Is it Just Us, or Have We Waited a Long Time for June?
During the winter of 2018/2019, Caribou and Presque Isle each received more than 150 inches of snow – that’s 12 ½ feet! And portions of the rest of the state were not far behind. But that’s finally – FINALLY – changing, which leads to our cover story in the June 2019 issue of The Maine Sportsman magazine – “Bass Action Heats Up.”
Our kid-in-a-kayak cover photo, provided by famed outdoor writer Bob Humphrey, features none other than Bob’s son, Ben, who is shown landing a feisty smallmouth bass in the Penobscot River near Lincoln.
Tom Roth (“Sebago to Auburn”; page 68) not only pays tribute to Maine’s bass; in addition, in this month that includes Father’s Day, Tom also pay tribute to his late father, Jerry, who taught him how to fish.
Continuing the theme of honoring father-figures, Joe Saltalamachia (“Big Game Hunting”) remembers his stepfather Charlie Geers, who encouraged Joe to fish, and who loaned Joe and his brother the fishing gear they needed to get started.
And remember, Father’s Day is June 16, and a subscription to The Maine Sportsman makes a GREAT gift! Call us at (207) 622-4242, or order online by clicking here.
Although June is the start of summer, it’s also a rainy month. Inside this issue, our writers cover a wide variety of topics that will keep you entertained if the June rains keep you inside:
- Bill Pierce of the Outdoor Heritage Museum on Oquossoc retells a story from 1890 about the early bird getting the 19-inch trout;
- Christi Holmes describes helping to crank in a 400-pound bluefin tuna; and
- Retired Warden Bill Allen weighs in with a great, true story about a fellow from Machiasport who stole a buck out of a hunter’s front yard, and then sold it to an out-of-stater (spoiler alert – both seller and buyer spent 3 days in jail as a result),
This is also the month that Maine’s fly-casters head for ponds and streams, with hopes high. In his “Jackman” column (page 46), William Sheldon counsels, “You can’t catch trout unless your fly’s in the water” – good advice! And published book author Lou Zambello (“Freshwater Fly Fishing,” page 50) shares his dream of finding himself in the middle of a drake hatch.
Tom Seymour (“Moosehead,” page 54) fantasizes about hex hatches. And Bill Graves, who with his countrymen in Aroostook County have waited the longest to enjoy warmer weather, informs and entertains with his offering, “Time for Wet Flies and Wading” (page 34).
June 8 marks the moose lottery extravaganza at Cabela’s in Scarborough (stop in and say hello to Nancy Carpenter and Christi Holmes at The Maine Sportsman table), and in recognition of this event, the June issue of The Sportsman includes two reader stories – the first, of a lovely young lady named Bailey Sutherland, who used her Browning .308 to great effect during the 2018 hunt, and the second, which features the Beetz brothers (Jim and Dan), who, each with their own permit, were guided to two moose in three days by Matt Tinker, also known as “Mooseman.”
All this and much more are found in our eighty (80) pages of content, offered for you, our loyal readers.
So we hope you enjoy reading the June issue as much as our columnists and editorial staff enjoyed assembling it.
If you’ve got something to say, write us a short letter to the editor (providing photos, if you’ve got them), and email everything to Will@MaineSportsman.com.
Give us a call at 207-622-4242, and talk with office manager, Linda. Subscribe or renew your subscription, either on the phone or using the “Subscribe” link at our website, www.MaineSportsman.com. Keep in touch as a Facebook friend.
And thanks once again this month to our informed readers, to our many distribution outlets and to our loyal advertisers.
Will Lund, editor
Will@MaineSportsman.com
Augusta, Maine
