After a long night’s sleep, my little fishing buddy, Lacey, and I hit the lake at 5:15 a.m. and only moments later I landed a beautiful trout, “Tommy Trout” which measured 17.5″ and weighed 2.25#.

Our annual excursion to Parmachenee got underway Thursday evening July 24th with the 1100 mile drive from Indiana to Maine. 24 hours later, we arrived at my Dad’s fishing lodge very weary but also excited at the prospect of two weeks of uninterrupted camp life.

After a long night’s sleep, my little fishing buddy, Lacey, and I hit the lake at 5:15 a.m. and only moments later I landed a beautiful trout, “Tommy Trout” which measured 17.5″ and weighed 2.25#.

Named in honor of Tom Remington by my daughter Lacey, who has named all the fish we’ve caught the last 2 years.

After a quick trip to shore to show off Tommy and to get scolded by my wife for taking Lacey fishing in her nightgown – who knew?

We headed back out after Mommy got Lacey “properly attired” and a few minutes later, Lacey landed a nice 13.5″ trout – all by herself!

She is after all a “big girl” now and didn’t need my help like when she was little!

It was a picture perfect morning of fishing.

The big kids got their opportunity to fish later in the week as they only had 3 day licenses. My oldest son Joshua, who is home from the Army, caught 3 nice trout during his three days of fishing.

Josh’s fiancée and my future daughter-in-law, Jennifer, who had never been fishing in her life, caught 2 nice fish, including this nice 15″ Trout.

My son Tim was shut out fish-wise but did manage to catch bottom a couple of times. Tim’s wife, Brittany, who is 6 months pregnant, decided to forgo fishing this season, but rode along in the boat for encouragement and to take pictures.

Then the rains came. It rained morning, noon and night.

We killed time at night by watching the Red Sox on the satellite.

As the rain came down, the lake started to rise and the fishing tapered off. I still managed to catch a bunch of trout, but I had yet to catch a legal sized salmon. I had managed to catch a couple of small ones but no keepers.

On the last night of fishing, I caught a 16″ salmon, normally the size that I’d throw back to grow but I’d fished too long for that…

So another year has passed and Lacey and I are counting the days until next year’s trek…

I’d like to invite you to compete in the Upper Andro Two Fly Contest and Drift Boat Competition scheduled for June 12 and 13. This is the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance’s primary fund-raiser for the year. Our sponsors, Kittery Trading Post, L.L. Bean, the Orvis Company, Caddis and Cane, Sun Valley Sports, and Clackacraft have donated over $5,000 worth of prizes.

Information and registration is available on line at www.upperandro.com. The releases below give an overview of the events.

If you are a guide, invite two of your best sports to join you for the event and introduce them to the trout fishery on the Upper Andro. Did you know that Maine’s record rainbow trout was caught last June on the Upper Andro? If you are an avid angler but a mid-week 9 to 5’er, perhaps your employer would sponsor your team. We’d be happy to post any banners or posters from you company to give them recognition.

Many of our lodging members have special overnight rates. Just mention that you are competing in the Two Fly Contest to receive the rates. May we suggest The Bethel Inn-$133 per night for a double occupancy room including tax (800-654-0125) or The Bethel Hill B&B- $230 for 2 nights exclusive of tax or bring your friends and stay at the Village House sleeping 6 for $375 for 2 nights (207-824-2461). Information about other UAAA lodging and camping members is available at www.upperandro.com

The final day of registration is Wednesday, June 11 at Sun Valley Sports. Pick up your registration kit, rules, and barbecue coupon early so you can get out on the water at the crack of dawn. Any questions, give me a call at 207-824-7533.

Yours truly,

Rocky Freda
Sun Valley Sports
UAAA Director

Upper Andro Two Fly Contest

Set for June 12 and 13

The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance is sponsoring its Annual Two Fly Contest on June 12 and 13 in Bethel, Maine.

The Two Fly contest will test the skills of anglers to fly fish for the most and the largest of the three trout species, brown, rainbow and brook found in the Upper Androscoggin River from the New Hampshire border to Rumford.

Contestants may use only two flies during the event, which starts early Thursday morning and ends at noon on Friday. A fly is defined as made from natural or synthetic materials tied to a single pointed hook. No tandems or treble hooks are allowed. Teams of three including two anglers and a referee/oarsman must fish from an open boat-drift boat, row boat or raft. All fish must be released live.

Prizes include rods and fishing gear supplied by Kittery Trading Post, L.L. Bean, Caddis and Cane, Sun Valley Sports and the Orvis Company.

Official contest rules and a registration form are available on line at www.upperandro.com or by phoning 1-877-851-7533. The entry fee is $375 per team and includes an outdoor barbecue at the Bethel Inn. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance.

Northeast Drift Boat Championship

The First Annual Northeast Drift Boat Championship will be held Friday afternoon, June 13 on the Upper Androscoggin River in Bethel Maine. Designed as a spectator event, the competition will test oarsmen’s skills at launching, navigating a course and rowing speed. Each drift boat must carry at least one angler, who must remain standing throughout the timed race. The launch will be from Bethel Outdoor Adventures on Route 2 and the finish line is at Davis Park in Bethel-a distance of a quarter mile.

Prizes include drift boat equipment provided by Clackacraft. A registration form is available on line at www.upperandro.com or by phoning 1-877-851-7533. The entry fee is $50 or is included in the Two-Fly Contest fee if the drift boat is competing in both events.

Raised in the western mountains of Maine on the banks of the Androscoggin River and the village of Bethel, Carter Davidson is an avid fly fisherman, a producer of outdoor adventure television programs, documentaries and most recently executive producer of Gray Ghost Productions fly fishing film titled “The One.” Beginning in 2000, Carter first got his start with Maine PBS, producing and editing a long list of Emmy nominated magazine series and documentaries. Later, he traveled across the globe to locations such as New Zealand, France, Argentina, Chile, and British Columbia to film all sorts of outdoor adventures from extreme skiing, whitewater rafting and kayaking, skydiving, mountain biking and of course fly fishing. In 2007 Carter founded the video production company Gray Ghost Productions and began his search to film and capture the essence of fly fishing.

“Follow the dream team of Gray Ghost Production’s first adventure as they travel through New England, Patagonia and British Colombia in search of The One. Come explore the untouched terrain of Argentina with Michael Jones. Or hop in the jet boat for a wild ride hunting for steelheads. New England’s most prominent trout guru and director of the Green Meanie’s takes us into the back country of Maine and trophy brook trout water. Take a look back in time to rediscover the Rangeley lakes region and the famous trout flies originated in this area. Tag along with Luke Gray and Charlie Davidson as they hear the scream of the reel on some of New England’s large and small tributaries. Join these fly fishing junkies and their quest for, The One.”

Executive Producers: Matt Stanton, Carter Davidson
Producer: Charlie Davidson
Director of Photography: Luke Gray
Narration: Joe Perham and Carter Davidson

Movie trailer:

Tom Remington

“Follow the dream team of Gray Ghost Production’s first adventure as they travel through New England, Patagonia and British Colombia in search of The One. Come explore the untouched terrain of Argentina with Michael Jones. Or hop in the jet boat for a wild ride hunting for steelheads. New England’s most prominent trout guru and director of the Green Meanie’s takes us into the back country of Maine and trophy brook trout water. Take a look back in time to rediscover the Rangeley lakes region and the famous trout flies originated in this area. Tag along with Luke Gray and Charlie Davidson as they hear the scream of the reel on some of New England’s large and small tributaries. Join these fly fishing junkies and their quest for, The One.”

Executive Producers: Matt Stanton, Carter Davidson
Producer: Charlie Davidson
Director of Photography: Luke Gray
Narration: Joe Perham and Carter Davidson

Movie trailer:

A movie premier will take place in Bethel in February. The release of the full length movie will be available to the public shortly after that.

Tom Remington