This writer was overjoyed when notified this week that the Sportsman’s Corner would once again be a part of the Athol Daily News weekly format. After running continuously since the first Sportsman’s Corner appeared on October 6, 1984, the pandemic and the economic impact of the coronavirus forced the paper to suspend the column in mid-April. This is surely a positive sign that we are indeed moving in the right direction and I am absolutely thrilled to back.
Back in April, the cancellation of my annual Kansas trip to “visit my sister” during turkey season was the first casualty of the pandemic and plans to turkey hunt in New York and other states were cancelled. The good news was that the fishing in Massachusetts was excellent, with the trout stocking program making adjustments to get the valuable hatchery production of brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout out on schedule. As time progressed, the Quabbin has also finally opened and is renting boats and reports are that the fishing, particularly the smallmouth bass fishing, has been excellent!
Nationally, the pandemic seems to have contributed to a significant increase in participation in fishing, with the 2020 Special Report on Fishing by The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation noting it is at the highest level since 2007. A recent conversation with Rich Gilbert, who was store manager of the Cabela’s when it opened in Berlin and now manages the Scarborough, Maine and Hartford, Conn. stores, indicated that the fishing tackle business is “through the roof,” with inventory flying off the shelves.
Changes in my life, which left me without a job for the first time since I was 15, created a void that left me with time and some of it was spent fishing. It also allowed us to live full-time at White Pond this summer and the dogs have forced me to fish regularly. The bass have cooperated and are still gobbling up soft baits, Senkos in particular, and taking top-water baits early and late in the day. Fellow White Pond resident Gary Martinelli (while socially distanced) told me about a topwater lure called the Whopper Plopper and he was right — they work! They are not easy to find but he steered me to eBay, and I got a couple, or more. Bluegill and perch finish seem to be the ticket.
Each year, the boat gets a critical review and we look at getting a new or used boat. It always comes down to “What will a new boat do that this one won’t — except cost $30,000?” so we usually move on. The 1988 ProCraft 18½ foot Fish’N Ski with original Mariner 115 horsepower outboard has been outfitted over the years with downriggers and side planers for Lake Ontario trolling and has a new saltwater model MotorGuide Xi5 trolling motor that makes it perfect for coastal striped bass as well.
This year, serious thought of replacing it was entertained; it was discovered that with all that is going on, there are virtually no used boats available and new boats in popular configurations are back ordered. Damn!
It is August and that means fall is coming quickly. That, for me, means getting ready for upland bird hunting season. Sunday included the first shooting session of the summer and the Franklin County League skeet field looked like a western movie with men with guns and face masks. Yours truly is going to blame the mask for my poor shooting but it did not seem to hinder the others. You can believe that there will be a trip or two to the Petersham Gun Club to try their excellent sporting clays course as part of the preparation and, of course, the dogs will be ramping up training and conditioning.
Dinah, my senior French Brittany, will be 13 years old and is beginning to show some signs of age as she enters the truck or navigates the stairs, but my daughter Jen has instituted a nutrition program that includes a new food and glucosamine supplements that are guaranteed to make her “vibrant” and “energetic.” Early results are impressive. A lot is expected of the junior partner, French Brit Laney as she has great promise to become a first-class gun dog. A key to my season is always time spent with Pat Perry at Hedgerow Hunt Club in Royalston as his expertise and training facilities are a great way to get your bird dog ready.
Since the state’s orders to control the pandemic in Massachusetts, the Fisheries and Wildlife Board has met remotely using the website Zoom. It has been an adjustment and not perfect, but we have conducted our business each month efficiently from our homes using Zoom. The New England Outdoor Writers Association Board of Directors will also resume meeting using Zoom as well. Clearly, the overused phrase “the new normal” has become reality and we need to make the needed changes to move forward in all phases of our lives.
Usually, this space is announcing a hunter education course but the program, like public schools and colleges, is still working to create a protocol using social distancing to be able to offer classes again. Hopefully, that will be soon.
Antlerless deer permits are now available to successful applicants and you could check your status starting Aug. 1. My apologies to anyone who missed the July 16 deadline because I did not print a reminder!
It is great to be back. I want to thank the many people who told me that they missed the Sportsman’s Corner, sharing outdoor news with you all has been an especially important part of my life and who I am.