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Weekly Fishing Roundup 6/11/07 WESTERN MOUNTAINS

June 11, 2007 - WESTERN MOUNTAINS

As we've previously noted in these columns, the illegal introduction of smallmouth bass is expected to impact native brook trout populations in the Kennebec and upper Androscoggin drainages. Our crews are currently working to determine those impacts, and to minimize or negate them where possible. Dave Boucher, Dave Howatt, and Jason Seiders spent part of last week electrofishing bass from C Pond in Oxford County prior to the construction of a fish barrier on the outlet later this summer, all part of an effort to prevent bass from becoming permanently established there. In addition, Boucher, Howatt and Kyle Murphy of Florida Power and Light will be working on the Rapid River this weekend to monitor the impact of bass on that fishery. With permission, they'll be weighing and measuring the trout and salmon that anglers catch, (to be returned to the river alive, of course) and appreciate the cooperation of anglers in helping with this project.

Beginning next month we'll be monitoring our stream restoration projects at South Bog Stream, the Cupsuptic River, and the Sandy River. In addition, we're planning a new project on Bemis Stream, a tributary to Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Like the other streams we've worked on, Bemis was degraded by log driving and timber harvesting within the drainage. We're planning a different type of restoration on this stream - the addition of "large woody debris" to a mile of the stream. Adding wood to the headwaters of the stream will help to form pools, slow down the runoff, and trap nutrients. This project is being done in concert with a study being conducted by Dr. Stephen Coghlan and his grad student Paul Damkot to determine the effect of the introduction of brook trout on fishless streams. We'll report on this project as it progresses.

I've had lots of reports of good stream fishing "if you can stand the bugs" so lather up in fly dope and head for the sound of running water; this is prime fishing time.

-Forrest Bonney, Regional Fisheries Biologist


Lakes:
Regions: Rangeley


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