04/19/2021
The outlook for the approaching 2021 guiding season looks promising, particularly compared to 2020. While last year at this time the prospects appeared grim, today we certainly find ourselves in a far more optimistic place. Like many of you, the pandemic took the wind out of my sails as we all did our best to negotiate our lives amidst the devastating impact of SAR-CoV-2. For many of us, life during the pandemic didn’t include much in the way of travel, say nothing about booking drift trips.
Now, a year later, as signs of spring seem to spontaneously appear in our yards and the rivers begin to take shape, a return to some form of normalcy is also within sight. We can all be grateful for the extraordinary development and distribution of effective vaccines we only dreamed about a year ago. Without a doubt, it's the immunity derived from our vaccinations that will allow us to once again gather safely with our friends and family as well as engage in our favorite past times.
As the guiding season approaches, it’s been uplifting to communicate with both longtime and potential new clients about your plans for a day or two casting to Maine’s smallmouth bass. This year, I’ll kick off the season, not with river smallmouths, but rather the so-called poor man’s salmon: The American Shad. Most years, the Kennebec’s Shad run is in full swing by the end of May. With river temperatures less than optimum for the smallies, the Kennebec’s productive Shad fishery makes for a fun and productive beginning to what I am expecting to be an excellent guiding season.
he 2021 season marks my 13th year guiding clients in pursuit of Maine's river smallmouths. Happily, with each passing year my enthusiasm for sharing my knowledge and love of Maine's river smallmouths continues to grow. Sure, a healthy population of cooperative fish makes guiding fun, but it's my clients that make each day on the river memorable.
I hope to hear from you soon, so we can make plans for your time on the river.
You can reach Three Rivers Guide Service at 207-441-0678 or [email protected]
