The headwaters of the Kennebec River are not quiet streams trickling through the forests of Maine; they are two massive dammed outlets managed by Florida Power & Light. The outlets flow from the largest lake in New England, Moosehead Lake, and meet at Indian Pond before continuing towards the Atlantic. At the East Outlet, fishing guides launch their float boats so we can get a lot closer to the land-locked salmon and trout that make fly fishing a sport.
This is also moose country. Headed up to Kokadjo where a friendly park ranger said the moose come certain times of day. No luck, but a nice spot. Couldn’t miss all the warning signs on the main highway. Apparently, there are lots of collisions with moose. We were warned.
The East Outlet offers quite a ride, depending on the water releases by the power company. The guides rely on a certain amount of water to make it a “float” trip. And, if you’re fishing, there’s a certain amount of water needed to draw the fish up into the river and out of Indian Pond. Somehow, even our wildest places are managed – and there’s usually some friction behind the scenes.
The fish park themselves at just the right spots to snag a snack as it passes by, like the cop on a motorcycle behind a billboard. The trick is to mimic prey and fool him into an attack. Of course, your fly has to go by his billboard.
Even though it was a slow day for even the most experienced anglers, a few fish took the bait, so to speak.
