Ticks, Lyme disease topic of program at Gray wildlife park

The Maine Wildlife Park in Gray is beginning its series of wildlife exhibits and demonstrations with a timely program on a disease that plagues many outdoors enthusiasts.

On May 19 the park will give visitors the chance to learn about Lyme disease.

According to a Maine Wildlife Park press release, Lyme disease was first recognized in the United States in 1975, after an unusual outbreak of arthritis near Lyme, Conn.

Since then reports of Lyme disease have increased dramatically and the disease has become an important public health problem in some areas of the country.

The Maine Medical Center Research Institute will provide lots of information about ticks and how to control tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease.

Both wood and deer ticks are already abundant and have been well-reported.

The display can be viewed from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the park.

Legere updates Greenville fishing

Guide Dan Legere, the owner of the Maine Guide Fly Shop, periodically sends out an update of fishing opportunities in the Moosehead Lake Region. Here’s what Legere has to say about this week’s options:

“Let the games begin!” he wrote.

“The recent heat wave has had a vaporizing effect on the ice in the Moosehead Lake Region. Moosehead Lake should be called out sometime today, Friday. There has to be an official flight the length of the lake and an official time of outage for the ice out contest. The winner gets braggin’ rights.

“The small ponds are losing winter’s grip as you read. The lower elevation ponds go first. Ice is out of all the ponds handy to town. In a couple of days you’ll have to make ice if you want a cold drink, so with that in mind, let’s all lift our glasses and toast open water season and all those fish we plan on hooking this season.

“You moving-water folks will have to be patient with the Moose River and East Outlet. The water has been oozing from everywhere. It’s up in the woods with lots of flood gates open. The same for the Moose. The best bet is to hit the mouth of the streams everywhere. The smelts are just now starting to run around here.

“For the still water people life is good. The trout will be cruising the shallows along the drop-offs picking-up dragon fly nymphs on the prowl for caddis and mayfly lava. Sinking lines and slow retrieves are the ticket.

“If you can still see the eye of a [size] 24 midge there will be surface feeding going on in the afternoon of any more hot days. I like to tie (I have magnifiers) the midge on 6X as a dropper behind a # 12 Adams or Wulff so at least I know the vicinity of the midge. Use three feet of dropper and just inch the flies along. Try not to break him off with too hard of strike. It’s been a long wait and it’s hard to be gentle on the lift. I’ve left lots of flies in fish especially this time of season.”

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