Starting the New Year with Ice Fishing, Snowmobiling and Much More!
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he ice angler depicted on the striking cover photograph of the Sportsman’s January issue surveys what was a slow, warm start to this winter’s fishing season, but the temperatures are dropping, there’s snow in the air and we are off and running!
On the ice fishing front in this issue:
- JP Falzone draws in his own experience, as well as the knowledge of authorities like trap-maker Tim Jackson, fisheries biologist John Boland and Warden Sgt. Jason Luce in compiling his excellent piece, “Ice Fishing Secrets of the Experts.”
- Don Langille recounts the often-hilarious tales of “Smeltin’ with George,” where the intrepid pair of ice anglers does battle not just with the little silver fish, but with shanty wood stoves, local law enforcement and raucous neighbors in nearby smelt shacks.
- And newcomer William Schwartz lists nine top lakes and ponds in Southern Maine where the fish will bite but you won’t be bothered by large crowds competing for space on the ice.
Our regular columnists also weigh in on angling prospects, including Tom Seymour’s whimsically-titled Midcoast report, “Ladies and Gentlemen – Start Your Ice Drills!” Val Marquez in his “Southern Maine” column tells how to take advantage of the state’s new permissive laws about fishing open water off snowy shorelines. And Ethan Emerson reveals where to ice fish in and around Errol, New Hampshire.
On the topic of snowmobiles, Don Eno in “The Allagash” describes the beauty of sledding in the Fort Kent region; William Sheldon covers the trail systems that interlace Katahdin Country and the Jackman region; and in a special section, Steve Vose traces “The Evolution of the Modern Snowmobile,” from 1914 to the present.
Open any page of the January issue and be transported away to sights and adventures, including King Montgomery’s outstanding, superbly-illustrated tour of Rangeley’s Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum, and the tropical paradise of Hawaii where Joe Saltalamachia stalks exotic spotted Axis deer.
Reader contributions shine in this issue, such as Andrew Bernier’s “Veteran’s Day Swamp Buck,” and Tony Campbell’s “Three Generations; Three Moose Tags.”
All this, plus the monthly “Smilin’ Sportsman joke page, a humorous column from Ron Joseph (read it to learn the definition of “gopher-choker”), letters to the editor, hare hunting, coyote hunting, a thoughtful essay by Alan Haley (“Gift of the Moose Teeth”) and a lot more.
Happy New Year from the staff and writers of The Maine Sportsman. We are glad to have the opportunity to share our experiences and stories with you each month. And remember: 1) Get your 2016 fishing licenses; 2) Support our advertisers, and tell them you saw their ads in The Maine Sportsman; and 3) As always, tell us what you think, by writing to the editorial staff at Will@MaineSportsman.com. We welcome your feedback!
Will Lund, managing editor
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