This flag proudly flies in a field overlooking a rural Maine farmhouse! Hope you Independence Day if a great one!

Tom Remington

AUGUSTA – The Maine Warden Service is warning people not to swim in rivers or streams with moving water because of the risk of drowning.

Recent thunderstorms with heavy downpours of rain has raised water levels in rivers and streams statewide by as much as three feet, causing fast-moving currents and creating murky waters that can hide obstacles such as logs and rocks.

“Any moving water is a dangerous body of water, and people should be mindful of the currents and not go in,” said Maine Game Warden Norm Lewis.

A fast-moving current contributed to the apparent drowning death of a 33-year-old Baldwin man at approximately 4 p.m. Tuesday on the Saco River. Stephen Hawkes was swimming about 75 yards below the Hiram Falls Dam with his wife, Luz, and a friend when the current overpowered them.

“They were swimming across the river to get to a little island on the opposite side,” Lewis said. “Mr. Hawkes apparently fought against the current and it overpowered him. He lost his strength and went under. The other two rode it out and they got spun out at the bottom of the current.”

Mr. Hawkes was located about 150 yards downstream from the Hiram Falls Dam at approximately 11:05 a.m. today. The Medical Examiner’s Office reviewed Mr. Hawkes’ body, and he was transported to Blais & Hay Funeral Home in Westbrook, according to Warden Tony Gray, who is investigating the apparent drowning.

People are seeking relief from high temperatures and humidity levels, and they want to include swimming as part of their Fourth of July weekend festivities, said Warden Lewis. But deciding to go near or in moving water on rivers and streams should not be part of their plans.

“It may not have rained in recent days in the place where you hoped to swim,” Warden Lewis said. “But if it rained in the White Mountains, it’s affecting the Saco River. If it rained in Rangeley, it’s affecting the Androscoggin River, and so on. It takes time for all of this water to flow downstream, and this is happening statewide. Water levels are up everywhere, and it’s creating fast and strong currents.”

Warden Lewis said a gallon of water weighs approximately 8 pounds. “If it’s moving eight, 12 or 20 miles an hour, it’s difficult for the human body to swim against it.”

Also, because water levels are high, they are creating danger zones that may not have existed before.

“You may know of danger zones at your favorite places to swim, and you know to avoid them,” Warden Lewis said. “But those zones now may be under water and new dangerous spots may be in places that you think are safe. Use caution and don’t go near moving water.”

People should be mindful that rivers with hydroelectric dams have unpredictable flows because power companies are trying to produce electricity to meet peak demands as well as empty filled catch basins above the dams, Warden Lewis said.

Warden Lewis said he suggests people find alternative ways to cool off. If a river or stream has a big pool of non-moving water, it may be suitable for swimming. He said people should be mindful of conditions and evaluate the risk for currents in those areas before entering the water.

The Boston Globe has a typical article today that shows the media’s desire to disregard hunting in favor of wildlife watching at the expense of hunters. It really kind of irks me, the ignorance that exists and then the arrogance from the wildlife watching community as they are continually told they outnumber hunters and are gaining the upper hand politically to have things their way.

And it appears that the Maine Office of Tourism isn’t exactly jumping up and down in support of the state’s thousands of hunters.

“It’s a challenge,” said Phil Savignano, senior tourism official for the Maine Office of Tourism. “Maine is changing . . . There is clearly a decline in hunting and a growth in wildlife viewing. But we want both to exist.”

According to officials at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, hunting participation has held pretty steady in Maine. I’m sure Savignano is referring to the USFWS survey that I have said for months is not an accurate measure of who hunts and who doesn’t, yet even state officials use that data instead of information from their own agencies. Go figure!

The difficulty, as I see it, does come from the power of the dollar. I don’t want the wildlife watchers taking over fish and game departments. Lee Kantar, a biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and who has recently been put in charge of looking out for the moose, had this to say about the pressures put on the department in managing the moose.

“Our job is to balance the interests of all people - the hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, people concerned about road collisions, and people who don’t care,” said Lee Kantar, a wildlife biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Population numbers, he added, “can be the stuff of battles.”

Perhaps this is what it has evolved into but it’s not supposed to be the function of the fish and game department to be managing game animals for the wildlife watchers and those trying to make a buck off charging people to go on wildlife watching safaris.

Once again we see history being lost in our society. People forget what state the moose was in not that many years ago and whose dollars it was that were used to restore the moose population. Now we have a seemingly abundance of moose and some hunters are demanding more permits to hunt the creature while at the same time wildlife viewers, who pay nothing for the management of the animal, are demanding more moose to watch.

For many reasons there are people who don’t want the two entities to coexist. I won’t go into all the reasons. The media does little to help as is shown in this article.

I want to see the wildlife watchers pay their share to meet the demands they are putting on MDIFW but separate from the fish and game department. I have said this repeatedly. Fish and game needs to be shrunk in size to a function of, well, fish and game and NOT as Mr. Kantar says: “Our job is to balance the interests of all people - the hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, people concerned about road collisions, and people who don’t care.” This is not a function of a wildlife biologist or the fish and game department in my opinion. Why should my license fee be used to satisfy those wanting to go moose watching, or for pandering to the insurance companies to reduce collisions, etc.?

There are no sour grapes here toward those who want to make a buck or two by schlepping those interested in canned photo opportunities and wildlife viewing safaris across the state. What irks me is their demands that hunters stop shooting the animals in order that they have more animals to watch. All this without paying a red cent to the agency they are demanding provide them more opportunities.

It’s been said countless times. If it wasn’t for the millions of dollars paid by hunters over the years, these viewers would have little to watch and safari organizers would be doing something different. Hunters generally speaking do not resent that people want to go wildlife watching. What we do resent is these groups looking to promote their new-found activity at the expense of running the hunters off the face of the earth.

Tom Remington

Opening my mailbox in the morning sometimes is like Christmas. Thanks, Richard!

Tom Remington

Hat tip to The Adventurist.

A friend of mine used to do a lot of work as a graphic artist and much of his work appeared on T-Shirts sold in Maine and then abroad as their popularity grew. Several of his designs became very popular and I believe it was him that used the “Maine State Bird” on a T-Shirt. The one I do remember vividly is “Black Flies Don’t Bite They Suck”.

Evidently there are bad things that come with the good when it comes to cleaning up our rivers and streams - black flies. It appears these 2,000-plus species of blood sucking insects are finicky when it comes to where the female fly decides to drop her eggs that have been nourished with your blood.

Many people believe these bugs thrive in standing, stagnant and even murky, dirty water. That actually closely describes where mosquitoes breed but black flies prefer pristine, fast-moving water.

Many of Maine’s rivers used to be very dirty, polluted from paper mills and municipal runoff which included raw sewerage. Over the past 30 years, we have made great strides in cleaning up our waters and as a result we now are seeing more abundant black flies and the pesky creatures are showing up in places many of us never saw them before.

I grew up on one of America’s ten dirtiest rivers, the Androscoggin. Not so now. The area where I now spend my summers, the Upper Androscoggin, is a decent place to go fishing for rainbow, brown and brook trout, as well as bass. The state record rainbow was caught on this river near here.

Of course as we watched the river clear up, stop stinking and become a bit more user friendly, we also witnessed more and more fish, birds and other wildlife. According to an article yesterday in the Boston Globe, much of the return of the fish and wildlife is also due to the return of the black fly.

Unlike mosquitoes, which breed in stagnant pools, black flies like clear running water. The adult female typically mates with males in midair before seeking a blood meal to nourish eggs. The female then deposits the eggs in flowing water, where they hatch into larvae. But the running water must be nearly pristine: Black flies are incredibly sensitive to pollution.

This helps explain what happens when hardcore fishermen venture deep into prime wild brook trout territory only to emerge a quart or two low on blood and demand a very large and raw beef steak. Brook trout and black flies seem to make a good combination as far as survivability goes. Both like clear and cold water, so when you find prime trout fishing you also are apt to find prime blood sucking by black flies. This helps ensure the survivability of the brook trout as whimpy casters dare not venture into these areas.

According to the same article in the Globe, Maine has no intentions of doing anything to slow down or stop the growth of the black fly. They are still enjoying the successes of cleaning up their waters and aren’t much interested in dumping things back into them in order to kill black flies. Pennsylvania, it’s reported, spends $6 million annually to rid the state of the pesky suckers.

I guess then it would be prudent to inform readers that the next time you are swatting and batting at nasty biting black flies, itching and scratching until your skin falls off, think about how clean your water must be and the great job we have done getting to a point where we all must suffer from the results.

Yippee!

Tom Remington

From the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife :

CHESUNCOOK � A New Jersey woman who became separated from her son during a hike to a camp site along Caucomgomoc Dam on Wednesday afternoon was found safe by the Maine Warden Service this morning.

Judy Preston, 67, of Washington Township, New Jersey, and her son, Randy Preston, of Vancouver, British Columbia, were pulling a canoe through the fast water of Caucomgomoc Stream at approximately 4 p.m. Wednesday when Randy looked behind him to check on his mother and did not see her there, according to Game Warden Tom McKenney.

Fearful that his mother may have fallen into the water, Mr. Preston began searching the area to no avail. He got into the canoe and began a route down the Caucomgomoc Stream through Black Pond to Chesuncook to seek help. The pair had spent the night Tuesday on Gero Island, across from Chesuncook.

�Mr. Preston had forgotten that he and his mother had made a plan that if she became too tired pulling the canoe that she would go into the woods and continue walking to the campsite,� Warden McKenney said. �He had panicked and thought something had happened to her. It was a miscommunication on both of their parts.�

According to Warden McKenney, Mr. Preston tried to call out to his mother but �the sound of the stream would have been enough to muffle the sound of his voice.�

Mr. Preston reached a Chesuncook store at approximately 10 p.m., and the proprietors there tried to reach the Maine State Police through e-mail.

�They sent out an e-mail but it didn�t get to the State Police,� McKenney said. �They later found out it accidentally was sent to a dentist�s office.�

Early this morning, Mr. Preston set out for the Chesuncook Lake House, where he received help in contacting the Maine State Police. The Maine Warden Service was contacted at approximately 6 a.m. today.

Because of the remoteness of the area, the Maine Warden Service dispatched five watercraft, two aircraft, nine wardens and the MWS Dive Team. Most were called back once Ms. Preston was found by the MWS pilot and sergeant from their aircraft.

�Ms. Preston was located walking in Chesuncook Stream at approximately 8:45 a.m. by Sgt. Tom Ward and Pilot Daryl Gordon,� McKenney said. �Warden Jim Davis had her in his canoe at approximately 9:30.�

Ms. Preston survived the night because she found a travel bag that her son had left alongside the stream. In it were gear, granola bars and other safety essentials, McKenney said.

�She�s fine and she�s calm,� McKenney said. �The only thing is that the bugs got to her.�

Posted by Tom Remington

This week, a report from the North Country, where Fish and Game biologists and partners are hard at work trying to learn more about the movements of brook trout and smallmouth bass…and dodging raindrops to get in some late-spring fishing, too.

Stocking report: http://wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/fish_stock_current.htm.

Purchase your fishing license online at http://www.FishNH.com, or from any Fish and Game license agent. Why not bring a new fishing buddy on your next trip! Don’t forget — kids under 16 fish free in N.H.

Kids Fishing Photo Contest: Here’s extra incentive to take your camera along when you fish with the youngsters this summer! Fish and Game is co-sponsoring a kids fishing photo contest with NH-based Kidz Rule USA magazine. A great snapshot of your under-age-13 child or grandchild with his or her catch could win the grand prize: a guided NH fishing trip, to be filmed for Fish and Game’s MyOutdoors on MyTV! To enter, follow the instructions at http://www.kidzruleusa.com.

For past fishing reports and all your NH fishing info, visit Fish and Game’s fishing page at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/fishing.htm.

If you know someone who might like to sign up for the Fishing Report, send them to http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Inside_FandG/join_mail_list.htm.

Fish New Hampshire and relax… We have what you’re looking for.

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A Day with Dianne:
MONITORING THE MOVEMENTS OF EASTERN BROOK TROUT AND SMALLMOUTH BASS

By Shari Rosenberg, seasonal staff, Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, and Dianne Timmins, coldwater project leader, Region 1/Lancaster

We’ve had nothing but rain in the North Country. Temperatures are increasing along with the rain and mugginess. Stocking is right on schedule, with remote ponds getting stocked this week. So break out your hiking gear and float tubes and hit the ponds. The hatches have been broken up slightly by the rain, but are squeezing in heavy when it stops. Also, there is nothing like fishing Cedar Pond in Milan and Martin Meadow after the rain. The surface is like glass and you can see the rises from across the pond.

Don’t neglect the rivers, either. (The water levels have been fluctuating, so be careful.) If you hit it right, the salmon, rainbows and browns have been hitting all up and down the Androscoggin. Try a flying ant pattern or a small midge. The black flies, mosquitoes, and deer flies have been the worst we’ve seen, but you never seem to notice when you have a 23″ brown or rainbow trout on!

Although most of our readers probably go fishing as a way to relax, Dianne Timmins, Region I Fisheries Biologist for New Hampshire Fish and Game, goes fishing for an entirely different reason. Dianne is in her fourth year of an ongoing study to learn about the migration patterns and habitat overlap of eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Her latest addition to this study includes monitoring habitat overlap by smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the Magalloway and Diamond Rivers. To Dianne and her hard-working team of scientists, every trout or bass caught is a clue to how these fish behave and interact. After completing the study, they hope to understand brook trout behavior, habitat needs, and interspecies relationships in order to protect brook trout populations into the future.

According to Dianne, brook trout are in decline in their native range, which stretches from Maine to Georgia. The Diamond River is one of the few natural, large rivers that hosts wild brook trout. Unfortunately, smallmouth bass were illegally introduced into Lake Umbagog in the late 1980s, and have since spread throughout the region. The populations are monitored by placing radio transmitters in caught fish (”tagging” them) and then releasing them back into the river so they can be tracked over an extended period of time. By studying trout behavior in a natural river, she has learned how they behave without human interference (dams) in the waterway. This information can be used in designing better restoration projects within “closed systems” (where movement is restricted by structure, such as a dam) to create a better environment for fish to flourish.

So far, the study has made the surprising discovery that between breeding, feeding, and wintering, some of the brook trout migrated over fifty miles in this natural system! In 2005, the weather was hot and dry, and most of the tagged fish left the main rivers for cooler waters prior to spawning. The average distance traveled by the fish during this time was 3.98 miles. In 2006, the weather pattern was wet and cool with severe flooding. This group of tagged fish moved more in the summer (2.77 miles) than in autumn (0.99 miles). These same fish moved the most during the winter dispersal phase (3.33 miles). We used leftover tags in 2007 and were able to track the fish into October before the batteries in the tags died.

Unlike in 2005, the weather conditions for fish in 2007 were ideal: there was not a tremendous amount of rain, and air temperatures were relatively cool throughout the summer. The average seasonal migration distances calculated for the tagged fish in 2007 demonstrates this. The fish traveled much shorter distances than in previous years, and they stayed in the Diamond River system throughout spawning. The average distance in autumn was 0.44 miles, and we were able to observe and document spawning in the Diamond River system for the first time. The previous year’s data was inconclusive in that respect. Nonetheless, the study was able to determine that there is still a viable population of trout in the Dead Diamond River. These findings are currently being used to show the need for connectivity for migrating trout in dam-controlled waterways.

So, when you see one of those flyers encouraging anglers to return tagged fish to the river, you can understand why it’s so important that everyone helps out in the effort to better understand our natural environment. Although Dianne and her team are making tremendous progress in better understanding the fish populations in the area, ultimately, she relies on everyone who spends time on the water to help her make a difference. For more information, call Dianne Timmins at 603-788-3164.

Posted by Tom Remington

Region A � Southwestern Maine

Another reminder to the angling public: The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife �s Fisheries Division is planning two informational meetings on proposed regulation changes intended to consolidate the Ice Fishing and Open Water Fishing law books. The first meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, June 23 at the Gray Regional Office, 358 Shaker Road in Gray, and the second will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 25 at the Sidney Regional Office, 270 Lyons Road, in Sidney. Additional information regarding the specific proposals is available on the Departments web site www.mefishwildlife.com under the �News and Events� link.

Fishing on the region�s largest lake � Sebago Lake — continues to be productive for both salmon and togue, and angler use remains fairly high. Adult salmon are making a strong showing in the catch, but a higher proportion of sublegal salmon are being caught. Some outstanding catches of lake trout also are being reported to our census clerk, Bill Yeo. One boat recently caught 20 togue, and boats with 10 togue or more are not uncommon.

Fishing for salmon on Sebago has been very good the last few years. Some experienced anglers report that the lake has recently produced some of the best salmon fishing, particularly in terms of overall size quality, in the last 40-60 years. In response to these significant improvements in the fishery, we have fielded some interesting theories about why the lake is now producing so many large salmon. In an effort to dispel these rumors I will briefly explain some of the management philosophy that has contributed to the development of this quality salmon fishery.

First and foremost, an abundance of smelt is critical to optimizing salmon growth and survival to large size. Only where salmon growth is optimized can salmon of large size quality be produced in any numbers. As a Classic Salmon water, the management focus on Sebago is on improving salmon size quality, sometimes at the expense of higher salmon catch rates associated with higher salmon densities.

In the past, the stocking of large numbers of hatchery salmon on top of existing wild production created competition between wild and stocked salmon for smelt and prevented optimal salmon growth. Additionally an abundance of wild lake trout heavily influences smelt abundance. Annually assessing wild salmon production in the Crooked River and significantly scaled back stocking of hatchery salmon has maintained lake salmon densities lower than in the past thus favoring salmon growth and survival as well as better fishing for larger salmon. We have also encouraged the harvest of lake trout through a variety of techniques, including liberalized regulations.

Anglers interested in a more through discussion of stocking rates and other issues related to the management of salmon in Sebago are encouraged to read the Sebago Lake Salmon Management Plan, which is available on the Department�s web site.

– Francis Brautigam, Regional Fishery Biologist, Gray

Region B � Central Maine

Bass clubs began their derby season June 1, but for the Region B fishery staff the season always begins with the annual Father�s Day derby held on Androscoggin Lake. We�ve been collecting bass data during these derbies for over 20 years. These derbies provide an excellent opportunity for us to collect both angler information and bass data in a very short period of time. We need only be present for a couple of hours at the weigh-in to gather data on upwards of 100 anglers and collect biological data on 100 bass. We first began attending these derbies because of our concerns, and public concerns, that these large derbies would adversely effect the bass population. Although there are annual fluctuations, the bass fisheries remain fairly stable in the five waters we�ve routinely studied over the years.

I�d like to take this opportunity to thank all the bass clubs for their cooperation during our surveys.

An informational meeting regarding fishing regulation changes for 2010 will be held at the Sidney Regional Office on Wednesday June 25 at 7 p.m.. The office is located at 270 Lyons Road just west of the 120 exit of the interstate. Details of these changes were reported last week in this column and with other various press releases. The proposed changes are intended to provide anglers with increased fishing opportunities and to simplify the regulation booklet while protecting fisheries resources.

– James Lucas, Fisheries Biologist, Sidney

Region C � Downeast

For the second summer in a row, the fisheries staff in the Jonesboro office has been putting forth a massive effort to survey as many brooks and streams as possible in our region. With many of these streams, we have no documented information about habitat, fish species present, or if any barriers to fish passage exist (perched culverts, dams, etc.) We are also interested in documenting which streams have brook trout populations. Last year our regional staff and our Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture crew surveyed over 215 streams in Washington and Hancock counties.

The most valuable tool utilized by fisheries biologists when conducting stream surveys is electrofishing. In simple terms the electrofishing unit sends direct current (DC) electricity through the water, momentarily stunning any fish within range (a few feet around the electrode). The pulse rate at which this current travels can be set, and this pulsing causes any fish to rapidly swim toward the unit where they can be netted. The fish recover quickly, and after all necessary biological information is collected, they are released alive back into the water.

For work in small streams the biologists employ a backpack unit electrofishing unit. The operator wears the unit on a pack frame on his/her back and is joined by a netter who is responsible for scooping up all of the fish that enter the electrical field. If we were to simply stand on the bank and look into the water, we would never see the majority of fish present. If we were to set nets or minnow traps it would take a number of days to obtain fish and we would miss many fish. Electrofishing provides a highly productive method to sample a section of a couple hundred feet, through various habitat types, in a short amount of time. We can generally sample each stream site in two hours, including collecting length and weight data from any fish we catch, performing culvert assessments, and conducting water quality analysis.

People may question why we need to invest time and energy into surveying small, overgrown, essentially �un-fishable� streams. Well, in most cases these streams are literally tiny natural brook trout hatcheries. They are important because they contain spawning habitat, riffle areas for juveniles, and cold-water refuge areas. Many of these streams are tributaries furnishing trout to larger rivers or streams, or even dump directly into the ocean and may be sites where sea-run brook trout contribute to the resident population in the stream.

Along with the regional staff, a two-person crew, consisting of Amy Preble and Josh Kuester, has been surveying multiple streams every day. Their number one priority is to survey and assess as many brooks and streams as possible. This work is made possible thanks to a large-scale effort, headed in Maine by Merry Gallagher of our Bangor office, to document the occurrence of brook trout known as the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture Project. By summer�s end we hope to have new survey information for at least 150 brooks, rivers, and streams in the region. Based on past sampling, we expect to see that wild brook trout occur in a very high percentage of these streams, verifying Maine as the last stronghold for brook trout on the east coast.

– Joe Overlock, Fisheries Biologist Specialist, Jonesboro

Region D � Western Mountains

The Androscoggin River was, until fairly recently, so polluted that it was a place to avoid, rather than a destination for recreation. With dramatic improvements in water quality and public access, the river has rapidly transformed into a major recreational attraction, and anglers, kayakers, canoers, duck and goose hunters, bird watchers, and fiddleheaders are utilizing the river more than ever before.

The Androscoggin from the New Hampshire border to Livermore Falls — the reach that we in Region D manage — offers a tremendous variety of high-quality fishing opportunities. The upper-most reaches are managed primarily for wild rainbow trout and stocked brown trout. We supplement the rainbow fishery with hatchery stocks, and hatchery brook trout are occasionally added for early-season anglers.

Late-season anglers can now take advantage of a new fall yearling stocking program. These browns, brookies, and salmon are in the 12- to 15-inch range when stocked in October, and we have evidence that some overwinter successfully and provide some great spring action. Smallmouth bass are also present in this part of the river, and their size quality is generally good.

Below Rumford, the primary fishery is for smallmouth bass. Bass in this river, which includes the impoundments formed by dams in Jay and Livermore Falls, are abundant and grow to trophy size. We also stock brown trout and rainbow trout below Rumford. As the summer progresses, seek these fish out near the mouths of tributaries (including the Swift River) and small spring seeps.

With the renewed public interest and use of the Androscoggin, we�ve developed a variety of new monitoring projects to help us manage these important new fisheries. Beginning in 1995, we�ve sampled smallmouth bass from all sections of the river above Jay; that work continues this spring in the river below Rumford. We�ve also worked to collect rainbows and browns above Bethel to determine growth rates and relative contributions of hatchery stocks, and we’ve successfully identified rainbow trout spawning and nursery habitats. Finally, we monitor the fishery annually through an extensive network of voluntary anglers and streamside card surveys.

We�ve recently increased the stocking rates of both rainbows and browns in the Gilead/Bethel area. Because our management objectives for the upper Androscoggin are focused on maintaining high size quality, we need to be assured that the increased stocking rates, combined with the highly restrictive regulations imposed in 2003, are not compromising fish quality. To that end, we�ll spend lots of effort this week updating our growth information by electrofishing the river from the New Hampshire to Rumford Point.

– David Boucher, Fisheries Biologist, Strong

Region E � Moosehead Lake

Each spring the Greenville staff tries to attend some of the local kids fishing events that are put on in the surrounding communities. For the second consecutive year, members of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis, and volunteers for the second year held a Youth Fishing Day on May 30 at Kiwanis Park Pond in Dover-Foxcroft.
Approximately 60 fourth grade students from the Morton Avenue Elementary School attended the one-day event. The class was broken into 4 groups of approximately 15 students. Wardens Dan Carroll and Jeremy Kemp provided a short demonstration on boating safety and the proper use of life jackets by getting several of the students involved. Students then had the opportunity to fish for about an hour.

The fish cooperated and most students were successful in catching a trout or two, and a few even practiced some catch and release. Before the fishing started, the kids were asked if there was anyone that had never fished before. There were a few students that had never fished before and this was their first time out. I�m happy to say that many of these kids caught their first fish. Several volunteers were on hand to assist in baiting hooks, untangling lines, cleaning fish, and provide valuable support to these young anglers. The weather was great, the kids went away with some valuable life jacket safety information, and they caught and handled some nice brook trout as well. All provided the makings for a successful event. A special thank-you goes out to Jim Ellis and his crew for once again providing a great outing for the kids in the Dover-Foxcroft area.

I also was involved in another kids� event a day earlier. I have had the opportunity to be the Den Leader for my son�s Cub Scout Den for the past two years. Earlier this spring I contacted Gene Arsenault and Kevin Sousa at the Ela Fish Rearing Station in Embden and asked them if they would mind giving a tour of their facility to a group of young Scouts. As I expected, they were more than agreeable. On May 29, a caravan of four vehicles left Abbott at 9 a.m. and we made our way to Embden. Our group arrived at the facility around 10 a.m. and was welcomed by Kevin Sousa. Shortly thereafter our tour was underway. The scouts and parents alike were very interested in this facility. The boys were amazed at the numbers of fish that were in the tanks.

A couple of years ago many of the boys had the opportunity to assist us in stocking Drummond Pond in Abbott. This helped the Scouts understand where the fish come from and how they grow before being stocked into some of their favorite ponds and streams.

I would like to thank Gene and Kevin for allowing the Wolf Den of Pack 61 to come and tour the Embden facility. Kevin did a great job at answering questions posed by the scouts in a way that they were able to understand. This can often be a challenge. The scouts and their parents really enjoyed this experience.

– Jeff Bagley, Fisheries Biologist, Greenville

Region F � Penobscot Valley

The Penobscot River is starting to produce some bass fishing in spite of the up and down water levels. Anglers are reporting some decent fishing in all the usual places along the river from Old Town to Medway. Angling action on the river should pick up as the water levels continue to drop and temperatures start to climb. Smallmouth bass spawning activities have been interrupted more than once this year but should start to stabilize soon in the river.
Largemouth bass have been rumored to be in Mattanawcook Lake in Lincoln for a couple of years. On Friday we were able to document that fact. And so it goes — another illegal introduction in the Penobscot Drainage. Largemouth bass could not have come up from the river as there is no fishway on the outlet dam at Mattanawcook. Someone must have brought them purposely to the lake to stock. Not until anglers are willing to come forward to report these illegal stockings will this ever stop.

The illegal introduction of any fish into any Maine water is a Class E crime, punishable by fines up to $10,000. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is offering a minimum reward of $2,000 for information leading to the apprehension of persons responsible for the illegal introduction of fish. Call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-253-7887.

I would like to make all anglers aware of a change in the general law bass regulations in effect for the first time this year. In the past anglers were required to use artificial lures only when fishing for bass until June 20, with a one bass bag limit and a 12-inch length limit. Now, anglers must use artificial lures until June 30 with a one bass bag and a 10-inch length limit. Specials still apply on certain waters as before. Please check your 2008 Open Water Fishing Regulations Booklet, or online at:
http://www.maine.gov/ifw/laws_rules/fishing/openwaterlaws.htm
Lakes and ponds in and around the Baxter State Park area are starting to produce some decent fishing for both brook trout and landlocked salmon. All of the usual spots in the park are seeing increased traffic as the trails dry out and washouts are repaired. Anglers are reporting good trout fishing at Celia Pond, Kidney Pond, Daicey Pond, Round Pond, Rocky Pond, Draper Pond, The Fowlers, Billfish Pond, Frost Pond, High Pond and Long Pond. Salmon anglers are hooking up at Matagamon Lake and Scraggly Lake to the north, while to the south Millinocket Lake and Pemadumcook Lake are producing some excellent catches of salmon and togue. Matagamon has also been providing some fast action for both brook trout and togue in addition to the fine salmon fishing.

– Nels Kramer, Fisheries Biologist, West Enfield

Region G � Aroostook County

IF&W�s Fisheries Division�s Lakes Research group that works out of our Bangor office recently brought its new electrofishing raft to Aroostook County to sample small ponds and rivers. This new tool worked very efficiently and will be a great tool for sampling fish populations in the future. Thanks to Joe Dembeck and Jason Seiders for building the new craft and coming north to train Region G staff on its use.

We focused our efforts on a few waters where smallmouth bass have been reported or where we suspect they have invaded new waters. Smallmouth bass are not native to waters in Aroostook County, but with a large population having been established in the St. John River, bass now have access to a few drainages where they did not historically exist. The Meduxnekeag River drainage is one watershed where we have documented the spread of bass in recent years and are concerned with the invasion of muskellunge as well. Bass were being reported from a stretch of river in the town of Littleton during the 1980s; these reports became more frequent in the late 1990s and Nickerson Lake, New Limerick and Linneus, was documented to have bass in 2002.

We were able to sample the River in Littleton last week and sampled several bass but no muskellunge. The river temperature had warmed to the point that trout are now seeking out cooler tributaries. We were able to sample a number of brook trout very quickly with the raft. The Meduxnekeag River supports a good fishery for wild brook and brown trout and we will continue to monitor this fishery and the impact of non-native sport fish that become established there.

– Frank Frost, Fisheries Biologist, Ashland

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife �s Fisheries Division is planning two informational meetings on a set of proposed regulation changes that are the result of our efforts to consolidate the Ice Fishing and Open Water Fishing law books.

The first meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, June 23 at the Gray Regional Office, 358 Shaker Road in Gray, and the second will be on at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 25 at the Sidney Regional Office, 270 Lyons Road, in Sidney.

If passed, the proposed regulation changes will take effect in April 2010 when the Department combines the two law books into a two-year booklet.

�These proposals will help east the process for a much broader rulemaking effort in 2009,� said John Boland, director of IF&W�s Fisheries Division.

The public is invited to provide comments either in writing or at one of the public informational meetings. Written comments may be sent to John.Boland@maine.gov or mailed to Mr. Boland�s attention at 284 State St., Station 41, Augusta, ME 04333.

Most of the proposed changes will affect southern and central Maine. The Department�s objective is to increase angling opportunities where possible, further simplify the law book, and save time and financial resources that instead can be used to continue protecting the inland fisheries resource, Boland said.

The following general fishing rules are being proposed for lakes and ponds in Cumberland, York, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc and Waldo counties, although special restrictions may apply for specific waters:

Proposal Number 1: Lakes and ponds will be open to open water fishing year round. (Note: Two lines per angler, general law.)

* Lakes and ponds will be open to ice fishing from Dec 1 through April 30. (Note: We provided this liberal time frame in order to account for years when ice forms early on waters and/or for years when ice remains later on waters. A time period was decided rather stating �presence of ice or safe ice� given the �fuzzy� nature of such terms.)

* Lakes and ponds will be Catch and Release for all salmonids from Oct. 1 thru Dec. 31. (Note: General law for all other species would apply during this time period. Special regulations, more liberal or conservative, can be provided on specific waters as appropriate.) The term salmonids includes the following Maine fish species — Arctic charr, brook trout, brown trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow trout, splake, and togue.

* For lakes and ponds, the general law bag and length limits for salmonids apply from January 1 thru September 30. (Note - Special regulations, more liberal or conservative, can be provided on specific waters as appropriate.)

Also, under the proposed general rule fishing regulations, both ice anglers and open water anglers could fish lakes and ponds in December, but could not harvest salmonids, unless provided by special regulation. From Jan. 1 thru April 30, both groups of anglers could fish lakes and ponds and harvest salmonids under respective bag and length limits.

Proposal Number 2: Unless otherwise provided by rule, the number of lines an angler may fish at any one time will be limited to two lines while open water fishing and five lines while ice fishing. At no time can an angler fish more than five lines. (Note: This modification in wording for the number of lines that can be fished by an angler at any one time is being made to address the potential for anglers to simultaneously ice fish and open water fish in lakes and ponds in the eight southern counties of Cumberland, York, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc and Waldo.)

Proposal Number 3: The current statewide aggregate bag limit for salmonids of five fish will be removed. (Note: IF&W management decisions regarding bag limits, length limits, open seasons, etc. for salmonids are already focused at the species level and the removal of this regulation would not impact current management strategies.) Again, the term salmonids includes the following Maine fish species � Arctic charr, brook trout, brown trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow trout, splake, and togue.

Posted by Tom Remington

Milt Inman Photo

Posted by Tom Remington

A new survey shows the perception and attitudes of adults and youth toward the Androscoggin River. The Sun Journal has the story and they also have a story about a recreation plan being filed by Florida Power and Light.

Tom Remington

Actually, my head is still buzzing from the excitement of the event last evening that took place at the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine. It is my understanding that this is the first time that this event has been held at a venue like the Kittery Trading Post - a place of trade or business.

Although I am not a veteran of many previous Maine Moose Lottery drawings, I think it can be said that this one was a big success. Those who weren’t lucky enough to get their names drawn might not agree with me today, but as the dust and disappointment settles, I think they will also look back and think it was a good time.

This was a first for me and Skinny Moose Media to attempt a live stream of audio and video of the event. I can say without any hesitation that without the hard work of the Kittery Trading Post personal, namely Bob Adams and Julie-Lynn Belon, the success we realized from this event would never have materialized. I can only hope that we have boosted interest with KTP and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Moose Lottery.

Bob Adams had hard-wired us a connection so we could get direct access to his Internet connection. Then he whipped out a power cable and soon we were assembling our gear. We seemed to be the first of any media companies to set up and were definitely the last to tear down.

Julie-Lynn and Bob gave us an ideal table to work from. We were right up front next to the main table, where we had excellent visibility - the crowd got see us as easily as we could see them. We were even provided with a sign indicating our reserved space. In short, I think we were treated with royalty.

I want to also take a moment to thank Milt Inman and Gregg Inman for their much needed and highly appreciated assistance last night. I couldn’t have pulled this off without their help. Whenever I needed something, one of them was always there ready and eager to help. Most of the time they were anticipating my next move and already ahead of me.

Several months ago when I received an email from Deborah Turcotte of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife about this year’s Maine Moose Lottery, I began thinking that we could perhaps attend that event and broadcast live audio of the drawing.

I contacted Deborah and the Kittery Trading Post and we began making the plans of how we could do this and make it work. It wasn’t until after Bob Adams of KTP told me about the effort he was making to provide an Internet connection, did I realize that his service was good enough to also stream the video.

But in all honesty, I never dreamed we would get the viewers we did. Although Steve and I never actually discussed expectations, we both individually thought if we could muster up 20 or 30 people, maybe even as many as 50 viewers, we would have considered it a success.

For those who may not know, at our peak time we had over 400 viewers. That may very well have translated into over 600 different viewers or more being on line viewing the events throughout the night. I just don’t have those statistics.

As we watched the viewer count rise, so did our own excitement level. First we wondered to ourselves if we could ever reach 100 viewers. Then it was spoken questioning whether we could hit 200, 300 and 400.

Needless to say we were walking on thin air. The curiosity and excitement from the crowd was great. Many stopped by our table to ask about what were doing. Several in attendance called friends, neighbors and family members once they discovered they could see the event live online. In short, the responses we got from everyone - attendees, IFW personnel, KTP staff, television and radio people - was astounding.

It wasn’t without some glitches though. Two of the biggest come to mind. First was dealing with audio problems but once I got a handle on it and tweaked the audio and video quality and learned how to adjust the volume better on the mixer, for the most part the audio came out pretty good.

The second issue was getting booted off line twice during production. I don’t have an answer why that happened, but after the second time, we lost a sizable amount of viewers.

Once I figure out a better way to become more mobile with the video camera, we can get better quality video. Without having to spend thousands of dollars, we are pretty limited with power cords and USB video cables.

I want to thank everyone who was gracious enough to stop by the table and participate in an interview. I had a great time talking with everyone and I hope I was kind enough to you that you will consider doing it again.

Thanks again to everyone and already we are thinking about next year or the next event.

Tom Remington