Brook Trout, Trail Camera Photos, and the Grand Slam Roster – a Perfect Trifecta!
We had fun putting together the May, 2025 issue of The Maine Sportsman, gathering information and photos to motivate you to get outside in Maine’s all-too-brief springtime.
On the cover, we feature a Rangeley resident, catch-and-release trout angler Steve Marsters, as he lifts a handsome 16-inch brookie from an area stream. Steve is renowned not only for his skill with a fly rod, but also as the inventor of “Marsters’ Mayhem,” a huge puffy trout fly that brings big fish to the net.
This issue also features a collection of selected game camera photos that were entered in last month’s very successful contest held at the State of Maine Sportsman’s Show. The photos capture some incredible sights! Here’s a sampling:
To cap off the special feature trifecta, this month’s Patch Club photo “centerfold” (pp. 38 – 39) includes the list of more than 60 hunters who achieved their Grand Slams in 2024, by tagging a turkey, bear, moose and deer in the same calendar year. Congratulations to our newest club members on earning their Grand Slam patch!
Got your turkey yet? Youth Spring Wild Turkey Hunting Day is Saturday, April 26, 2025, and the regular season starts two days later, on April 28. Depending on where you hunt, you can take either one or two bearded turkeys during the spring season. To help you get ready for the season, writers for The Sportsman went all out this month, including a special section titled “How to Become a More Effective Turkey Hunter” (Blaine Cardilli), and turkey-centric offerings from regular columnists Christi Elliott (who describes going on the offensive against reluctant birds by “fanning” or “reaping” tom turkeys), John LaMarca, Joe Saltalamachia, Jake Guay and Val Marquez.
And even though the time of snow and ice has past, read up on Tom Roth’s exciting tale of the snowmobiler whose machine broke through the ice on Sebago Lake into water that’s 175 feet deep. The sled sank, but what happened to the rider? Here’s a hint – it’s good news. Read all about it in Tom’s “Sebago to Auburn” column this month.
There’s lots more – on-point letters to the editor, sharp knives, tied flies, and an archery moose.
And speaking of moose, mark your calendars for the moose lottery June 21 in Farmington. See you there!
And as always, we offer the best jokes and cartoons found anywhere above Lower Cupsuptic, and below Upper Molunkus.
So enjoy the May, 2025 issue of The Sportsman, and good luck to all registrants in the moose lottery (last date to register is May 15).
Questions? Contact the editor at Will@MaineSportsman.com or the business manager at Carol@MaineSportsman.com. And call (207) 622-4242 to renew your subscription or give a birthday or anniversary gift subscription to deserving relatives or friends.
Will Lund, Editor
The Maine Sportsman magazine
