Wildlife Quiz - The Landlocked Atlantic Salmon

The Landlocked Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) exists as a freshwater form of the sea-run Atlantic salmon. A fish species native to Maine waters, the Landlocked Salmon originally only inhabited the St. Croix, Penobscot, and the Presumpscot river basins. Today, Landlocked Salmon inhabit over 300 lakes and close to 50 rivers and streams throughout Maine. Though a native species, only 49 Maine lakes support natural salmon reproduction.

The remaining lakes require regular stocking efforts by Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to remain viable Landlocked Salmon fisheries. Without regular stocking efforts, these lakes would become barren of salmon populations. From 1996-2000 approximately 125,000 salmon were annually stocked in Maine lakes. Maine anglers normally catch Landlocked Salmon between averaging 17 inches and weighing 1 1/4 pounds. Occasionally a lucky angler will land a fish exceeding 5-6 pounds.

The current state of Maine record Landlocked Salmon was 22 pound 8 ounce behemoth pulled out of Sebago Lake by Edward Blakeley in 1907.

Landlocked Salmon possess a vibrant silvery coloration overlaid with small black spots predominantly distributed above the lateral line. A forked tail distinguishes it from trout species. Landlocked Salmon will feed on a variety of bait fish for sustenance but their preferred prey species is the rainbow smelt. Landlocked Salmon spawn from mid-October to late November. Female Landlocked Salmon deposit eggs in gravel where the male fertilizes the eggs, covers them with gravel and leaves them to incubate and hatch in the early spring. After hatching, young Landlocked Salmon swim free of the gravel and begin searching for food. Young salmon spend approximately 2 years in the stream, in which they were hatched, before migrating to a lake. With luck, stream dwelling fry will avoid predators, eventually growing-up and living 1-10 years. The oldest landlocked salmon on record in Maine was 13 years old.

Wildlife Quiz Questions
1. Are Landlocked Salmon an introduced species in the state of Maine?
2. How many lakes, streams and rivers for Landlocked Salmon inhabit in the state of Maine?
3. How many Maine lakes support natural salmon reproduction?
4. What is the average size Landlocked Salmon that anglers catch in Maine?
  5. What is the current state of Maine record Landlocked Salmon?
6. What is the prey species preferred by the Landlocked Salmon?
7. When do Landlocked Salmon spawn?
8. What was the oldest Maine Landlocked Salmon on record?

Wildlife Quiz Answers
1. No, Landlocked Salmon are a fish species native to the state of Maine.
2. Landlocked Salmon inhabit over 300 lakes and close to 50 rivers and streams throughout Maine.
3. Only 49 Maine lakes support natural salmon reproduction.
4. Maine anglers normally catch Landlocked Salmon between averaging 17 inches and weighing 1 1/4 pounds.
5. The current state of Maine record Landlocked Salmon was 22 pound 8 ounce behemoth pulled out of Sebago Lake by Edward Blakeley in 1907.
6. Landlocked Salmon will feed on a variety of bait fish for sustenance but their preferred prey species is the rainbow smelt.
7. Landlocked Salmon spawn from mid-October to late November.
8. The oldest landlocked salmon on record in Maine was 13 years old.

Stay Warm and Comfortable Flyfishing this Spring

After long months of inactivity, anglers anxious to fly fish open waters would be well served to make a pilgrimage to Grand Lake Stream (Delorme’s The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (MAG), Map 35, B-4). Open April 1st to fly fishing only, hoards of anglers descend upon the stream, drunk on the prospects of pulling fat silversides from the stream’s turbulent, ice cold waters.

Fishing is often fast and furious during the first three weeks of April, with hungry salmon eager to bite hard on any imitation smelt patterns. Widely considered one of the top landlocked salmon rivers in the state, Grand Lake Stream regularly produces salmon of between 16 and 20 inches in length, with larger fish always an exciting possibility. Regulations set a length minimum for salmon at 14 inches and a one fish bag limit on salmon. The dam pool is by far the most popular (and also most crowded location) so those wishing for a quieter and more pristine experience, it is good to explore other areas of the stream.

Those new to the “stream” will be well served to hire a Maine guide to help them identify the best fishing spots and pick a winning combination of line, flies and gear to ensure a successful and rewarding fishing trip. No matter what your skill level, the local Professional Maine Guides, having worked these waters their entire life, will depart upon you some new understanding that will make you a better fly fisherman. The Grand Lake Stream Guides Association (www.grandlakestreamguides.com) is an organization composed of local Registered Maine Guides striving to continue the traditional standards of the guiding in the Grand Lake Stream area. This devoted group of professional guides is dedicated to promoting a quality, ethical and legal outdoor experience for all. Guides can be procured through the local fishing lodges or contacted directly through the “members list” on the guide’s association website.

My Uncle Charles "Kim" Vose and Cousin Brett Vose (207-796-5403) are both long time Grand Lake Stream residents, guide association members and in my slightly biased opinion, two of the best guides in Washington County. If looking for a fishing guide in Grand Lake Stream make sure to give them a call! 

Anglers arriving later in the month would be well served to explore additional fly fishing areas in and around Grand Lake Stream. Another destination, a short drive from Grand Lake Stream, is the impressive St. Croix River, open to fly fishing beginning April 15th. Two spectacular options exist on the river, both offering pools and riffles prime for fishing salmon and trout. The first location exists in the small town of Vanceboro (Map 46, C-3), approximately a quarter mile down river from the Vanceboro dam; anglers will find ample 16-18 inch salmon and 13-15 inch native brook trout, ravenous from their long winter spent under the frozen surface of Spednic Lake. The second fishing location exists in Princeton (Map 36, B-2), about a half mile down river from the Grand Falls Dam. Here in this pool, landlocked salmon congregate, having dropped down from Big and West Grand Lake in search of forage.

Fly fishing this time of year can be a struggle, as the combination of cold and wet takes it toll on those unprepared to meet the challenge. Cold water zaps heat from the body 25 times faster than air so it is critical that when fishing, care is taken to stay warm and dry. Maine’s spring is notoriously fickle and daily temperatures can range from below freezing to mid 60s. Being prepared with insulated waders, gloves, hand warmers, layered clothes, good food and hot coffee can make sure anglers remain comfortable as well as safe. A mistake made by many anglers is fly fishing with the same waders used during the summer. These waders are simply ineffective when compared against the larger and more insulated waders designed specifically for warmth and with over-sized boots to better accommodate heavy socks and heater packs.

Feet are typically the area most susceptible to the wet and cold and even in the extreme cold, feet usually sweat and sweat will make feet damp and chilled. Wearing more socks will not make feet warmer but will instead impede circulation. Instead, a simple two-sock system should be used comprised of a thin nylon/spandex “liner” sock (no cotton), used to wick moisture away from the skin, and a second thick wool/nylon sock, for warmth. Care should be taken to ensure toes can still wiggle within the wader, as a restrictive fit inhibits blood circulation, making feet cold. On very cold days, chemical heat packs placed between the two socks provide additional warmth for very little bulk. Though I have yet to try them, several hunting friends raved about the effectiveness of the new Thermacell boot heaters in keeping their feet warm during late season deer hunting.

Fingers are the second body part that will suffer in the cold. I carry at least two pairs of gloves so that I can replace them if I get a hand wet unhooking a fish. Synthetic, hydrophilic gloves constructed of neoprene or fingerless wool gloves are the most popular options. In extreme cold, I will put chemical heater packs in both my pockets to warm fingers quickly if they take a dunking. The obvious trick to successfully fishing in gloves is practice, learning how to effective fly fish while wearing them. A couple quick practice sessions at home on the lawn go a long way in learning what works and what doesn't before venturing a field.

Ice Fishing Salmon, Predator Hunting Coyotes

Cathance Lake, (Delorme’s The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (MAG), Map 36, E-4) in Washington County, was one of the first Maine lakes to be artificially stocked with landlocked salmon. Occurring in 1868, using salmon eggs obtained at Grand Lake Stream, the lake has since grown into a hugely successful salmon fishery. The lake’s 2,905 acres and 75 ft watery depths provide excellent habitat for salmon, perhaps one of the most consistent salmon fisheries in eastern Maine. Salmon caught by ice anglers typically range from 17 to 19-inches with the chance to pull up a larger trophy fish always a possibility.

Brook trout are produced in several of the lakes tributaries and anglers tend to catch 10 to 12 inch fish in the lake with 14 to 16 inch trout a possibility Ice anglers on foot will park at the plowed and well maintained boat launch on route 191 and walk the 1 mile up the lake to Todd Island. Good fishing exists all around Todd Island and the island also provides shelter and a place to build a small fire should the weather turn difficult.

Anglers targeting salmon will encounter more success if they bring smelts. While salmon will bite shiners, a much larger degree of success will be managed by those willing to invest a little more expense and effort and use smelts. If unaccustomed to using these bait fish, know they are notoriously difficult to keep alive. Bait buckets equipped with small aerators will increase the chances of keeping bait actively swimming all day long.

Predator Hunting 
Sportsmen often ask me how they can become more successful at hunting coyotes. While these individuals tend to employ fairly sound hunting tactics, they fall short on a few critical details that hurt their success rate. While scent control is always an issue with coyotes, also is having camouflage well matched to the intended hunting area and seasons.

By being mindful of the anticipated hunting location and watchful of the surroundings, hunters can more easily blend into the environment and achieve greater success. Winter’s first snowfall vastly changes the visual environment and camouflage patterns useful in the spring, summer and fall are no longer effective. As bad as dark camouflage patterns are against an open snow covered field, white or snow camouflage patterns are equally bad when contrasted against dark woodland backgrounds. High contrasts create easily visible silhouettes. In the winter, exercise caution when using white camouflage in dark woodlands as the wary eyes of predators will easily see your movements. In these situations, a mixed camouflage choice consisting of white pants and a favorite woodlands pattern will break up your outline better than all white. Other good examples include, hiding in a snowy brush pile wearing Seclusion 3D winter or wearing the white and blotchy green Flecktarn pattern when hunting a snowy pine or spruce thicket. The trick to perfecting camouflage is to create less sharp lines by blending to create a more “fuzzy” silhouette.

Sportsman looking to enter into the world of winter hunting need not break the bank, a set of military surplus white nylon pants and jacket for $20 and polyester winter hat and gaiter from Walmart for $5 creates a set that allows hunters to quickly and easily adapt to different winter hunting scenarios with minimal effort. Other “thrifty” options include using white hooded painter coveralls or simply a white bed sheet (just remember that cotton will quickly absorb water and ice up).

While hunters typically understand the importance of effective camouflage, those looking to confuse the sharp eyes of predators, must also carefully examine their face, hands and feet. Always on the move, turning side to side and looking up and down, the face frequently alerts game animals to a hunter’s presence. Hunters can negate this issue by employing slow movements and choosing a facemask that fits properly. A properly fitting facemask assures a hunter will consistently wear it and that it doesn’t block ones vision at the time of the shot. I own half a dozen different facemasks. For example, one is fleece lined for late season deer; another is all mesh for June turkeys, then there is the neoprene ½ mask for January sea ducks and finally the full face fleece lined balaclava for hunting late season coyotes in brown woodlands camouflage and all white. The trick is to have a wide enough selection to allow matching facemasks to the weather and the natural hunting environment.

Ungloved hands create a lot of visual disturbance whether repositioning a firearm for a shot or scratching an itch. I have several different pairs of gloves designed to match the weather and blend with the environment. Critical with gloves, as previously mentioned with facemasks, is perfect fit. A badly fitted glove can inadvertently place pressure on a trigger and cause it to fire at an inopportune time. On the other hand, a glove that is too thin may allow better trigger feel but be ineffective in warding off the cold. Chemical heater packs and mittens with trigger openings are a great way to insulate with less “bulk”, allowing more control over a rifle’s safety and trigger.

Of all the body parts, feet are without a doubt the most often forgotten. While not nearly as critical to camouflage as head and hands, in certain situations feet can really stand out. Think hunter dressed in white camouflage standing in a snow-covered field with brown boots and YIKES you can see what I mean. What most don’t realize is that feet are incredibly easy to camouflage without buying a dozen different pairs of boots. One of the easiest things to do is to simply pull pant legs completely over the top part of the boot rather than tucking them in. This will succeed in hiding about 70% of the boots total visible area.

 Coyotes prefer to expend as little energy as possible in winter and will frequently travel snowmobile trails to more efficiently travel through areas with significant snowfall. This creates great ambush locations for hunters wanting to try out their new winter camouflage pattern. Great hunting can be accessed at the end of the Carson Road in Calais (Map 37, C-1). Following the impressive network of logging roads and well-packed snowmobile trails make walking, snowshoeing or cross-county skiing into the vast woodlands an easy endeavor. Stalking into areas such as Carson Heath (Map 37, C-1), the Flowed Lands Ponds (Map 37, C-1) and Beaver Lake (Map 37, C-1) are sure to provide hunters with an exciting afternoon.

West Grand Salmon Desktop Photo

Ummm, Nothing Better Than Smoked Salmon!

For more information on smoking Salmon and Togue (Lake Trout) click HERE.

Its All About the Hatch

Our annual spring trip to West Grand Lake was ignited by a well timed and exciting combination of unique happenstances. After suffering through several dreary weeks of rain and cold, the skies parted early Friday afternoon pushing thermometers into the 70s. This sudden transition signaled a titanic eruption of Hendrickson Mayflies that in turn whipped the salmon into a feeding frenzy. Trolling the lake surface with flies and DB Smelts, in a variety of combos and colors, we finally hit gold with anything containing the color “pink”. In a long day of patrolling the lake from the landing to Hardwood Island, Marks Island and finally all the way to the mouth of Whitney Cove, we succeeded in bringing 20 salmon to the boat. Most fish caught were between 15-17 inches and included one well fed football shaped monster registering 18 inches.

Surface trolling was the way to go this year as the hatch had fish feeding close to the lake surface. The biggest salmon of the day was caught on the surface in about 45 feet of water at 1:00! In the excitement of the swarming salmon, we quickly abandoned our downriggers, lead core and Luhr-Jensen lake trolls (targeting Togue) and instead fished floating flyline with streamers or 8 lb mono with DBs. The results were easily one of our best days trolling the lake.

Arriving back at the Grand Lake Store the fly fishing community was abuzz with news of the hatch and the store’s supply of Hendrickson imitators was completely sold out. Despite the high water levels plaguing the stream at this time, many brave fly fishermen were cautiously attempting to fish some of the smaller pools further away from the raging waters found near the dam.

In the end, three of us kept 6 salmon that we smoked on Sunday afternoon and will certainly be enjoyed for weeks to come on toasted morning bagels with a dollop of cream cheese! As we busied ourselves with carefully cleaning the silverside beauties, each were absolutely FILLED with Hendricksons, again reminding me that sometimes it’s all about the hatch!!

For More Fishing on West Grand See:
West Grand Lake Exposed
Spring Fishing 2010

Many other fine stories of adventure exist concerning the waters of West Grand Lake. If interested in finding more type West Grand into the search bar on the side of this blog and you will be direct to additional stories!

West Grand Lake Exposed

My hysterical laughter was uncontainable, heightened by the absurdity of the event that had just occurred. Despite the fact that $200 dollars worth of my brother’s fishing equipment, was now resting peacefully at the bottom of West Grand, my totally loss of self control was infectious enough to make my brother crack a wide smile. Seconds before, a salmon of truly epic proportions had leaped from the water, barely had “OH MY GA” escaped my lips, when his rod doubled over, flew across his back and disappeared into the murky depths.

The titanic nature of this fish will be debated for years, and I revel in the fact that I was the only observer of its true size. My halfhearted attempts to console my brother, between bouts of uncontrollable laughter, centered on the fact that though he had just lost a complete fishing outfit he would be saving a TON in taxidermist fees! Though I was light headed and gasping for breath, I seem to remember a swear word being mumbled at this point in the conversational exchange.This shining moment, was the start to one of the most enjoyable and memorable fishing weekends in recent memory, as family, friends, outlaws and savages all descended upon the small town of Grand Lake Stream, Maine for our annual spring fishing weekend.

New to this year’s entourage was the infamous Mr. President (AKA Duckman), who brought with him a laundry list of necessary and unnecessary gear. Included in his camping/fishing arsenal were 8-12 poles rigged with lead line, fish finder with GPS, 3-4 tackle boxes, 300 gallons of gasoline, coffee pot, propane cook stove, 65 pound “Danforth” anchor, 15 quarts of baked beans, downrigger and quite possibly lobster traps. To say Mr. President was “prepared” for any and all contingencies would be a major understatement. I believe at some point in the weekend, he mentioned that his life motto had something to do with, “what is the sense of having 18 feet of boat to only fill it with a 14 feet worth of gear.”

In all fishing adventures, there are highs and lows, times when the fish bite and times when the “strikes” go cold. While Friday was marked by incredible fishing action, with 15 salmon and lake trout brought to net, the rest of the weekend saw not a single strike. It is fortunate, for my already shaky fishing reputation that this cold front aligned precisely with the time I left my brothers boat and set foot in the boat of Mr. President. Rather than blame myself, for the dramatic turn of events, this transition provided me with the perfect scapegoat. Now this isn’t to say that this predicament was totally the fault of Mr. President. Several other factors were against us from the onset, including a 50 HP Mercury outboard that only operated on trolling speed or wide open and a downrigger that was secured to the side of the boat with bubble gum and dental floss. I don’t mean to infer that Mr. President’s fishing prowess is anything less than exceptional, I am simply trying to muckrake to divert attention away from the fact that I didn’t manage to land a single fish on Saturday or Sunday, despite hours of invested trolling time. Never mind that we were fishing in high winds, that tossed Mr. President’s 18 foot Lund about like a wine bottle cork on the Atlantic and that I had, at this point, lost all 5 DB smelts and was fishing with a lure fashioned out of tinfoil and duct tape. These “concerns” mean little to the dedicated sportsman and are simply speed bumps in the road of outdoor life and cannot, in good faith, be used as viable excuses.

As this long weekend of adventure rolled to a close, it was decided by the high council of family elders, that despite his personality flaws, bodily odor and inability to catch fish, Mr. President would be allowed to become a regular participant in the spring fishing trip. His supernatural abilities to move outhouses, spin tall tales, fix outboard motors and brew a semi descent cup of coffee outweighed any possible negatives. In all seriousness, we would be hard pressed to find an easier going and better individual than Mr. President.

Please take a few minutes and stop by Mr. President’s blog and check out an alternate set of lies and stretched truths concerning our forays in Grand Lake Stream! For more on West Grand Lake and stories from last year check out the previous post from the spring 2009 fishing season.

Smoked Fish

Had a chance over the holiday weekend, to finally get around to smoking the two salmon and single lake trout (togue) from the previous winter ice fishing and spring trolling outings to West Grand Lake. The following are two recipes that work very well for both of these fish species. In my experience, I have found that many people actually prefer the lake trout over the salmon, due to its rich flavorful taste. For breakfast, try putting either smoked delicacy on a bagel with cream cheese and you will think you have died and gone straight to heaven! Either way, smoking is a fantastic way to enjoy eating both of these sporting favorites!



Smoked Salmon
1 qt. water
½ cup white sugar
½ cup non-iodized salt
--------------------------------
Smoked Togue
2 qts. water
1 cup of non-iodized salt
½ cup of brown sugar
¼ cup of lemon juice (One lg. lemon)
¼ tbsp of garlic powder
¼ tbsp of onion powder

1. Soak fish overnight (8-12 hours)
2. Take them out and rinse them off
3. Pat dry and let sit until a glaze forms called “pellicle” (about 1 hour)
4. Place in smoker and use apple, hickory or alder depending on taste.
5. Let smoke for 8-12 hours until the desired level of doneness is achieved. Some people like smoked fish “dry” and some “wet” so taste testing is required near the end of the process.

West Grand Lake Expedition Huge Success

As tends to be standard operating procedure, our annual spring fishing trip to West Grand Lake was hugely successful! Family and the infamous "Duckman" all packed the remote camps at the “Thoroughfare”. Despite outlandish story telling and a reckless amount of food and beverage, we even managed to find time to do a little fishing. I have posted photos but won’t be able to share the sorted stories of lost lunkers, swamp gas, mobile outhouses, dilly beans and the $200 dollars worth of rods, reels and lures that now rest on the bottom of the lake, until I manage to find a few hours to craft the tale. Trust me it will be worth the wait!!

Spring Fishing 2010!

After a year of anticipation, the annual spring fishing trip is finally within “striking distance”. On this seasonably cold Saturday morning, I sit here amongst a cornucopia of old and new gear all awaiting inspection, rigging and finally integration into this years fishing outfit. On the top of the list are several exciting new items purchased or gifted throughout the course of the year and have lain dormant in the dark recess of my basement. Springs early arrival flirts with my senses and a primitive calling awakens my inner fisherman, driving me to rally the troops and prepare for the annual migration to the Grand Lake Stream water shed.

Added to this year’s arsenal (and pictured to the right), will be the Penn 209 “level wind” reel, Rhino medium weight 8 foot trolling rod, weighted lead core lines, Luhr-Jensen’s mini-dipsy and 5 blade Dave Davis in 50/50 nickel-gold. This outfit once rigged, will function as my deep water outfit to target large lake trout (togue). My secondary outfit, will consist of a Pflueger Medalist 1495 ½ Diameter Fly Reel, Eagle Claw 7 weight 8 foot fly rod and loaded with Procasts floating hi-vis yellow WF7 fly line. This basic outfit is identical to what I used last year for fishing the top of the water column to target salmon.

This seasons gear list, is almost as exciting as the new deep water trolling techniques I have been studying in various online sources and journals. After last years efforts, that produced mixed results, I thought it would be fun to experiment this year with sewn on bait, new knots, varied depths, lures and boat trolling speeds. Due to the thousands of variables it will obviously be impossible to draw any definitive results as to the effectiveness of last years (old) compared to this years (new) techniques BUT it is still FUN to try new stuff!

Here is a quick list of a few things I have been researching:
Sew on a Smelt
Trolling Techniques at Luhr-Jensen
Trolling Techniques
Fishing Knots to Know

So, with the stage set lets take a look at how everything went together. First, one fun thing I recently purchased was something called the knot tying game. The “Fisherman Version” of the game came with rope, dowels w/eyelets and 50 cards with instruction on how to tie various fishing knots. The “game” is played, by turning over the cards one at a time and attempting to tie the knot that is depicted. Players get points for being the first to tie the knot successfully. More difficult knots are assigned a higher number of points. While I have yet found anyone with a “geek factor” high enough to actually want to play the game with me, I have found the cards fun to review. For the purposes of preparing the line on my reels I used the knots outlined below. Secondly, to combat twisted lines we will be fishing with two down rigger directly off the back of the boat this year and the use of a mini-dipsy to pull one of the floating line to the far left or right to fish close to shore and outside of the fish disturbing wake of the boat.

Deep Trolling:
Reel to 100 yards of Backing – Tie over hand knot in backer, then thread backer around reel and tie to backer with two overhand knots.
Backing to Lead Line - Pull out 1.5 inches of lead from lead line and then secure to backer using a Blood Knot (See Picture).
Lead Line to 12 lb Mono - Pull out 1.5 inches of lead from lead line and secure to mono using Leader to Line Knot (See Picture).
Secure 12 lb Mono to Lure using Blood Knot or Palomar (if using braided lines like Firewire).

* Throughout the course of the adventure, this set-up will be modified with the incorporation of the Dave Davis, sewn-on-smelts and various lure classics as the Swedish Pimple, DB Smelt and Mooselook Wobbler). When this occurs the Dave Davis will be tied directly to a barrel swivel attached to the lead line. To the end of the Dave Davis will secured 16-18 inches of leader and a sewn-on-smelt.

Surface Level Trolling:
Reel to 100 yards of Backing – Tie over hand knot in backer, then thread backer around reel and tie to backer with two overhand knots.
Backing to Floating Fly Line - Secure backer to fly line using a Blood Knot (See Picture).
Fly Line to barrel swivel to Mini-Dipsy – Secure using blood knots.
Mini-Dipsy to 12 lb Mono – Secure using blood knot or Palomar
Secure 12 lb Mono to Lure using Blood Knot or Palomar (if using braided lines like Firewire).

* Throughout the course of the adventure, this set-up will be modified with the incorporation of lures including Gray Ghosts, Black Ghost, floating 6 inch Rapalas and DB Smelt.

As Mainers start fishing the cold waters of the state in pursuit of Lake Trout and Salmon I hope you enjoyed this brief synopsis of trolling techniques. If you use any of them and catch a MONSTAH please send me a picture and story as it would be great to post to the blog. Thanks for stopping by and good luck this fishing season!

Grand Lake Stream Exposed

Finally back from the great white north where we managed over two days to catch the following. Thankfully, we were blessed with good weather and bountiful action!