Fresh fish and fiddleheads
MAINELY OUTDOORS
Each spring between mid-May and mid-June, Mother Nature steps up and provides prime conditions for fishing and fiddleheading. If you’ve somehow missed out on the opportunity to sample the true feast of brook trout drenched in flour and lightly fried in bacon grease along with properly-seasoned, freshly-picked fiddleheads, there’s a real hole in your culinary repertoire.
As it happens, regional lakes currently offer top rate trolling conditions for salmon, trout and togue. Cross, Square, Squa Pan, Eagle, Drew’s, East Grand and Long lakes are all at excellent levels and temperatures to produce consistent action on streamer flies and lures. Bait casters working from shore and trollers in small boats and canoes on small lakes and ponds such as Echo, Monson, Durepo, Black, #9, Carry, Trafton, Arnold Brook, Cochrane and Conroy to name a few, are enjoying fast and furious trout and splake fishing.
From Fort Kent all the way down to the Island Falls area, lakes and ponds are drawing plenty of angler attention, much to my personal satisfaction several local rivers and streams are peaking as well and often being overlooked by the big water enthusiasts. For example, the Aroostook River is a perfect height and water temp for trolling, anchoring and casting to hatches, tossing worms from shore and even wade casting on a few shallower stretches. Trolling 6- to 10-, 3X long shank streamer flies or small spoons and lures offers the fastest action right now, but sportsmen would be wise to add a 4 or 5 weight dry fly rod to their gear inventory for the canoe or boat.
Just a couple weeks ago during a trolling outing above the Caribou dam, my cousin and I noticed a couple of trout rise to feed near shore. We pulled over and dropped anchor to watch and sure enough, there was a hatch taking place. We got out the dry fly rod, tied on a large May fly imitation and took turns catching and releasing 10- to 14-inch brookies until the insect hatch subsided half an hour later. While anchored and casting near the shoreline, we spotted a plot of fiddleheads, so as soon as the trout stopped feeding, we spent 15 minutes filling our hats full of fresh, firm ferns.
As I was crossing the U.S. Route 1 bridge near the Presque Isle mall recently, I was shocked to spot nine vehicles, seven with empty boat trailers at the boat ramp. I couldn’t believe the fishing was that good, and spotting a canoe returning from upstream I pulled down to the launch to inquire. As it turned out, more than half of the watercraft carried local folks out fiddleheading, and by using a boat they could explore untouched fiddlehead fields far away from the easy to reach spots. I’ve used this trick for years to harvest hatfuls of tasty green ferns from the Aroostook River islands that can only be reached by floating fishermen or determined pickers with boats.
Another Crown of Maine flowing waterway worth trolling the next week or two while water levels remain moderate is the Meduxnekeag River near Houlton. There are some very productive runs and pools near Littleton that don’t receive heavy pressure and offer several easy to reach shoreline launch locations via crop field roads. The “Keag” offers anglers the chance to hook a hefty brown trout along with the native brookies. Tenacious fighters and found in only a handful of Aroostook’s waters, browns are a true trophy. As well as two species of trout, surprising number of smallmouth bass are finding their way into the Meduxnekeag’s flowage, and while not a prime target these feisty fish offer an acrobatic tussle.
As with most Aroostook brooks and streams once freshet conditions recede the fertile bankside soil sprouts pods of vibrant green, tightly-coiled ferns everywhere. Don’t get so concentrated on catching the main course for supper that you forget to spend a few minutes gathering greens!
Fervent fishermen who don’t own or have access to a watercraft for trolling will have to turn to wading. Presently, many stretches of the Prestile Stream in Easton, Mars Hill and Robinson are dropping to manageable levels for chest waders and even for hip boots along some runs. Wet flies and small streamers are drawing strikes and random hatches offer the opportunity to enjoy some topwater fun casting dry flies.
It’s nearly impossible to walk five feet along the shoreline without sighting several small bunches of fast growing fiddleheads, so picking enough for a meal or two as you change pools is a simple chore.
Most folks have personal or family recipes for preparing fresh trout as well as fiddleheads. Let me offer my grandmother’s alternative to plain steamed and seasoned greens — how about trying fiddlehead quiche?
1-9 inch pie crust (frozen or homemade)
1-cup light cream or half & half
1-Small onion, chopped
2-Tbsp chopped parsley
8-10 whole cooked fiddleheads for garnish
1 cup cooked fiddleheads (chopped)
4- eggs
1-Cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1-Tsp salt
Beat the eggs and cream until blended. Fold in chopped fiddleheads, onions, parsley and half of the grated cheese. Salt to taste. Turn into partially baked crust. Sprinkle on remaining cheese.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Decorate edges with whole cooked fiddleheads. May be served hot or cold and makes a tasty side dish with fresh trout served at breakfast.
Now is the perfect time to put those age old Hunter/Gatherer tactics into use here in Aroostook, and just another really good reason to go fishing.
