Grand Lake Stream on Opening Day 2015

When some blogs just talked about opening day of fishing season, Robin Follette and I LIVED it!

I drove four hours north the day before to hang out with Robin and go on a few adventures (those posts are coming, but here is a sneak peek). The biggest was to stand in the Stream in Grand Lake Stream on opening day and try our hand at fly fishing. We didn't really care about catching a fish but we were excited to see the groups of people that would be there and the excitement surrounding the beginning of fishing season.

We met up with Brian Donaghy of Epic Adventures to help us with gear and guidance. When we pulled into the parkinglot, we saw Brian and only 4 or 5 other vehicles. This was not the crowded fishing adventure that people said that it would be. Robin and I were the only women there with about 6 or 8 other guys who were there to hang out and talk to people or fish.

Grand Lake Stream

Fishing the stream

Robin and I got into our waders and got ready to head into the water with Brian. We had to get up and over the snowbanks and deal with a few icy spots but we made it. I was borrowing waders from Brian and had to come to terms with the idea that my boots would fill with water but the waders and neoprene would keep me warm. What I did not think about was that my boots fit my feet with one pair of socks on. Add a couple pair and the waders and my feet were almost numb from the lack of circulation well before we walked into the icy water. If I am going to keep fishing more, I may need to buy a pair of proper wader that fit.

Brian and Robin

The only two women fishing. We don't look too bad!

Wind, layers and a fly rod

The sun felt wonderful and it was warmer standing in the water than when we got out. Almost instantly there was ice forming on our waders, the eye of the rods and even the lines. We were more excited about the act of being in the water and fishing on opening day than anything else. As Robin said, it was 'a great morning of friendship, fishing and conversation.' I could not have agreed more.

Here is to more days on the water, fish that will be caught and great conversations with friends while enjoying the incredible Maine outdoors!

Healthy Coyote coming through

I still have a few trail cameras out to see what the deer are up to. I have gotten pictures of the big buck that is around and most recently, I got these pictures. Normally, I wouldn't be too freaked out but now that we have a dog, it is a little unnerving. Add that this camera is about 50 feet from our lawn and less than 100 feet from our front door... I hope that this one is just passing through. (Sidenote: I put new batteries in this camera so the date and time are wrong BUT I walked in front of it so it would take my picture and I could figure out what the actual time and date were: 7am Saturday morning.)

Where are the women?

This week, my interview with Steve at The Maine Outdoorsman went live. Steve said yesterday 200 people hit his site viewing over 500 pages. That is a lot of people reading about little ole me and hunting. Why? When I think of women who are in the general public's eye and hunt, I can think of 2 - Country singer Miranda Lambert and Sarah Palin. Why only two? Why is the female hunter such a fascinating thing? (I should probably note that I do not have cable so any and all female hunters on the hunting stations are lost to me. I'll keep it to the general public because that's what I am familiar with.) People/media were fascinated by the fact that they could get footage of Palin and her gun, shooting (and gutting) animals but I feel like the nostalgia would be lost if they had the same footage of McCain. Lambert and her hubby Blake Shelton tweet photos of their kills, and comment on what/where they are hunting. I only know this because I follow both. That's it....

Do Outdoor Women need to toughen up?

I hope you get shot out in the forest and wolves gnaw on your dying corpse…..WHILE YOU’RE STILL ALIVE I’d like to rip off your f*$%ing head and pour gunpowder down your f*$%ing throat and light it on fire Only c*%t’s shoot animals and take pleasure in it. I hope you die a horrible painful death As I began to look at how female hunters were being bullied, I had to ask myself if it was because we were easy targets as women or if we needed to just toughen up a little. Once I started asking my fellow female hunters about their experiences, the things that they sent to me as examples of what they deal with daily made me sick to my stomach. I’d like to meet you outside someday with a gun in my hand, I would shoot you several times and laugh over your f*$%ing body as you die like you do to those poor animals that can’t defend themselves. MURDERER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Generally threats are basic name calling. They include sexist remarks, racist remar...

and a strong cup of coffee

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