Day three on the Allagash was set to be our longest day on the water. As we worked our way through the delta like entrance of Umsaskis Lake we were lucky enough to catch a nice moose enjoying a dip in the water. The weather was beautiful and the lake was like glass, making for nice easy paddling. Coming into the lake we were also lucky enough to enjoy the presence of not one, but two bald eagles sitting high in a pine tree along the shoreline.
Once we gained enough water below us in Umsaskis, we tethered the canoes together and fired up the motor to do some trolling as we crossed the lake. The guys were running lead core lines down around 20 feet or so as we hit the deepest part of the lake near what's called the ledges. On the first pass we managed to reel in a beautiful 16" Allagash brook trout! We made a couple more passes off the ledges and were visited by a Maine state biologist, which made for some enjoyable conversation. From there we motored our way under the Reality rd and into Long Lake for a lunch break at Jalbert campsite.
After lunch it was back to the water as we made our way through Harvey Pond to Long Lake Dam. With the water level this trip quite low, we had to portage around the cribworks remnants of the dam, which didn't take long with all eight of us lugging gear and canoes. We spent a little time fishing in the deep pool below the old dam where we found a few willing chubs. From there it's a few miles of easy paddling through the Allagash into Round Pond. The entrance of Round Pond boasts a beautiful large elm tree on a small peninsula, sticking out like a welcome sign for all to see. As we entered the pond we were greeted by a couple of Maine loons on our way over to the inlet campsite. A welcome relief from a long day in the canoes. The guys did some fishing from the shoreline and found some more willing chubs. We were also graced by the presence of a few of the Allagash's catfish, the hornpout. The inlet boasts beautiful views of Round Pond and is a large area for several tents, one of the nicest campsites on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
