[Sebago Son]

Last weekend at a secret, undisclosed location in extreme northern Maine....

Taken by my son Ryan.

Naw, I was home working..... but at least I was warm.... they had 7 consecutive days when the temps never got above -10F. The last day they were there it warmed up to around 20F or so and snowed. When this snapshot was taken it was so balmy that the boys had shed their gloves and heavy coats.....

Rugged country only acessible my snow machine, but I guess that's why there's still fish like this to be caught.....

Ryan's pal with a 5.5 Lbs Landlocked Salmon.

 

[azmick]

Yer kiddin' right?
If I was in -12 for more than 30 minutes, I'd just fall over.

 

[longarm]

Hey Drew,
You call those kokanee back there? If so that is a whopper by Oregon standards! A beauty regardless.
What got mixed with the ginger ale?
Dan

 

[Sebago Son]

Dan,

The Penobscot name for Landlocked Salmon is Quananiche. Also known as Sebago Salmon from where they were first discovered by White Men sometime in the late 1600's.

Quananiche would be to the Atlantic Salmon what your Kokanee would be to the Pacific Sockeye. Genis Salmo Salar

Unlike the Pacific Salmonids which are Perennial, Atlantics are Annual and will breed repeatedly after maturity. Some West Branch Atlantics have been noted over the spawning grounds half a dozen times and reach 20+ lbs. This reproductive strategy makes being landlocked only a minor inconvenience and for that reason, I think that Quananiche has been very sucessful.

Given good water quality and ample forage, they are a hardy fish and have been successfully trans located as fertilized eggs or stocked as fry since just after the American Civil War.... from their original range of only four basins of the five great rivers of Maine, they now occupy 175 lakes and 44 rivers and streams in Maine. This according to the Dept. Inland Fisheries report of 2005.

Here's a little blurb or two about the specis.

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/specie ... salmon.htm

http://www.visitmaine.com/fishing/speci ... ed_salmon/

The biggest landlocked I've ever boated to date was 3 1/2 lbs and was about 24".... that 5 1/2 pounder would have gone on the wall.... but the Ryan's Micmac fishing buddy was more practical.... it went straight into aluminum foil and on the grill.

Drew

 

[longarm]

Drew,
Thanks for the primer on the Quananiche. I never knew. SUre is a beauty! I too would have been hard pressed to keep if off the grill.. particularly in the temperatures you reported. Brr!
Dan

 

[azmick]

Sorry for the ribbing Drew. Cold is the one thing I can not stand anymore. Have had my toes and fingers frostbit {lived in Northern NY for the first 23 years of my life}and cold makes them hurt for a couple days. As a lesson in memories, I had to go into the freezer at work and remove/intall a motor the day after your post. Sure enough, after about 30 minutes in there {-16 to -8 depending on just where in the freezer}, I had to get out {yes, we have insulated coveralls for the occassions}. The tip of the ring finger on my left hand is still a bit 'off'.
Your winter pictures make Barb and I cringe when we see them. Keep them posted there though, next summer when it's 120 outside, they may bring a bit of relief.

 

[Sebago Son]

No need to apologize Mick.... I'm always a little jealous of my Arizona Pals when I travel there in the Winter.... But then the summer is another matter..... I once was at a conference at Red Stone Labs in Mesa..... was August. I'll never forget the burns on my hand I got from thoughtlessly grasping the car door handle in the middle of the afternoon....

I grew up in Upstate New York myself..... the Adirondacks to be specific..... Then I moved here to Maine where it's alot warmer.....

 

[Cush]

Well, I guess even a seasoned Master Maine Guide can learn a thing or two. I had no idea that land locked salmon would hit a soda can! :lol:

 

[Sebago Son]

Well, I guess even a seasoned Master Maine Guide can learn a thing or two. I had no idea that land locked salmon would hit a soda can! :lol:

Well maybe next time you meet a Seasoned Master Maine Guide he will confirm it!

(Pssssst. Hint. Put your Smelt in a Schweppes Can.... Canada Dry won't do... you know how particular Landlocks can be..... )

 

[Nframe]

Well, I guess even a seasoned Master Maine Guide can learn a thing or two. I had no idea that land locked salmon would hit a soda can! :lol:

Well maybe next time you meet a Seasoned Master Maine Guide he will confirm it!

(Pssssst. Hint. Put your Smelt in a Schweppes Can.... Canada Dry won't do... you know how particular Landlocks can be..... )

Cush fell in to that one hook line and "stinker" :lol:

 

[Sebago Son]

Off to fish a smaller, southern pond this morning with my youngest son, Ryan, my brother Joel and my Dad.

Has warmed up to almost 22 here this morning.... think I'll wear a Hawaiian Shirt and Bermuda Shorts!

Hopefully some good fish and fotos tonight.

Drew

 

[Nframe]

Off to fish a smaller, southern pond this morning with my youngest son, Ryan, my brother Joel and my Dad.

Has warmed up to almost 22 here this morning.... think I'll wear a Hawaiian Shirt and Bermuda Shorts!

Hopefully some good fish and fotos tonight.

Drew

I think the cold has gotten to your brain! :? We're at 56 and I'm cold.

 

[WFR]

.... think I'll wear a Hawaiian Shirt and Bermuda Shorts!

Drew

:shock:

Hopefully we'll only see some fish pictures tonight!

 

[Sebago Son]

We're going back out on Saturday Morning.... this time we're leaving the "Comfort Zone" of known waters and trying a new, remote location.....

These from last weekend....

The Squad. (From the Left: Me, My Brother Joel, My Dad, Miss Katie Bell)

My Youngest, Ryan, with a good bucket mouth.

My Dad, a spry 84 in April, awaits his turn.... the next flag is his....

Having been at it for 75-odd years, he's earned the label on his hat.... it reads "Expert Icefisherman".... my Older Brother and I gave him that hat 40 years ago....

Hopefully, we'll have some more snapshots over the weekend, maybe some nice Cold Water Trout this time...

Enjoy!

Drew

 

[Forester]

Nice pics Drew.