The undulating black ribbon of pavement that locals call “The Airline” stretched on in front of me, accented on each side by a border of yellow and orange and red.

Occasionally, a particularly strong gust of wind snapped a couple dozen colorful leaves from their branches, and they drifted swiftly across the road in my path.

No, autumn in Maine isn’t a bad time of year at all.

Not with the leaves changing colors, and the nip in the air, and the recreational opportunities that await.

On Tuesday, the destination was Grand Lake Stream, for what I thought might be a three-for-one special.

First, an interview with Dennis LaBare, during which we’d chat about his new book, “Tagewahnahn, The Landlocked Salmon at Grand Lake Stream.”

After that, I was ready for anything: Three fly rods rested behind my front seat, and my waders were stowed in back.

On top of those waders were a hunting vest and a shotgun … just in case I decided to head west out of the village, explore a few dirt roads and look for a grouse or two.

Work. Fish. Hunt. It couldn’t get much better than that.

As it turned out, LaBare and I formulated other plans after an enjoyable 45-minute interview.

He had dogs, he explained, dropping the tailgate of his truck and showing off a pair of friendly Ryman-type English setters.

He had a likely spot in mind … and he and the dogs wouldn’t mind the company.

Since the wind was gusting quite steadily by that point (and since conditions like that aren’t among my favorite to fly fish in), I decided to forget about fishing and took LaBare up on his offer.

We spent a couple of enjoyable hours watching one of his dogs work and moved a couple of grouse.

Neither of us got a chance to raise our guns toward the elusive birds, but as we rolled back into town at the end of the day, neither of us was complaining.

It was, after all, another postcard autumn day in Maine … and neither of us had any regrets.

Coming up …

In a future column I’ll tell you more about LaBare’s book, and tell you how you can get your hands on a copy, should you want to do so.

After perusing it quite carefully, I can tell you that it’s a well-thought-out edition that does justice to this special place in the woods – and the special fish that reside in the stream.

The photos are superb, the writing solid and the history of Grand Lake Stream fairly jumps off the pages of this handsome hardcover volume.

Stay tuned, and I’ll share some of LaBare’s thoughts about the book and tell you what prompted him to undertake the ambitious project in the first place.

Symposium a success

The Penobscot Fly Fishers held another Fly Tying Symposium on Sunday, and one of the organizers said the event was a success.

Don Corey, the president of the PFF, pointed out that the event has a fairly narrow focus, but the club’s expectations were met.

“We ended up with 22 tiers. We had probably 65 folks through the door [at the Brewer Auditorium],” Corey said. “The tiers were happy and the folks coming through the door seemed to be happy.”

The club held the symposium for four years, then took a four-year hiatus before returning to it this year.

A more broad-based program is on tap in the coming months as the PFF will host a Cabin Fever Reliever at the Brewer Auditorium on Feb. 23-24.

Booth space is still available, with government entities getting free space, nonprofit groups paying $10, hobbyists paying $25 and commercial groups anteing up $50.

For more information about the Cabin Fever Reliever, call Ernie MacDonald at 825-3788.

Youth Deer Day on tap

For the sixth year in a row, the state’s junior hunters will enjoy a day of their own on Saturday during Youth Deer Day.

The state’s first Youth Deer Day was held in 2002, and it has become a huge success in the ensuing years.

Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re considering taking a child afield on Saturday:

. The day is open to children who have turned 10 and have not turned 16.

. A junior hunting license is required.

. Junior hunters are allowed to take one deer – buck or doe – by firearm or bow and arrow.

. Youth hunters must be accompanied by a qualified adult. Anyone who accompanies a junior hunter and is not a parent or guardian must have a valid hunting license or have completed a hunter safety course.

. Adults are not allowed to possess a firearm while hunting with a child during Youth Deer Day.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.