532 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



who have tried the fly in doubtful waters have not long persisted in that method, their 

 impatience causing them to soon resort to the customary method. However, it has 

 long been demonstrated that the Rangeley L,ake salmon is a fish that takes the fly, 

 although formerly it was supposed not to. At Upper Dam in June, 1891, C. J. Bateman 

 took a salmon on a fly, regarding which, Forest and Stream, June 11, of that year 

 contained a notice to the effect that the fish weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was taken 

 in the pool below Upper Dam on an S^-ounce rod and Montreal fly. It was hooked 

 at 7.45 a. m. and landed at 8.20 a. m. An elaborate account of the same event appeared 

 in the same paper June 25, by which time the fish had apparently increased 10 ounces. 



Fishing season. — ^The fish usually can be caught by some means throughout the 

 open season. This applies to any body of water inhabited by the salmon. The most 

 productive time, however, is usually when the lake is free from ice up to the first of 

 July or the beginning of the heated season. Occasionally one is caught by any of the 

 usual methods during the summer, although stillfishing with live bait during July and 

 August is the most likely method to yield fish. The largest salmon ever taken on a 

 hook in Sebago Lake (22>^ pounds) was caught in this way on a redfin bait, on the 

 first day of August, 1907, but on the same day the writer caught a 16-pound fish by 

 surface trolling, using a small smelt as bait. In some waters the fish has been caught 

 by trolling and on a fly late in September, and the writer has caught the fish up to 3 

 pounds weight in early October in the Presumpscot River, the outlet of Sebago Lake. 



Fishing places for salmon in Rangeley Lakes. — As in the case of the trout, in 

 the early part of the season salmon may be taken almost anywhere in the lakes, but 

 particularly about points and shoals and at mouths of streams, especially when smelt 

 are running. Later in the season they resort to deeper water. Small salmon, and 

 sometimes even large ones, linger in the quick water and pools below dams much longer 

 than about the shores of lakes. 



As has been stated previously, salmon seem to preponderate over trout in Oquossoc 

 Lake, and it may be considered now a salmon lake. The salmon have made their way 

 down the chain of lakes even into Umbagog Lake and the Androscoggin River, and occa- 

 sionally some have been planted in the lower waters, as in Richardson Lake, Rapid 

 River, and Umbagog Lake. It is quite noticeable, however, that the increase in numbers 

 of salmon was gradually and successively progressive from the upper to the lower lakes. 

 The first salmon in Umbagog Lake was mentioned in Forest and Stream July 24, 1884, 

 which contained a statement to the effect that a 5-pound salmon had lately been taken 

 there. In 1905 the salmon was reported to be common in that lake. A gill net set in 

 the deep hole off Sturtevants Cove in 53 feet of water, August 17, took 6 small salmon 

 measuring 14^^, 15, 15K. 15K, 15H. and 16K inches, respectively. (See Table VII, 

 p. 593.) A small one of perhaps i-pound weight was caught July 17 in the Androscoggin 

 River at the mouth of Molnichwock Brook. On August 23 a young one 7 inches long 

 was caught on a baited hook at Molnichwock Falls. 



In the spring and early summer excellent salmon fishing is said to be found at the 

 foot of the rapids below Errol Dam and to some extent in pools on the rapids when 

 the water is not too high or too low. 



