Maine 2017 - Red River Camps

Started by tomato can, July 11, 2017, 16:01:28 PM

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tomato can

As most of you know, last year I went to Maine and fished Grand Lake Stream.  I went earlier in the summer and had a ball catching LL Salmon while my daughter was a camp.  This year she was ready to do the 2 week camp at AIO in Seal Harbor (near Acadia).  Because it was later in the year, I figured the LL Salmon fishing would have slowed down and I also asked my dad if he wanted to go to Maine.  He has always loved Maine and enjoyed his trips with his father (my grandfather) to Maine in the 1950's.  He said, "I always enjoyed Maine over my trips to WY, MT, ID and AK. "  So I started looking for a place we could fish, I knew stream fishing was out do to his mobility issues and I did not think he wanted to fish big water either.  So I landed on Red River Camps(RRC).  RRC is in the Deboille Preserve area of T9 (township 9) R15 (range 15) land that has not been incorporated.  RRC near the top of Maine near Portage Me just 30 miles east on logging roads. RRC camps is owned by Jen Brophy who is a Va Tech grad for those of you who keep score of this.  She is very knowledgeable about stream restoration ecology and what not.   So with our destination in sight we began our trip. 

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We drove to Portland and I had a bowl of Lobster bisque.  The Bisque was as good as last year. 

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The next morning we headed to LL Beans and picked up our licenses and some flies.  My daughter still thinks Beans is just a flyshop.  My dad remembers Beans as a general store. 

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We dropped Macy off at AIO and then proceeded to the Belmard Inn.  I stayed at the Belmard inn last year. Caught up with the owners a bit.   I showed my dad around GLS and we watched Salmon climb the fish ladder. 

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The next morning we headed to Portage ME and then to T9R15.  After 30 miles of driving logging roads we found Red River Camps.  Red River Camps 7-8 cabins with a lodge in the Deboille Preserve.  All the ponds are Fly Fishing only.  Most have never been stocked.  RRC has canoes stashed at all the ponds with a universal key.  We picked the American plan which included meals.  All cabins had indoor plumbing, wood stove and propane lights.  There is very little electricity at RRC.   Dinner was at 6 and they ring the bell. The food was amazing and I wished I took pictures of it.  After dinner we sat around and had some coffee and waited for the wind to lay down.  It did and we went fishing on island pond. 

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Caught some of these.  Man these pond fish pull hard.  They usually pulled my drag three times.  and put my 5 weight rod tip in the water for a 12 inch  brookie.  Amazing stuff.

caught some of these too.  Not as ferocious.

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When the wind laid down the fish would start rising and then it was spot and stalk via canoe.  One bad cast or paddle splash and it would put the fish down. 

Here is a shot of my dad in the cabin. 

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The lodge was surronded by flowers. 

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A cedar wax wing eating wild strawberries

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The fishing was tough and so was the weather.  Every day we had storms roll through sometimes with thunder. 

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That would really knock the hatch back and turn off the fish.  Then you had to dredge some up from the deep.  Almost every night the temp would dip into the 40's which did not help the fishing either. 

The trail to North Black Pond. 

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North Black Pond

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After the rain

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This pond was FULL of leaches some that were six inches long.  I could not get any bites on my leach patterns. 

Gallilee pond

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Another pond

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This was prob. the biggest, still stunned how tough they were.

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And that net was a PIA all two weeks in Maine.

The sunset from the lodge

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Pics off the dock

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Everybody talked about the Hex (or green drake) hatch but they were sporadic.  There were 2 fly fishermen who have been coming to RRC since the early 80's.  They talked about the hex hatch.  One fellar said he stayed out till 3 am FF with his daughter.  He thinks the fishing has improved but the fish were tougher to catch.  He said these fish were fished over by serious flyfishermen and have gotten  tougher.  Overall the fishing was slow for everyone, fish were caught and I had a wonderful time with my dad.  There is something about the camps up on Maine, the owners really are good at developing a relationship with you.  You definitely want to come back to catch up with the camp owners as much as the fishing.  Its hard to explain.  The food was amazing.  Coffee was on at 6 am, breakfast was at 7:30, they packed you a lunch of your choosing in a small cooler and then dinner.  The deserts were amazing also as well as the homemade bread.  My father is already wanting to go back, heck he wished we would of started 10 years ago.  After our week at RRC it was time to take my dad to Portland put him on the plane and turn around and go fish the West Branch of the Penobscot below the ripogenus dam.  On our way south you can see Mt Katahdin in the background. 

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BrookieHunter

 That looks like an amazing place!!

Onslow

I could use some time just to stare across one those scenic lakes. 

sanjuanwormhatch

I'd like to take my wife somewhere next summer where I can fish and she can enjoy myself (edit: this was supposed to be "herself" but I like this better).  Maine is on the list.  May not make it that far into the bush but that is compelling. 

Dee-Vo

I'm envious. Jealous. Damn. That place is beautiful. Excellent write up!

Dougfish

Damn Bill. That looked awesome.

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tomato can

Doug it was better than awesome.  The food wasn't fancy fancy just really good.  Everything is homemade: the bread, the deserts, everything and you sit in the lodge and watch the lake while you eat.  I should of taken pictures of the lodge.  You can sit in rocking chairs, the couch, on the deck or the porch of your cabin.  The flyfishermen who stay there were just so nice, funny and interesting not pretentious at all.  Jen does such a wonderful job.  On the drive out, you feel like you have known these people for years.  The only problem was keeping the beer cold.  Unless you have a yeti or a yeti facsimile your beer is going to get warm.  And Ice is 30 miles away. 

SJWH:   there are plenty of camps in ME.  Weatherby's at GLS in late September/early October would knock your wife's socks off.  No bugs, heavy salmon getting ready to spawn, the leaves all colored up, drinks on the wrap around porch waiting for dinner,  fall color, bird dogs running around and the wood stove to take the chill off.  Heck you could fly into Bangor and take a float plane to weatherbys for an extra hundred bucks. 


DRIFTS

l><))))))))))))))))),/*>~----------------------dave

Woolly Bugger

Lots of awesomeness right there!


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ryguy

Awesome trip!  How was the Penobscot?  My dad and I stayed at a camp near the Penobscot and it was a lot of fun going out in the evenings to fish.
We have fished the Hex hatch on Kennebago, and it is great fun.  The caddis on the Rapid River are also a sight to see.  Good stuff!


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sanjuanwormhatch

Quote from: tomato can on July 11, 2017, 18:06:14 PM


SJWH:   there are plenty of camps in ME.  Weatherby's at GLS in late September/early October would knock your wife's socks off.  No bugs, heavy salmon getting ready to spawn, the leaves all colored up, drinks on the wrap around porch waiting for dinner,  fall color, bird dogs running around and the wood stove to take the chill off.  Heck you could fly into Bangor and take a float plane to weatherbys for an extra hundred bucks.

Interesting.  I may hit you up for info sometime next year. 

Big J

The Can is impressive in his summer fishing mode.

Jfey

Quote from: sanjuanwormhatch on July 12, 2017, 08:04:42 AM
Quote from: tomato can on July 11, 2017, 18:06:14 PM


SJWH:   there are plenty of camps in ME.  Weatherby's at GLS in late September/early October would knock your wife's socks off.  No bugs, heavy salmon getting ready to spawn, the leaves all colored up, drinks on the wrap around porch waiting for dinner,  fall color, bird dogs running around and the wood stove to take the chill off.  Heck you could fly into Bangor and take a float plane to weatherbys for an extra hundred bucks.

Interesting.  I may hit you up for info sometime next year.

Awesome trip!

The family and I are heading to Maine in 10 days.   Not quite the adventure you had, but we are staying on one of the  ponds near Camden.   This report has me excited!
Yup, going fishing

troutfanatic