Sportsman’s Corner: It’s all about the fishing

Members of the Mahar Fish’N Game Club are in Alaska this week. Freshmen Bianca Sudjak caught this lake trout in Upper Trail Lake in Moose Pass the first day.

Members of the Mahar Fish’N Game Club are in Alaska this week. Freshmen Bianca Sudjak caught this lake trout in Upper Trail Lake in Moose Pass the first day. PHOTO BY MIKE ROCHE—

Published: 06-19-2025 9:42 AM

By Mike Roche

Perusing the web pages of MassWildlife and the other New England States, it is obvious that much of the content is focused on getting people out fishing.

Few other activities really connect people to the natural world as well as fishing. This column was, in some part, inspired by a Facebook post about fishing which really captured the essence of “why we fish.”

This writer is not a huge Facebook user and often checks out when so much content is political propaganda. As a history major who taught social studies for 30 years, my daily routine usually included regular reading of at least three newspapers and two weekly news magazines (edited new sources) and trying to gather as much information as possible from differing sources to form intelligent opinions.

Taking college courses in economics and history, which included required reading of books like Samuelson’s “Economics,” Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations,” Henry Kissinger’s book on negotiation and Machiavelli’s “The Prince” influenced my thinking. All those sources are still extremely relevant today as the basic principles contained in each are timeless.

Today it seems like that was wasted time, however, because all that is needed is to look at Facebook and someone will tell you what to think. This former teacher stands by his advice to students in civics class (no longer taught) to read multiple edited sources and let that reviewed for accuracy information guide you in forming opinions in a changing world.

So much for that. The aforementioned post was a recounting of time fishing and the enjoyment of watching the natural world around a body of water. Great blue herons, turtles, raccoons, different songbirds, deer and other wildlife utilize the shoreline habitat, and every cast is a new adventure. Fishing is also a physical and mental challenge and catching fish is really a bonus on top of the other sights, sounds and smells. Thanks, Stephanie!

MassWildlife supports a number of programs which are in place to help people who want to get involved in fishing, but do not have a peer support group to help them get started. A visit to the MassWildlife web page and a search will give a person access to activities and events to help you get started in fishing. Included is advice for beginners, dates of workshops and maps of where to go. There is also a section on accessible fishing.

You might not realize that right here in Orange, there is one of the state’s premier accessible locations. It is found on Lake Rohunta, and you can reach that handicapped accessible fishing location via Eagleville Road. Lake Rohunta is home to a variety of freshwater species including largemouth bass, black crappie (calico bass), yellow perch and sunfish.

This space has also touted the excellent fishing accessibility of Lake Mattawa in Orange. The Holtshire Road shoreline quickly drops off into deeper water where trout, a cold-water species, can easily be reached and the largemouth bass population at the lake includes some lunkers. People who drive a distance from around the state to fish Mattawa and, because of the close proximity to Route 2, find a destination that wheelchair-bound anglers can enjoy. Word is that the fishing along the shore has been quite good recently and the trout stocked by MassWildlife this spring are beauties.

As noted, fishing can provide so many other rewarding experiences besides catching fish, and my recent week on Webber Pond in Vassalboro, Maine, is a perfect example. My brother-in-law Norm McDade and I fished early each morning, usually casting off from the dock well before 6 a.m. and trying different parts of the 1,200-acre lake and then returning to fish after dinner, avoiding the breezy midday time.

There seemed to be at least two eagle’s nests, and the adult bald eagles were constantly in view as they fished and hunted to feed the vocal offspring that we could hear on two islands. We observed them with fairly large fish in their talons laboring to carry them to shore. They also soared overhead with a number of interesting maneuvers including locking talons and what seemed like a conflict between the nesting pairs.

There were also a number of loons on the pond, and they would pop up close to the boat as they worked on catching the same fish we were. We saw no young loons, which was a disappointment, as seeing the hatchlings riding the parent’s backs when they surface is really cool.

It was obvious that we were there during fish spawning as the cleared circular beds, known as redds, were found in abundance in the shallows in a number of locations. We found bluegills on redds but no evidence of large female bass near the beds.

Most of the shallow bays and coves were loaded with hungry crappie and yellow perch and smaller, 10-to-12-inch, largemouth bass, which are usually males. It is hard to complain when you are getting a strike or a follow on almost every cast with crankbaits, and a couple of better bass were taken when the water depth and weed cover were right.

I have to say that the Garmin “fish finder” sonar units that were recently purchased and installed at Cabela’s were perfect for our fishing needs. The Garmin Striker 4 and Striker 4 Plus were mounted in front of the steering wheel and at the bow fishing station. They worked great and gave us depth, water temperature and showed structure like weeds for us to use in selecting where to fish. I know that today’s sonar is very sophisticated, but this fisherman does not need to watch his lure sink to the bottom when cast in front of the boat or being able to watch a fish approach it as it falls. To each his own.

The challenge now is finding enough time to fish for trout before the water warms, get some bass fishing in, and start dog training all while paying attention to the long “to do” list of things to get done around the house. Hard to find time for a nap!

Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.