Calendar and Weather In Agreement

In The County, April is the month with no real identity. The calendar said it was spring but the landscape was still wrapped in a blanket of white. Mid-may and grass started greening. The white hillside shawls of snow that revealed bare shoulders slowly slip away. By month’s end lake ice became shush, then darkened and finally melted away in early May. Mangy moose were seen on roadsides and fishermen hit the water.

I spent Easter weekend downstate with Miranda and her family. It turned in to a bit of an adventure when my truck broke down south of Oxbow and just north of Knowles Corner on my way south. The silver lining to that dark cloud was neighbor Mike Michaud pulling in to ask if I needed help just moments after I’d parked on the side of the road and was calling the print shop for Rick Saucier’s phone number to get my truck picked up. I hitched a ride back to Eagle Lake with Mike; Ricky brought my truck home on his flatbed. I grabbed the gray truck and headed south, again. Wayne was left with the ATV to commute to work. Ah, the advantages of living in Eagle Lake - you can commute to work on an ATV!

I got back on the road slightly behind schedule with no other mishaps. I took Acadia to a riding lesson Friday morning, then shopping. Saturday we watched friends ride at a ranch sorting clinic then later colored eggs. Sunday morning Acadia and Nellie searched the house for the eggs the Easter Bunny had hidden. As they headed out to brunch, I headed home. That Monday morning I bought a newer ¾ ton Chevy extended cab from Andy Theriault at Andy’s Auto in Fort Kent. I’d been admiring that truck for a couple weeks, wishing I had an excuse to buy it. Be careful what you wish for...I got the truck I liked but only because my green truck blew an engine!

We moved up to the lodge at the end of April – another sign of the true coming of spring. Wayne and I spent three days cleaning and scrubbing last season’s layer of dust and wood smoke from the entire lodge: logs, windows, and every surface we could reach. It looked and smelled so fresh! We enjoyed our winter stay in the cozy cabin but it felt good to finally stretch out and have some space to roam around indoors, which was a blessing because May turned out to be very wet. We did what we could outdoors on rainy days but concentrated out efforts on projects where we could stay dry. Larry Converse, Greg Gordon, Rich and Tom Knowles; and Edgar Satterfield and friends arrived for a week of fishing on May 16th. It turned out to be a tremendous week with the guys landing several brook trout in the 2-3 lb. range as well as salmon in the 2-4 lb. class. Of course lots of shorties were caught and released too. The lake was very high after ice-out and all the runoff. Finally, on the 19th, the lake had dropped enough so Wayne could put the dock out. I went brook fishing with my boss Steve, and his two children Alli and Christopher on the 21st. They were so excited catching brookies with worms and bobbers in the streams and exploring the wooded hillsides along the streams. I treasure making memories with a new generation of sportsmen and women!

The afternoon of May 25th Wayne was down on the shore putting the float in for our small boats. He noticed a fisherman trolling in a canoe between Oak and Duck Points. The second time he looked up he saw the canoe had capsized! The fisherman was clinging to his boat but with water temps at 50 degrees, he would lose dexterity in only 5-10 minutes which would have made it difficult, if not impossible to continue clinging to the boat or swim to shore. Fortunately our boat was on the dock and Wayne was able to provide help. By the time Wayne got to the fisherman he was attempting to maintain contact with his canoe, had definitely lost dexterity, and was in a state of confusion. It took all the strength Wayne had but he was able to pull the fisherman in to our boat and bring him back to the lodge to dry off and warm up. Wayne politely but firmly told the fisherman he would be leaving his boat on shore and hitching a ride home in the truck! The fisherman returned the next day to thank us for Wayne’s help and to retrieve his canoe. I learned it was not the first time he’d gotten in to trouble on the water over the years. I suggested maybe it was time to trade the old aluminum canoe in for a more stable boat. After enjoying the many memories he shared about his fishing adventures on Maine’s many rivers and lakes I understood why he treasured that old canoe. I shook his had, told him to be careful, and invited him to join us to fish Eagle Lake once in a while; he’s got some more great stories to share and what better way to hear them but while fishing, safely!

Mark Babine and his family arrived for Memorial weekend on the 27th. We’re watching daughter Eva grow – the first time she came she could barely walk. This weekend she was out in her pink rubber boots and rain slicker walking her Auntie’s little dogs!

Owners Mary Lu and John Medina were up to begin opening their cabin for the season. Sal Spadaro (CT) and friends Roy, Mike, and Paul arrived on the 28th to fish through midweek. They enjoyed some decent fishing their first day on the lake. They brought in a fat brook trout on the 29th for us to smoke alongside Wayne’s 4 lb. salmon. The two fish FILLED the smoker! Since it had rained for two days straight we announced Sunday a “Bring You Own Rain Poncho and Gum Rubber Boots” Party. The guys from cabin 7, along with Steve Daigle, joined Wayne and me for a feast of smoked fish and cocktails at the lodge. Of course Monday dawned bright and our weekend guests headed home. Joe Decker (NJ) arrived for his 40th (or so) season at Fish River Lodge. Joe is Fish River Lodge’s most loyal, long-time client. We have some who first came here before Joe, but Joe has never missed a spring fishing season!

I finished painting the boat Wayne started on Saturday. We still have two more to paint, and some trim on the cabins to do. If this dry weather continues I might just get it all done this week! And Wayne can cut the grass, again. The calendar and weather are finally in agreement – it is spring at Fish River Lodge.