20 inch smallmouth

19 1/2 small mouth

Over this past winter my Pastor came to me and asked if I could find time to take the youth on some type of an adventure. I had many things run through my head including a canoe trip, bass trip, Grand Lake Stream; but I then remembered that Otis Godley had these beautiful camps only an hour from Bangor. So I was instantly on the phone with him and explained what I was trying to do and he invited us out. But there was a catch. We had to do some yard work before we got to play. We gladly accepted the offer.

Otis was explaining that these camps were originally out post camps for loggers and he bought them over 20 years ago and he has been building new camps and really has put his life and blood into rebuilding this place. He really has a gem here only an hour from Bangor. He told me there is trophy brook trout and salmon waters only minutes away and that there is a healthy population of small mouth bass right out his front door. Otis also told me that the hunting for bear, deer, birds and rabbit was exceptional in the area.

To really kick this adventure off we boated across the lake to his camps; we couldn’t of had better weather. When we unpacked and got settled, we started to help out around the camp as promised. Otis only had a few chores since he didn’t want to take too much time away from them playing. The kids were great and they really helped out.

There were so many options for the kids to do; swim, canoe, kayak, fish, or just relax. It seemed the boys were into fishing and the girls into relaxing. I don’t think the boys stopped casting a rod the whole time, either from the dock or shore. I did take a couple small groups out in my boat to explore and we found some big bass just up the lake. They ranged from 16 inches to 20 inches!

Jim Fahey of the Maine Warden Service came in and spoke to the kids. He talked about the Warden Service but also went over what to do if you ever get lost in the Maine woods which is something we all should know. It was great that he took the time to come and talk to these kids. They really learned a lot.

Otis is really blessed to have these camps and there is talk of making this a annual trip to these camps, since they had so much fun. I do know one thing. I will be back.

I took over 800 pictures and I have picked the best ones. They will really tell the story better than I can with words; enjoy!

Camp dog,Itchy

Practice

Fish on!

Lunch

exploring

Wild brook trout

Pastor’s first fish since she was 5!!

Jim Fahey,gives a talk

In front of the camp

Sun going down

Relaxing

Dinner

S’amores!!

Night Life

Story Time

Early morning

breakfast

Sunday Service

The crew

I believe the suckers and chub play an important roll in our trout and salmon fisheries. First of all they are one of our native fish and they belong here in Maine waters. They both create food for these fish not just when they are small but when they are spawning. The sucker lays eggs that are yellowish and the size of an eraser of a pencil. When the suckers move into the river to spawn, which is just starting the trout and salmon move in behind them to eat the eggs.

After randomly hooking a sucker a friend and I decided we were going to spend a day just fishing for suckers. We put the call out to our friends and one told us of a small brook right full of suckers. So with small fly rods in hand and a handful of flies, (buggers,nymphs and stone flies) we went searching. These fish were hard to catch as we had to sneak up on the stream because as soon as we got close they all would scatter. I had a blast and we had some great laughs trying to hook them. When we did finally hook some they would explode the little stream and rip line off and try to break us off on trees and rocks.

So, I suggest the next time you accidentally hook into a sucker or chub, enjoy the fight and release them for us sucker hunters.

A great fly to use when trying to catch these fish is the olive woolly bugger. I am not sure why but they really seem to love them. This is a place I will often take new people to fly fish. They don’t have to cast very far and if they can get a fly in the water, the trout will usually put a smile on your face.

Last year on the way north, I stopped with my boys and a couple of friends new to fly fishing. I think this was the highlight of the trip. We spent a few hours here catching trout after trout. We release all but the limit for one person, so the kids could try eating trout around the camp fire.

So there is no excuse not to get the whole family out fishing this year, go try it!

My boys are always up for an adventure with me and this was no exception. After breakfast we headed for northern pike. The weather wasn’t perfect for fly fishing, let alone with two little boys, but we headed any ways. Keep in mind, my boys were seven and ten as they were fly fishing for northern pike with big flies. Yes, I was brave, but these kids can fish.

I won’t lie, the fishing sucked! We tried to cast and cast and cast. On one of my retrieves there was a big swirl on my fly but the fish missed it. As I retrieved it back to the boat I let it hang just by the boat, while the three of us were looking at the fly a pike ate it! The fish taped out at 31 inches! A great fish on the fly and not a wasted trip.

Well, we hit one more spot and the wind had really picked up. My oldest had put his rod away and I was reeling up mine, when all chaos breaks loose. Out of the corner of my eye I see an explosion in the water and my youngest yells, FISH ON! So picture this, a seven year old kid with a six weight rod, which is extremely light for pike and a fish on that was almost three feet long! I don’t know how many times he had the fish almost to the boat and it would run out again. I really didn’t think he would land it. At one point he wanted me to fight it and I told him it was his fish and his fight. Well at age seven he landed a 31 inch northern pike and created a memory of a lifetime.

I am no advocate for the illegal stocking of northern pike around the state of Maine but there are places that these fish have been for a long time and I think it is a shame not to take advantage of a great fishing opportunity. No matter how you feel about them, they are a great game fish on the fly.

Well, he called back and said he had heard that Maine is one of the best in the country for small mouth and he really wanted to go for it. I told him I knew a few spots that we might get lucky at but I really had no hope of him getting any. He then went on to say, “Well, if it is going to suck, then can we negotiate the price of the trip?” I agreed, but I told him I was going to fish also, if I was going to lower the price.

We hit the water and it was cold and miserable out but, I started at a spot I have caught them in April and, no luck. So we headed to another. I cast out and retrieved very slowly, felt a bump, not sure if it was bottom or not. I cast again. Fish On!

I switch rods and he proceeded to catch 20 fish over the next hour. They ranged from 15 inches to 19 inches. So he did one final cast and hooked into another. He said,”This is a big one!” I am thought, another 18 inch fish but then it jumped. My heart started racing as this was a huge small mouth. The battle went on for a while. When I netted it I couldn’t believe my eyes. This fish was as fat as it was long. It taped out at 21 inches and it was the biggest bass a client had caught on a fly to date.

When I dropped him off at his car he said, “The rumors are true about Maine Small mouth.”

Over the past few years I have had the pleasure of working with Carter Davidson of Gray Ghost productions. He has several films to his name,The One, East by North East, The Good Life and the latest Turning Tails. Carter is very talented and a great story teller. So if you have the opportunity to buy or see one of his films, you won’t be disappointed.

Carter spent over a year filming Turning Tails. He tried to capture all aspects of what is going on with the Atlantic salmon, from right here on the Penobscot to the Labrador . I am in this film along with others from around the state. I was fortunate to travel to New Brunswick where I was able to catch my first Atlantic salmon, a trip I will not soon forget.

This year, Turning Tails made it into the http://flyfilmtour.com , which is a huge honor. They receive hundreds of entries from around the world and this is seen all across the country plus in Canada. I have seen the tour and his film is one of the best.

Here is what Carter says about the film,http://www.ggpfilms.com/films.html:

Throughout the east coast of North America, from Long Island Sound to the northern most point of Labrador if you look closely, you will find the chrome beauty known as Salmo Salar. For a fly fisherman it may mean the best fresh water game fish there is, to a biologist it may be a long history of research, and the conversationalist in many cases it is the one to save. This film is a compilation of all that is good in North America; people hard at work for an excellent cause, the fight to hold on to a North American treasure or just the simple beauty of this “leaper.” As of late, there are significant efforts in place to better understand what is going on with this fable fish. There’s no doubt; Atlantic salmon are in trouble, particularly in the Coast of Maine watershed and points south. Where once there were thousands of fish, now there are tens. That’s tens. Sadly, in some places, there are none and yet, in many Canadian rivers they are thriving with record returns. It is a lot to take in, we know, but where there is truth you will also find understanding. This journey explores the outer most reaches from the wilds of Labrador, the Gaspe Bay Peninsula and New Brunswick, to the inner workings of hatcheries and fish traps. From the rich sporting heritage to the mystery while at sea, this film will take you on an exploration of a lifetime, well beyond the leap.

We were up against high water from run off and the water was discolored. It really didn’t matter, the fish were stacked up and I lost count of how many fish we caught. Instead of telling you in words, I will let the pictures tell the story for me. Enjoy!

So this particular year I took a friend of mine, Dan, who had been bugging me since he was a teenager to go fishing with me. I told him I would take him but it would cost him, not knowing it really would. So I finally gave in and we went in search of trophy brook trout. We decided to go to a spot I hadn’t been in years where I was planning on fly fishing and catch and release, so I never even thought to check the law book. Well, since I had been there, there had been a law change.

When we arrived at the spot we practically ran to the water and someone was already there. So Dan decided to fish around the area and I went exploring. At one point I saw Dan talking to a man. I figured he was leaving and giving Dan his spot but I was wrong. It was a Maine Warden doing some under cover work. He asked to check Dan’s license and to see if he was using two flies which he was. The Maine Warden was very polite and explained the law had changed two years ago but he was going to have to give him a $100 ticket. I guess it did really cost him to go with me!

The point is, know the laws for the body of water you are fishing and don’t rely on your buddy. We did find those trophy fish and had a very successful fishing trip but, it was a lesson to both of us and a trip we won’t ever forget.

For more information and a list of events visit: www.eldredgeflyshop.com/fly-fishing-expo

Here are some photos from last years event

I hope to see you there!