Suffice it to say that anglers hereabouts and beyond are honing their hooks in anticipation of the May 1 opening of the Penobscot River’s one-month, catch-and-release Atlantic salmon season. In spite of the river running high and roily, it’s likely that rods will bow deeply to the king of freshwater game fish on opening day. It’s also likely that a lot of the action will come from kelts, a/k/a black salmon, racers, slinks. For the uninitiated, kelts are post-spawn Atlantic salmon that remain in rivers throughout winter instead of returning to the ocean in the fall.

When springtime clears the rivers of ice, kelts begin dropping back to sea. Having lost about a third of their weight, the emaciated fish are voracious. They mend quickly, however, after reaching brackish water and gorging on smelt, tomcod, herring and the like. Concurrently, to provide protection against salt water, an organic process involving guanine silvers the tarnished scales of kelts. Thus, when a hooked mended kelt runs, leaps and flashes in the spring sun, it is easily mistaken for a fresh-run “bright” salmon. Such was the case when, nearly 20 years ago, Butch Wardwell of Orrington landed a shiny 15-pounder at the Bangor Salmon Pool on opening day. It turned out, however, that the salmon was full of smelts – a mended kelt.

It’s interesting that the scales of kelts are difficult to scrape off, whereas the scales of fresh-run salmon are removed easily. Accordingly, a garden hose with nozzle adjusted to a fine, forceful stream – full-choke, so to speak – will blast the scales off a fresh-run salmon. All said and done, it matters not whether the Atlantic salmon that are caught and released on May 1 are bright or black. What matters is that the Penobscot River’s history, spirit and tradition of spring salmon fishing have been revived.

Tom Hennessey’s columns and artwork can be accessed at www.bangordailynews.com. Tom’s e-mail address is: tom@tomhennessey.com. His Web site is: www.tomhennessey.com