KENNEBEC RIVER OUTING
Greenville, Maine, July 21-23, 2006
On July 21, 2006, three U.S. Army soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center traveled to Greenville, Maine to fly fish the fabled East Outlet of the Kennebec River. PHW participants Sgt. Chris Short, Spc. James Stuck and Sgt. Russell Martin are recovering from serious injuries sustained while serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. PHW volunteers Bob Sutton and Cleve Van Haasteren accompanied the group.
When they arrived at Bangor International Airport, the soldiers were met by the “Maine Troop Greeters,” a volunteer organization which has welcomed over 1,000 flights and 350,000 military personnel since 2003. In addition to 100 plus well-wishers, there were several area newspapers and four television news crews were on hand to cover the arrival. After a few brief interviews, the soldiers declined a stop for food and drink and chose to get on the road to some serious fishing.
Upon arrival in Greenville, the fishermen stopped at the Maine Guide Fly Shop, to receive their “orders” from Penny Legere. Penny and her husband Dan, a Master Maine Guide, own and operate the shop and were instrumental in arranging the soldiers’ visit to Maine. With no time to spare, the group hastened to the “put-in” spot on the East Outlet where three Maine Guides waited with their drift boats ready to get underway for a three hour float. Also aboard was television personality Bill Green and a cameraman from WCSH TV6 in Portland, who filmed the fishing for Bill Green’s Maine, a popular TV show in Maine and New Hampshire.
The East Outlet of the Kennebec is a broad, deep tail water with plenty of current and even some class III white water. Wading can be difficult, so fishing from a drift boat is definitely the best (and safest) way to cover a lot of water and increase the probability of success. The target species in the Kennebec are Landlocked Salmon and Brook Trout, both of which are native to Maine and can grow to well over 20 inches.
Despite their injuries, the three soldiers quickly adapted to the fast paced challenge of fishing from a moving boat and began catching salmon immediately. Casting skills acquired and developed through participation in PHW were refined under the expert instruction of the Maine Guides. By the time the group reached the “take out,” they were ready for the full day float planned for the next day.
After a brief stop at the Chalet Moosehead Motel, the group traveled 25 miles northward to the remote village of Kokadjo and the Kokadjo Trading Post, where owners Fred and Marie Candeloro hosted an enormous prime rib feast for the PHW fishermen.
At 0600, the group mustered for breakfast at Kelly’s Landing on Moosehead Lake and then returned to the “put-in” where they shoved off for a full day on the river. It wasn’t long before several rods were bowed to fighting landlocks. Before lunch, two salmon over 20 inches were netted, including one 21incher caught by Sgt. Chris Short who won the “pool” for the largest fish and the most fish caught.
At mid-day, the drift boat flotilla stopped at a gravel bar for a Maine style shore lunch prepared on site by the guides. Worthy of mention were Penny Legere’s individual cheese cakes, topped with fresh Maine blueberries. Fishing was good for the remainder of the day, including some hefty smallmouth bass in Indian Pond, just before the take-out.
That evening, the Cecil Cole Post 94 of the American Legion invited the soldiers to an old fashioned Maine lobster bake where Spc James Stuck demonstrated his love for lobster by consuming six of them. The soldiers were also treated to some of Greenville’s night life by some of the young people at the dinner.
At 0730 the next morning, the soldiers traveled back to Indian Pond for some more smallmouth action and later some trolling on Moosehead Lake where they caught salmon and lake trout. By late afternoon, the exhausted fishing party returned to the fly shop to sort gear, thank their hosts and get underway for Bangor and the airport.
PHW’s foray to Maine was a tremendous success was made possible through the generosity of the citizens and businesses of Greenville, who went out of their way provide lodging, meals and a first rate fly fishing experience for these three soldiers.
Cleve Van Haasteren
