Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-05
AUGURs WELL.
Portland Sportsmen Well Statistic,
With Fishing Season.

Portland, Me-, May AIS n genera,
rule Portland fishermen are well sat-
isfied with the outlook for the State
angling season which began with the
opening OF Sebago lake, last month. and
Is growing more interesting as reports
come IN of the breaking up of the Ice IN
the various lakes elsewhere in Maine.
occasionally some croaker is heard to
say that it is an off season. that the
iish are biting poorly and no one is
having any luck. Investigation of such
stories usually traces them to some
fisherman who has gone forth with
great hopes and returned with an emp
~ basket. Old time fishermen recall
nearing such stories every year, how
ever. and take little stock in them
1hey base their opinions of a fishing
season on the general results and gen.
orally consider the catches, this year,
10 be up to the average.
At Sebago lake the fishing has been
rather better than usual at the lower
| end near SebagO Lake station and Is
| fully as good as in past years. il not
| better than ordinary. about Dingley is
| land. The northwestern shore catches
| seem to have fallen off a little from
the records of previous seasons, but as
a whole the lakes output, this year,
has been satisfactory.
| 4 feature 81 the catches so far has
| been tn" unusually large number of
square tail trout taken in Sebago lake,
| tn" catch az large salmon being per-
I hITs hardly up to the average there.
although Improvement In this direction
~ looked for. An unexpectedly large
proportion Of small salmon are among
the catches. however. and this is taken
las an excellent Indication. for Il tends,
I" show that the salmon fry introduced
INTO the waters Of the lake three years
az" arc doing well. These small sal
mon nfc the hope Of the fishing for the
future and their numbers give the
fishermen great encouragement for
SIbrt IN the coming years.
Several good catches are reported this
week. In Long Lake and the BAY IL Ma
I'l"s: the fish being apparently plentiful
ana - good size there. The salmon and
trout fry which have been p,t into Long
! Lake practically every season fnr IN,
| past nine years have stocked thu lake
! until II bids fair to equal Scbat;p lake as a
iiShinE ground. Among the catches re
ported are; w. H. Mckay. two salmon.
thr'~' and Sii pounds; a. u. I'lummer.
hNc salmon. two weighing six pounds
each Norman T.. Mann. thrcc salmon. one
lake trout: John Maxfield. one salmon
| other successful fishermen are Dr. carll
! New York; q. J.. Goodridgc Fred Cum
minGs. Portland. Manager Goodrdgc's
| special steamer service which takes pas
sengers from the mouth of the SonEo t.
| Naples i, much appreciated by the v;Lca-
| tionists who have been accommodated by
II, The new steamer Songo connects daily
at Sebago lake with the train leaving
| Portland ut SO A. NJ, returning in tim,
TO connect with the evening train fol
| this city.
A hopeful Indication for local fishermen
| is found in the catching Of a 81; pouu,
salmon in Duck pond. the first salmon
known to have been taken there. Th,
lucky angler who landed this fish report:
having seen another about the same
time and it is apparent that tho efforts
. | to stock the pond have been more sue
4 l ccssful than had been thought Twice
fry have been put in this pond. once sew
4 en- or eight years ago and again three %
four years later. Until the catch just re-
. ported it was feared that there was t,
/ be no result from these efforts to stool
i the waters Of the pond and the expcrt
were beginning again to mnfaiZc on tn
| difficulty of deciding in advance Of q tria
4 whether n pond or lake would make goo'
Il fishing ground. IUck pond Is apparent,
i an ideal spot for salmon. hut until nov
4 the fish had refused to live there Thu
4 present catch is therefore an cNcellen
indication.
Reports from nearby troutiuE streams
II | are not very glowing as yet, the high wa
u ter seeming to II" an adVcrS" condition
| Over in oxford county some good Catchc
Il | have been reported hut nearer home tn
4 | fishing baskets have not usually been wei
| filled Tho season is young vet. however
4 and Improvement is hoped for in fcv
u | DAYS.