7th Annual Freeze Up 2010

2010 started out to be a great one, Maine Fly Fish with Eldredge Bros Fly Shop, hosting the 7th Annual Freeze Up. Even a two day storm didn’t keep 29 people from showing up at the Mousam River in Kennebeunk, Maine!  

In 2003 five guys got together to start the year off fishing, hanging out and eating. Last year it grew to just shy of 40 people and this year would have been the biggest turn out, but Maine was hit with a two day storm dumping almost two feet of snow in some areas.

This year 56 rainbow trout were stocked a week a head of time. All funds came from members of Maine Fly Fish forum. On top of many rainbows, a few brook trout and browns were also landed. The orange egg fly was the fly of choice.

All members brought some type of food to share. Jim and myself cooked breakfast sandwiches at sun up and some others brought venison, stew, salmon dip, and cheesecake, to mention a few.

There was also a fly casting contest. Participants had to cast a yarn fly into hoola hoops and they received points for each time the fly went into the hoop, then the top three had a cast off. They were casting a Scott A3, 8.5 foot,  5 weight rod, which was the grand prize, donated by Scott Fly Rod. Also, second and third place received a Hatch bottle opener. The grand prize winner was Alan.

This was a great way to kick off the year with fishing, food and friends.

Kevin McKay

photo by Kevin McKay

photo by Kevin McKay

photo by Kevin McKay

photo by Kevin McKay

photo by Kevin McKay

photo by Kevin McKay

photo by Kevin McKay

photo by Mike Mayo

photo by Kevin McKay

photo by Kevin McKay

photo by Mike Mayo

photo by Mike Mayo

buy it here

I recently received this new book by Reed F. Cury. It is called The New Scientific Angling, trout and ultraviolet vision. I can’t wait to dive into this book.

From his site Over My Waders:
“In The New Scientific Angling we learn that trout see in the near ultraviolet range, as well as our visible spectrum, and what that means to the fly fisherman. Using UVA Reflection photography, the author offers views of a trout’s world otherwise completely invisible to us.
Examining baitfish, natural flies, artificial flies, and tying materials as a trout sees them in the Ultraviolet, this original research answers longstanding questions about flies, fishing, and the ways of trout.”

The forum on www.maineflyfish.com will be down for a while, thanks Kevin McKay