A Few Salmonoids

I was in Maine over the holiday and had a chance to stop by the "Flagship" store of LL Bean, the outdoor catalog star of Maine's economy. I've been there many times before and have always enjoyed the indoor trout stream. Apparently they are feeling the competition from BPS and Cabela, both of which recently open stores in New England. I guess that's why they added a new display tank stocked with trout and salmon. It's a river setup with good flow. The fish were in good health and look comfortable. They have a unique feature in the form of a bubble which you get under and poke your head up so it seems like you're underwater. The line was too long so I didn't partake. For some reason they had several huge northern crayfish in the tank. I thought they were feeders but they had their own info plaque so I guess they're part of the display. Funny how many people asked why the baby lobster were in with the trout.
The one thing I didn't care for were two albino salmon, one being huge. I'm not a fan of mutants.
Anyway, I thought I'd share a few pics. Nothing too exciting unless you're an angler at heart as I am. These babies made my mouth water.
First, the quintesential New England salmonoid, the brook trout. This nice male was a prime specimen. I'll see him often in my winter day dreams.

If the brook trout represents all New England, the state salmonoid of Maine would have to be the landlocked salmon.

Finally, the most beloved of all introduced exotics in the USA, the brown trout. Sure, they displaced native trout in some waters, but in most, the brookies were doomed anyway because the water was already too warm and polluted from damn industry. Sorry, I meant DAMS and industry. It's because of the hardy brown trout that most of us can still at least catch some kind of trout in the suburbs. This guy was a beauty! Oh too get one like that someday...

Hope you enjoyed!

Nice pics, none of the albinos? I'm not big on mutants either but have no problem with albinos. I dislike phyically deformed specimens and the like.

my only landlocked salmon experience was a while back... did a canoe trip to Baxter with an ex-girlfriend and was dragging a Black Ghost across a lake just outside the park. Long story short, got ummmm, distracted from flyfishing, and by the time I bothered to check the rod we'd been towing a poor little ouaniche around for a bit... have since seined up juvenile salar in MA and caught some nicer fish in Norway but none have quite the memories associated with them as that one.

my only landlocked salmon experience was a while back... did a canoe trip to Baxter with an ex-girlfriend and was dragging a Black Ghost across a lake just outside the park. Long story short, got ummmm, distracted from flyfishing, and by the time I bothered to check the rod we'd been towing a poor little ouaniche around for a bit... have since seined up juvenile salar in MA and caught some nicer fish in Norway but none have quite the memories associated with them as that one.

Shame on you!
You should know better than to let a girl distract you from the fish!
Were you involved with the atlantic salmon restoration in the Ct river? If not, where [in general terms] were you seining juvenile salmon?

Nice pics, none of the albinos? I'm not big on mutants either but have no problem with albinos. I dislike phyically deformed specimens and the like.

The huge white salmon was swimming in front of the viewing window when I got there but by the time I went back for the camera, it was swimming around the corner where I couldn't get a shot. I waited awhile but it never came back.

Priorities, priorities...

I wasn't involved in restoration, was trying to get mottled and slimy sculpin from up that way and the dang salmon parr kept on getting in the way (but were immediately released)...