They were joking, of course. As the open-water fishing season began Sunday, their chairs were digging into a snowbank at Songo Lock under a sky dark with gray clouds. The temperature was in the 30s and anyone who strayed off the beaten path was likely to sink at least knee-deep in snow. Even though Maine has roughly 250,000 open-water anglers, opening day is for diehards only, especially this year with spring still only a daydream. The water is cold and usually running high.
Nobody expects much fishing action.
There are always more jokes to be heard than fish to be seen. But it's better than sitting home in front of a wood stove, I guess. Open water was scarce Sunday, and so were anglers. Even traditional spots like the Muddy River in Naples were empty by midmorning. For the first opening day since 1994, Sebago Lake was socked in.