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Summertime in the BelgradesContentsfor Printing Article Summaries |
The Belgrades Are a Fishing Paradise!By Mike Guarino
The talk of the town last week revolved around another huge trout caught here in the Belgrades. This giant brown trout was caught in Long Pond by a guest staying at Castle Island Camps, but details about how the fish was caught, etc, etc. are being kept quiet. Rumor has it the fish was hanging out near the spillway by Day's Store. It's amazing how many big fish have been caught there over the years. It's such a wonderful place to fish too, and the easy access gives shore anglers an opportunity to fish a prime trout and salmon hot spot. Many locals put time into this park to keep it clean and inviting for all to enjoy, and their efforts have really paid off. Many people fish or recreate here, yet you seldom find trash on the ground. By picking up after ourselves, we are saying thank you to the volunteers and welcome to the next person looking to enjoy this beautiful piece of Belgrade. During the 2006 season there have been some terrific trout caught in this area. You may recall earlier in the spring Chuck Knox boated a huge splake that, when I weighted it early in the morning, would have broken the state record. Unfortunately the fish wasn't certified until later in the day and missed the record by an ounce. That was a terrific fish! Now we have a 17 pound 4 ounce brown trout photo to stare at in wonderment. What a fish! The amazing thing about this trout is that it was caught in Long Pond, a water body that is not even stocked with browns! This fish more than likely dropped down from Great Pond at some point and fattened up on the alewives in Long Pond's crystal clear water. Long Pond has a knack for growing big trout and salmon and I can only wonder how big brown trout would grow in there if they were stocked annually. In addition to these giant trout, a number of 4-8 pound fish were landed so far this year, along with some really nice brook trout too. When talking with John Rice at Castle Island, he told me these same anglers also caught a wicked big pike during their stay too. While the pike debate is still hot and heavy, I wonder if we are beginning to see a two-tiered fishery develop here. Anglers are catching some bigger trout and salmon again and the bass and pike fishing is still strong too. Only time will tell for sure, but so far, this season has been one for the memory books for many anglers! Good luck! Mike Guarino can be contacted at | ||
