On Aug 20, 1:40*pm, D. LaCourse wrote:
Autumn has arrived early this year. *At least it has here in northern
Maine. *The daytime temps are in the low to mid 70s, while it dips into
the mid 40s at night. *Great sleeping temps. *Whit has offered me *a
portable *generator so that I can sleep using my cpap mask. *With the
good night's sleep it allows me, I can fish all day. *No noon time
naps. However, on this trip I don't need the generator; I bought two 12
v car-jumping batteries. *Fully charged, one will last about 8 hours. *
With its trickle charger, however, it takes awhile to get a full
charge. *A good night's sleep means a good day of fishing (regardless
the "catching").

Surprisingly the river is running cool, in the mid 60s. *Pretty good
for this time of the year. *Fishing is just so so, but it is fishing. *
The day time temps are better than the high 80s in Massachusetts. *Best
time to fish is early in the morning or early evening. *The river temp
gets to about 71 during the day - much too warm for brook trout to
flourish.

No big brookies yet, but I did catch a couple of 17 inch salmon on
Harry's Killer Caddis. *I brought along my waterproof colored pens and
have experimented with the body color of the fly. *The body is Rainy's
caddis body material and the ones I have are all brownish. *I tried
coloring some black and others green, but the fish took only the ones I
did not alter. *Go figure. *I think, however, that when I begin tying
my stuff this winter I will tie using different colored cdc. *
Especially black. *There is a black caddis that comes off on the river.
*It's a small hatch, but if you can match it (usually a Goddard Caddis
in black, size 16) you will rack up a number of hook-ups. *Harry's
caddis in black would truly be a killer. *However, it will be difficult
for these old eyes to see. *Things to do this winter.........

I tossed a Grey Ghost in the first pool below the dam, Harbeck's Pool.
I can never resist tossing a few streamers here, for *it is a classical
streamer pool, casting at 10 o'clock and retrieving at 2 o'clock. *It
has been years since I've taken a fish at Harbeck's with a streamer,
but it calls and I answer. *I didn't have a sinking line with me, so I
used a sinking leader instead. *Not as good as the line, but it did get
the fly down. *This is only the second time I've fished Harbeck's this
year. *I fished the head of the pool with a soft hackle and managed a
small salmon. *Joanne used to have a framed picture of me waist deep in
water at the head of Harbeck, with a big bend in the rod. *It looks
like I am superman wading and fighting a big fish. *Truth be told, I
was on my knees and I had snagged a rock. *Jo snapped the picture and
it hung in her office for years. *If anyone mentioned the picture, she
would tell the truth about it. *d;o)

The iddy biddies are still working. *PT and Ice Caddis *with soft
hackles (size 20) have been good at the dam pool. *I haven't seen a
Mayfly hatch on this trip, but the caddis are still coming off - tan
mostly, early morning and evening. *You can count on it, and the fish
are feeding off of them. *Harry's killer in size 16 is fish candy.

No yahoos on the river, and not too many fly fishermen in camp. *
Instead of riding my bike down hill to the lower river tomorrow, I will
borrow the camp pick-up. *Better to do it that way. *The last two times
I went down river by bike, Whit had to come and get me. *Bummer.

Well, I take back what I wrote yesterday about yahoos. *I used the
boat/motor to get out to the Island at Pond in the River. *It was a
beautiful morning, cool with patches *of fog on the river and pond. *I
fished both First and Second Currents without much luck. *When I fish I
usually get "the urge" somewhere between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. *The urge
struck me, so I reeled in, secured my rod, and peed in the bushes. *
Time for a hot cup of coffee.

There was an older man, younger than me, fishing upstream at the
Wingdam. *While enjoying my coffee and just being there watching the
fog slowly lift from the pond, he walked up, greeted me and pulled out
his own thermos. *We sat and talked about the river and the fish. *Nice
guy. *He said he has been fishing the river for a some 20 years and
usually comes in on his bike from the gate. *I had never met the man,
but noticed he was a pretty good fisherman, well equipped and obviously
in love with this river. *After shooting the bull for 15 or so minutes
and a couple of cups of hot coffee, we got back to fishing. *He drifted
a nymph in the First Current while I continued to do my best in Second
Current. *He was into a nice salmon and played the hell out of it. *The
fish was probably 16+ inches, but he played it for five minutes. * He
did the same with his second fish, an even smaller landlock. *I bit my
tongue and said nothing. *Good fisherman he, but I imagine his fish
mortality rate is pretty high. *Some people have their pet projects; *I
have a pet peeve - over-playing trout and salmon. *I got in the boat
and putt-putted up to the X rock in Second Current. *He caught three to
my miserable one, but I know that my fish lived.

I didn't fish after lunch today. *When the water temp gets to 70, I
back off. *I sat in the shade by the beach and watched the Polish girls
swimming. *You should be here, wayno. *Eye candy a bunch! *Only three
of them in the water. *Apparently the water made them cold. *d;o) *The
fourth was out on the lake kayaking. * With all the unemployment in the
States, especially in Maine, it is a pity that Lakewood has to go
overseas to get girls *for waitstaff, dishwasher, *and cabin girl. *
This year they came from Poland. *Last year from Russia. *Youth
unemployment in the states is at an all-time high, yet Whit and Maureen
can't find local help. *Years ago it was common for the children of
Lakewood guests to spend the summers during high school working at
Lakewood, usually as a waitress/waiter. *One of the best fishermen
(actually a young lady) on the river is the daughter of an old time
Lakewooder. *I've watched her in her canoe anchored off the Island
catching big salmon and brookies while those around her remained
fishless. *When Susan Mary fished the Currents, everyone watched. *Some
took notes. *She knew that section of the river as well as anyone and
her knowledge of streamer fishing is unmatched by anyone I know,
including Peter Charles (and that is saying a hell of a lot!). *She is
now married, lives two towns over from me, with children, and has
taught her husband how to fish. *Her dad is a Lakewood legend, still
alive, but too old for the rigors of fishing this special river *His
sons and daughter will carry on in his stead. *What a legacy! *If only
my grandsons would come back to the sport.......

Another good night's sleep. *The cpap is amazing. *Fished the dam this
morning. *It was a cool overcast day and the fish were cooperative. *
Killer Caddis on top and soft hackles on the bottom. *Nothing real big
- a couple of salmon in the 16 inch range and finally a fair brookie
about 15 inches, *and lots of "rat fish" (salmon about 10 inches). *At
400 cfs the wade out to "flat top" is easy and this special spot gives
a great command of many fishing lanes. *Surprisingly, however, it
didn't fish that well. *About 10 a.m. a Lakewood guest and his two
adult sons departed and I had the dam to myself. *I jumped around a bit
(mostly because I could!) and had a pretty good morning.

Back to camp around noon for salad and a cheeseburger, and a cold
Heinekens. *Why is it that a ice cold beer tastes so good after a few
hours of fishing. *I'm not a beer drinking man, but even a Budweiser
tastes good up here.

It was cool in the cabin and I laid down for a short nap. *
Unfortunately that nap lasted 3 hours until 4 pm. *I leave on the first
bus in the morning, but Joanne and I will be back in a couple of weeks
for our last trip this year. *Some of the maples have changed color
since I've been in camp and there is that old familiar chill in the
air. *It is indeed an early autumn.

Dave

Great TR Dave
Dave of the Jungle