In this photo, I am demonstrating my special catch-photo-and-release technique on a nice landlocked salmon. Notice the deep level of concentration as I coax the fish back into the river.
Linda and I enjoyed the last couple of days at Northern Outdoors in the Forks, highlighted by a rafting trip one day and a half-day of fishing with guide Chris Russell on the Kennebec River.
We fished downriver from the Forks, a gorgeous stretch thick with scenery but thin in fish. We had a great time with Chris, caught three species of fish, and introduced Linda to drift boat fishing. She loved it.
She also loved Chris’s 3 wt. Sage Flight rod and Ross Evolution Reel with sharkskin line. That may cost me a lot of money.
I’ve been saying for years that the Kennebec could and should be the economic driver of our state. But we need more and bigger fish and better marketing.
Chris offers other trips where you can catch more fish, but Lin and I wanted to try this half-day float near where we were staying, and we were not disappointed.
I’m just disappointed for our state and its outdoor industry, that we can’t get our act together to create the fishery we want and need.
You can read Chris’s blog about our trip at his website: www.kennebecriverangler.com.
Fortunately, he captured this photo, a more flattering picture of both subjects, to add to my lifetime of fishing memories.
