With the dog days of August upon us and Mother Nature finally blessing us with some authentic summer weather, it’s no surprise that the Atlantic salmon run on the Penobscot River has slowed.
Oliver Cox, a fisheries biologist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources Bureau of Sea-run Fisheries and Habitat, reports that as of Aug. 5, a total of 1,928 salmon had returned to the river and been captured at the Veazie Dam fish trap.
That total is slightly behind last year’s total as of the same date. In 2008, 1,991 fish had returned as of Aug. 5.
Still, this year’s run far surpasses the 10-year average (987 fish) and the 31-year average (1,424).
“Since my new update on July 20, we have handled 34 new salmon (an average of two per day),” Cox wrote in his e-mail report.
The largest daily count was seven fish. The lowest was zero, which was the total on four different days.
“Water temperature has remained low, averaging 22.3 C (72.1 F),” Cox reported. “Since 2002, the typical water temperature for this time of year has been 24.2 C (75.6 F). We have had only two days over 23 C (73.0 F) this season.”
Cox said the Penobscot flow remains high after a summer of wet weather.
The normal discharge at West Enfield is about 6,000 cubic feet per second, according to Cox. Since July 20, the discharge actually increased from 10,000 cfs to 30,000 cfs, and on Aug. 5 the river was running at 22,000 cfs.
Here’s hoping salmon keep trickling in, and that we can reach the 2,000 fish plateau for the second year in a row.
Muskie clarification
In order to prevent the further proliferation of a seemingly widespread myth, it’s my duty today to tell you that some information shared in this space on Thursday wasn’t entirely true.
In that column, you may recall, I quoted one of the organizers of the Fort Kent International Muskie Derby, who said a guide had told her that Maine fisheries biologists had electro-fished Glazier Lake and found muskies that were 50 inches long.
According to Dave Basley, the regional fisheries biologist for northern Maine, neither his staff nor Canadian fisheries biologists have electro-fished Glazier Lake this year.
Basley said he has heard several reports echoing the belief that biologists had been doing work on the lake, which is a popular hot spot during the annual muskie derby.
Basley said biologists have electro-fished some streams in the region, which might have led people to believe that Glazier Lake had also been sampled.
That’s simply not the case.
As to the 50-inch fish … well, that’s another story.
There might not be any evidence of such behemoths lurking in the depths of Glazier, but I’m among those who think they probably exist.
Figure this: During the yearly derby — the sixth edition is taking place this weekend — several 40- to 43-inch fish are typically caught, and muskies can grow much larger than that.
Therefore, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this year’s top fish is, indeed, close to 50 inches long.
We’ll find out soon enough.
Trapper’s weekend on tap
Pete Tinker of Searsmont touched base earlier this week with information about an event you may be interested in.
The 33rd annual New England Trappers Weekend will be held in Bethel Aug. 14-16.
Dealers will begin setting up at 8 a.m. on Aug. 14 and events will be held throughout the day and into Saturday. A church service on Sunday wraps up the event.
Admission is $5 per adult, and camping is available for $5 per night. This year a new contest will be held and prizes will be given to the campers with the best-looking, most original campsite.
Various trapping-related seminars will be held, as will a pair of auctions and a dance.
Kids events — including an eel race — will be held on Saturday, and a kids fishing contest will be held.
For more information or a complete schedule, go to www.bethelmaine.com.
Getting ready for deer season
To wrap up this morning, I’ve got a couple of pieces of information to share.
First, if you’re hoping to be able to target female deer during hunting season, you’re running out of time to register for the state’s annual any-deer permit lottery.
Your deadline to register via the Internet is 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 17. The lottery drawing will take place on Sept. 11.
And if you’ve been planning on taking up hunting, or have a youth who you want to introduce to the sport, this is the perfect time to enroll them (or yourself) in a hunter safety class.
Classes are taking place all across the state in the coming weeks.
Among the upcoming hunter safety options:
· In Eagle Lake, at the town office, Aug. 13-14 from 5:30-8:30 p.m., Aug. 15 from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., a course with a home-study component. Call John or Christine Forino at 444-3416 or 436-5040 for information.
· In Frenchville, at St. John Valley Technology Center, Aug. 19, 20, 24, 25 from 6-9 p.m., call Chris Haskins at 543-7480.
· In Old Town, at Old Town Trading Post, Aug. 24-27 from 6-9 p.m., call 827-7032.
· In Howland, at Penobscot Valley High School, Sept. 8-11 from 6-9 p.m., call July Lindquist at 732-8361 after 4 p.m.
· In Lincoln, at Mattanawcook Academy, Sept. 14-17 from 6-9 p.m., call Beverly Osborne at 794-6712.
· In Old Town, at the high school, Sept. 21-24 from 6-9 p.m., call 827-3906.
· In Newport, at Nokomis High School, Sept. 26-27 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., call 368-3290.
· In Hermon, at the high school, Sept. 28-30 and Oct. 1 from 6-9 p.m., call 848-4086.
· In Dover-Foxcroft, at Sedomocha Middle School, Sept. 12-13 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., call Woody Thompson at 876-3497.
· In Greenville, at the high school, Sept. 18 from 6-9 p.m. and Sept. 19 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., call 695-4619 and leave a message.
· In Harmony, at Harmony Middle School, Sept. 21-24 from 6-9 p.m., call 683-2211.
· In Unity, at 203 Koons Hall at Unity College, Sept. 2 from 6-9 p.m. and Sept. 12 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., a course with a home-study component. Call Tim Peabody at 948-3131, extenstion 331.
