BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND…ON LAKE MEGUNTICOOK

     The morning dawned with a lightning sky and a few patches of thinning clouds with a hint of something bright hiding behind them. The radar was showing showers moving through the mid-coast and onward toward our brethren Downeast. There was a slight breeze. All the signs seemed to be aligning properly.  This could be the day for an eventful fishing experience..something that I have been sorely lacking so far this spring.

     I haven’t done much fishing yet this season..one thing or another has been conspiring against me. So with the conditions deemed acceptable, I started to gear up. I really didn’t have the urge to try fly fishing some stream or brook, it would be folly and they surely would be blown out. Even the little runoff “brook” in my backyard had overflowed it’s bank into my wife’s flower garden. So I figured that my best bet would be to have a go at some rainbow’s and bass at nearby Lake Megunticook.

     Big Ray and I made our way down Rt.52 to the boat landing and sure enough, it was deserted except for a Maine DOT truck parked in the lot. We had come across the crew repairing washed out shoulders along the road that travels the base of the rock cliffs of Mt. Megunticook.

     Our boat is a 17′ Lund Rebel Sport with an open “cockpit”, no bimini top. But such a top would not be needed  this morning as the lake at the landing was calm and serene, being sheltered from the ocean breezes by the Camden Hills. Trolling the shoreline, backtracking Rt 52 back toward Lincolnville Center, things started off on a positive note. There was a slight breeze to our backs, a small chop on the water and best of all fish showing up on the sonar…things were looking up but as we made a turn under the cross at Lover’s Leap things started to change.

Immediately Ray and I felt the bite of the breeze that had now turned into a raw wind once we had came about.  Taking on a bit of bowspray from that small chop, I closed up the midsection of the windshield and Ray hunkered down on his boat bed. Both of us trying to find some shelter against the elements.

About now it’s getting close to lunch time and we started searching for some calm water in the lee of the approaching western shoreline. Spotting some flatwater in a small cove we came upon the only others on the water that late morning…

We managed to peacefully eat our lunch, Ray being very helpful in the sharing of mine, and spent some time casting for bass to no avail. About this time my fingers were starting to loose the feeling in them with the combination of 49 degree water and colder air. And I was bemoaning the fact that I had decided against bringing along a thermos of coffee when I left home only 3 hours earlier.

So with no fish but a fistful of numb fingers I decided to abort. It wasn’t long before I had the Lund lined up for re-entry between the markers..

And with no sign of life amongst the cottages we cruised by..

we were soon happily trailering the boat and headed home via Lincolnville Center, and a very welcomed hot cup of coffee. A little worse for wear but hopefully a little wiser. Fish? Maybe next time…

You can also find my on my blog.. maine-matters  at   http://maine-matters.blogspot.com/