I have a series of 17 photographs that arrived in my inbox the other day. The title said it was a Canadian National Railroad train stuck in the snow in Northern Maine. I think it looks like Northern Maine, I believe it looks like a CN train and I know that white stuff is snow.

For obvious reasons I didn’t post all the pictures on this page. Click this link and view the entire gallery of 17 photos.

Tom Remington

Tom Remington

I’ve been able to work through enough of the glitches to get the audio of yesterday’s live broadcast of Open Air With Tom Remington uploaded to my server and is now ready for those wishing to listen in. I apologize for the difficulties we were having yesterday. For some reason we kept experiencing “drops” which, if you were listening in, would drop you from the feed. I’m still working on that one.

I’ve put together all the information about the show, along with links to important information and resources. And as a special treat, you can watch a video interview of Al Gore, done by CBS’s Lesley Stahl, about what Mr. Gore has to say about the rapid increase in world-wide scientists who are saying that new data coming in from the latest in climate equipment is giving them data that would indicate that the global warming caused by man’s generated carbon dioxide is seriously flawed. What’s Gore’s response? You’ll have to watch the video but in short he says that there as so few people left in this world who don’t think like he does and that they are the kinds of people that think the moon landing was a hoax and likens them to the “flat earth society”. What an arrogant *$&$#!!

Follow this link for the information, to listen to the broadcast and see Al Gore show the world he’s a giant boob! By the way, I believe that you will be able to see the complete interview this Sunday night on Sixty Minutes.

Tom Remington

First my apologies to anyone attempting to log on to the live broadcast of Open Air With Tom Remington yesterday at 3 p.m. Due to technical problems, of which I am still trying to figure out and sort through, that’s why I’m way behind in my work this morning, you may have been booted off the air while trying to listen in. As near as I can figure out, if the connection or transfer speed is too slow or has interference, the connection gets lost which would force a user to close out a browser and open a new one and try again. This seemed to go on all through the show.

Fortunately, I recorded the show but once again, for some reason, again for which I haven’t figured out yet, I am having difficulties (putting it nicely) getting the file uploaded to the server.

As soon as I can get this corrected, the show will be available for streaming and I will put up a notice.

Thanks for your understanding and once more my apologies.

Tom Remington

Today’s Open Air with Tom Remington broadcast on Skinny Moose Radio will air live……that is if all goes well. Tune in at 3:00 p.m. today and find out. I plan to discuss some property rights issues, people attacking people over wolves, gun rights, some debate over plans to list the polar bear as a threatened or endangered species and of course, climate change, including the new medical terminology called “global mourning”.

Who knows what else I might sneak in there unsuspecting and there will be no commercial interruptions!!

Tom Remington

Maine license holders in Maine who shared their email addresses with the folks at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife were sent an email with some important and helpful information in it. Here’s a reprint of that letter.

Dear Friend of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife:

Here’s some important information from the Department we’d like you to know about.

Moose Permit Applications Due: The deadline for Moose Permit Applications is 11:59 p.m. April 1, 2008. To apply now just click here: http://www.informe.org/ifw/moosepermit.html.

This year, 2,880 permits will be issued plus an additional 135 permits for a few southern wildlife management districts.

Want to know if you secured a moose hunt permit? The annual Moose Hunt Lottery will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 12, at Kittery Trading Post.

Buy Your Fishing License Now: With Open Water Fishing Season just around the corner, it’s time to buy your license, if you haven’t already. Use MOSES! Visit https://www5.informe.org/online/moses or go to one our 236 licensing agents statewide who also use MOSES.

When you purchase your license through MOSES, you’ll automatically be entered into a drawing for one of these great prizes: Two $2,000 shopping sprees – one at Kittery Trading Post and one at L.L. Bean – or one of 30 2009 Hunt and Fish Combo Licenses.

Don’t Throw Out Your 2008 Ice Fishing Law Book!: The regulations are in effect for another year, through March 31, 2009.

Fishing Newsletter and Open Water Fishing Preview: Read about the fisheries management projects our Fisheries Biologists have been working on. Visit www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/newsletter/index.htm

TripTracks: We’d like to know what you’re catching on the lakes and ponds. Your input helps us to manage Maine’s inland fisheries. Go to www.triptracks.com to record your fishing experiences.

Fishing Prominent on Visitmaine.com: With a couple of million visitors a year, Visitmaine.com is the Web site that tourists use to plan their Maine vacation. Visit www.Visitmaine.com and click on fishing. You’ll be hooked.

Chickadee Check-off: Finished your taxes yet? If not, we’d like to ask you to consider marking the Chickadee Check-off on the Supplemental Form of the Maine Income Tax Form. The Chickadee Check-off is a voluntary tax contribution whose proceeds are placed in the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund and used to fund the endangered and nongame wildlife programs within IF&W. The resurgence of the Bald Eagle in Maine is attributed to this fund.

Please pass this e-mail on to your hunting and fishing friends. Have a safe and happy spring in Maine’s great outdoors.

Best wishes,
Your Friends at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

Posted by Tom Remington

Region A – Southwestern Maine

Slightly moderating temperatures, longer day length, and a greater incidence of “liquid” precipitation suggest spring is on the way; however, I only need to glance out my office window at the heavy snow pack to realize that fishing opportunities will likely be limited on April 1st, the traditional start to the 2008 open water fishing season. Another mixed precipitation event over the weekend is yet another reminder that winter is not over.

The 2007-2008 hard water fishing season got off to an unusually early start due to early ice formation, and some smaller waters supported fishing by mid December. The early arrival of winter brought with it the anticipation that perhaps spring would arrive early, but instead Mother Nature seems content on advancing a marathon winter. Interestingly the 2007 and 2008 winters were quite different, yet like last year, the “Big Bay” on Sebago Lake set up with ice to provide only a few weeks of ice fishing, just in time for spring thaw.

As the weather transitions from winter to spring, we remain hopeful that a slow and steady melting of the thick snow pack and less precipitation will maintain fishable flows in area streams and rivers to support early angling opportunities. Wishful thinking I know. Flowing waters usually offer anglers the earliest open water fishing prospects to Kristen the traditional start to the new season, and that will likely be the case this year.

Cumberland, Androscoggin and York Counties are the focus of early spring stockings, with streams and very small ponds first to be stocked. The Presumpscot River (Windham), Pleasant River (Windham), Collyer Brook (Gray), Little River (Gorham), Mill Brook (Westbrook), Ogunquit River (Wells), Merriland River (Wells), Great Works River (Berwick), and the Mousam River (Sanford) are generally some of the first streams stocked. Staff at Dry Mills Hatchery, New Gloucester Hatchery, and Casco Hatchery will be assisted by volunteers from various fish and game clubs in York County. Stocking will move northward in keeping with the normal progression of ice melt and the thawing of our waterways. Anglers should check out the Department’s web site (www.mefishwildlife.com) for last year’s stocking report, which may vary some from year to year, but will provide some indication of where and when the fish are stocked. We will also try to keep anglers posted as to the progress of ongoing stocking in weekly fishing reports, which are also available online.

A number of flowing waters in southern Maine are stocked in the fall with larger size fall yearling trout (12-14 inches long) and offer a good opportunity in the spring to catch larger hold-over brook and brown trout. These waters include, the Salmon Falls River below South Berwick Dam (browns), Mousam River below Route 1 in Kennebunk (browns), Ogunquit River below Route 1 (browns), Saco River below Skelton Dam in Dayton (browns and brook), Saco River-Bonney Eagle Bypass (browns), Saco River, below Hiram Dam (browns), and Pleasant River-special management section in Windham (browns). A number of lake inlet streams also can provide some great early season fishing for larger fish, including Panther Run off Mill Street in Raymond (salmon), Sebago Locks in Casco (salmon), and Pump box Brook below Route 11 in Shapleigh (browns & brook trout). Some of the largest spring-caught trout are taken below dams at lake outlets. Some trout commonly drop out of stocked lakes, most of which do not have fishways, and as a result some nice trout may be taken during early spring at the base of outlet dams.

Boat fishermen will likely have fewer opportunities on April first this year. Although, typically early lake fishing opportunities are limited to shore fishing, where shore anglers target the melting edge water around lakes or at lake inlets and outlets. Popular and very productive lake-side fisheries exist on Auburn Lake (salmon, togue, brook trout), at the Route 302 causeway between Long Lake and Bay of Naples in Naples (browns, salmon), the “heath” at the southern end of Thompson Lake in Poland (salmon), the mouth the Songo River in Casco where a small boat can be floated in Sebago Lake (salmon and togue) if the State Park is open and accessible by vehicle, the confluence of Sebago Lake and the Muddy River off Route 114 in Naples (salmon), and the trestle bridge located in Standish, where the Sticky River flows into Sebago Lake. Sebago, Thompson, South, Bryant, South, and Trickey will offer some of the best prospects for larger salmon. Thompson’s smelt population has rebounded since 2006 and we captured some nice salmon there last fall and anticipate good fishing there in 2008. Sebago was hot for large salmon in 2007 and more of the same is expected in 2008. Smaller waters like Trickey, South and Bryant will offer slower fishing for quality salmon. Other area salmon lakes like Panther Pond , Pleasant Lake, Moose Pond, Long Lake and Kezar Lake are expected to offer good fishing for salmon in the 2- to 4-pound size range.

Ponds offering excellent prospects for early spring brook trout action include: Otter Pond #2 (Standish), Worthley Pond (Poland), Littlefield Pond (Sanford), and Knight’s Pond (S Berwick), Pineland Pond (New Gloucester), Round Pond (Lyman), Barker Pond (Lyman), Keoka Lake (Waterford), Keewaydin Lake (Stoneham). Both Keoka and Keewaydin were stocked with 12-to 14-inch brookies at an elevated rate under the catchable trout study, and since winter use was relatively light, there should be some good fishing there for spring anglers.

Some good trout fishing prospects for kids include Coffin P (Brunswick), Wilcox P (Biddeford), Steven’s Brook (New Gloucester), Alden’s P (Gorham), a special section of Leavitt B (Limerick), and Lower Hinkley P (S. Portland), which are all stocked with brook trout and managed exclusively for kids under the age of 16. Other good prospects for kids include Round P (Lyman) and Pineland Pond (New Gloucester), which are both well stocked with trout and can be fished by both adults and kids.

There are some new opportunities in southern Maine that anglers might be interested in. The entire Mousam and Salmon Falls rivers will be open year round to open water fishing. These two new opportunities are in addition to existing year round fishing opportunities on the Saco, Androscoggin, Presumpscot, and the Royal (lower reach only), not to mention the tidewater fisheries on the Lower Mousam and Ogunquit rivers. Although not listed in the printed 2008 open water fishing law book, Sebago Lake will be open to fishing during the fall months (October through December) and anglers will be allowed to harvest togue during this period; however, salmon may not be taken. The regulation is intended to increase lake trout harvest opportunity and support ongoing efforts to reduce the lake trout population. Little Ossipee Lake will be stocked with rainbows this spring for the first time. In addition, Norway Lake (Norway), Stanley Pond (Porter) and Forrest Lake (Canton) were stocked with rainbows for the first time last fall.

– Francis Brautigam, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Sebago Lakes Region

Region B – Sidney and Belgrade lakes

Believe it or not spring is on the way. With it will be the anticipated official first day of open water fishing. I say ‘official’ because a few of the larger rivers are open year round and on a warm sunny day many of you are out wetting a line.
Will there be any open water to fish come April 1st? I don’t believe there will be too much, but I know many of you have your favorite spots. Popular opening day locations in Central Maine are Belgrade Stream at Wings Mills, Long Pond at the dam in the village of Belgrade Lakes, the Kennebec River, and Cobbossee Stream. Should the weather cooperate, I hope you take advantage. Even if the fishing is slow it will be nice just to be out after this long winter.

Below are some thoughts and places to fish on the upcoming summer fishing season.

Brook trout: During the last few years we’ve been stocking large size (12- to 14-inch) brook trout in many of the Region’s ice fishing waters with the primary intent of providing good fishing for the winter angler. This winter we’ve conducted surveys to determine the success of this program. We studied 8 waters and found that the majority of these stocked trout are not harvested during the winter! Therefore, anglers may want to try their luck on one of these fall -stocked ponds since these waters should have a number of ‘carry-over’ trout. Just look at last year’s stocking listed on the Department’s web site: (www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/reports/stocking/index.htm), to find a pond near you that was stocked last fall.

Rainbow trout: Last year the Department began a stocking program for rainbow trout on Nequasset Lake in Woolwich. Usually the first few stockings of a new species provide excellent fishing the first couple of years, so this might be a good place to start. Of course, in Central Maine it’s hard to beat the Kennebec River at Shawmut for rainbow trout.

Salmon: Salmon fishing in central Maine are limited to just a handful of waters, with the best being Lake St George in Liberty. Fishing in the spring just after the smelt run is a great time to target salmon, these brightly colored fish average 18-20 inches in length. Another good bet is Swan Lake in Swanville. For the past few years the salmon experienced growth problems in Swan, but last fall’s trap netting indicated salmon growth is improving and there should be a fair number of good size fish to be caught.
Lake trout: This is another species that is limited to just a few waters in the area. Maranacook Lake is perhaps the best chance to catch a togue. In the mid- to late-1990s the lake trout population in Maranacook Lake was characterized as lots of small, slow growing fish. But, with an increase in the daily bag limit and a decrease in the minimum length limit we believe the togue population has become more balanced. Although the fishing may be slower these days, the size quality of the fish is much improved.

Brown trout: This species is very difficult for the average angler to catch with consistency. Experienced brown trout fishers seem to catch fish anywhere there’s a good population, while average anglers can’t catch browns in even the best waters. My advice for anyone interested in brown trout fishing is to tag along with someone who is good at catching browns. Waters to concentrate your efforts are Great Pond and Messalonskee Lake, both in the Belgrade area. Early in the season, the Kennebec River in Waterville and Sidney are good bets, as is Cobbossee Stream in West Gardiner. Many ponds in the area are stocked with brown trout. See the stocking report for the complete list. While these ponds don’t commonly produce large fish and may not provide the fastest fishing, most see the occasional 4- to 6-pound fish caught now and then.

Bass: Bass are by far the most popular fish sought after in central Maine. Most lakes provide excellent opportunities to catch either a lot of average sized fish or a few very large fish. The most noteworthy lakes are Cobbossee Lake, Annabessacook Lake, and Androscoggin Lake. These waters provide a chance of catching a true trophy. Other waters where the fish don’t grow as large, but anglers can expect to catch 20-30 bass a day are Kennebec River, Givens Pond Whitefield, Branch Pond in Palermo, and for a ‘remote like’ experience try Penny Pond, a walk-in pond in the Summerhaven area of Sidney and Manchester.

Remember to review the new summer fishing regulation booklet as there are many changes this year. One major change is that most waters in central Maine will now be open to the end of the year.

– James Lucas, Fisheries Biologist, Sebago and Belgrade lakes

Region C — Downeast

The arrival of spring migrant robins, woodcock, geese, and ducks signals that the long, snowy winter will give way to warmer days, spring rains, ice out, and spring open water fishing. So get your gear ready, everything from boots to boats, from fly lines to fly repellent, from smelts to streamers. Depending on the extremes of spring weather, some days you’ll need only a chamois shirt and baseball cap to be comfortable, while on other days you’ll need a complete line of winter clothing, from insulated boots to wool pants and snowmobile suits.

Here are numerous suggestions on where to go if you intend to fish in Hancock or Washington County:

Brook trout: Keene’s Lake, Calais. In addition to annual fall stockings of 6- to 8- inch trout and 150 fall yearling trout averaging 11 inches, Keene’s was stocked with forty 16” retired brood stock trout averaging 1.7 pounds.

Goulding Lake, Robbinston. Expect good action on 6- to 11-inch trout with some larger individuals.

Indian Lake, Whiting. In addition to annual fall stockings of 6- to 11-inch trout, Indian Lake was stocked with 35 16-inch retired brood stock trout. Action should be good.

Keeley Lake, Northfield. This small pond is a good place to escape from the wind, as much of it is narrow with high banks. Catch rates can be good for both brook trout and splake. Brook trout stocked last fall ranged from 6- to 11-inch. Keeley is located about a mile from the closest paved road.

Montegail Pond, T 19 MD. This pond is popular with anglers from Cherryfield to East Machias for its good catch rate on 6- to 11-inch trout plus an occasional larger fish.

Rainbow Pond, T 10 SD. Located a mile west of Tunk Lake, this remote trout pond is difficult to reach. Because of its location, it is only lightly fished, yielding some nice trout.

Anderson Pond, T 10 SD. Anderson Pond is a new stocking of 6- to 8-inch fall fingerling trout. It has been stocked in 2006 and 2007. This remote pond requires some determination to access, but could provide some surprises. We would appreciate angler reports (434-5925) from those who fish it to help us evaluate the success of this introductory stocking.

Blunts Pond, Lamoine. Blunts Pond is a new stocking of 12- to 14-inch fall yearling brook trout. Anglers should try this easily accessible small pond.

Jacob Buck Pond, Bucksport. Anglers who catch one of the 50 retired brood stock brook trout averaging over 2 pounds will be pleasantly surprised!

Lower Hadlock Pond, Mt. Desert. In addition to annual fall stockings of 6- to 11-inch trout, Lower Hadlock was stocked with 25 retired brood stock trout that averaged 16”.

Echo Lake, Mount Desert. Echo Lake is expected to provide good action for trout. Fishing is restricted to two lines and 2 trout. Trout must be 12 inches or larger, and no more than one can exceed 14 inches.

Round Pond, Mount Desert. In addition to its regular stocking of legal-sized fall yearling brook trout averaging 11 inches, Round Pond was stocked with 25 retired brood stock brook trout averaging 2 or more pounds.

Craig Pond, Orland. In addition to annual fall stockings of 6- to 11-inch trout, Craig Pond was stocked with 50 retired brood stock trout that averaged 16-plus inches. An additional 30 retired brood stock salmon will provide additional action.

Landlocked salmon: Cathance Lake, Cooper and Plantation #14. Cathance is a perennial favorite amongst salmon anglers for larger fish with a chance to catch a wild trout.

Nash’s Lake, Calais. In addition to its regular salmon fishery, 30 retired broodstock salmon from the Grand Lake Stream Hatchery were stocked here late last fall.

Gardner Lake, East Machias. Salmon growth and catch rates have improved, and this is a worthwhile lake to fish.

Schoodic Lake, Cherryfield. Located on the blueberry barrens, this lake is lightly fished so it could yield some surprise catches.

Big Lake, T 27 ED. Big Lake is a popular ice-out salmon lake. Many spawned-out salmon drop into Big Lake from Grand Lake Stream, often providing fast action, plus the lake is stocked annually and contains its own resident salmon population.

Tunk Lake, T 10 SD. Knowledgeable anglers know that Tunk has a 16- to 20-inch protected slot limit where no salmon may be harvested, so there is a chance for a real beauty when fish over 20 inches are caught. Catch rate is slow, but the lake also has a fast catch rate on togue. Tunk is a lightly developed and highly scenic lake with crystal-clear water. Spring fishing for salmon and togue extends into June, due to a large volume of deep water that is slow to warm up.

Green Lake, Dedham and Ellsworth. Green Lake is always popular with anglers who want to fish for salmon with an additional option of a chunky togue.

Long Pond, Mt. Desert Island. Fall trapnetting indicated that salmon growth has rebounded in response to two stockings of smelt eggs by biologists. Anglers should be pleased with the improvement in growth.

Eagle Lake, Bar Harbor. We expect a steady spring fishery for average-sized salmon at Eagle Lake.

Craig Pond, Orland. Thirty retired broodstock salmon from the Grand Lake Stream Hatchery were stocked here late in the fall and will provide action for larger salmon.

Brewer Lake, Orrington. Salmon growth has improved following transfer of smelt eggs in recent years. Some larger salmon will be caught here from a late fall stocking of thirty retired broodstock salmon from the Grand Lake Stream Hatchery.

West Grand, Grand Lake Stream Plantation. West Grand is our lake with the latest annual ice-out. As shown in the ice fishing catches, we expect good action for salmon due to increased stockings during each of the past three years. West Grand is one of Maine’s four original homes of landlocked salmon, so it has a rich history of valuable fishing.

Lake trout (togue): Beech Hill Pond, Otis. Anglers have a chance at fairly fast action when they fish for togue at Beech Hill. Size and bag limits have been liberalized here to permit a higher harvest rate.

Green Lake, Dedham and Ellsworth. Green Lake is one of eastern Maine’s most popular fisheries for fat, chunky togue of above-average size. Anglers should note that the minimum length on togue at Green Lake has been changed to 23 inches to create a higher quality fishery in this lake that has demonstrated the potential to grow fat, large togue.

Toddy Pond, Orland. Anglers have a chance at fairly fast action.

Tunk Lake, T 10- SD. Tunk has a very abundant population of stunted togue, and anglers are strongly encouraged to harvest their limit, made possible with liberalized regulations.

West Grand, Grand Lake Stream Plantation. Biologists weighed, measured, and examined numerous togue at West Grand during the past year. Fish condition (fatness) has declined, so anglers are encouraged to harvest togue here in an attempt to reduce the population and improve fish condition. Anglers enjoy a good catch rate for many 18- to 22-inc togue at West Grand, with the chance for an occasional larger fish.

Brown trout: Round Pond, Charlotte. Brown trout grow very well here by feeding heavily on abundant juvenile yellow perch.
Pennamaquan Lake, Charlotte. Located just downstream of Round Pond, brown trout grow very well here also by feeding heavily on abundant juvenile yellow perch.

Jones Pond, Gouldsboro. This pond is popular with coastal anglers for its variety of fish species.

Flanders Pond, Sullivan. This pond is also popular with coastal anglers for its variety of fish species.

Lower Hadlock Pond, Mt. Desert. Biologists expect an improvement in this brown trout fishery based on a return to stocking fall yearling brown trout instead of spring yearlings, which had not produced acceptable catches.

Spring River Lake, T 10 SD. Spring River Lake is one of eastern Maine’s best producers of larger brown trout.

Walker Pond, Brooksville. Walker Pond has yielded the largest brown trout (>11 pounds) in the Hancock-Washington County region. Stocking has been suspended recently due to loss of public access, but for anglers who can find a way to access the lake, there are still some large fish. We are confident that the cooperative work of the Department along with townspeople and town officials from both Sedgwick and Brooksville will be successful in providing future public access so stocking can resume at this important lake.

Upper Lead Mountain Pond, T 28 MD. Brown trout have performed better here than salmon, which were previously stocked, because brown trout feed on a wider variety of forage species than was used by salmon.

Splake: Jacob Buck Pond, Bucksport. Located close to the population center of Bucksport, this easily accessible pond has been a consistent producer of attractive 12- to 18-inch splake, along with a variety of other species in the catch.

Fitts Pond. Clifton. This small pond produces some very attractive splake in most years.

Lower Springy Pond, Otis. Splake feed heavily on smelts and juvenile white perch here, producing some above-average sized splake. In addition, 35 retired brook trout broodstock averaging 16-plus inches were stocked late in the fall.

Mopang Lake, T 29 MD. This highly picturesque lake is one of our best large splake producers, along with yielding some average-sized salmon.

Pleasant River Lake, Beddington. Located just south of Mopang Lake, Pleasant River Lake has been a consistent producer of attractive splake, along with occasional salmon. Thirty retired broodstock salmon from the Grand Lake Stream Hatchery were stocked here late last fall.

Second Lake Old Stream, T 37 MD. Located far from paved roads, Second Lake is one of our best producers of splake.

Keeley Lake, Marshfield. Keeley has not produced large splake, but its action is consistent for a small lake.

Chain pickerel: Great Pond, Great Pond Twp.: Eddington Pond, Eddington: Spectacle Pond, Osborn: Seal Cove Pond, Tremont: Upper Patten Pond, Orland: Fields Pond, Orrington: Lower and Middle Lead Mountain Ponds, T 28 MD; Rocky Pond, T 22 MD; Scammon Pond, Eastbrook; Beddington Lake, Beddington; Patrick Lake, Marion; Rocky Lake, Whiting; Hadley Lake, East Machias.
White perch: Bog Lake, Northfield; First, Second, and Third Chain Lakes, T 26 ED; Boyden Lake, Perry; Second Gardner Lake, Marion; Georges Pond, Franklin; Clifford Lake, T 26 ED: Jones Pond, Gouldsboro; Graham Lake, Waltham; Brewer Lake, Orrington; Alamoosook Lake, Orland; Pierce Pond, Penobscot.

Many of the lakes discussed above have special fishing regulations. Be sure to consult your open fishing lawbook for applicable regulations on the lake you plan to fish. Also, note on the front cover of the lawbook that it covers a two-year period until March 31, 2010. This change will permit some cost-savings to the Department.

– Rick Jordan, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Jonesboro

Region D –Western Mountains

Ice fishing season is winding down and it’s time to plan for spring fishing trips. My prediction is for early ice-outs. Although there is still plenty of ice, the quality is poor. The cold weather in late December created a good layer of hard ice, but the heavy snowstorms of January and February added a relatively soft upper portion of white/slush ice. I expect this upper layer to go fast with the arrival of warm, sunny spring days.

One of the premier spring fisheries in the state is Rangeley Lake, with ice-out usually in late April or early May. This year anglers can again expect great action, but the size quality may be diminished. The lake is currently experiencing a forage base problem; the smelt population is down and the wild salmon numbers are up. Our sampling last fall resulted in 181 individual salmon handled, ranging in age from one to seven years. They averaged 16 inches in length and 1.4 pounds, with the largest being 23¼-inch long and weighing 3.9 pounds. The average condition was the poorest we’ve seen since 1988. The bottom line is that there are too many mouths and not enough food. A large number of wild four year-old salmon are moving through the system now and things should begin to improve as these fish are harvested. We are encouraging anglers to keep their one salmon daily bag limit this year. An increased salmon harvest on nearby Mooselookmeguntic Lake has resulted in improved growth.

River fishing is another good spring angling activity. A few moving waters successfully fished in April are the Androscoggin, Kennebec, Sandy, Carrabassett, Dead, Rapid, and Magalloway Rivers. Our records show that large fish caught in April include a 22-inch brook trout, a 25½-inch brown trout, a 22-inch salmon, and a 21-inch rainbow trout. The bad news is that the fish are generally very sluggish this time of year. Voluntary angler data from the list of rivers above shows 215 legal salmonids caught in 1,106 hours of April fishing. That’s over five hours of angling per legal fish, so be patient and the early spring season can reward your efforts.

After the spring floods and ice-outs the Hatchery Division’s stocking trucks will begin to transport fish. Fifty-eight waters in western Maine are scheduled to receive almost 90,000 spring yearling trout and salmon. The breakdown is 48,400 brook trout, 27,600 brown trout, 7,850 salmon, and 4,850 rainbow trout.

Here’s a short list of few specific waters that will be receiving some of these fish: Chain of Pond, Chain of Ponds Twp., 3,500 brook trout; Clearwater Pond, Industry, 3,000 brook trout; Porter Lake, New Vineyard/Strong, 1,000 brook trout; Wilson Pond, Wilton, 1,500 brook trout; Embden Pond, Embden, 3,000 brook trout; Moxie Lake, The Forks Plt., 3,000 brook trout; Sandy River, Franklin County, 3,000 brook trout and 5,000 brown trout; Androscoggin River, Gilead to Rumford,13,600 brown trout; and Kennebec River, Solon to Skowhegan,10,000 brown trout.

These fish are usually between 6 and 12 inches in length. A complete list of last year’s stocking can be found on the Department’s website, www.maine.gov/ifw.

– Dave Howatt, Fishery Specialist, Rangeley Region

Region E – Moosehead Lake

As the sun gets higher in the sky and the snow banks recede, we can start to look forward to the open-water fishing season. This is a good time to get out those rods and strip off the old monofilament line and replace it with fresh line. I also pull out all my fly-fishing lines and straighten them out and replace all the leader material. It is a hard lesson to learn in the heat of battle that a small kink in a leader significantly weakens the line. It is difficult to predict when we will be able to make our first cast, but typically the last week of April will provide a few open holes around inlet streams and rivers. Smelts will begin to congregate in these locations and anglers that work these spots in the early morning and late evening can be rewarded with some of the biggest fish of the season.

On a related note, there was a typographical error in the open water law book for 2008. Kingsbury Pond is a favorite smelting location in this region and while the tributaries are closed to dipping, the pond itself is open from noon to midnight only. The lawbook should read “Pond is closed to taking of smelts from midnight to noon.”

Many of our rivers will be open for business long before the lakes and ponds. The upper section of the East Outlet, from the dam down to the Beach Pool, is open all year. The rest of the river opens April 1. This can be a great location to fish since operators of the dam are typically trying to fill Moosehead Lake during the spring runoff. So, while many streams and rivers are flowing bank-full, there may be a reduced and very fishable flow in the East Outlet. The Moose River is also a good bet. Flows can be similar to the East Outlet and the presence of smelts from Moosehead Lake and Brassua Lake will draw the salmon, brook trout, and lake trout into the river.

Of course, the West Branch of the Penobscot is a traditional gathering spot on opening day for die-hard anglers. Some anglers will ice fish in the Chesuncook/Chamberlain area on March 31 then stop at the river on their way home on April 1. It can be difficult launching a boat over the shell-ice, but that’s just part of the adventure. Success varies each year and we have had some very promising reports that indicate fish size may be increasing on the West Branch. This has to be one of the most picturesque locations to cast a line anytime of year with Mount Katahdin standing tall in the distance over this large rugged river.

We have more than 350 principal fisheries in lakes and ponds for brook trout and around 30 for both landlocked salmon and lake trout in this region. While there are just 11 bass waters, some of them offer very high quality fishing. All of these waters, combined with more than 4,000 miles of rivers and streams, offer anglers a plethora of opportunities in the Moosehead Lake Region in the spring, summer, and fall.

– Tim Obrey, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Greenville

Region F – Penobscot Valley Region

With the first day of open water fishing fast approaching, a quick look out the window suggests there’s a good chance that most of the waters in Region F will be pretty well “socked in” with ice for most of the month of April. One spot that affords die-hard anglers the opportunity to wet a line in early April is the West Branch of Penobscot River, particularly the Nesowadnehunk Deadwater in . The West Branch has a healthy population of wild landlocked salmon and anglers catch the occasional brook trout as well. The “Soudy” Deadwater, as it is know locally, can be accessed at the gravel pit boat launches at the north end of the deadwater along side the Golden Road in T2 R10 WELS. Typically the boat access is limited to car top boats and canoes in the early spring, or small trailored boats that can be easily slid across the snow and ice. The current regulation for this section of the West Branch allows for one salmon 18 inches or greater in length, and is general law for brook trout (5 fish, 6 inches). This stretch of river is artificial lures only, with either a single pointed hook or a single treble hook allowed. Remember to check you law books.

Another early season stream worth a try, that is actually now open year around, is Millinocket Stream downstream of Millinocket Lake. The stream was stocked by the department last fall with nearly 300 fall yearling brook trout. Considering the good ‘ole fashion winter that we’ve had, it’s a good bet that not many folks have taken advantage of this year-around open water opportunity, so there’s a good chance to catch some holdover trout stocked last fall. As April moves into May, many of the area trout streams and smaller ponds will loose their ice and provide some good action for pan sized (or bigger) trout. Typically anytime after Mother’s Day is a good bet for trout streams in the Penobscot Region.

Also around the first of May, the cold water lakes in Region F should be mostly ice free as well, and anglers will be flocking to favorite early season waters to drag their offerings of sewn smelt and streamer flies, along with a myriad of other bait fish imitations and spoons. Traditional Region F landlocked salmon waters that provide good spring fishing include the Jo-Mary’s (Upper, Middle, and Lower), Millinocket Lake, and the Pemadumcook Chain of lakes all just northwest of the town of Millinocket. Pleasant Lake in Island Falls, East Grand Lake near Danforth, and Deering Lake in Weston have the reputation of producing good sized salmon. East Musquash Lake, Pleasant Lake (in Kossuth), Junior Lake and Lower and Upper Sysladobsis (Dobsie) Lakes can all be accessed off Route 6 running east from Lincoln to Topsfield. West, Duck, and Spring lakes east of the town of Burlington are known to provide fast action, especially just after ice out. We continue to encourage anglers to take advantage of the three fish 12 inch regulation for salmon at Scraggly Lake in T7 R8 WELS, northwest of Patten. The wild salmon population at Scraggly has done extremely well in recent years, unfortunately this means there are far too many mouths to feed in the lake, and size quality of fish has suffered because of it. The liberalized size and bag limits are intended to reduce this overpopulation and improve salmon growth.

Those in search of larger than average salmon might want to give Schoodic Lake or Cold Stream Pond a try. These waters are currently stocked with low numbers of salmon, a management strategy that is producing some top quality fish as evident by this past winter’s ice fishing results, with several salmon from both lakes topping five pounds! While the fishing may be slow, you just might catch a fish of lifetime. Both lakes have healthy populations of wild lake trout and in addition are stocked with brook trout, affording additional opportunity during a day of fishing.

Other lake trout waters in Region F worth a try this spring and summer include Millinocket, Ambajesus, Pemadumcook, Lower Jo-Mary, and 1st and 3rd Debsconeag Lakes. Matagamon Lake in the northern part of Region F near the north entrance to Baxter State Park has a new regulation in place for 2008, allowing anglers to keep a total of three togue daily from 14-18 inches in length, only one of which may be over 18 inches. Anglers should keep these smaller togue when they catch them, as we are trying to thin some of the stockpiled smaller fish from the lake and hope to see an improvement in growth of togue and wild salmon populations. The brook trout regulation at Matagamon has been changed in recent years to two trout 10 inches, only one over 12 inches.

Finally, the fishing in the numerous warm water lakes across Region F generally doesn’t pick up until late spring and early summer. White perch will be spawning near the end of May and can provide for some fast action at places such as Dolby Flowage, Pushaw Lake, and Saponac Lake. Likewise, smallmouth bass fishing is at its’ best in lakes and ponds during the month of June. The Penobscot River, regarded as one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the Northeast, provides fast action lasting from mid-May throughout the entire summer and into the fall.

– Richard Dill, Regional Fishery Biologist, Enfield

Region G – Aroostook County

With snowbanks so high that I have difficulty seeing traffic go up Station Hill in Ashland, peering into our crystal ball we will predict that ice out will occur as normal, that being late April in southern Aroostook County and May 8-15 in the remainder of the region. As usual travel in the North Maine Woods area will be subject to the effects of mud season – culvert washouts, frost heaves and unplowed roads that may be full of snow hampering travel to some ponds.

The usual ponds were stocked with fingerling brook trout in fall 2007 and should reward anglers with ice out fishing. These include Deep and Carry lakes in Littleton, Echo Lake and Hanson Brook Lake in Presque Isle and Daigle Pond in New Canada. Spring yearling brook trout will also be stocked in the same waters: Mud Pond and Logan Lake in the Houlton area, Arnold Brook Lake and Monson Pond in central Aroostook, Island Pond and Upper Elbow Pond in the back country.

Improved catches of salmon and smelts in Square Lake this winter should cause optimism for those anglers that have longed for the fast ice out fishing for which the lake was well known. Increased smelt abundance has improved the growth of these salmon. Brook trout fishing in Square Lake has produce nice catches of 14-16 inch fish. As has been the case in past years, anglers will flock to Long Lake looking for the trophy salmon. Mud Brook will be open to smelt dipping again in 2008.

By all reports, trout fishing in the larger streams and rivers was excellent last year and should continue into 2008. The Aroostook River between Caribou and Fort Fairfield, under special regulation, is now known for excellent catches of trout 12-16 inches. The Presque Isle Stream, Prestile Stream, Fish River and Allagash should all offer some decent brook trout as the water drops and warms in late May and early June.

The 2008 Open Water lawbook has been printed and is now available to the public. We would recommend taking the opportunity to read this pamphlet while anglers wait for the snowbanks to recede and the ice to leave their favorite waters.

Finally, the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club’s Sportsman Show is scheduled for April 5-6 at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. This may be the first sign of spring in the County and should offer the public a great opportunity to get ready for the upcoming fishing, boating and camping season.

– David Basley, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Ashland

Posted by Tom Remington

It’s done everywhere and people who insist they will feed the wild deer often say they don’t care if they are putting the deer at risk. There are several reasons given why it might not be such a good idea to feed the deer during winter or anytime of the year for that matter but convincing those who do continue to feed them is a difficult task.

Here’s a grocery list of some of the reasons it might be a bad idea. First, and maybe most important, feeding deer the wrong kind of food will kill them. If it is food they are unable to digest, they essentially fill up and die. Deer also have a difficult time making adjustments to a change in diet. With that in mind, some places that have been feeding deer continuously for years and years, could put the deer at some risk if they stopped.

Feeding deer draw them away from their yarding areas. To survive the winters, deer have limited food and gather in wooded areas called deer yards. Here they are protected, relatively speaking, from the harsh elements the weather throws at them. There is a certain amount of security in numbers and they expend less valuable energy by being able to stay in one location. If deer begin traveling to a feeding ground, they might expend more energy to get there than what the eating will replace.

This possible migration and feeding grounds in close proximity to highways, can lead to accidents and death as well.

Theory has it that deer feeding in concentrated areas all the time, can increase the risk of spreading disease. Chronic wasting disease is talked of mostly and some states have outlawed feeding deer for that one reason only.

But for all the reasons officials can come up with why people shouldn’t feed deer, they are determined to do it anyway. In Lincoln Plantation, Maine, a town with a population of people that is probably easily outnumbered by deer, have been feeding the deer in some capacity since the 1960s. What once started as a feeding effort paid for through donations, is now paid for with tax appropriated money.

According to a story in the Boston Globe today, the town clerk in Lincoln Plantation pretty much says they’ll keep feeding no matter what officials say.

“We really shouldn’t be feeding them; but the more they tell us not to, the more we do it,” said Muriel Potter, longtime town clerk. “You don’t fool around with Mother Nature . . . but we do.”

Maine tried passing a law to stop feeding deer but that wasn’t a very popular idea and so the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife have been relegated to an education program hoping to convince people that they might be doing more harm than good.

A resident in Nashua, New Hampshire feeds deer in his backyard and I don’t think anyone is going to convince him and his neighbors to stop. Kevin Fredette and his neighbor split the $300-$500 annual cost of feeding the deer.

The costs are well worth it, when a dozen or more deer are cavorting on his lawn, Fredette said. “It’s the alertness and cleverness,” he said of their appeal. “Everyone who comes to see them is in awe. It’s nature at its best, in the middle of Nashua.”

“It’s intriguing to help out Mother Nature, when Mother Nature needs a hand,”

And that is what wildlife officials are dealing with.

Tom Remington

On Saturday when I went to Plant City, Florida to pick up Milt Inman, our chief photographer, I also ran into Sayward Lamb, who is a contributing writer for U.S. Hunting Today. He wanted to show me some photos he had been sent from a friend of a somewhat rare albino moose. He had some concerns about copyright infringements but I had him forward them on to me.

I did a little research on the photos and it didn’t take long to discover the photos have been out for a while and so far claims have the moose in Montana and New Hampshire. The email Mr. Lamb received had stated the photos were taken in New Hampshire as is also claimed at this website.

Looking a bit further, I found the website of KTVB.com in Idaho, stating the photos were taken in Montana. A quick search at Snopes.com turned up nothing. Perhaps the below photos haven’t been around that long.

Either way, thanks to Mr. Lamb, I’ll go ahead and post the photos for your enjoyment.

Tom Remington

Saturday, as most of you know, I went with Milt on a photo shoot outing, etc. Lasted part of the morning and then it poured buckets the rest of the day. In short, it was a wash out.

Sunday, I got up early and drove to the Ft. Myers area and met up with a hometown buddy and we took in a spring training baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles. Before you read on, I want to warn you that what I tell happens is gross and disgusting but somewhere in my sick sense of humor, I can only help but laugh. You may choose to read something else.

We got settled in to the game and seated to my right, perhaps a half dozen seats away, was the Fat family from Cellulite City. There was Mr. and Mrs. Fat and their two fat sons – one perhaps 6 and the other 8 or 9. Combined, the family could have tipped the scales at well over a half ton.

We arrived about 30 minutes before the scheduled first pitch of 1:05 p.m. and as we sat talking and laughing (no we weren’t drinking beer), it didn’t take long to realize that the Fat family had a groove worn into the steel bleachers leading directly to the snack stand. First it was hot dogs, then slushies, a round of Cokes, some popcorn and couple more hot dogs. Every time someone selling concessions moved anywhere in the stadium, up went a yell from someone in the Fat family.

At one point, I glanced over to see if these people were actually human and that’s when I noticed the Dad looked like he had a baseball for a head balancing on top of a huge pile of molten lava. If you were to look close enough, you would have noticed two Nike sneakers sticking out of the bottom of the lava rock.

Just when I didn’t think it possible for any normal person to ingest anything else, Momma Fat broke out the peanut butter and fluff sandwiches, bottles of pink Gatorade and passed each member a huge bag of Cracker Jacks, I suppose to add some variety to their Easter Sunday dinner.

The crowd had began to gather and there were few vacant seats around us. The presentation of the colors and the singing of the National Anthem followed and it was impossible to tell if any of them stood. They were as tall seated as standing but they did continue eating. Nothing was going to interfere with that.

Before we got through the first inning, the older of the two boys began coughing. I’m not sure which came first – the uncontrolled projectile vomiting all over the crowd which led to the coughing or the coughing started the event. Bright pink puke trickled down his chin, spattering and blending in with the assorted partly digested remnants of his stomach on the walkway between his feet.

What then to me became an unexplained phenomenon, nobody in the family seemed all that concerned. The younger bog was looking on as if to say, “Look at all the good food wasted.” Dad was busy trying to find the bottom of his bag of Cracker Jacks and Momma Fats was licking the fluff and peanut butter from her fingers.

Most people around them were appalled at the actions and lack of response. A lady sitting directly in front of them now had pink puke and assorted other goodies looking like an abstract work of art stuck to the back of her Baltimore Orioles commemorative t-shirt.

The coughing persisted and the boy became angry that he couldn’t eat more in between his puking and so looked at his mother in needy way. Finally, Momma Fats got up leading her two boys directly toward me. I scattered in panic and ran for the high ground seeking shelter behind the television cameraman perched in the highest location up behind us. I just knew that kid was going to paint some more art on hundreds of unsuspecting baseball fans.

I wondered aloud if they were headed for the snack bar to get a refund.

I returned to my seat looking around from drippings or any other signs a walking ball of vomit had bounced through my seating area. Once I determined the coast was clear, I moved to sit down and that’s when I noticed Daddy Fats had just finished his giant bag of Cracker Jacks and was slip-sliding through the pile of puke trying to get his hands on the three other bags abandoned by the runaway vomit machine, his brother and Momma Fats. It was at this point I began having visions of what the inside of their home must look like. I abandoned any more thoughts like that.

It was one of the most disgusting things I had seen in a long time. Now it looked a bit odd as this very fat man sat alone in the middle of the stands shoving food into his mouth without a care in the world.

I continued to make jokes with my friends as we waited to see what they would bring back with them from the snack bar. Oddly enough, they didn’t return and once Daddy Fats had finished all the food, he took a nap.

I guess he slept for 3 or 4 innings and when he awoke, he glanced around to see if there was any food he might have missed and seeing none, he left.

Needless to say, the thoughts I had prior to the game about a bowl of nachos and an ice cold drink, no longer existed. I watched the game.

Home now needing to sort through way too many emails and get back to work. While you wait for my next important news event to get posted, why don’t you go get something to eat.

Tom Remington

For everyone with interest, I just finished posting information about yesterday’s Open Air with Tom Remington broadcast with links to all the resources of information. There’s also an audio player posting at the site so you can listen to the show now in case you missed it yesterday or come back at another time when you have the time and tune in.

Just click here is all you have to do!

Tom Remington

Last week I brought you a story out of Norway, Maine where the town manager, David Holt, and the selectmen decided to not allow any guns in the town office building or property. Neither Holt nor any of the selectmen would give an explanation other than to say that someone supposedly was on the premise and appeared to be threatening.

The Lewiston Sun Journal carried the story and this is what that article said about Norway Police Chief, Robert Federico.

Police Chief Robert Federico said that in light of recent events nationally he does support the initiative, although he would have to give some thought to whether he would support a policy restricting the public from carrying weapons on town property.

In my article I laid as much criticism on the actions of the police chief as I did Holt and the selectmen.

Even the Norway police chief says that because of the events “nationally”, he supports disarming Maine residents. Are you kidding me? What if our founding fathers thought that the best way to deal with the American revolution was to first disarm the citizens?

From what was written by the Sun Journal, it sounded to me that Chief Federico approved of the ban on guns at the town office but wasn’t sure about banning them on all town property.

Being an extremely busy week for me this week, I didn’t have time to further research this story but I found someone who cared enough to send an email to Chief Federico. His name is Paul Mattson who is a registered user at the New England Outdoor Voice, a website and forums whose main focus is on fishing, hunting and all outdoor activities across New England.

Paul’s email, a bit on the unusual side in that it wasn’t a name-calling, rant of anger, hate and vitriol, simply stated that while he (Chief Federico) and the town of Norway consider a ban on the lawful possession of a firearm on town property, they take into account the Maine and U.S. Constitutions. Mattson also makes mention that many of the recent killings in so-called “gun free zones” could have prevented loss of life if lawful citizens could have been armed for protection.

Mattson’s response from Chief Federico is quite interesting to say the least. (Follow this link to read the entire text of Mattson’s email and Chief Federico’s response.)

I couldn’t agree with you more. As you know the media doesn’t always capture the whole picture. I was not aware of any ban of any kind. I heard about the Town’s policy when I read the paper like many others.

I find this quite troubling actually. If you consider the actions of the town manager and the board of selectmen, I find it hard to believe that they would approve an act that’s not only perhaps illegal, going against the Maine and U.S. Constitutions, but that such an act wouldn’t first require the input from the Chief of Police? This is a legal matter and one that would involve enforcement of the new law.

Isn’t it also reasonable to suggest that before such a move like this was made that the town officials would want to bring in heads of all departments within the administration, inform them of the proposal and seek legal counsel from the town’s lawyer?

Perhaps the town did seek legal counsel and if they did why wasn’t the Chief of Police brought into this discussion?

Chief Federico, in his email to Paul Mattson, sheds some light on the “incident” that prompted the banning of guns.

This seems to stem from a recent incident where a town employee was accused of making threats, to an ex-girlfriend, about harming a co-worker.

Federico explains that he investigated this incident and found no unlawful conduct but here’s something to consider. Chief Federico shares with Mattson his position on gun banning.

As for whether I would endorse a policy restricting firearms on all town property, I would not.

Maybe this is the reason the Chief wasn’t contacted. Maybe the town officials knew how Chief Federico would react to such a proposal.

The Chief refers to the reporter from the Sun Journal and says when he was contacted, he didn’t know what she (the reporter) was talking about.

When I was contacted by the Lewiston paper, I had no idea what she was talking about. That is why I made the comment that I would have to give it some thought.

We as citizens should not take lightly any issue that involves limitations on our rights guaranteed us under our constitution. This entire episode from what I have been able to piece together, seems a knee-jerk reaction to a situation that may have been emotionally charged by those involved. Deal with that issue, don’t react without considering the consequences of the actions in order to do something that might be perceived as effective actions.

Some have thought my criticisms where a bit harsh. Perhaps they were but nothing I have said are in any way directed as personal attacks against David Holt or the Norway selectmen. My response was for their actions of which I and many other citizens of this country see as deeply disturbing and wrong. It can’t be allowed to go unchecked.

I have heard many times in arguments surrounding emotional debates on guns, the “what if” factor. In a case such as this, although I know little of the details so I’ll talk in general terms, emotions can tell us that there is a chance someone could come onto town property with a gun and hurt somebody – perhaps a moment of rage or as we have seen, a mental condition. Can we stop this in a free society? No, but for some reason we think that passing laws that only put limitations on lawful, sane citizens is the answer.

Use the same reasoning for a moment if you will. There is a chance, as I said, that someone might walk into the Norway town office with a gun and hurt or kill someone. This could happen anywhere in America, at anytime. If we attempt to lessen that risk by banning guns, then how do you answer those who now no longer have the right to defend themselves against such a person?

If the chance exists that someone in a town office in Anytown, America could be harmed by an angry gunman, there is just as much a chance that an American citizen conducting everyday business in that same town office can be killed because they have had their constitutional rights stripped from them and are left defenseless.

The important thing to remember here is that if someone is insane or are angry enough to cause the chaos envisioned by those seeking a gun ban, having such a ban isn’t going to stop them from hurting somebody if that’s their goal. Not allowing someone to be able to defend themselves, as is guaranteed by our constitutions, is inexcusable.

Tom Remington