Fisherman catches big brookie after fishing Moosehead 20 years

By Julie Harris, Bangor Daily News Staff

Alton Wilson of Fryeburg goes fishing on Moosehead during the first week in May every year with his brother Delly Wilson Sr. and his son Clifford Wilson.

They started out staying in a cabin on the lakeshore that they helped Delly build about 20 years ago. Delly, 77, no longer owns the cabin, but he still has land beside it where the Wilsons have camped. They stayed in a camper there this year.

The Wilsons catch fish most years, but this year, Alton Wilson, who will be 74 in June, landed a good one.

The sky was threatening some rain, but Alton and Clifford forgot their rain gear and had to return to camp to get it. They usually fish in Lily Bay and on their way to their fishing spot, they caught a togue.

They ended up going deeper into the cove than they normally would because someone else was in their preferred spot. Suddenly a big fish hit the fly rod on the red and gray fly that Alton had tied. 

“If we hadn’t gone into the cove that deep, we never would have gotten it,” Alton said.

They thought it was a togue at first because it seemed kind of quiet, until it got closer to the boat.

The sight of the boat really riled up the fish and it tried to get away. But Clifford, who was also steering the boat, was too quick with the net. He scooped up the fish and got it into the boat.

It turned out to be the biggest fish Alton had ever caught from Moosehead. The brook trout measured 24.5 inches long and weighed 7.04 pounds. It was caught around 10 a.m. in about 7 feet of water.

“There is something about when the ice just goes out,” Alton said.

Alton’s big fish was in the freezer. The fishermen took several measurements in order to have a replica made, but the fish itself will be eaten.

Fishing was better this year so far this week than in the last couple of years, Alton said. They were pulled away by a family emergency last year, but so far this year, they have caught six salmon, two trout and three bass. 

The three smallmouth bass, each weighing about 3  pounds, hit the three rods all at once.

It was a first-time experience for the men, who plan to come back again next year and try their luck.