The Tragedy of the Commons
Water flowing out of a dam generates powerful downstream currents that will reliably attract, concentrate, and retain river smallmouth bass throughout the summer, as I have outlined in several earlier blogs (click here and here for examples). One such location is the Skelton Dam located on the Saco River in Dayton, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 3 B1). The tailrace below this dam is the focus of my fishing efforts this afternoon.
The rough access point on the Saco River below Skelton Dam. Thank goodness for the “canoe wheels”! Viewed from this angle, the tailrace is about a quarter mile upstream to the left.
The power company which owns the surrounding land has made public access to the Skelton Dam tailrace, and the rest of the Saco River further below, more difficult in recent years in response to recurring vandalism and trash dumping by irresponsible individuals. It used to be that one could drive right up to the water’s edge below the dam to launch a small craft via an unimproved access point. However, vehicular access is now cut off by a locked gate further up on Union Falls Road. The best way in under the current restrictive access conditions is to leave your vehicle in the parking area at the public boat launch next to the Saco River Reservoir at the top of the dam located on the intersection of Union Falls Road and Landing Road. You will then have to walk down Union Falls Road and through the gate until you reach the entrance of Pumpkin Valley Farm. Turn left on a dirt road (that road also has a gate which was unlocked this afternoon) just before the farm entrance and continue walking until you reach the Saco River. The distance between the parking area at the top of the dam and the put-in on the river below is about half a mile and can be covered in 10-15 minutes of walking. However, it requires hauling your craft (I use my “canoe wheels” for this purpose!) to the water. I note for the record, although I did NOT personally check it out, that one could also fish the tail race from the rocky shoreline next to Union Falls Road without using a boat. However, that approach would require walking down the grassy slope of the dam (i.e., not the circuit I just described) in order to reach the tail race. I do not know if that alternative path to the water is permissible.
A small but fiesty bronzeback caught in the tailrace, with Skelton Dam in the background. The dam is releasing a lot of water in response to the excessive rains of the last 10 days.
I arrive at the parking area by the public boat launch at 5:30 pm. The place is pretty full, meaning that lots of folks are enjoying the summer afternoon boating, fishing, and swimming in the reservoir above the dam. Unfortunately, I’m running way behind schedule on account of an earlier engagement. I place the boat on my canoe wheels, load it up with my fishing gear, and wheel the whole kit and kaboodle to the Saco River. Walking down the hill towards the water is easy enough; hauling everything back up the hill on my return is much more strenuous… Upon arrival at the put-in, I notice that the river runs high for this time of the year on account of all the rain we’ve had over the last 10 days. The current is also strong and it takes arm juice to paddle the quarter mile upstream to reach the tailrace. I also keep a weary eye on the sky as the weather report is calling for the potential of thunderstorms in the area.
I just love fishing for river smallmouth bass!! The thunderstorm is quickly gathering strength and I need to get out of here and back to the car NOW!
Upon reaching my destination in front of the dam, I anchor the canoe in a promising-looking area of the tailrace (note: you’ll need an anchor to properly fish this area in order to position your boat in the current without the annoyance of constantly having to paddle back upstream), make my first cast with a 4” pink soft stickbait rigged “wacky style”, and catch a smallmouth bass!! Now, that is promising (click here for tips on how to catch these magnificent fighters). But I soon hear thunder in the air and notice that the sky overhead is becoming more dark and ominous by the minute. I stretch it out for another 25 minutes and catch three more bronzebacks, all of which fight like little bulldogs in the strong current. The fish are really active but a nearby lightning strike scares me right off the water and back to my car just in time to avoid a crazy downpour with thunder and lightning. Regardless, I highly recommend checking out this small “secret” fishing spot for catching smallmouth bass on the Saco River in the summer.
The results: I caught four smallmouth bass in 30 minutes of quick fishing.
Was the information in this blog useful? I invite you to share your thoughts and opinions. Also, feel free to discuss your fishing experiences at this location.
~ ~ ~ ~ ><« ({(« º >
