North Country Angling: The sporting camp tradition

My first exposure to a sporting camp was in the early 1980s. We had rented a camp on the Kennebago River in Western Maine. The camp had a key to the gated portion of the Kennebago watershed where the road gave access to Big Kennebago Lake. Big Kennebago Lake is the home of Grant’s Camps.

One member of our party had not procured a Maine fishing license and Grant’s was an outlet for said license. We drove to the camp, purchased the license and a few flies. The camp was rustic but in the tradition that we had all read about. A seed was planted.

The next exposure to a Maine sporting camp was Bradford Camps in Northern Maine. Leslie and I wanted to take a bucket list trip before we started a family. Bradford Camps were a fly in camp. We took a float plane out of Shin Pond in Patten. The trip was everything we thought it would be. It was memorable in many ways, including Leslie’s morning sickness.

The seed that had been planted at Grant’s Camps came to full bloom in the early 1990s. On our annual fishing trip, we planned to stay at Bosebuck Mountain Camps. These camps you can drive to, and the camps gave you access to the vast headwaters of the Magalloway River system.

Parmachenee Lake, Little Boy Falls, Cleveland Eddy, Rump Pond. All were accessible from Bosebuck. In Maine sporting camp style, there was a hearty breakfast, the bag lunch, and a full dinner before evening fishing. And when I tell you we caught fish, boy did we catch fish. Bosebuck was worth every penny, and we came to appreciate restricted access and catch and release fishing from these waters.

We would save and when the fishing trip kitty was full enough, we would return. Bosebuck holds a special place in this angler’s heart.

One sporting camp that my dad and I had talked about visiting for years was Tim Pond Camps. Tim Pond Camps are a remote set of sporting camps on land preserved by the Libby Family.

The pond has never been stocked and is the home to some beautiful brook trout. As life would have it, we never made it Tim Pond Camps together. It has been on my mind for forever.

This spring, a fellow valley angler, Dick Leavitt, came in to get some supplies for a trip. When I asked him where he was going, he replied, “Tim Pond Camps.” My eyes must have bugged out of my head. “You Know Tim Pond?” Dick asked.

I told him the story about Tim Pond and my dad. Dick told me about the stunning beauty of the camps and the brook trout. That started the snowball rolling.

As you get older, you realize that procrastination is not your friend. Before Dick was back in his car, I emailed Tim Pond Camps. Now was the time to harvest another seed that was planted decades ago.

Tip of the Week

Each watershed has its own fishing tradition. Be sure to research an area before angling to unlock the secrets to a successful angling adventure.

Steve Angers, a native to the Conway area, is the author of the book “Fly Fishing New Hampshire’s Secret Waters” and operates the North Country Angler.