Here’s a typical start to a bird hunting adventure with my two dogs, Dakota and Tennyson. They are trained to “hold” any place, any time so as not to spook an area prematurely. They are English Springer Spaniels from breeder/trainer, Jo-Ann Moody in Waldo, Maine.
Each late September, I am “host rod” to a group of fly fishermen on the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. Here, the waters run “gin clear” as they say, and the Atlantic salmon run large. We stay at Camp Bonaventure, an Orvis-endorsed lodge located on the Bonaventure River. We fish for five days with a Camp Bonaventure guide, and the pools are rotated so that there is never excessive fishing pressure on any one. Here is one scene from this year’s trip. The lucky angler was Joseph Kievitt. That’s me on the net, Jay Thomas snapping a photo, and guide Matt Flowers in the far background.
This Grand Laker canoe, perhaps 60 years old, is once again ready for service thanks to Alan Burnell of Eustis, Maine. She was consigned to Alan’s care two years ago for stripping, major and minor repairs, and much cosmetic work. She is believed to be a Bill Sprague canoe. Bill was the father of legendary canoe builder, guide, and Grand Lake native, Sonny Sprague. The lines of this canoe seem to be closer to the lines of Sonny’s canoes than to any other, with the exception of the smaller transom which was normal for accommodating lower horsepower motors in those days.
