James Eddy Smelt Camps

Have YOU ever been smelt fishing? Neither had I before yesterday. On a frozen lake at the end of a pitted dirt road in Dresden, Maine, lies the James Eddy Smelt Camp.
Make a reservation before you go, and bring at least 3 friends, and get your own shack. Bring beer, wine, booze, whatever. Bring some snacks. Bring warm clothes and stack ‘em in layers.
Fifteen bucks gets you a spot, and 3 bucks gets you a bag of bait. Buy at least a couple of sacks.
The shacks are wired for electricity, which runs the lights, but don’t expect to plug anything in. It’s you, your buddies, and a kerosene heater, the top of which can be used as a heat source for a cast iron skillet.
Bait the hooks, drop the lines, and bring in the smelts. We bagged about 150 of them in 6 hours. It may sound weird, but spending a Sunday afternoon and evening on a frozen lake with good friends, good drinks and a bag of bloodworms is an incredibly relaxing time.
Just make sure you have some good music for the drive home.