Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-07-24

stream and Kennebago (Which unite at thi
point) are good pools and plenty Of trou
At Indian Rock is situated Scamp Kenn,
bago," owned by an association Of gentl
: men from New York and Boston and man
4 parts of our own State. From this poin
e steamer runs daily down TO Upper Dan
4 foot Of Mooselucmaguntic and around
Beemis stream, where Captain Barker own
seven camps, and where there Is general
good fishing, and later on in the mouth G
a the stream and near the shore Of the lake
t In August and about the first Of Septem
Der, the large trout spawn off the loni
sand beach near Beemis, where all the fish
ing Is done from boats.
Cupsuptuc Lake offers good chance TO
June fishing as well as for the fall catch
and Cupsuptuc River, three miles from In
dian Rock, is splendid place to camp ant
fish for a week or so, being perfect viii
derness aid good place for game as wei
as fish. A few years ago a boats crew
fishing at the head Of Cupsuptuc, near the
river, espied large bull moose with heavy
antlers swimming across the lake. They
Immediately pulled up anchor and made
for him, and succeeded in lassooing him,
and towed him, or rather he towed them,
down to Senator Frye's camp, at the Mar
rows. The moose, so soon as he found
himself fastened to the boat, put down the
lake and spun them through the water at a
fearful rate, and only let up after getting
exhausted, when he was led ashore and
tied to tree, where many sportsmen had
a chance to look him over. After all had sat-
isfed themselves they let him go free, for
the law was on, and it was heavy fine TO
kill him.
Down the shore, mile from the Mar.
rows, Is interchangeable House, good
public camp, and of in the lake not far
from this house Is good place to anchor
in forty or flfty feet OF water, and take
trout. Some days many good cues are
taken, and fishing lasts here pretty much
through the summer.
Above at the Narrows, about and in the
mouth OF the kennebago River, half mile
from Indian Rock, is famous place dur
Ing September for large trout, and 1t is
generally lined with boats, a small cast
apart, from morning till night.
Among the islands five miles further down
the Mooselucmaguntic, is splendid June
fishing for about pound trout-sometimes
one larger; and fishing is also good the
last Of September. Eight miles down the
same lake, at Brandy Point, the largest
size trout spawn and can be seen from the
boat in three TO five feet OF water. A gen.
tleman from Kentucky and myself, six
years ago, took seven trout there in two
hours, weighing thirty-fve pounds-the
largest seven and half pounds-evening
dshing. The next day We continued with
good success, and a lady in another boat
landed an eight pounder without assist
ance.
We used TO spear them, tool am sorry
to say, (for am converted, as you will
readily see, If you follow me through this
article). 1t was rare excftement, with
big iron jack and pitch-pine kindlings; q
small boat in the swift current Of he avy
river; one man with the paddle in the
stern, and another with the spear In the
bow. remember one night at Trout Cove,
when an old hunter by the name Of Leaver-
EFT and myself took 10 one night one hun
dred beauties, which weighed the next
morning six hundred pounds. Those We
We sold to old Pearly Smith, the trap
maker, at four cents pound sailed, and
took our pay in steel beaver traps. The
Cove was fairly alive with them, and they
were easy to get.
The most successful bait was grasshop-
pers, in August and first Of September,
and spawn later. In the spring fishing,
fresh squirrel meat was as good as any.
thing l ever used. We had never then
heard Of pot-fshers or poachers; and there
had been no law enacted against the TAX
ing OF trout any way we chose; and we
went at 1t by the quickest possible method.
But, bye and bye, parties began to come
from the cities, and after years Of sbund-
ance, trout not only grew scarcer, but be-
came more wary, and finally we got fish
law; but 1t was long years before the free
natives OF the forest could see the justice
Of being curtailed In their liberty Of when,
where and how they should take them.
Every brook, every strem, and every
pond and lake was literally full Of them.
or course there were proper times to fish
at certain places; for instance, at places
where ample quantities could be taken at
one time, none could be had at another.
have seen the Cambridge River at the foot
Of Umbsgog 80 crowded with trout rush
ing up stream that you could almost walk
across 1t on the backs of the fish; (if this
is fish story, 1t Is an actual fact). And
again in the fall Of the year great schools
would rush into the mouths Of rivers and
coves near their spawning grounds, so as
to blacken the water; and they were hum
cry. This was the "border rufflans'
pork barrel, and they availed themselves
oft.
Again, at the Arst freezing over Of the
lakes and rivers, at the mouths Of small
brooks and around certain stony banks in
the lakes and near late spawning grounds,
hundreds of pounds could be taken in q
day, and we hunters were pretty sure to
improve those opportunities. Sometimes
these trout lay in very shallow water.
Many times have cut through the ice, and
the water rushed up thick with mud, and