Tell us a fish tale — you might win a book

Summer’s upon us and I suspect many of our BDN readers have been busy enjoying all that Maine has to offer during our (admittedly brief) respites from the gray weather, thunderstorms and torrential rain.

The bright side to all that wet weather: The lakes, ponds, rivers and streams are staying cool, and the fishing is likely pretty good, no matter where you are.

To our north, Jay Robinson of Woodville tells me he’s planning on taking advantage of expected green drake hatches at a few of his favorite ponds in the near future.

No stripers in the Penobscot? Not so fast. Hunter Pate will tell you that you’re just not looking in the right spots. (Photo courtesy of Sue Pate)

Down in Orrington, young Hunter Pate hasn’t let the annual “There aren’t stripers in the Penobscot” talk slow him down any — he’s already caught a couple of striped bass, and has probably spent more time on the river than most other anglers.

So, how about you? Do you have a fish story to tell?

If you do, we’re certainly interested in hearing it. If you’ve got photos, all the better.

When the fishing’s good, our readers love to hear fish stories. And when it’s slow, those same readers seem to get a morale boost when they learn that others are having some success.

If you want to send a tale along, email it (and the photos) to me at jholyoke@bangordailynews.com. Include details, identify everyone in the photo, and tell me what kind of fish I’m looking at, and how big it is.

In a week or so, after the fish tales come flooding in, I’ll toss the names of all of our new contributors into a hat and draw one out. That lucky liar (oops … I meant to say “storyteller,” since there’s no actual proof that all anglers don’t automatically stretch the truth when they open their mouths) will get a prize.

And what is that prize?

A book written by one of my favorite Maine outdoor storytellers.

We’ve got a copy of the new John Ford Sr. offering, “This Cider Still Tastes Funny,” here at the BDN Maine Outdoors desk, and we’d be happy to give it away to one lucky angler.

So get fishing. Get writing. And be sure to share your outdoor adventure with us.

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.