NUMENON |
PONDERING CORE ESSENCE
NUMENON |
I recently enjoyed my third Spring as a Maine resident, and I was fortunately able to hit the trout harder, more consistently, and with expanded range and methods in 2024. In fact, I fished from coast to coast, as I was able to score a long weekend in Northern California with my oldest daughter, K. I shared the boat with other friends and family as schedules allowed, and I enjoyed many hours of serenity and wildness. The fish aren't as big as on the Great Lakes, but when paired with lighter tackle and considered within the frameworks of Simplicity and Quality of Experience, they are worthy quarry! I caught plenty and missed several that will have me thinking through next winter. I'll be pleased to try again in 2025! The stripers are approaching and amybaby22 will soon be moored in the salt; this part of my 2024 Fishing Calendar is coming to a close. Here's a simple summary and celebration of my 2024 Spring Trout Season... Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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Such a lucky guy to have a daughter like K! (For so many reasons, beyond but including the particulars of this account). She'd arranged a trip for me to visit her in the San Francisco area and share some camping and fishing. After a long Maine Winter, I was more than ready to do so! After just a bit of back and forth, we settled on an itinerary that offered convenient and pleasant fun. We could relax and enjoy each other's company for a few days within an easy drive from her Bay-area home, with the prospect of catching some nice trout! And that we did! Lodging and fishing were available at Collins Lake, and Captains CK and W at FHS.com provided a stable and comfortable platform in our quest for some trout. It was a low-stress approach all the way around, and we appreciated it! Campfires, eagles, ospreys, blacktail deer, nice gear, clean beds, hot showers, ice cream and each other's company; all enhanced by plenty of trout reaching six pounds. It was a "hella" long weekend! Such a lucky guy to have shared not just this, but several decades of shared outdoor experiences with my kids. Somehow, I thought K was all grown up and ready to serve as First Mate aboard Mrs. Paul, my first vessel, 25 years ago. I wasn't quite right about that, but we still spent plenty of time on the water and we had more than our share of fun and success. We got safely home every time, too! It was an awesome gift to share these current moments, but especially so in the reflection of our previously shared experiences. Thanks, K! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways While I didn't publish a specific set of fishing goals for 2023, the season has ended and I can't help but reflect back on what was a fantastic fishing year. I could easily start and end my summary with a simple reference to capturing my largest-ever striper on July 6; but there were so many other good aspects to the season! For instance:
While I missed out on the perennial goals of catching a false albacore and landing a four-pound bass, I have to admit that I didn't even attempt to fulfill these. I was too busy chasing other dreams. I did fulfill the following typical goals:
These last five are less empirical, but certainly more meaningful. "New water" was a primary focus for the entire season. I greatly expanded my reach within Casco Bay and found many new, productive nooks and crannies. I am now pretty comfortable from Portland Head Light to the Bustins outside of Freeport. I also had some success on Square Pond, different parts of Sebago, and Narragansett Bay! I was perhaps light on new techniques, but the Minn Kota trolling motor added new dimensions to my fishing and presentations. I also captured a Personal Best Striper on the Fly in very shallow water on a shrimp pattern; this general experience, and this particular fish were highlights of the season! I also introduced the frantic "Bayman Bounce" to Broad Cove and turned some difficult fish into biters! Finally, I resurrected Great Lakes gear and techniques (long cores, copper lines and downriggers) to successfully contact Sebago's lakers. New buddies PP, CG and nephew J all joined me for pleasant sessions and stripers landed. I was also happy to host the next generation of striper stewards on both sides of my family. My travel within Maine was limited, but I found new water and lost memorable fish in both fresh and salt water across the lower part of the state. And, A and I enjoyed a non-fishing long weekend Down East and somehow landed at the Fryeburg Fair, too! My (fishing) travel outside the state was even more limited, but I was very pleased with my targeted day-trip to Narragansett Bay. I didn't find the big bait and fish I'd expected and hoped for, but fell back on small baits and estuaries to make the day and find my first stripers of the year. I'd even consider starting future seasons in Little Rhody, if only as a salute to my youth. Finally, if I award myself the extra point for NOT falling overboard (not once, all season!), I feel pretty comfortable rating this season at 9 out of 10 possible points. Overall improvement is still possible; just not especially likely! I am especially grateful for the support I've received from loved ones. Even if they cannot understand how important this is to me, they somehow still afford me the opportunity to fully participate in these pursuits. 2024 awaits; I have plans and ideas... Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways The Maritime skiff got pulled from her mooring on Columbus Day, and so that meant she could live in the garage and start fishing in fresh water for the remainder of Fall. My interest in larger trout, ease of access, driving range, and open fishing opportunities per fall regulation led me back to Lake Sebago. I enjoyed several increasingly productive trips in a row under a range of conditions varying from downright beautiful to equally as miserable. Quite often I had the State Park boating access site to myself, and I was usually miles from the nearest boat. I was seemingly always around bait and interesting structure, and I worked hard at honing my presentations to elicit more bites from the wild, resident lake trout, locally known as "togue". I mixed local intel and favored techniques with my history of trout fishing on Lake Michigan and Michigan's inland trout lakes. I resurrected a Big Jon downrigger that I had saved from Numenon and mounted it aboard amybaby22. I deployed long sections of lead core and copper wire to get my spoons down to depth, and found fairly consistent patterns of biters suspended at 45 feet and near bottom in about 75 feet of water. I'd heard that the local "bite goes white" in the fall, and I can't really argue against that point. I'd say "white glow" is even better! Equipped with excellent sonar/mapping, flexible rod holders, multiple rigged rods, the bow-mounted trolling motor, and now the downrigger, amybaby22 proved herself once again to be extremely fishy! My increased ability to troll down to speed (1.5 mph or even a bit less) kept my spoons in the zone and attractive. While none of the trout would have raised an eyebrow on Lake Michigan, I found some very decent local togue. Sebago has more of a reputation for numbers than size, but also pumps out the occasional outsized laker, so I might as well be there when it decides to eat! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways The Maritime skiff had enjoyed a long winter of pampered self-improvement. Her bottom was painted and a Minn Kota Terrova trolling motor was installed on her bow. Even the trailer was in tip-top shape as I topped off the tire pressure and verified full lighting functionality. By Easter Sunday 2023, she was ready to go, as was I! The weather was clear and bright, and A chose to join me. We were joined on Mousam Lake by at least one bald eagle and a couple of pairs of loons. We had the lake mostly to ourselves, and I even convinced four trout to eat, landing a couple of pretty browns to about 15 inches. We were surprised by some ice remaining on the lake. Fortunately, the ice bridge confining us to the southernmost portion of the lake broke up with some late-morning wind and sunshine. The north end was still totally locked in, and so I didn't get to fish the water I had thought about all winter. We still ended up having plenty of water to explore. Water temperatures were just 38 - 40 degrees F, and so the bite was marginal. Still, it was a rewarding trip to start the season, and pretty much problem-free. There's a lot to look forward to, and based on the performance of the trolling motor (including Spot-Lock), I've got a lot to look forward to in 2023. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways It turns out that one of A's favorite things to do is just explore a new area for the day and share a good meal along the way. With a beautiful day on our hands, we recently tackled the Moosehead Lake Region (or at least a portion of it). This is about three hours from our home, and was new to both of us. My interest was largely in getting oriented to the available fishing for world-class brook trout and landlocked salmon, while A's was a bit broader and healthier to include scenery, camping, accommodations, etc. We drove straight to Greenville at the base of the lake. It was sleepy and slow before noon on a Sunday. We scoped out a potential lunch spot right on the lake, poked around the waterfront, and picked up some literature for Reel Moosehead Guide Service. I'd told A that I wanted to see a seven-pound brook trout ... and there might be one on the cover of their literature. Per their website reelmoosehead.com , a day of guided ice fishing for brook trout sounds like a good deal and certainly could happen in the future. We went up the lake's eastern shore to Lily Bay State Park. Here we found a couple of nice boat ramps and quiet tent-camping sites. It wasn't very busy, either, although we were probably in the hours between check-out and check-in. Still, it appeared to be spacious and rustic compared to other state's camping opportunities. I suspect we'll be back! From here it was about a 10 mile drive north to the Roach River and First Roach Pond. I've seen some beautiful pictures from this area, and the river seems to be about the "right" size for me. With restricted methods and seasons, as well as a big spawning push of Moosehead Lake fish in the fall, I definitely have some interest in returning here. Plus, I confirmed the First Pond boat ramp is functional, at least for amybaby22! I was a bit confused by access to the river; the lone, obvious public access point leads to a deep hole and appears to be unwadeable. But I think there might be a road/path behind the main "store" in Kokadjo on the north side of the river. We'll find out! This stretch also offered side trips to other bodies of water with some potential, including Sawyer Pond, Upper and Lower Wilson Ponds, and Prong Pond. Prong reportedly has brook trout, white perch and smallmouth bass, while Sawyer is shallow and stocked with brookies. I'm still looking for information on the Wilson chain of lakes. Maybe I'll have to rely on my own efforts to figure that out. I need to verify GPS coordinates to make sure my info is referring to this same Wilson Pond, but I found a blurb regarding the outlet, which reportedly features my style of fly fishing; swinging streamers. The source of the Kennebeck River from Moosehead's East Outlet has a mammoth reputation. The river here is broad and shallow, but with many rocks and rapids a few hundred yards downstream, moving around might be tougher than it looks. Still, this section reportedly offers room to move about and find one's own water during normal flow levels. Here, I also noted Wilson's on Moosehead Lake. Their website ( wilsonsonmooseheadlake.com ) provides a nice summary of lodging, fishing and accommodations. I've also picked up more than a few hints that the fishing in Indian Pond (downstream and fed by both the East and West Outlets) can be special, including for trophy smallmouth bass and fall-back trout. It looks like there are a couple of boat ramps on this long lake, too, that I will have to check out. West Outlet presented itself as deeper, and the braided channels form a pond not too far downstream from the access. The hole at the base of the dam is "famous" and while I'm not scaring up a lot of specific information for this access point, this area does generate a lot of attention. We proceeded north to the Rockwood boat launch facility and the view of Kineo Rock. This looked like an appealing trolling area to me! Our last stop was at the lower Moose River, near where it floes into Moosehead Lake. This was clearly boating water, but the area further upstream is a good tailwater fishery, and the trout and salmon here are described as "meat eaters". Again, that's my style; and if this stretch is wadeable, I'll have to give it a shot. In one short day, I discovered a lifetime of potential fishing. I'm sure I overlooked many opportunities, too. With the skiff, the Lund, some waders or a hired guide, I could spend any amount of time (a day or a week or more) trying to find a worthy brookie, salmon or togue. With A by my side keeping me grounded, the search will be more rewarding than any particular result. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways I had selected Megunticook Lake near Camden, Maine for the day's explorations with A. My intel was limited, but this certainly seemed to be a promising bass lake, while also offering a potential seasonal fishery for trout. Early in the season and with water temperatures in the low-to-mid forties, we targeted trout by trolling the shoreline break. After a quick start in which A's tandem trolling fly got grabbed and dropped by a drive-by, the "action" slowed to a crawl as we expanded our range in this totally new-to-us lake. Other than the lack of productive fishing action, all had gone well for the day. Nothing had been lost or broken, and nobody had been hurt. But the southerly wind was picking up, I was starting to struggle with boat control (keeping our speed down), and I was paying close attention to my GPS mapping. I was on unfamiliar water, and this rocky lake had plenty of navigational hazards. All seemed to be marked, either on the surface with buoys or labelled on my electronic map. I was amused that the labelled hazard we were approaching also had a name. Everything else on my map simply appeared as "Hazard", but this one was "The Fang". In my amusement, I mentioned this to A, and this released her quiet insecurities. We were never within a hundred yards of The Fang, and I had no intention of exploring water in its vicinity. We were still on the break and had an island between us and The Fang. But A, quite vocally, wanted to get further away from this and any other hazards. I, on the other hand, wanted to fish where I felt both safe and confident. A moment later, I tangled lines as I tried to add a short lead-core line to our presentation. I was also struggling with boat control while acknowledging that our weather window might close unexpectedly early. I was hangry to boot, and these frustrations all came out in an expression of anger. The day had taken a sour turn, and we both knew it. I did what I could; we pulled lines and relocated to a lee shoreline to explore another part of the lake. We did so for an hour or so, and A even had another pull on her fly. But when we were approaching a structure-choked narrows as the sky darkened and a cold rain was clearly imminent, we called for a premature end to the day's fishing. The rest of the day was pretty much fine, but A and I are best friends, and any friction between us is uncomfortable. We talked the day through the next morning, and we realized we both suffered from the same affliction, but from different perspectives. Simply put, by the time we approached The Fang, neither was totally present. I was already fretting about our lack of fishing success. That displeasure was exacerbated by my realization of a likely early end to our effort. I'd waited a long time for my chance at this lake, and it wasn't going to pan out the way I wanted. In my mind, this was yet another opportunity lost, and I resented the time it was going to take to capitalize on a future chance. I was feeling my mortality more than the moment at hand, and I was missing out. I was focused on good things, but specifically on their absence. I was neglecting to enjoy what the lake and A's company currently offered. Meanwhile, A was more concerned with any bad things that might possibly happen, as opposed to the current reality. Our collective experience and equipment was trumped, in her mind, by the potential tragedies associated with The Fang and other hazards. She too was dealing with imaginary negative events instead of the secure present, and her future focus precluded her current enjoyment. Well, at least we talked it out. And I'm glad we are smart enough to recognize the source of our tension. We have at least a chance of recognizing this more contemporaneously in the future, and maybe with a little practice, we can each get better at staying in the moment. Because that's where happiness can be found. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways 2021 has been a season of recovery... from the pandemic, the associated isolation, the generally "down" nature of 2020 and more. While virtually all of my 2021 fishing has been solo, I have gotten out a fair amount, and my recent relocation to Maine has reunited me with extended family, both boats and all my gear. I can be fishing within 15 minutes from my desk or bed; and that fishing has a lot of potential for me to unlock. I couldn't ask for more. Here, I'm just taking a breather and collecting some photos. Nothing outrageous (either good or bad) has happened in my 2021 fishing season so far, but I've had a lot of pleasant success. I've enjoyed just about every moment on the water and each and every fish I've encountered. Who knows what the second half of the season will bring; bigger stripers? Blues? Thirty-inch togue? An albie? I look forward to finding out! Enjoy! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
Steve LachanceVia Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Michigan and now, back to New England! Archives
June 2024
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