The first week of July offered us great summer weather, foggy mornings, sunny breezy afternoons and warm summer temperatures. I have run a lot of trips in the last ten days with a good variety. Family fishing trips, several striper trips and an afternoon nature exploration canoe trip thrown in for good measure.
The perch fishing has been outstanding for the family fishing trips; kids (and their parents) catch fish steadily and keep me hopping. Between baiting hooks and unhooking fish I barely have time to look up. If you have a few kids along the total numbers get amazing pretty quickly. No surprise big bass yet this summer but yesterday there were a few chasing the small perch a around the rocks. So I suppose it is only a matter of time.
An afternoon canoe trip in the 4th of July was as close to a perfect trip as I have ever had. From the weather to the pond critters we dipped; everything was very nearly perfect. What a great afternoon.
Striper Report!
The biggest disappointment so far this summer has been the striper fishing the most I have had caught on any one trip so far is six and several trips have had none. A far cry from two years ago that is for sure. At the moment I am still hoping that they will show up but it is getting pretty late in the season to hold onto that hope. No one seems to have any explanation but at least it seems to be everywhere on the Maine coast as far as I can gather. Hopefully this is not the beginning of a striper crash like we have endured in the past but I am fearful that is the case.
Luckily I have excellent freshwater fishing to fall back on. While I still plan to do some striper fishing for the rest of the season I am planning to spend more time on freshwater trips as the season progresses.
Wildlife Success Stories
Everywhere I go lately there is some sort of wildlife that is more abundant than it was even a short time ago. Recently I guided a party on Megunticook Lake in Camden with eagles watching. In fact one member of my party told me that it was the first eagle he had ever seen. They have also been perched along the mussel beds at low tide on the salt water creating a lot of discussion among the gulls and terns.
On various trips we have seen osprey's diving for fish and lots of loons. For those of you keeping track I have seen three loon chicks in the last couple of weeks. I would say that the dry spring has helped with loon nesting success this year. Of course there are cormorants everywhere (to the point of being a nuisance really) and a good variety of songbirds as well. For some reason I am hearing a lot of rose breasted grosbeaks this summer and seeing northern orioles fly across the road in front of me. The wild turkey has been restored on Maine beyond anyone's wildest dreams and I see them everywhere even down along the salt water marshes.
There are other large species that you might not think of; I am certain that the number of seals has at least doubled on the Maine coast in the last 10 years (unless of course I am actually looking for one, then they are nearly extinct) Harbor porpoises are a regular part of striper fishing and Saint George River boat trips. So while here is much to be dismayed about in the world there are also great successes in the world of wildlife.
Have a project that you need help on?
It looks like I will some time available next winter to work on a project or two. My current lobbying clients have both indicated that they are short on cash and will be scaling back or not renewing my contracts for next winter. The good news is that I expect to have time available that I have not had for several years. If you have a marketing or production project, or know of one that needs a little extra effort from an independent consultant please drop me an e-mail and let's discuss how I can help you.
There is still time to arrange a trip for this summer!
June was busy and July is following that path, as of today August and September still have plenty of open time. If you are planning to be in the area please give me a call or reply to this e-mail and let's plan a date to spend some time outdoors together.
