Last Saturday I guided a couple from Colorado on their first striper fishing trip. It was cool and clear with no wind. I did not find any fish in the harbor but as I headed down river we found ourselves among large schools of breaking stripers including this nice one.
We caught fish steadily for the entire trip and I am certain that they are bragging about Maine fishing to their friends and neighbors right now.
The foliage change is starting but we are still a couple of weeks away from peak color. There are a few trees that have color but for the most part things are still as green as August. We are supposed to have a frost soon so I am sure that will get things moving.
Being a guide means that you change activities with the seasons. October first marks one of those shifts in activity. I change from a fishing and canoe guide to an upland bird hunting guide. I have been working with the dogs for an hour or so each evening for the last six weeks and everyone seems to be ready except the boss. I don't want to put away my fly rods and striper gear. The season has been great and I don't want it to end; but someone is expecting me to arrive in the North Maine Woods Sunday afternoon with my orange hat and hunting boots on so I have no choice. Next year I am planning to keep more time in October open for striper fishing so that I do not have to leave great fishing and beautiful fall foliage.
I went down to Cape Cod to fish with a guide there this week. The trip was a present for my 50th birthday last summer. I very much l enjoyed fishing someplace new and seeing how another guide works doing almost the same thing that I do. We caught a few fish but were blown off of the water by strong wind by late morning. It was great to spend some time just hanging out with my brother and seeing another part of the world.
I attended a meeting of the Mane Conservation School Board of Directors where I was elected the new Vice President. We have some funding issues facing us this winter and we received an updated version after the meeting that shows the situation to be even bleaker this winter than we had thought. Fortunately I think that everyone is focused on the problem and finding a solution.
Last Friday I ran the second business seminar for guides and was quickly reminded how tiring it is to talk for six hours straight. Next time I must get someone else to do some of the presenting so that I am not the whole show. Six hours of continuous talking is more than I can do. I am certain that the participants will use what they learned to help them grow their businesses in the near future.
I'll return next weekend and hope to have a day or two to striper fish the week of the 10th of October. If you would like to see the beautiful Maine foliage from the saltwater and have a chance to catch a striper or two please drop me an e-mail and let's set a date.
Best regards,
Don Kleiner
Master Maine Guide
