“Can you believe this is only the second time I’ve fished East Outlet this season”? Fred and I were rigging up at the flagpole below Moosehead Lake on the outlet of the Kennebec. “Last year, I must have made 8 trips here, but with the gas prices at $1.85, I’ve stayed around home.” We walked to the big pool below the dam and because I’d fished the river two days ago, I had my strategy thought out. We waded slowly into the pool,making sure not to spook fish, Fred with his five-weight, me with a seven, both handmade by each of us. For me, this was going to be akin to fishing for Stealhead in N.Y. Long leader, tiny midge pupae, pleanty of weight to get down, and a fluffy indicator. We saw a few fish snapping at the surface, but very few, and I suspected they were small Salmon. This was confirmed, when Fred hooked a jumping Smolt on his Griffiths Gnat. Soon, I hooked a few smallish Salmon on the beadhead midge pupa. Our suspicions confirmed, I moved upstream, hooked several small ones and one large fish that straightened out the hook before he freed himself.At noon, we had our sandwiches and cookies by the flagpole and decided to fish a favorite pool downstream for a few hours before heading home. The pool was unoccupied, few tracks on the path, so we had high hopes. Only 2 people can comfortably fish this gem of a pool, so I went to the head leaving Fred to cast the entire pool below. By now the sun was shining full force and Fred was casting a dry to a rising fish below me. He cast perfect loops, drifting the fly expertly. After several missed takes, he looked up at me grinning, “Man, I’m too slow, spoiled by Atlantic Salmon fishing!” Meanwhile, I was chucking and untangling my deep nymphing rig, watching the indicator for a tell-tale twitch. All of a sudden I was hooked up. Two jumps and a good long fight later, a bright male Landlock was in the net. Lady luck played a part no doubt, because we both worked hard to hook up today. Good buddies, a good time, and the best part of all…2 cold Guinness at the truck!