A Celebration Of Rocky Freda’s Life – A Benefit Party For Lisa Freda

*Attention: Note change of date from Dec. 16 to the 17th*

Thursday, December 17, 2009
6:00 – 10:00 P.M.
At the Matterhorn Ski Bar – Sunday River

Suggested donation at the door:
$10.00 individual adult
$5.00 for children under age 12
RSVP by Friday, December 11
Call 207-824-6836 (Leave message with # of people)

Food, beverage, music; Live and Silent auctions.
Organizers are soliciting help with donations of food, beverages and items for the auctions.

Call Roger at 207-824-6836 or email rb@matterhornskibar.com

You can print out the form at this link, and mail it to the address listed on the form.

Fundraiser For A Good Cause

Coastal Fly Angler is hosting a showing of RISE the new film from Confluence Films (makers of Drift).
This is a fund raiser for Stripers Forever and Maine Rivers. The event is Nov. 6&7 at 7pm at Frontiers Cafe in the Ft. Andros Mill in Brunswick.

For more information visit Maine Striper Fishing Report.

Group Photo: 2009 Upper Andro Anglers Alliance Two-Fly Contestants

Above are all the contestants who participated in the 2009 Upper Andro Anglers Alliance Two-Fly fly-fishing contest held out of Bethel, Maine and hosted on the Upper Androscoggin River. For a larger view of this photo, please click on the photograph.

Upper Andro Two-Fly Contest Winners

Anglers from Team Patagonia/Wild River Angler Take Top Spots In Upper Andro 2-Fly Contest

Bethel, Me…..Tyler Cote of Monmouth was the first place winner in the Third Annual Upper Andro Two Fly Contest held Saturday, September 19th on the Upper Androscoggin River between New Hampshire and Rumford, Maine. Tyler tied for first place in the biggest fish category with Brad Jerome of Newry. Both anglers caught a 14” rainbow trout. There was a tie for second place between Kevin McKay of Brewer, Maine and Charlie Lowe of Twin Mountain, NH, with 13 ½” rainbows. Chad Hughes of Camden, Scott Overbey of Brunswick and Mitch Cummings of Bethel each caught a 13” rainbow for third place honors. Read more

A Dozen Teams Competing in Upper Andro Two Fly Contest & Drift Boat Competition

Twelve teams will be competing in The Upper Andro Two Fly Contest and Northeast Drift Boat Championship scheduled for the weekend of September 19 and 20 in conjunction with Bethel’s Annual Harvest Fest. The competitions are the annual fund-raisers for the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance, a non-profit group dedicated to the conservation, protection, restoration and promotion of the natural fishing resource of the Upper Androscoggin River, its tributaries, watershed and environs.

The Two Fly contest will test the skills of anglers to fly fish, using only two flies, for the most and the largest of the three trout species, brown, rainbow and brook found in the Upper Androscoggin River from the New Hampshire border to Rumford Center. Teams of three including two anglers and a referee/oarsman must fish from an open drift boat or raft beginning at 6 am and concluding at 2 pm. Read more

Rocky Freda: A Friend And Sportsman’s Advocate Will Be Greatly Missed

There are so many cliches that are used when someone unexpectedly passes on. Nearly all of them are fitting for my good friend Rocky Freda. Rocky and his wife Lisa, were dedicated advocates for outdoor sportsmen all over the state of Maine and beyond. Rocky died suddenly last week and the news that came to me that morning left me in shock, speechless and deeply saddened.

I had spent two months this summer at our camp in Maine, only a few miles from Rocky’s home and business. I had spent a day with him and Lisa working on their web site, always having a good laugh. What great people. Read more

List of Upcoming Events for the Upper Andro Area

2009 Upper Andro Anglers Alliance Two-Fly Contest and Drift Boat Championship

All Events Below Are For the Year 2008

Float Stocking-This method of fish stocking helps decrease the stress on the fish and prevent mortality. The fish are loaded into floating pens attached to canoes and drift boats; then floated downstream and released into likely hiding places and feeding habitats. The ideal river temperature for stocking usually occurs in May but may be as early as April.

National River Clean Up-Founded in 1992 by America Outdoors and now under the auspices of American Rivers, NRCW assists local groups in keeping waterways clean. Rivers and watersheds have been used as dumps for old appliances, tires and other refuse. Litter, such as foam cups, plastic bottles and food wrappers float into waterways, build up along the shoreline and stay there for years. Local students along with UAAA guides are floating the Androscoggin from Gilead to Bethel to help preserve and protect the river. Information on NRCW is available at www.nationalrivercleanup.org.

Family Fishing Festival – A free family fishing festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 31 from 9 am to 2 pm at the Grand Summit Hotel Pond at Sunday River Ski Resort. Instruction in spin and fly-casting and fly tying continues throughout the day. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s “Hooked on Fishing” program will supply rods and reels. Children can practice their newly learned skills in the stocked pond. Youngsters are welcome to take home their hand tied flies and any fish caught that day. May 31 is a free fishing day in Maine. Resident and non-resident licenses are not required. Outdoor barbecue and lots of door prizes.<<read more here>>

Upper Andro Two Fly Contest – June 12 and 13, UAAA will host a two fly contest for drift boat anglers to test their casting skills. Each angler may use only two flies over the 30 hour period. Teams are comprised of two anglers and a judge/drift boat oarsman. Kittery Trading Post is providing over a thousand dollars worth of fishing gear for the winning teams. Advance registration is required. Information and entry forms are available by phoning 1-877-851-7533.<<<Get Rules and Application>>>

Northeast Drift Boat Competition- A first of its kind, the drift boat competition is scheduled for 2 pm Friday, June 13. The timed race will test guides’ skills at launching, course navigation and rowing. Designed as a spectator event, the competition will begin at the Route 2 Bridge and finish at Bethel’s Davis Park.<<<Get Rules and Information>>>

Spey Fishing Clinic – Monday, August 18. Morning and afternoon introductory instruction in Spey fishing, a traditional European fly-fishing technique using 10 to 16 foot rods.

For detailed information on events log onto www.upperandro.com or phone 1-877-275-3363.

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A River’s Journey: The Story of the Androscoggin

June 5, 2007 through May 31, 2009

In the Robinson House of the Bethel Historical Society

One of the largest rivers in northern New England, the Androscoggin drains an area of over 3,400 square miles in New Hampshire and Maine. The 170-mile waterway begins its journey near Errol, New Hampshire, at the outlet to the Rangeley Lakes and, punctuated with numerous rapids and falls, eventually mingles with the waters of the Kennebec River in Merrymeeting Bay below Brunswick, Maine. One of the most polluted rivers in the country by the 1960s, the Androscoggin has made a comeback thanks to more stringent rules governing industrial waste and municipal sewage, and is today a significant recreational resource for many communities situated along its banks This exhibition—through the use of selected images, artifacts and text—presents a vivid picture of the Androscoggin’s past as a transportation route (especially for logs during the 19th and 20th centuries), a source of nutrients for agricultural production and waterpower for industry, a subject for artists and photographers, and a destination for fishermen, canoeists and nature enthusiasts.

Upper Andro Two Fly Contest & Drift Boat Competition

In Bethel, Maine Scheduled for September 19 & 20

The Upper Andro Two Fly Contest and Northeast Drift Boat Championship are scheduled for the weekend of September 19 and 20, 2009 in conjunction with Bethel’s Annual Harvest Fest. The competitions are the annual fund-raisers for the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance, a non-profit group dedicated to the conservation, protection, restoration and promotion of the natural fishing resource of the Upper Androscoggin River, its tributaries, watershed and environs. Read more

Upper Andro Anglers Alliance Adds Boat Launch At Moran’s Landing

While many people simply complain about lack of access to the Upper Androscoggin River in Maine, at least one organization has been busy for nearly two years pulling all the right strings and coordinating an effort to get a drift boat/boat access at Moran’s Landing at Newry Corner – the confluence of the Androscoggin and Bear Rivers.

Wende Gray, of Gray Marketing and a spokesperson for the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance (UAAA) calls it “the ultimate in collaboration”. Read more

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife: “Insider” Magazine

The June 2009 issue of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s “Insider” magazine is now available for your viewing pleasure. Please follow this link.

In this issue you will find information about a study done on the use of rubber or soft plastic lures for fishing and the effects this may be having on our fisheries. Anglers are encouraged to use biodegradable lures.

There’s also an article about the awards presented as part of the success of the recovery of bald eagles in Maine from the endangered list, a story of how 46 acres have been added to the Scarborough Wildlife Management Area, Warden of the Year honors, 2009 winter field study on Canada lynx, all about snakes in Maine, bears and bird feeders, the Open Water Fishing Report and tons more.

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