Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
After fishing around Maine for well over half a century, I have a question for someone out there. I should perhaps know the answer, or it might be written somewhere and I missed it at some point along the way and just forgot. So forgive my ignorance on the matter. I’m getting old and my brain isn’t as sharp as it once was. Before I get to the point, let me take a minute and give some background information.
Back in March 2016, through the efforts and funding of the Forest Legacy Program and Land for Maine’s Future, 8,150 acres just north of The Forks and West Forks in Somerset County were forever protected in what is known as the Cold Stream Forest. It’s now part of Maine’s Public Reserve Lands System.
What makes the acquisition so important is that it protects more vital wild brook trout habitat than what is found in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire combined. In all, there are nine trout ponds of various sizes covering a total of 146 acres, seven of which have been designated by the MDIF&W as State Heritage Fish Waters. Four of those seven SHFW are considered to have “outstanding” or “significant” native trout fisheries according to a Maine Wildland Lakes Assessment.
The property also protects 30 miles of mapped perennial streams, including 15 miles of Cold Stream itself, which empties into the Kennebec River. No stream or pond within the entire Cold Stream watershed has been stocked since 1954. The forest also protects 3,000 acres considered vital deer wintering area and designated critical habitat for Canada lynx, federally listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
I first fished some of the ponds back in the early 1970s when I was a trout bum and spent most of my free time and limited financial resources beating my old but reliable “trout-mobile” into as many ponds as I could. It didn’t matter what condition the roads were in, if you can call them “roads.” If the old Ford couldn’t get me to where I wanted to go, I hoofed it.
Some of the ponds in the Cold Stream area were on my hit list and I hit them pretty hard back then. When I first heard about the Cold Stream acquisition, it reminded me of some pretty darn good fishing and I had been itching to get in there.
Finally, this past August, my wife, Diane, and I loaded up the camping gear and canoe and hit the road. Typically, the dog days of August aren’t the best time of the season to expect great fly fishing for trout, but I wasn’t overly concerned whether the trout would be cooperative or not. This was more of a reacquaintance trip than a fishing trip.
Access to the trout ponds in Cold Stream Forest is via Capital Road, which departs U.S. 201 just south of Parlin Pond. A few miles in, we turned north onto Cold Stream Mountain Road, which took us to Old Cold Stream Road. We turned left, where a roadside sign told us we were entering the property. A little farther on, we hit the junction with Lone Jack Road.
Except for Cold Stream Mountain Road, which was washed out in a few places and crowded with alders in others, the roads were in decent shape. Even the worst stretches were in far better shape than they were when I first bushwhacked in and fished the area back in the ’70s.
I understand there are plans to eventually upgrade and improve the roads to make access easier. I kinda hope they don’t. Easy access always means more people, more pressure on fragile resources and I’m old-fashioned and selfish enough to believe anyone looking for a remote Maine escape and trout fishing opportunity should be willing to beat up their vehicle a little to get it.
Anyway, the campsites at Durgin and Lone Jack ponds were pretty much occupied, as were the other waterfront sites. We finally set up camp at a secluded site near the trail leading to Lang Pond, which was perfect because we were more interested in exploring ponds that required a hike to access.
Not knowing how long the trail to the pond was or what it was like, we walked in after setting up camp. The trail was only about a half-mile or so long and for the most part was easy to follow, with clear evidence in places of use over the years. It was also relatively flat until it neared the pond, where it descended down a steep, root-infested and rocky bank to the pond.
The next day, we found and explored the trail into Big Berry, which also proved relatively short. Although we didn’t have time to find or explore them, trails are said to extend into Little Lang Pond, the south end of Cold Stream Pond, Snake Pond and Fernald Pond, although their length and condition are unknown.
At both Big Berry and Lang ponds, we found so many canoes and boats it made both places look like canoe central. I think Diane counted no fewer than 40 of them scattered among the trees at Lang Pond alone.
In both locations, many of the canoes and boats were obviously old and had been there for years. A close look revealed a good many were less than seaworthy. Some were covered with mold and lichens, and some actually had holes in them.
The vast majority were secured to trees with chains and rusted key and combination locks, although we found a couple that looked in decent shape and were not secured or otherwise locked.
Which finally brings me to my question.
Is there an unwritten woods rule about using a canoe stored on a pond on public land such as Cold Stream Forest?
I mean, if you hike into a remote pond with your paddles, no one is there, it doesn’t look like anyone will be or has been for a while, and a canoe is not locked or secured in some way, does that mean or suggest you’re free to use it?
When a canoe on these and other ponds is secured with a chain and lock, the owner’s intent is or was obvious. But what if it’s not? Should you take it that the owner doesn’t care if you slide it into the water for an evening of fishing, or should you leave it be?
After more than half a century of finding canoes scattered on various points about the state, it would be nice to know.
Does anyone?