Governor and Commissioner Catch Lots Of Brook Trout

Governor Janet Mills and Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Judy Camuso recently enjoyed a fly fishing experience north of Rangeley.

I assume that many people do not realize that Janet loves to fly fish. And while Judy enjoys fishing, this was the first time that she has ever fly fished. My friend Bruce Verrill, took them to his place on Rump Pond, alongside the northern end of the Magalloway River.

Bruce’s camp is a long drive after you go through the Parmachenee gate, so fishing pressure up there is not a problem.

I enjoyed several amazing trips up there with Bruce. Before he built a beautiful house there, we stayed in one of two old cabins that were originally part of a sporting camp. LL Bean once owned those cabins, and sold them to Bruce.

Janet and Judy enjoyed two days of fishing with Bruce and another friend of mine, Dr. Jay Naliboff.

I won’t disclose Bruce’s favorite places to fish up there but I will tell you that both ladies caught a lot of brook trout. Bruce told me that Judy very quickly became a good caster, and on her first day caught 30 brook trout.

In fact, when Bruce suggested to Judy that first day that they move to a new location she refused because she was catching fish!

In the fall, large fish swim up the Magalloway River to spawn, and one fall, Bruce and I each caught a gorgeous five-pound brookie.

If Janet and Judy weren’t so busy, I’ll bet they’d be asking Bruce to get them back up there sometime soon!

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.