AUBURN — Despite temperatures in the 30s and a steady rain, anglers at Lake Auburn were undaunted on the traditional first day of open water fishing Monday.

Although the laws for lakes in Androscoggin County have changed over the years, for many April 1 remains the beginning of the open water season.

On Lake Shore drive, Robert Haas of South Paris and his boys arrived at 6 a.m. to  fish from one of the patches of open water accessible by road.

Hass said he makes it out most years but was close to giving up considering the weather conditions.

“We didn’t think we would come today,” Haas said as sons, Tim, 15, Austin, 12, and Josh, 9, readied their poles and headed toward the U-shaped patch of open water by a culvert running under the road.

Although Haas said first day luck is uncommon with his crew, they continue as a tradition in hopes of “a couple of trout or a salmon maybe.”

On the north shore at Salmon Point, Brian Gilbert of Auburn and Dylan Hicks of Buckfield were setting lines after a long, cold night in a makeshift shack on the shore. The metal frame, covered with tarps and duct tape, provided adequate protection from the wind but did little for the pair on the ground when a soaking rain set in.

Gilbert and Hicks have been fishing together on opening day at Salmon Point for the past 16 years, since they were kids. Laughing, the two remembered when their parents used to drop them off on opening day to hike with their gear to the point.

Hicks said they preferred Salmon Point because the water usually stays open throughout the winter. Monday, however, there was only a narrow line of water stretching along the shoreline.

Hicks and Gilbert were busy using lengths of PVC schedule 40 pipe to shove their bobbers and hooked smelts beneath the ice to reach deeper water. It’s a common practice among early season fishermen. Before PVC pipe, they said they used to have to let the smelts swim as far as they could under the ice, only about 6 feet by Hicks’ account.

Taking the weather in stride, Hicks laughed about how last year he got a sunburn on opening day, and he and Gilbert had their limit by 7 a.m.

“Last year, they were swarming around the rocks,” Hicks said. In contrast, two years ago, the pair said they woke up to 18 inches of snow on their shack.

Further up the point, Mike Landry of Wales checked his lines. He said he has been fishing opening day on Salmon Point for the past 25 years. “I’ve seen some awesome fish come out of this lake,” Landry said.

Still excited about the one that got away, snapping the 6-pound test line on his ultralight rod, Landry said the biggest salmon he ever saw came from Lake Auburn. He estimated it was about 9 pounds.

By Landry’s account, another angler had been out trolling and hooked the salm0n. “He had it mounted before he got it in the boat,” Landry said. That was when the overconfident sportsman apparently hit the line with his net, dislodging the hook and losing his trophy.

Landry said his father usually makes the trip with him each opening day, but this year was discouraged by the rain. So instead of their tradition of going out to the point together at midnight, he made the solo trek this year at 3:30 a.m. Unlike the die-hards who show up at the lake days in advance, Landry said, “I like to fish, but I’m not going to do the camping thing.”

He spoke of another pair of anglers who camp a couple of days in advance to ensure their favorite spot is available. Primitive lean-tos along the shore attest to the overnight anglers’ tenacity. Despite obvious favorite spots along the lake, Landry said, “Everybody’s nice down here,” and territorial rivalries are unheard of.

Landry said the early season was a great opportunity for the shore fishermen without the pressure of competition with boaters for the many sizable game fish in Lake Auburn. He said one day he caught a pair of salmon more than 2 feet long and a lake trout that was 6 1/2 pounds, a feat at any body of water but the kind he said is still possible at Lake Auburn.

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