With the Maine autumn at its peak, many of us who love to hunt and fish are putting away the flyrods and running an oil cloth over our favorite firearm. But diehard trout anglers know that with cool nights and warm days there is still some good action to be enjoyed on some of the Maine trout waters that are still open to catch and release anglers.

October can bring good surface action, not to mention a pleasing panoramic backdrop of blazing swamp maples and rust-gold beech ridges. A 14- inch brookie in full spawn has a matchless beauty, too. Of course, not all waters are open to late fall angling so be sure to consult the state fishing regulations booklet.

Speaking of remarkable fish, a number of readers have indicated to me an abiding curiosity about a special strain of Maine trout: the arctic char. “What are they?” “What waters are they found in?” “Are they native to Maine?”

Here’s is what I know, or have been able to find out. The common name is landlocked arctic char, or if you want to get scientific, Salvelinus alpinus oquassa. The char is a coldwater fish that is a member of the trout and salmon family. Also called blueback trout, silver trout, Sunapee trout and white trout, these fish are, interestingly enough, native only to Maine and Alaska.

According to state fisheries biologist Frank Frost, char prefer cold, deep waters with lots of oxygen. They spawn in the lakes during late fall and early winter when water temperatures drop below 50 degrees. Eggs hatch in late winter. char can live up to 15 years and grow as large as 3 pounds. The state record is a 4 pound fish caught in Lower South Branch Pond in Baxter Park. On average, though, char tend to be small and in many lakes they average about 6 inches.

Where are they found in Maine? According to Frost, there are only 14 lakes in Maine with char populations. The fish is native to 11 of the ponds. In the other two waters, char were introduced from Floods Pond in Otis. Here is a breakdown of the char waters by county.

In Aroostook County, char can be found in Black Pond, Deboullie Pond, Gardner Pond and Pushineer Pond. Franklin County has one char water: Long pond. In Hancock County char are native to Floods Pond in Otis and Green lake in Dedham. In Piscataquis County char are found in moderate populations in Rainbow Lake, Reed Pond, Wadleigh Pond and Wassataquoik Lake. In Somerset County you’ll find char in Bald Mountain Pond, Enchanted Pond and Penobscot Lake.

Among the aforementioned waters, those with the largest char populations are Black Pond, Long Pond, Floods Pond, Wadleigh Pond and Bald Mountain Pond.

Having caught and pan-fried (forgive me trout purists) char (we called them Sunapee trout) from Deboullie and South Branch Pond, I can attest to their worthiness as outdoor tablefare. Finger lickin’ good!

If you do decide to cast your fly on one or all of these October waters, remember. No fry pans. October trout waters are catch and release only.

Banning bullets?

ON another topic, those closest to the unending battle to preserve our right to bear arms have long argued that the anti-gun folks have discovered that there is more than one way to skin a gun owner. The indirect approach is being used effectively more and more by the anti-gun community. The latest end run on the Second Amendment was a request of the EPA by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), a notorious anti-hunting, anti-gun organization. CBD’s petition asked the EPA to ban all lead bullets under the Toxic Substance Act of 1976.

Although the EPA head, Lisa Jackson, an Obama appointee, gave the petition serious consideration, the petition has been shelved for the time being. Yes, sportsmen and freedom loving Americans can breath a sigh of relief, but don’t get complacent. Lisa Jackson is an anti-hunting advocate who closed down bear hunting in New Jersey. You can be sure that we have not heard the last of this ban-the-bullets, anti-gun tactic.

The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network (WVOM-FM 103.9, WCME-FM 96.7) and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is paul@sportingjournal.com.

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