As the season slows I have some time to reflect on all that happened since late April and how much I enjoyed almost every minute. To me the best part is having someone who has never been fishing before choosing a Maine Outdoors fishing trip for their first experience.

Fall is without a doubt my favorite time of year. While this year it was slow to start it has not been a disappointment as you can see. I have enjoyed spending many of these days on the water with clients who make me appreciate it even more.

No not this week for sure or even next week. But certainly by the middle of November and tapering from a couple of trips a day to a few a week before the end. Stripers are not gone from the Saint George but they have thinned out enough to make catching one a lot more work than it should be. All of my remaining trips will be on the freshwater for b...

I often talk about how much fun it is to see families over the years and last Saturday I had one of those experiences in spades. We struggled all morning to find fish and then I did get on them and they would not bite. This family held on (even after it was time to go) and lost a couple before finally boating this beauty. I think that smiles say i...

This week I was humbled to have been presented an award from the Maine Forest Products Council. The Abby Holman Public Service Award is given annually to an individual who has demonstrated a level of passion loyalty and dedication to Maine’s forest products industry to good government and a robust economy much the same way MFPC’s former Executive...

So far September is a continuation of the wet summer we have had with a hurricane on the horizon. It rained enough overnight that when a raised the Lund off of the hitch on the 4 runner this morning. The bilge pump went on! Took me a minute to figure out what was going on. I was also surprised that the pump ran for several minutes even though the...

A beautiful book of poetry and images exemplifying the seasons

It’s the little things that keep life interesting that is for sure and fill in lots of holes in my calendar. Today I had to drive to Augusta to be fingerprinted for a background check to renew my Maine Guides license. A program initiated to guarantee that every Maine Guide is a good person to spend time with.

As you might imagine I am in a lot of pictures with fish. Either trying to get out of the way of a happy client with a fish or me holding it for them both of us with big smiles. I usually tell them to pretend that they are having a good time.

Over the years I have seen a oon showing an angler with a line tangled in a tree with a hornet’s nest right above. Sometimes there is a guide in the picture.

The weather forecast for today called for rain and wind. I drove to Thomaston Harbor in the early morning darkness with a few raindrops hitting the windshield. When I arrived there was a breeze but much less than was  forecast. Fish were at best grumpy not completely unwilling but surely  not what I had in mind.

I've been on a variety of fishing trips over the last month or so fishing for pike bass stripers and even a few perch. Catching perch with young kids is still one of my favorite fishing trips.

Raining hard here this afternoon. This has so far been a very wet summer with lots of rain and fog. The Saint George is high and swift. It is tempting (and I often hear) that we have never seen anything like this before. We have and I remember it well.

The work of biologists and those that protect Maine's fishery resources is dependent on the funding provided by our license fees. That is why I became a license agent (30 years ago now) to ensure that all of my clients help to fund the resources we enjoy and appreciate. Licenses are required by law on fresh water and saltwater for everyone who fis...

I get a lot of nice reviews and am delighted that clients enjoy their time outdoors with me. However these are my favorite reviews!

I love this picture. Not because of the fish (although it is a very nice striper) but because of the sheer joy on my son’s face. Nicholas and I fish together each year for his birthday and father s day. It is always a highlight of the summer for me.

I had a free morning and thought that I would take advantage of the good striper fishing in the Saint George lately. No need to rush down to the river as the tide was best late morning so a leisurely breakfast and a slow trip to Thomaston. Light fog and a falling tide. Pretty much perfect conditions.

Yes there are stripers in the Saint George. Not large numbers but enough to keep things interesting. I guided two trips there in the last three days and had success on both trips. If you want to keep a fish the new slot limit will make that more of a challenge. The slot is now one fish per angler between 28 and 31 inches.

This season will be very busy like the last several with half day trips mornings and afternoons. When the season is at its busiest it all falls into a rhythm. Striper trips always start in Thomaston Harbor and are on the Saint George River.

This morning was breezy and cloudy with the threat of rain on the horizon. Very similar to last Monday with water temperatures having fallen a little further. Last week my clients did well on bass pickerel and pike. I had nothing on my calendar and decided to take advantage of the conditions and see if I could do as well as they did. Keep in mind...