The weather has definitely changed now, the wind is blowing pretty strongly out of the northwest and the angle of the sun is getting low in the sky. I can tell because it gets hard to see down into the water making my job just a little more difficult. The sky is that crystal clear blue that we get in clear cool air. The crickets are chirping steadily in the warm afternoons and getting in the house at every opportunity. I guided some excellent fly anglers Saturday for bass; the fishing was great when we started but diminished as the wind came up and the barometer began to rise. Still it was a great day to be out and we had a number of nice fish brought to the boat. I thoroughly enjoy guiding out of the Grand Lake Canoe and paddling along the shore to hold the boat so that my fisherman can make that perfect cast. After nearly twenty years my 9.9 hp Evinrude has failed me. I spent a good part of Sunday trying to solve the fuel problem but it looks like there is a replacement in my future. For the short term I am going to be using the electric trolling motor that was on the Lund last summer. Maybe an electric motor is all that I really need, even though I expect to have a replacement outboard before long.
Monday being Labor Day marked the unofficial end of the summer season. I have been very busy this summer in spite of the economy and gas prices. I do not have any one thing to attribute it to but rather many small things like referrals from other guides and clients from fifteen years ago looking me up for another trip. As always the interesting people that I spend time with outdoors are the best part of being a guide.
On several of my family fishing trips during the last week of the summer I was able to locate a school of really large yellow perch. I normally think of perch as a small fish in large numbers but some of these went two pounds on my scale. They were amazing! The best part of the story is that the school was located about two hundred yards from where I had been fishing all summer but had not seen any of them. On one trip the entire school took up residence in the shadow of the boat and all the kids had to do was hit the button on the closed face spinning reels and drop the line straight down alongside the boat to a horde of hungry perch that would fight over the worm in plain view until one of them pulled the bobber under and was hoisted into the boat. Of course the kids were delighted. I worry at times that I have made it too easy for them. I still enjoy the family perch trips the most of any of my trips though, it is almost too much fun if that is possible.
Nicholas Goes to France!
Our youngest son Nicholas left last week to study in Rennes France for four months. It was very sad to see him go but at the same time a proud moment to see him able to go. Packing the night before was a project that involved the entire family. I'm sure that he has too much of some things and nowhere near enough of others but he is packed and off on the adventure of his young life. If you are interested he is writing a blog he is planning to keep us all filled in as his trip progresses over the fall.
There is still time to arrange a trip for this season!
September and October are without a doubt the best time of year in the Maine Outdoors. I still have some open dates in September and plan to offer trips well into November again this fall. In fact after the excellent fishing and good weather in November last year I am looking forward to the late fall. If you are planning to be in the area please give me a call or reply to this e-mail and let's plan to spend some time outdoors together.
