This edition features an article on the excellent brook trout fishing in “the Rangeleys” during the mid-19th century, originally published on page 5 of the March 25, 1897, RANGELEY LAKES newspaper. We hope you enjoy it.
(Contemporary commentary found in italics).
Early Fishing at the Rangeleys
In conversation with Mrs. Sarah Soule, an early settler of Rangeley, some interesting facts are brought out in regard to the fishing at the Rangeleys in the early 40’s. Mrs. Soule’s husband, who was a hunter, trapper and guide, had gone with his boat across the lake on business, and not re turning at the time designated, Mrs. Soule became somewhat worried about him. She was then living on the other side of the lake and not far from the shore. She thought she would go down and see if she couldn’t see him coming. She could not and decided to wait for him on the shore. His fish-pole and line were leaning against a clump of alders, and to pass away the time she concluded to try and catch a mess of trout. As she took the pole and line, she saw that it was minus the bait. Nothing daunted she took an alder leaf, rolled it up in the shape of a green worm and threw it on the sparkling water. She no sooner made the cast than there was a break. In less than an hour’s time she took twenty-five pounds of trout from the lake, two of which weighed about five pounds each.
In speaking of the early fishing at the Rangeleys, the first party of sportsmen who came to the lakes for the purpose of fishing, was from Boston. This was in 1844. They drove from Portland with a team, that being the only means of conveyance at that time. They brought with them a tent and pitched it in the vicinity of Indian Rock. The late George Soule guided them. When they left for home, they carried with them a lard barrel full of trout. They slit them open and packed them in salt in the same manner as you would mackerel. The following year, in ’45 (1845), a party of gentlemen from New York, who had had the pleasure of “tasting” of some of the catch of the Boston party, took the same journey and met with about the same success. Though they didn’t carry home so many.
(It is impossible to determine who first (non-native American) was to have discovered the astounding brook trout fishing of the Rangeley region. Some accounts share that it was Rev. Zenas Thompson of Farmington. After the anglers mentioned by Soule above came along, The Oquossoc Angling Association was founded across from Indian Rock at the confluence of the Rangeley and Kennebago Rivers in 1868. This elite club included George S. Page an oil company owner, Blue-blood Bostonian R.G. Allerton, and several of their well-to-do friends, several it is believed to have been part of the earlier angling expeditions described above. As ‘they’ say, the rest was history and the ‘Rangeley Trout-Rush’ went into overdrive).
The Indians did not do much fishing, just some for their own consumption, and as the settlers numbered but a few, fish multiplied considerably faster than the demand ‘required. A “bushel of trout” caught 50 years ago was considered of no unusual occurrence and some of the settlers calculated to salt down enough to “run” them through the long winter. (Both the Native Americans and the early settlers preferred the Blueback Trout for drying and salting to store for a winter food source. Although a smaller fish, the Bluebacks had a greater oil content than that of the Brook Trout and therefore were more suitable for drying).
The first boat of any size on the lakes was made in 1845 by the late George Soule. It was about twenty feet long, fitted for four pairs of oars, and generally took four men to propel it through the water. This boat was a “wonder,” but it served its purpose and closed its history in helping along a bonfire made by unruly boys.
(It is unfortunate that this historic watercraft was deliberately set on fire. Can you imagine this treasure being among the artifacts at the Outdoor Heritage Museum today? Sadly, many historic Rangeley boats were replaced by low-maintenance aluminum boats and simply burned. One sadly now gone Old-timer shared with me once, “some older boats with numerous coats of lead paint were just burned. After the fire, the gray ghostly remnants of the boats still stood brittle and erect…wood gone, but their outlines remained cast in lead.”
Have a wonderful week everyone and be sure to create some great Rangeley History of your own!)