Greetings from the Road—
After departing from Cupsuptic Campground on Monday morning, we headed further southwest towards the New Hampshire border, where we met by a boat ready to ferry the group across Richardson Lake to historic Lakewood Camps. Lakewood Camps is only accessible to the public by boat and sits on Richardson Lake at the middle dam of the Rapid River. The guys enjoyed a cabin roof over their heads at night, delicious home cooked meals (a certainly welcome change of pace from normal camp food), and some absolutely outstanding fishing for trophy brook trout, salmon and smallmouth bass.
Upon arrival Monday, the guys split into two groups, with one group fishing for brook trout and salmon at the damn just below camp and the other making the mile or so trek downstream to a large pond fed by the river where smallmouth bass tend to gang up. Smallmouth bass are considered to be an invasive species here in Maine given the fact that much of their diet consists of brook trout eggs, so the objective was to catch and purge the pond of as many smallmouths as possible. To say the guys were successful in this task would be a gross understatement, as they were able to haul in more than 200 smallmouths out of the pond over Monday afternoon and Tuesday.
The fishing at the dam for “brookies” and salmon proved to be just as productive. All of the guys caught salmon on dry flies, nymphs and streamers, and a few were even able to land the trophy brook trout that the region has become known for. Twilight fishing at the dam after dinner on Monday and Tuesday nights proved to be highlights of the trip, as the fishing was as steady and productive as it has been all trip during these times.
We left Lakewood around 9 this morning and are now headed south back to Massachusetts, where we will camp for the night about an hour north of Boston. The guys will surely enjoy their final dinner tonight at a local restaurant, where they will have one last chance to try to outdo each other with fish stories before they part ways in the morning. We will have everyone get in touch with their parents tomorrow morning before they get on their flights. Until then, we look forward to enjoying the last little bit of the trip. We will upload all of the pictures that we took to flickr.com when we get the chance and send you the link as soon as possible.
Tight Lines,
Will, Nate, Edward and Tripp
