Some provocative and interesting columns about Maine fisheries and wildlife

bluebackI get a lot of interesting information sent my way, and just wish I could use all of it in this outdoor news blog. This morning, fishing is on my mind, perhaps because I am going to write a review of Bob Mallard’s fascinating book, 25 Best Towns – Fly Fishing For Trout.

Arctic Char

But while you await that, I’ve got a few columns written by others that I know you will find interesting. The first was written by Bob Mallard about Maine’s blueback population and restoration program, published by Orvis News.

You can read that here.

Quality Brook Trout

The second is DIF&W Fisheries Biologist Francis Brautigam’s story about the restoration of quality brook trout in the Sebago Lake Region. Francis writes:

The Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited sought to address two potential impediments in the eradication of invasive fish and restoration of brook trout fisheries in the Sebago Lake Region; funding and “boots on the ground” volunteer support. This effort developed into a partnership that came to be known as the “5 in 5” campaign, creating an expectation that the Department would strive to restore five ponds in five years. With the treatment of Round Pond (Albany) this past fall we completed our fifth project under “5 in 5”. What began as a project starter developed into a partnership that benefi ted the Department, TU, and Maine’s angling community, but before I get to the “warm and fuzzy” stuff let me offer some insight regarding the challenges of our most recent reclamation on Round Pond.

Wait ‘til you see the photo of a massive brookie netted in 2015 in Little Concord Pond. I’ll bet you’re going to want to fish that pond this year!

Francis’ story is in DIFW’s monthly newsletter that you can read here.

Ghost Moose

Finally, I just discovered this story in the June 2015 issue of National Geographic, titled: What’s a Ghost Moose? How Ticks Are Killing an Iconic Animal. It’s a sobering story, for sure, and you can read it here.

Have a great day!

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.