It’s time. The Monsters had a good open water season. There were the two fly fishing expeditions to ply Rapid , Cusuptic, and Magalloway Rivers in the Rangely area, and Monster Dean’s work on Sebago Lake,…all of which provided productive fishing this spring and summer. Heavy work schedules kept postings to this site a bit on the sparse side but rest assured…. The Monsters Of Fishing were vigilant in keeping lines in the water.
But now the chill is in the air, and even though Maine has extended open water season to year round on most bodies of water,.. the river edges are crisping up with ice that’s moving outward and the annual tradition of Smeltapolooza has hit first gear. Normally the overnight event is planned for Valentines Day weekend… a logistical stroke of genius from years ago that has been staunchly defended despite subsequent marriages and significant others. This year however, business travel constraints of one of us has meant the date has been set for January 29th. Ground Zero is again Jim’s Smelts Camps on the Catance River. We may find additional people to join in this year, and the food and beverage selections are currently in the final stages of planning. Dean has a batch of something brewing for The Monsters Of Fishing Brewing Company’s suds offering this year–maybe a smelt-jalapeno-corn liquor infused IPA or something…gawd knows. All I know is Jimmy and I talked food menus at Conference “G” last night and there will be plenty of smoke rolling out of the smelt shack from various meat based products again this year ( vegetables, are as usual, strictly forbidden again this year).
This year we’ll be fishing a 4:00pm to 10pm tide–a later tide and a longer stretch of darkness with the lights over the race hole shining to attract the smelts so,.. I’m anticipating perhaps a greater catch than ever this year… and even stranger looks from the hotel desk back where we’re staying when a half dozen of us come through the lobby at 11pm a little rough around the edges from all the fishing, and dragging coolers, packs, and propane stoves up to our rooms… eh, they remember us by now.