The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance in conjunction with the Bethel Inn Resort and Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce graciously hosted the New England Outdoor Writers Association annual (NEOWA) Spring Safari. The three day event included a whole host of activities including turkey hunting, fly fishing, kayaking, golfing, hiking, sporting clays and just about any outdoor activity one could expect in the picturesque area of Bethel, Maine.

Opening day of my safari adventures started with an early morning turkey hunt along the scenic Sunday River. Local guide Dan Thrall who owns and operates Antlers & Anglers Guide Service (www.antlernanglers.com) got us into the woods at 3:30 am and once day break hit the action was unlimited. We spent two mornings in the woods and even though I did not connect, Dan put plenty of opportunities before me. Part two of opening day included a float stocking trip with the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance (www.upperandro.com) from Gilead to Bethel. Since 1998 the UAAA has stocked 40,000 brown trout throughout the Androscoggin River and the organization is committed to the sustenance of the Upper Andro. Please visit their website for plenty of helpful information including maps, events and membership.<<<Read More>>>

Magic Falls Rafting Company of West Forks, Maine will provide rafts and garbage scows. Immediately following the clean-up, Pleasant River Campground in West Bethel is hosting a barbecue for all participants.

Rivers and watersheds have been used as dumps for old appliances, shopping carts 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. With landfill space at a premium, recycling efforts stymied by a lack of plant capacity and toxic waste expensive to control, a grassroots effort can help maintain a constituency for preserving and protecting waterways. In 2009, 600 tons of trash and debris was collected and 7,500 miles of rivers cleaned across the nation. Last year the Upper Andro yielded over a ton of debris including bed springs, tires and tire rims and a 1950’s record player.

The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance is co-ordinating the local clean up. Says Clean-up Co-ordinator and UAAA director Bruce Pierce, “There’s been a long-standing effort to improve the Androscoggin’s water quality and fishery-now we need to improve the shore land zone along this wonderful river.”

National River Cleanup was founded in 1992 by America Outdoors, the largest association of America’s outfitters and guides, to assist local groups in keeping waterways clean. In 2007 American Rivers assumed administration of the river clean up. American Rivers, founded in 1973, is the nation’s leading river advocacy organization. NRC Information is published on line at www.nationalrivercleanup.org.

Our friends at Gray Ghost Productions are at it again. Hang on for the March 27, 2010 release dates followed by screening scheduled for April. The Good Life is fishing from Florida to Labrador and stops in between.

All along the Atlantic seaboard from north to south lies some of the most mind-blowing sections of fish-able water. This project takes a long hard look at the sport of fly fishing along the eastern side of the Mississippi. The Good Life documents the bona-fide enthusiasm and determination for the fly fishing experience. Each fisherman in this film, from Pro’s to the unknown, legends to fresh recruits, all share a common bond. They all share an incredible thirst to cast a fly to a fish. This saga tours the better part of the East from Labrador to the Florida Keys and everything in-between. Hitch a ride in the flying Beaver with Luke Gray in search of huge Eastern Brook Trout and enormous Northerns. Check out the alluring saltwater for Stripers in the north or toothy monsters of the southern latitudes. Fish a day with Lefty Kreh in search of popper crunching smallies or take a ride with the hard charging Mckay brothers for a glimpse at young guns behind the fly rod. From Peacock Bass to Landlock Salmon, from urban pools teeming with silver Shad to remote runs with glorious trout and a dash of the occasional Stonefly hatch, this film is proof that the good life is never too far away.

Gray Ghost Productions LLC presents “The Good Life” with Lefty Kreh, Luke Gray, Robin Reeve, Kevin McKay, Bryan Pinard, Charlie Lowe, Rik Dow, Rick Estes Pat Dillon, Dan Connor, Erik Lippmann, Tait & Jax McKay, Brad Burns, Bill Pierce, Nate Harvey, Rocky Freda, Jim Bernstein and more…

music by Gypsy Tailwind, Moonboot Lover & Peter Prince, Pete Kilpatrick, White Mt. Boys Jonathan Hively, Dan Connor, Abe Whittaker and Hawthorne executive producer Carter Davidson / director of photography John Luke Gray / producer Charlie Davidson

written by Mike Faulkingham & Carter Davidson

run time 70Min

copyright Gray Ghost Productions LLC 2010

www.ggpfilms.com

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.

For more information visit Maine Striper Fishing Report.

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.

The largest catch was also won by Cote with 12 fish, ten rainbows, a brown and brook trout. Second place went to Overbey with a catch of 9 rainbows and third place to Lowe with 4 rainbows, a brook and brown trout.

The Rocky Freda Turtle Water Team Trophy was presented to the Patagonia/Wild River Angler team who caught 21 fish.

Thirteen teams entered the competition. Each team made up of two anglers and a drift boat oarsman, fished with the use of only two flies from 6 am to 2 pm. All fish were caught, recorded and released. Along with the trophies, merchandise prizes from Orvis, L.L. Bean, Kittery Trading Post and Patagonia were presented to the winners. Three anglers who were unable to catch any fish received a new set of flies from Selene Dumaine of Merrymeeting Fly Shop in Brunswick.

The annual event is a fundraiser for the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance. The non-profit group, based in Bethel, Maine, is dedicated to conserving, protecting, restoring and promoting the natural resources relating to 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.

Prizes including rods and fishing gear supplied by Kittery Trading Post, L.L. Bean, Patagonia, and the Orvis Company will be awarded Saturday afternoon immediately following a parade of the drift boats up Main Street and around the Bethel Town Common. A perpetual trophy named after Rocky Freda, founder of Sun Valley Sports and the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance, will be presented to the team with the largest catch.

A tally of fishing catches will be updated throughout the day at the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance’s booth on the Bethel Town Common. The Alliance will offer fly tying and fly casting instruction and Robert Romano, author of “North of Easie”, a novel about fly fishing in the Rangeley region will be signing his new book.

The Second Annual Northeast Drift Boat Championship will be held Sunday, September 20 at 10:30 am. Designed as a spectator event, the competition will test oarsmen’s skills at navigating a course and rowing speed. Each drift boat must carry at least one angler, who must remain standing throughout the timed race. The launch will be from Bethel Outdoor Adventures on Route 2 and the finish line is at Davis Park in Bethel-a distance of a quarter mile.

Sponsors for teams registered to compete include The Bethel Inn Resort, Casco Bay Anglers Club, Eldredge Bros. Fly Shop, Fly Rod & Reel Magazine, Gray Ghost Productions, Maine Tourism Association, Moat Mountain Brewery, No Drip Painting and 3rd Generation Flooring, Patagonia and Wild River Angler, Schiavi Home Builders, Skinny Moose Media, Striking Gold Jewelers and Williams Broadcasting.

Information on the events is available on line at www.upperandro.com or by phoning 207-824-3694.

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.

The day before my wife and I headed back to Florida, I dropped in to Rocky’s to pick up a video he wanted added to his web site. When I arrived, Rocky was finishing up loading a van and trailer full of canoes and kayaks and was headed for the river. He yelled as he drove away, “I left that video with Lisa in the office!” Those will be the last words I remember and of course the big smile on his face.

As I sat here at my home in Florida, I struggled to find any focus. My mind drifted, overcome with sadness, concern for Lisa and the rest of the family. We can never prepare for these things and when they happen we can only seek the comfort of friends, family and God.

My mind traveled back to a day many years ago. My wife and I were managing the River View Resort on Rt. 2 in Bethel. Rocky came knocking at my door and introduced himself. He was real, warm, enthusiastic and a thinker. I doubt his mind ever stopped working, not only constructing for himself a better life, a better business, but it had to also fit into the grand scheme of things that included all of us. Rocky understood how things worked and that included everyone in his community.

“Only the good die young”, “Has anybody here seen my old friend Rocky? Can you tell me where he’s gone?”

I’ll miss you my good friend! You’ve left a void in my life.

Rocco R. Freda – 1949 – 2009

NORWAY —Rocco R. “Rocky” Freda, 60, husband of Lisa (Whitcomb) Freda, of Sunday River Road, Bethel, died unexpectedly Friday, Aug. 14, in Norway.

He was born in Leominster, Mass., on Jan. 27, 1949, the son of Rocco and Alberta (Leet) Freda, and graduated from Leominster High School, Leominster, Mass., in 1967.

Rocky came to Maine in the mid 70s to work for Agway, running a fertilizer plant in Auburn, and later trained as a dairy nutritionist and crop specialist working at Agway until 1994. He later guided caribou hunts in Canada for Lac Lucault for two years, then opened Sun Valley Sports & Guide Service in 1995 which he was running until his death.

Rocky was a master Maine Guide, a former member of the Bethel Planning Board, president of the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce in 2005 and on the board of directors for seven years, current president of Trout Unlimited and also the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance. Lisa and Rocky received the Governor’s Conference on Tourism Award for Excellence in Tourism for commitment to innovation.

Rocky is survived by his wife of 15 years, Lisa (Whitcomb) Freda, of Bethel; his mother, of Norway; one son, Corey Freda and his wife, Jill, and their three children, Justin, Chelsea and Caleb, all of Leeds; as well as two nieces and five nephews.

Rocky was predeceased by his father; and one brother, Stephen.

Tom Remington

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

Mostly organizations just talk about collaboration, have meetings and feel good about “working together” to produce nothing but Thursday the rubber will actually hit the road or gravel the shore.

According to Gray, the Mahoosuc Land Trust owns the landing and handled acquiring the necessary permits. The Androscoggin Watershed Council (AVCOG) has been helping to coordinate the effort and line up a construction company. Chadbourne Tree Farms donated the gravel and Cross Construction provided trucking to get the gravel to the site, while Steve Swazey donated a loader. Members of the UAAA have been providing volunteer work.

Gray said that with the new boat launch, the river will become “a truly multiple-use river” and it didn’t require a “multi-thousand dollar grant” to get it done.

Photo by Tom Remington

Once the location was determined for the ramp from the parking area to the river, Rocky Freda of Sun Valley Sports and a member of the UAAA, cleared the trees and brush. Excavation equipment then began roughing out the ramp and spreading gravel.

Photo by Tom Remington

After a few hours, the road to the ramp took shape.

Photo by Tom Remington

Concrete slabs were placed at the river’s edge to provide the actual ramp itself.

Tom Remington