Well, the mid June trip turned off pretty well overall I’d say. Four of the Monsters crew, and special guest Karen all hooked up with either salmon, brookies or both. We hit three rivers including the Rapid. The Rapid River was running at a nice 400 cfs which made it easier to get to more good pockets. It seemed like nymphs, streamers, and dry flies all produced hits depending on, what was going on… 
We tried the Rangeley River for the first time after being told it was producing, but it was already late morning by the time we got to it and past prime time. There were quite a few people up and down it when we got there, but they were heading out as we were coming in. This one will be revisited next time, early. We will return to this whole area for the Labor Day weekend, which should provide even better salmon counts that time of year.
Some related topics on this first trip. Karen demonstrated a well known but little understood law of fishing, by catching the best fish of the trip having never really done any kind of fishing before in her life. Just a few times practicing casting in the yard, and tying on a fly or two at home, and she jumped in. There is no rational explanation for this; it’s just the way it is. Jimmy and Kristen scored a bunch of good stuff from the FFIM raffle one night. I discovered on the last day that, at about mid thigh level, the right leg of my waders would completely fill with water. I collected a dent in the hood of the Jeep from a tree branch falling on it at some point, and Dean successfully field tested his new bear deterrent system for his tent (see pink plastic birds guarding the entrance in photo).
So, all in all I guess we lived the dream once again……. right?… And between now and the next trip to this area we’ll hit some additional places for sure. I’m looking to get something together next for a run up to our river spots around the Moosehead Lake area,… and then the West Branch of the Penobscot,…oh, and striper fishing along the coast here,…and then…….
The Crew all lined up...