Dear Friends of Weatherbys,
2017 will be our 16th season operating Weatherby’s, and one thing we can tell you is there is nothing routine about running a sporting camp in the Maine woods. We find challenges around every corner and everyday brings a new adventure. From marketing, maintenance, state regulation to staffing – fishing and hunting are the easy parts!
In July 2016, we were awarded the Best of Maine by DownEast Magazine for Maine sporting camps. This is an honor to be considered the best by such a respected publication, in an era when the idea of vacationing at traditional fishing and hunting lodges in Maine is declining overall. We are strong, thanks to our clients and continue to make needed improvements to our infrastructure and to our offerings, while maintaining our flexibility and a savvy approach to marketing and service.
In September we hosted a film crew from Facing Waves, a paddle sport show featuring Maine’s North Woods and our premiere paddling river – the St. Croix. The show was sponsored by Maine Tourism and Maine Woods Discovery, and we look forward to seeing the show air on ESPN and the Outdoor Channel this winter.
Most recently, an article featuring our Iceland fishing trips will be featured in The Angling Report, written by former fishing editor/writer for Outdoor Life Magazine, Jerry Gibbs. Highlights of the article will be not only the fishing opportunities that we offer, but also how we can put together quality, all inclusive fishing packages in Iceland for much less than you could ever imagine. Consider joining us this year!
We are pleased to announce the return of most of our staff for 2017 that will include Wesley Hodges as Lodge Manager, Bonnie Gagner at the leader of our Maine Woods cuisine, and Lisa 
Wentworth and Marilyn Renaud as our head wait and cleaning staff.
We are changing our rate structure for 2017 – but don’t panic! We will include a modest rate increase of 1.5%, which is our first increase in over five seasons. However, we will now including beer and wine in our pricing and will revert to the system we started with in 2003 that includes a 15% service fee in our daily rates for cabin and dining service. The outcome for you will be clear pricing with no add on’s. We are the ONLY lodge in New England that includes lodging, meals, beer, wine, use of waders, fly rods, spinning rods, canoes, kayaks, cell phone booster and WiFi. And we also maintain a full service ORVIS fly shop on premise for your convenience. We believe that the more streamlined our services and pricing is for you, the better your experience will be at Weatherby’s.
Finally, as you try to communicate with us via e-mail, phone, text, etc, remember these are not perfect technologies. Often we do not get messages just as our communications end up in spam filters or blocked. Please, if you do not hear back from us regarding questions or reservations, give us a call and leave a message if we don’t answer! We are in this to make a living and do not intentionally not return calls or e-mail. We want you to visit us!
We are excited for the upcoming season and look forward to seeing you soon, our valued clients and friends.
All the Best in 2017!
Jeff, Keaton, Carson, Wesley, Bonnie, Lisa, Marilyn, Bridget, Molly and Curly Fry
2016 20” Club Hall of Fame
The 2016 fishing season brought another proverbial boat load of big fish to the net. Although no records were set, you should have seen the ones that got away! Remember the anglers listed below only claim to have caught these fish. Often times there are no photos nor witnesses. These are real fish stories told by real fishermen. Fish of special notice this season include Lake Trout caught early season in Grand Lake Stream by Keaton McEvoy and Mike O’brien, as well as monster chain pickerel caught by Matthew Budd and Robert Archacki. And Henry Whittemore with his five salmon over 20 inches in one day (these are still disputed)!
Upland Hunting at Weatherby’s
Every fall, the cooler weather and change of foliage mark the start of our upland season on October 1. Both dogs and hunters anxiously anticipate opening day with unbridled excitement. Boots are oiled, 
shotguns checked and our best friends – the bird dogs – are spoiled. The preseason preparations are a ritual that all upland hunters know. At Weatherby’s, it is no different. We love to hunt, but don’t take ourselves too seriously. It is about the woods, fresh air, wildlife, foliage, a few birds – but mostly about the dogs. There is nothing like following a good bird dog through the woods of down east Maine in search of wild grouse and woodcock. Consider joining us for a hunt this fall and experience our grand tradition, that being upland hunting at Weatherby’s!
Never hunted, but curious to learn about it? Weatherby’s has been introducing dozens of individuals to upland hunting and firearm safety over the years, thanks to Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the apprentice hunter’s license. This category of license allows someone that has never hunted before to experience the sport under the tutelage of a Registered Maine Hunting Guide. This license creates a tremendous opportunity for kids and adults to “try out” hunting without committing to a full hunter’s safety course, which can be time consuming and a deterrent for bringing new hunters into the sport. When you stay and hunt at Weatherby’s with a guide, we will teach you firearm and hunter safety. We will take you into the field to shoot rifles and shotguns, shoot clay targets and finally take you into the woods with bird dogs to hunt wild grouse and woodcock. It is a win-win for all parties and folks can experience what hunting is all about. Give us a call to discuss options for you or your kids. Make 2017 your year to experience upland hunting at Weatherby’s! Of course experienced hunters may always join us for a hunt in Grand Lake Stream for grouse, woodcock and waterfowl – guided or unguided. Limitless cover, open access, excellent flush rates.
Cast and Blast
October in Grand Lake Stream is also time for our fall run of spawning salmon. We fish until October 20 so it is possible to mix a little fishing with your hunt and we offer fall specials to help accommodate a cast and blast option for you. Learn More
Iceland 2017 – Atlantic Salmon and Sea-Run Brown Trout
Weatherby’s offered its first international fishing trip in 2014 to fish the legendary waters of Iceland for Atlantic salmon and sea trout. The adventure, by all accounts was a resounding success and we have continued to offer sold out trips each year since. We will be returning to Iceland again this year to fish the same rivers – Haukadalsa for salmon and the Eldvatn for sea trout, The dates of the 2017 trip will be August 31 – September 7, fishing three days on each river, one night in Reykjavik and one night in Keflavik – for a total of eight nights in country. Total price per person all inclusive with the exception of airfare is $3895 DO. We are offering this trip as inexpensively as possible with very little margin. If you are interested in joining the adventure in 2017, please let us know soon. This year’s trip will be featured in the Angling Report this winter which will fill our trip quickly!
Call us at 207-796-5558 to reserve your spot. Learn More
North Woods Grouse Camp 2017
Most grouse hunters put down their shotguns by the end of October, even though grouse hunting season runs through to the end of December. Typically early 
November can provide some of the best grouse hunting of the season with cold temps and good visibility in the woods. We will be hunting into the first week of November 2017, guiding small parties of hunters in the “big woods” of northern Maine. Grouse populations tend to run high in this region of the state with some days producing 30+ grouse flushes. We utilize rustic spike camps in the Allagash region that will be able to accommodate a large group or multiple smaller groups. The hunts will be fully guided and outfitted 2:1, meals included. The cabins are clean, comfortable and warm. There will be no running water or electricity, adding to the ambiance of the hunt. This is a hunt for the hunter that loves grouse hunting and can live without all the modern amenities. If you are interested in joining us on a hunt, you will not be disappointed. The Allagash Country will lure you deeper and deeper into the wilderness and the rewards from hunting, camaraderie, wildlife sightings and overall experience will be first rate. Our 2016 hunts saw fair grouse numbers and good weather. We ran into significant numbers of woodcock both weeks, but typically the first week of our hunt produces more woodcock. Wildlife sightings were good – including moose, Canada Lynx, coyotes, fisher, snowshoe hare, snow buntings, pine grosbeaks, ravens, bald eagles, golden eagles and numerous other bird species. Consider joining us in 2017 for this unique wilderness hunting experience. You will not be disappointed.
Four nights, three days guided hunting, double occupancy, all meals – $1495 PP, minimum two guns. Learn More
Learn to Fly Fish at Weatherby’s
Have you always wanted to learn to fly fish like the pros but didn’t know where to start? Come to Weatherby’s and learn from the best! Our professional guides and instructors can teach you all you need to know to get started in the sport or teach you the skills you need to progress to the next level. We offer fixed dates for group schools and offer private instruction to individuals, couples and groups when it is most convenient for you. Call us to discuss options so we can plan a few days that will teach you what you need most. Consider our Woman’s School scheduled for June 16-19, 2017. Four nights of meals and lodging and three full days of instruction/guided fishing: $1495 per person. Includes all meals and lodging for four days, use of equipment, instruction for three days, Does not include license, beer/wine, tax/ gratuity. We offer a one time 20% discount on any ORVIS product to all fishing school participants.
Recommended Reading 2017
Knife Creek
By Paul Doiron
When Maine game warden Mike Bowditch is tasked with shooting wild boars that are tearing up the forest and farms in his district, he makes a horrific discovery of the body of a baby buried in a shallow grave. Even more disturbing: DNA tests link the infant to a young woman who has been missing and presumed dead after she disappeared from a group rafting trip four years earlier. As he assists the reopened investigation, Bowditch begins to suspect that some of his neighbors aren’t who they seem to be. When violence strikes close to home, he realizes that his unknown enemies will stop at nothing to keep their terrible secrets. Mike Bowditch has bucked the odds his whole career, but this time the intrepid warden may have finally followed his hunches one step too far.
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