Southwest Maine Freshwater Report

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With the exception of Monday, when it rained all day, my week has been spent fishing, taking pictures, and picking berries, with social time in the evening with my wife and Maryann. Sometimes they come along when I take the boat, too! The entire week has been very relaxing. Susan won’t go on hikes, something about ticks and mosquitoes. I really could use some walking.

Waiting for a croissant at the French bakery. It was worth the wait.

Susan and Maryann come with me in the boat.

We try to watch the sun set every evening the weather allows it, too.

Haze as the sun drops behind the White Mountains.

I’m not the only person paddle fishing.

Different evening, different result.

Fishing in Kezar Lake has changed. Due to the rain, the water is up even higher than it was when we got here. Fishing in the shallow, weedy areas has slacked off, only one bite in about three days. That one bite resulted in a nice fish, but that’s still really slow fishing. Kezar Lake’s weeds are done producing fish until the fall, I think.

When I’m paddling in the weeds and there’s no action, I photograph Odonates, both dragons and damsels. Without a guidebook I can’t ID any of them. Once I get reliable internet, some time will be spent trying to identify them.

Dragonfly, species unknown.

Dragonfly, species unknown. Liked my rod as a perch.

Damselfly, species unknown.

Damselflies in coitus.

Several nice fish have been caught while fishing from the boat off rock piles with a jig and worm combo, and with Senkos on weighted hooks. One has to be careful when fishing around the rocks. Not only could you crush your motor, the weighted baits frequently hang up. But it seems that’s where the fish are.

Smallmouth from a rock pile.

Largemouth from a different rock pile.

Giving the fish some love.

I paddle fished Farrington Pond on Tuesday, where I got the best fish of the entire trip so far. Got a nice one on the ugly fly rod bug, too. The bass, three- and four-pound fish, were jumping clear out of the water after dragonflies. Usually a surface fly is killer when they behave like that, but I only got a single strike.

An artsy image from Farrington Pond.

Blueberries grow all around us here. Every day some time is spent picking and eating the delicious little morsels. I’ve been looking for mushrooms, too, but haven’t seen any edibles other than puffballs.

Friday saw a return trip to Farrington Pond. No leaping fish, no surface strikes. A half-dozen nice fish were caught- two on Senkos, two on a Culprit worm, two on eel-worm streamers, a pretty nice morning’s work.

This fish was in the weeds- Farrington Pond is shallow.

Nice fish on an eelworm streamer.

That’s the Southwest Maine Freshwater Report. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

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