Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-09-12
TROUT-FISHING, &c., IN MAINE,
IEditoriGl Correspondence Of The S!ar.l

hANGELEY PLANTATION, Me, August, 1874 (
This is the headquarters of the Oquossoc
Angling Association, the membership of which
is scattered through the country, bat is largely
made up Of wealthy New Workers. Among the
leading embers OF the associa ion are George
Shepard Page, OF the Palisaie Chemical
Works, n. Y, who is president; X. G. Allerton.
OF the Goodyear Rubber Co., who il treasure
Lewis b Reed, wholesale boots aud shoes, New
York, who Is secretary: Senator Haml'n aui
Congressman Frye, of Maine; George 6. Baker,
cashier FIRST National Bank of New York; Dan
iel DOdd, President Newark Savings Institu-
tom Jay Cooke, II. G. Fahnestock DIR. j.
ward Seymour, OF Scribner & Co, the pub-
hshtrs; DIR. a. p. Kelsey, principal of the
famous "bittle Blue school," at Pennington
Me, Lewis L. Lazeil, OF LaZsll. Marsh SS
Gardiner, Wholesale druggists, n. V; DIR. f. n.
OTIS, OF y. Y; Eugene NandeFpoOl, engineer OF
the Newark Gas Light Co; l.. w. Winchester,
SuI erintendent OF the National Express Co.;
Nehemiah Perry. jr., OF Newark; l.. l.. Croup.s,
VINO represents Mr.. Pages house Washing
ton; ID; NJ. Hutchinson, esq, another well
known Washipgtonisn, and many others of like
personal and business prominence. The lead
ing members are veteran anglers, who have
tested the capabilities of all the different fish.
ing waters of the country, and have pitched
upon this region as sffOrdlng atOget ther the best
sport in "the gentle art" obtaiusble within toll
erably easy reach of civilization. They have
accordingly leased large extent of wild terri
tory on these streams and lakes; erected a num-
Der OF buildings at this and other poiLts and
provided suitable boats, &C., to enable the
Oquossoc Anglers to bequile the trout in the
most seductive and approved style during the
day, and enjoy at night the comforts of homely
but exceedingly jolly camp quarters.
why ''OquOssOc?
The angling association takes the Indian
name of Rangeley Lake, which was the g Oquos-
soc" in the time of the red man, and snould be
again. Rangeley Lake is the head of the series
OF lakes forming the head waters of the An
droscoggin river, and virtually of the Connec-
ucut. The Chaudiere river, going OFF northerly
TO the st. Lawrence, also finds its source within
few miles of this point. So il will be seen
this string of trout lakes and connecting trout
streams is well up amongst the mountains on
the watershed OF rivers running north ami
south. Rangeley Lake is about nine miles long
and very deep eco ieet) but narrow. 1t emp
tle by the OquossoC rIver, or "stream," int
the Big Lake, or according to the more charac-
teTtsttc Indian name, the Mooselac kmaguntiC.
This lake is twelve miles long, and broad in pro-
portion. 1t has at the lower end a dam half a
mile long, built at great expense by a lumber
company to enable them to run logs in the
spring. This company has dams on all the
lakes for the same purpose, believe.
Next is Richardson Lake (Indian name Mole
chunkermuG), eight miles long; and then comes
Umbagog, twelve miles long, and which extends
into New Hampshire. The Cupsuptic Lake is
merely northern projection of the MooseIack-
maguntic, fed by the Cupsuptic river a famous
trout stream, of which more anon. Down from
the same North but more TO the east, comes
wonderful OF trout waters (if all the fish stories
are true,) the KennebagO Lake; and lust at
the junction OF the kennebago and OquOssoc
streams on their way to Big Lake, is the IA
vored site OF Camp kenDebagO.
How t0 Reach 1.-THE Lakes
Camp Kennebago and "the Lakes" as these
uout-waters are styled in general terms, can be
reached by stage from Bethel, Maine, on the
Grand Trunk Railway, but the best and most
attractive route is by rail from Portland e.
Pennington; thence by stage or private con
yeyance to Kimbalps, at the head of RanyeIe,
Lake, and by sailbOat or carriage (aided by
"sbank's mare To SOule's, at the foot of the
lake, from whence il is but three miles tn Camn
kenlebagO. The latter portion of the trIn
must be made Oh foot.
How We Went TO Camp KenmebaSO.
Cur party for the fishing grounds was N .dr
up At Pennington, and consisted of Mr.. L, n
Prescott, of the Treasury department, Mrs.
Prescott, three or four youngsters, and the un-
dersgned. Mr.. Prescott was a good man to go
with, as he was for some years owner and edito-
OF Farmin2ton paper, and had prospectac
thrOugb the lake region pretty extensively with
rod ard line. 1t was decided in campaigu
council not TO go by stage and sailbOat, the fTst
belDg an undesirable mode OF travel unless you
can ride outside; and az to sailing, the tune at
our command did not allow US to trust to thr |
vagaT1es OF the lake winds as a motive power 70
take us to tine foot of the lake seasonably SO we
ne gotiated with Farming gton stable-k keeper for
a horse team, with roOmy, comfortable |
carriage and pair OF excellent horses, (by the
way, no state i'll the union probably has better
hOrsef1esh than Maine, for $50 for the lake
trip, to be used from three to five days, as W. /
chese; and the stable man said that he SHOULD
prefer, on account Of the roughness Of the trip
that We make it cover five, for the benefit OF /
The horses. Then there was the matter OF file, /
ana other hsh persuaderS and beg1ilers to be |
attended to, but it was decided by CAPTAIN
Prescott that what was needed in this way. ne |
yond our current stock, should be got at Phil |
lips, village yet nearer the "lakes, =" and where
such things were kept on hand largely for the |
benefit OF anglers. We started from Farming |
ION about 10 a. m, following up the sparkling. |
Sandy river and its beautiful elm sh aded mea- /
dOws: and having in view a back ground of |
mountains (the Maine continuation of the |
White mountains) that served as a bold relief |
TO the pastoral grace and repose of the land
scape Immediately at hand. Here to the left |
was Mount Blue, 2,s0i feet high, aud to ths |
right Mount Abraham, 3,3sI feet; Mount Sad |
Gleback, 4 eco feet; while in the dim distance
conld be deserted the outline OF KstahdIn. |
Names tallest mountain, g. 3S5 feet in height.
Mount Blue,
(siXteen miles from Farmingtoh) though not |
one of the monarchs of the White Mountains |
affords from its detached position view OF sin
gulsr scope and beauty; one of the finest in the |
country. few days ago we made trip to il,
going by rough carriage road, that followed |
the course OF an impetuous mountain stream, 10 |
the foot OF the mountain. Here we left our team |
at cosy, well-kept though unpretending
mountain hotel, and prepared for the ascent OF |
the mountain. But Alas, the temptation or the
uout stream Just mentioned proved too great
Tor number OF the party, and many at came
to climb remained to fish. One or the Young
folks dropped a line experimentally ia the
stream, only few yards from the house. and |
brought 1t out Oh the instant with a trout OF
fair size; seeing which there was a shameful de-
sertion from the ranks of the mountain climbers
and lively search was set up for fishing gear
and bait. The trouting fever was further in |
creased by the information that Capt. Mark |
Lowell, OF Lewiston, Maine, had with his two |
boys caught 113 trout that morning lower down
the stream. Three OF as, however, resolutely |
turned our backs upon the temptations of the
uout-brook, and set out for the mountain top |
a new temptation was set for us by nature as
we passed through eome partially cared land
al the base OF the mountain, which was covered
by dense growth OF raspberry bushes loaded
with fruit. For few minutes we yielded, and
stopped to pick; and then we girded ourselves
up for the task before US, cOntentins ourselves
with such odd handfuls of the berries as we |
could easily snatch from the bushes in passing
without delaying our progress. Higher mn the
mountain side, after entering the dense woods
there was third temptation in the shape OF
Quantities Of spruce gum projecting from the
trees in knobs Of crystal ciearness. Who that
ever went cumming" in boyhood could leave