Written by: Chase Bartee, Tight Loops
Aimee and I once spent an entire summer living out of our van, gallivanting around the western United States and soaking in every bit of its wondrous beauty. But where would we go from there? How could we follow up an experience like that? We often found ourselves bemoaning the fact that “we don’t live near anything that awesome” back in Massachusetts. But the truth is that’s a load of BS, and the opportunities for adventure in this country are only as limited as your imagination.
For reasons entirely unclear to me, despite decades of drooling over media and print about Maine and its world class brook-trout fishing, we’d never investigated it for ourselves. Maine is a strange and wonderful place, and as outsiders looking to discover its secrets, we had our work cut out for us. Initial probing in the obvious areas of What, Where, and When was met with understandable reservations and hushed tones from the locals. After all, if you’d been fishing a river that can produce five-pound brookies your whole life, and two young folks come sweeping in from the south with cameras asking for your honey holes, you’d probably be a little hesitant, too. But after several hundred hours scouring every nook and cranny of the available literature, and many long, good, talks on the phone with soon-to-be new friends, we had an itinerary.
The truth of the matter is that, just like everywhere else, good people have a way of finding each other, and the hospitality of the local guides and fisherman in Maine was second to none. Don’t expect to see any geotags of these rivers on Instagram, for the folks up there keep things pretty close to the chest, but if you make the effort and earn your stripes, I guarantee you’ll be put on a 3-plus-pound, wild Maine squaretail in no time. The only question is, how the hell are we going to top that?
“….but if you make the effort and earn your stripes, I guarantee you’ll be put on a 3-plus-pound, wild Maine squaretail in no time.” That’s misleading at best, downright silly at worst. Not to mention the trout in the picture is about half that size.
Certainly not my intent to mislead. All I can speak to is my own experience, and well, that’s exactly how it went for us. And while you’re right about the fish pictured, if you watch the film there are several fish in the 3 plus class. A couple pushing 4. Either way the point of our work is to engage peoples imaginations. Letting a little fantasy into your life once and while never hurt anyone 🙂
This is me liking Chase’s comment. Thank you for the beautiful and surreal experience.
You’re most very welcome, Andrew
“Either way the point of our work is to engage peoples imaginations. Letting a little fantasy into your life once and while never hurt anyone”
Right, cool, so the rest of us call that lying.
I misread what you wrote. Please disregard my comment about lying. Feel free to delete it if you want. My apologies.
Wow. You’re the fucking worst
Jealous! Enjoy life my friend – and try not to do it by putting others down.
Wow, really enjoyed being along on your journey to the North Woods. The photography, music, and sounds combined to evoke the place and time of a quest to see more, be more. Envy your time on the road and the river and look forward to more well-produced videos from special places. Thanks
Cool video. Would be awesome to have no other responsibilities than to fish for a summer lol
The Maine Brookie is in jeopardy. Don’t fool yourself. Water quality in head of the watersheds are getting very bad because of unmonitored timber harvest.
Phenomenal job on video! Easily the best brook trout piece I’ve ever seen! Outside of the Rapid which is well known in to most everyone looking for world class brookies I appreciate you not mentioning the lesser know streams. Besides finding them is half the fun.
Chills each time I watch.
This is a great film about such an underrated fish. Fantastic work you two!
Well done! Love the video quality and of course the subject even more so. I think the attention being brought to the plight of the brook trout is good as it raises people’s awareness of the risks. That said the fish shown while absolutely beautiful are not bigger than what I have been (lucky enough? 🙂 ) fortunate to have caught or seen caught in Maine. Some big boys still reside there for sure. Yes it takes looking and that is half the battle/fun. But they are there, Hopefully good C&R ensures they will continue to be so. Thanks for producing this- very well done!
Great video. Wonderful music. Fishing. Trout. Maine
Excellent job, have watched it twice already and will watch it many more times.
Superb production. Great music too. Thank you.
excellent portrayal of what our state has to offer! Very well done! I hope to catch your van somewhere in the northwoods in the future and wet a line with you.
Nice film. I live in eustis maine, fish all over western maine, 4×4, own a float plane, have access beyond gates. Appreciate my good fishing fortune even more after veiwing your film. Keep on filming!
Awesome!