Summer is rushing by, get out and FISH!

Trout are stocked, temps are up, and insects are hatching-it’s time to fish! Young anglers will enjoy the challenge of feisty pickerel in shallow weedy ponds this time of year. Fly anglers return to secret spots along small brook trout streams during peak season and bass fishermen cruise shallow waters for nest-guarding males. Whether you fish from shore, wade waist deep, or cast from a boat check out the Maine IFW June fishing report mefishwildlife.com/fishingreport.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Machias  Two participants were able to take a guided excursion on West Grand Lake recently. PHWFF is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active and veteran military personnel through fly fishing activities, education and outings. Are you a veteran or know a veteran that might be interested in participating? Veterans and volunteers must register for insurance and funding purposes. Volunteer Registration form:  https://www.tfaforms.com/4981203. or Participant Registration form: https://tfaforms.com/4972194. Veterans who wish to do both must complete both forms. Contact Mike Manning Project Lead at mike.manningprojecthealingwaters.org (mike.manning@projecthealingwaters.org)

Fish Passage Projects selected for NOAA funding: NOAA has completed the second round of the Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. These funds will help restore access to healthy habitat for migratory fish across the country through on-the-ground fish passage restoration, future project development, engineering and design assistance, and increasing the capacity of new and existing partners to design projects and manage multi-faceted restoration efforts. In the west NOAA recognized three ambitious Trout Unlimited fish passage projects on Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, Oregon’s North Coast, and Washington’s Olympic Peninsula with $16.6 million in funding. In the east DETU looks forward to opportunities to assist on the projects below as a conservation partner in Downeast Maine:

Maine Department of Marine Resources will continue construction of structures to improve fish passage at Woodland Dam on the St. Croix River. When complete, this effort will provide access to significant habitat for migratory fish, including 60,000 acres of habitat for alewife. By benefitting species like alewife, American shad, and American eel, the project is expected to result in increased prey for whales, dolphins, groundfish, and saltwater sportfish. ($7.5 million)

Downeast Salmon Federation will remove the Cherryfield Ice Control Dam on the Narraguagus River and replace it with a nature-like fishway, allowing for endangered Atlantic salmon (a NOAA Species in the Spotlight) and other fish to migrate unimpeded. The Narraguagus River has some of the highest quality habitat for Atlantic salmon in the Downeast Salmon Habitat Recovery Unit (SHRU), one of three designated regions in Maine for restoring habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon. ($9.1 million) 

The Nature Conservancy will work to improve fish passage on the Piscataquis River, a major tributary to the Penobscot River. This effort will reconnect a significant amount of stream habitat in the Penobscot SHRU, one of three designated regions in Maine for restoring habitat for Atlantic salmon. It will also support local communities by reducing the potential for flooding and addressing a public safety hazard. ($19.9 million)

Do Not Eat Fish Advisories vs State Stocking: Seven freshwater bodies in Maine were stocked with fish by IFW even though state toxicologists advise people not to eat fish caught in them because they likely contain high levels of PFAS. Diane Kopec, PFAS researcher and a fellow at the Sen. George Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions was interviewed in the Portland Press Herald recently about data from the state aquatic toxicology lab. Results rendered fish unsafe to eat after a month of exposure to forever chemicals in water. “Their data should be taken seriously by officials deciding where to encourage fishing and how to alert the public to the serious health risk. Do-not-eat advisories mean what they say.”
View the list of Maine’s PFAS advisories for freshwater fish consumption

THANK YOU to all who attended the FERC meetings or filed comments in support of improving fish passage on the Kennebec River. DETU and other Maine Trout Unlimited members, along with representatives from our partners in the Kennebec Coalition (Atlantic Salmon Federation, Maine Rivers, Natural Resources Council of Maine, and the Conservation Law Foundation) as well as residents from local communities convened to support efforts to ensure the survival of Atlantic Salmon and restore other sea-run fish that are vital to the health of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and commercial fisheries. Over 150 people attended and 58 people testified over two days to support a healthy Kennebec. Our efforts demonstrated that people in Maine overwhelmingly want safe, effective, and timely passage solutions for our communities, the fish, and the river.  We were impressed by the thoughtfulness, knowledge, and passion shared during their testimony. Read this NYTimes OpEd by John Waldman, noted sea-run fisheries biologist.  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/opinion/river-fish-salmon-dam.html?u2g=c&unlocked_article_code=1.v00.rRxH.w8Qr2Xi3-kUt&smid=url-share

Looking for a Gift? Downeast Trout Unlimited Gear: Hats $25, Brook Trout pins $15, Earrings $16. Happy Father’s Day to our members and supporters.

Downeast Trout Unlimited (DETU) is dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring Maine's cold water fisheries and their watersheds. Call 800-834-2419 to renew or go to tu.org/intro to join and use chapter code 305 for Downeast Trout Unlimited.  Donations may be mailed to Downeast Trout Unlimited, c/o Dana Hunter, Treasurer; 9 Lobster Pool Road Little Deer Isle, ME 04650.  For more information contact Tammy Packie, tpackiegmail.com (tpackie[at]gmail[dot]com) 207-288-5442 or visit https://www.downeasttu.org/ or our Facebook page Downeast TU.