Appalachian Mountain Club Offers Learning, Lodging in 100-Mile Wilderness Region

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES – 17th March 2010 — Remote ponds in the Moosehead Lake region offer prime opportunities for anglers to fly-fish for wild, native brook trout deep in the famed Maine Woods.

Here, in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness region, anglers can cast a fly rod in search of wild, native Maine brook trout or landlocked salmon in more than 20 remote ponds on conservation land owned and managed by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

Most ponds are equipped with canoes for guest use, and with so many remote ponds on the property, anglers can pick a spot for fast fishing action where they’re not likely to see another angler all day.

With its recent purchase of the 29,500-acre Roach Ponds Tract, the AMC now owns and manages some 66,500 acres in the Maine Woods, all of it open for recreational use by the public, AMC members and nonmembers alike.

AMC operates its two Maine Wilderness Lodges on its property, where visitors can fish, hike, paddle, explore, watch for moose, and enjoy an active, and relaxing, visit to the majestic Maine Woods. The lodges offer traditional Maine sporting camp hospitality, including private cabins, home-cooked meals, and plenty of opportunity for hiking, wildlife watching, or just relaxing.

Here, where vast tracts of forest have such unique town names as T7 R9 and Bowdoin College Grant East, anglers can find plenty of fast fishing, particularly for native brookies.

AMC is offering two-night fly-fishing-and-lodging packages this June to help anglers build their skills and make the most of their time on the water. Fly-fishing workshops are led by registered Maine Guides, and are slated to be held at Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins, June 11-13, and at Medawisla Wilderness Lodge and Cabins, June 25-27. Prices start at $372 for adult non-members ($328 for members), and include all lodging, meals, and guided instruction. Details are available at www.outdoors.org/flyfishing or by calling (603) 466-2727.

AMC can also arrange guiding services with local, registered Maine Guides for anglers not seeking instruction.

The fishing season continues throughout the summer, extending to September 30.

To help ensure the integrity of the wild, native brook trout fishery, the organization manages a portion of the property as an ecological reserve, helping to preserve habitat for wild, native brook trout, an increasing rarity in the Eastern United States.

AMC’s conservation and management of this area are part of its Maine Woods Initiative, an innovative plan for land conservation that seeks to address the ecological and economic needs of the Maine Woods through a combination of outdoor recreation, resource protection, sustainable forestry, and community partnerships in the 100-Mile Wilderness region.

More information is available online at www.outdoors.org/mainelodges and www.outdoors.org/flyfishing.

The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Wilderness Lodges are official members of Trout Unlimited’s Outfitters, Guides, and Business Members Program.

More information on AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative is available at www.outdoors.org/mwi.

Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is America’s oldest conservation and recreation organization. With more than 100,000 members, advocates, and supporters in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of the Appalachian region. The AMC supports natural resource conservation while encouraging responsible recreation, based on the philosophy that successful, long-term conservation depends upon first-hand enjoyment of the natural environment.

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