Looking at my new book purchase, I am wondering if fishing in Maine lakes, rivers and streams has diminished over the years.

The text is "Maine Lodges and Sporting Camps" by Donald Wilson in 2005. It was put out by Arcadia, that "pictures only" publisher that produces thin histories of many communities like "Portland Remembered" or "The Good Old Days of Augusta."

I liked Wilson's book. Now it ranks among my Maine favorites, a list that is topped by "Arundel" and "Quiet Presence: Stories of Franco-Americanas in New England."

Many of the photos in "Maine Lodges and Sporting Camps" are sepia shots of the sporting-camp life of a century ago.

In those days people could travel by train to all corners of Maine, many of which are not served by rail today. There were passenger stations in Rangeley, Bangor and Belgrade, among others.

One old photo, in fact, shows a steam-engine train of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, above an advertisement of the day, "To Bed in Boston - AWAKE IN AROOSTOOK."

Most of the book's photos show fishermen with many lunkers. They caught square tail trout and landlocked salmon, bass and white perch, brown and brook trout.

The pictures show anglers with strings of fish. You don't see fishermen walk away with a dozen keepers anymore. Was the fishing so much better then?

There are variables here, of course. Many sportsmen today take the catch-and-release approach; perhaps they catch many but bring home only one.

And there are more stringent limits on fish. You can't take home two dozen salmon even if you were skillful enough to catch them.

Still, it seems like the number of catchable fish has declined.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that anglers are producing fewer fish, and/or more stories laced with disappointment. (But maybe that's just me, who would have trouble finding a salmon at the Shaw's fish counter).

There are many more fishermen today than a century ago. And because of better gear, outboard motors and even fishfinders, the number of trophy fish certainly has diminished.

The number of fishing camps also has declined. Wilson's book notes that many camps were destroyed by fire and not rebuilt. But the changing interests of modern-day families also has contributed to fewer profitable sporting camps.

That being said, I am happy that state officials continue to stock lakes and rivers. Fishing still provides great satisfaction, and the investment to keep the waterways populated with fish is worth it.

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