring is the time of year when we begin to think about fishing. While I do enjoy many types of fishing, my favorite method is fly fishing. If I remember correctly, I became interested in fly fishing during the winter of 1959. One evening I went over to visit with my neighbor, H. Stanley Andrews, at his home and he happened to be tying streamer flies to use for salmon fishing. I was fascinated and watched as he tied several different patterns of streamer flies using tandem hooks. This type of fly is generally used by trolling behind boats. Stan encouraged me to try tying flies for my own use. Read more

Going Fishing

By A. Sayward Lamb

When it comes to fishing, the choice is yours. There are so many ways to enjoy fishing that we all have to make the decisions of where, when, and how, we are going to fish. I started fishing over seventy years ago when I was a young boy. We lived in a rural Maine community where the Little Androscoggin River flowed through town, only a short distance from Main Street. This also happened to be within view of where I lived, so it was easy to get there in only a few minutes.

Several boys from the neighborhood, including my brothers, and myself, spent many happy hours throughout the summer fishing for whatever we could catch in the river, including suckers, shiners, chubs, and once in awhile, we might even hook onto a trout. Read more

How To Sew On Smelts, Suckers and Shiners as Bait for Trolling

By A. Sayward Lamb

I have trolled sewed smelts, suckers, and shiners, over a period of more that fifty years. Most of the time I use the method taught to me by Harl Andrews. This is my method.

First, be sure to use sewing hooks with double leaders ( I make my own) Why? Because you take the single sewing hook and, using the point of the hook, force it down through the top of the head in the bony part just above the eyes. Pull the complete hook down through. Then bring the hook up to the top of the head once again, and put the hook down through the same hole in the head a second time.

Now carefully “sew” the hook along the lateral line of the bait(fish). Way back to just in front of the tail. Complete the sewing by making sure hook is completely embedded inside the bait.

Now work the leader material taught enough to give the sewed bait a bit of bend. Once you have the bend you want, take the leader and pull any excess back towards the loop end of the leader.

This next step is very important—Place one side of the double leader behind the gills on one side of the bait, and the second leader on the opposite side. Finalize any needed adjustments to keep a slight bend in the sewed bait. Attach the loop of the leader to the trolling line swiveled end.

Throw the line overboard with the line short enough so you can see the rolling action. The sewed bait should be doing only a slow roll at trolling speed. If it turns too fast then loosen the double loop on the head and take some of the loosened line and adjust the sewed bait to become straighter. If the sewed bait doesn’t turn fast enough, (and I emphasize that it should be only a slow roll) adjust the line so it is tighter.

Sometimes I do attach a small treble hook to the head, but I haven’t found out a way to use the treble hook to penetrate the head, (between the eyes). I have heard of the head knot, for use with treble hooks, and even though I have never used this method, I sort of remember it involves tying a couple of half hitches around the head, just behind the gills. That’s the best I have to offer.

Oh, I almost forgot the most important part. “Spit a big gob of goo on the bait as an attractor”.

*Note* Since the time of this writing, Sayward Lamb, with the assistance of chief photographer Milt Inman, have put together a series of photographs and captions that should help better demonstrate the art of tying bait.

Sayward with double leader and double tandem hooks that he tied. The leader is about four feet long but you can select whatever length you desire. I recommend that the leader be at least two and a half feet long. (Note) The front hook slides on the leader, so it can be adjusted for whatever length fish you choose to sew on for your trolling bait.

This shows the hooks. The forward hook slides on the mono-filament leader material in order to be adjusted for whatever length of the bait fish being used for trolling.

Bait fish can be whatever length you choose to use. The one illustrated is a shiner about four and one half inches long.

Take the rear hook and begin by placing the point of the hook on the top of the head, just behind the eyes.

Insert the hook and push it completely down through, until it comes out the lower jaw.

Pull the hook out and prepare to repeat this procedure.

Place the hook in the same hole at the top of the head and pull the hook out through the bottom of the jaw for the second time.

Pull the leader material through until you have a good sized loop.

Take the hook by the shank and begin sewing by inserting the hook in behind the gills and bring it out along the lateral line of the fish. The distance of the loops will be determined by the size of the sewing hook. (Right handed people will find it easier to sew on the right side of the bait fish.)

The next four photographs will show the process as is explained in the caption that follows:

Insert the hook into the same hole where it exited and repeat the sewing process until the hook reaches a point located just ahead of the tail.

After the hook is pulled out, just in front of the tail, hold on to the bend of the hook and push the shank back inside the last exit hole, nearest the tail – leaving most of the bend and tip of the hook outside the fish.

Take any excess leader and pull it back out of the head until it makes a slight bend in the fish.

This shows the bend of the fish. The curvature depends on several factors. Such as the size of the bait fish; length of leader; number of swivels; and trolling speed.

Take the leader and place one strand of the double leader material behind the gill on each side of the head. Now tighten up the loop until the leader is tight.

Now the sewing is completed with the leader inside the bait fish.

Slide the front hook back towards the head and insert the hook just behind the lips of the bait fish. (I usually insert the hook with the point up.)

The sewing is completed and now it is time to start trolling at your regular trolling speed; checking the bait fish to see that it rolls s-l-o-w-l-y! Remember, this should imitate a crippled fish. If it rolls too fast the curve needs to be straightened. This is done by loosening the line, to straighten the curvature of the bait fish.

If it is not rolling properly, the line needs to be tightened, to give slightly more curvature to the bait fish. It is a trial and error process, so be patient and soon you will be catching that big one that you are after.

Good luck and tight lines!

A. Sayward Lamb

When You Need a Little Lubricant on Your Rod Ferule

By A. Sayward Lamb

Before you assemble your fly rod, rub the male ferrule of the tip section in the crevice next to your nose, between your lips and your eyes. The natural oils from this area of your face will help lubricate the ferrule and make it easier to take apart when you are ready to take your rod apart.

Next Page »