- My life is organized around fly fishing; perfectly planned and carefully calculated from every possible angle. This winter I made it a point to plan my season the way an architect lays out his latest project. I started by tying flies, everything from a grey ghost to a rainbow selection of hornburgs. As the snow began to fall, reading seemed like the logical next step. I worked my way through Casting With Lefty Kreh, The Alaska Chronicles, A River Runs Through It, and recently The River Why. On Up’North I’ve dabbled in poetry and short stories, while also composing the occasional “I hate winter” post to try to ease the pain.

By the end of February I experienced my first symptoms of Spring fever and started a countdown to April 1st on my laptop, iPad, and phone. My friends and family called me crazy when I began organizing my rods and reels, clearing out my fly boxes, and filling magazines with sticky notes labeling all of my favorite gear. First on the list was a jacket, waders and boots. Simms and L.L.Bean provided plenty of options, and I began withholding small amounts from each paycheck in preparation for placing orders at the end of March. Because representing the companies that support me is always at the top of my list, I made sure to stock up on decals as well. Die-cuts for the canoe were a must, extras for friends, neighbors, and random street signs also found their way into the mix.

When opening day finally arrived yesterday, my alarm sang a cheerful tune at 3:45am….and again at 4…..and then at 4:10 for good measure. Sunday morning is prime sleeping time, and my excitement just barely won a battle with my warm pillow as I planted my feet firmly on the floor and reached for the light. Two coffees and just over an hour later found me on the water, bundled and casting from the front deck of Derick’s square-stern Scott canoe with ice forming on my eyelashes. We claimed the title of first boat on the river in 2012, and it only took Derick 20 minutes to reel in what would be the first of four muskie that day, including the very first one of the season as the sun snuck over the horizon at 6am.

The conditions remained cold throughout the morning, climbing into the low 40s by the time we finally pulled out of the water around 11am. When the day was over my guide and his four fish were the only ones we could manage, while my rod and reel with nearly identical rigging was packed up with nothing to show for it’s (and my) efforts. I guess that’s why they call it fishing, not catching. Regardless, a few other friends did manage some great fish during the a.m. hours of day one. Corey Daigle of Fort Kent caught and released what had to be the fish of the day, a 22lb beauty that you can admire in one of the photos below. Brad Plourde and Ronald Jandreau made some noise early on as well with a few sizable fish of their own. Me? Muskie fishing has never been my strong point, and I’m honestly not sure it ever will be. I do have great respect for the anglers that chase these massive fish however, knowing from personal experience that it truly is “the fish of a thousand casts.” If luck and time afford me the pleasure, I look forward to connecting with a few in the near future.

……but not too near in the future of course….I have some salmon to catch. I managed a single hour of casting for salmon with my helios on opening day before the wind and ice chased me from the water. Tomorrow will be a different story…..after work of course.

See you on the river, bundled and casting with a big goofy smile.

-Ben