JOHN ROLFE: ShopTalk

Catching customers

Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

E-mail this story to a friend

	Staff photo by John Ewing Steve Leighton owns and operates Leighton's Smelt Camps in Bowdoinham. He's having such a busy season that he's lucky to get four hours of sleep at night.
	Steve Leighton Age: 44 Position: Owner Business: Leighton Smelt Camps Address: Brown's Point Road, Bowdoinham Phone: 666-5551 Dream job: I guess, doing this, right here now. To top of story

Q: How long have you been in this business?

A: This would have been my dad's 50th year. I'm 44 and I've been doing this for more than 34 years with him. I worked at Bath Iron Works for 15 years and quit after my dad passed away in 1999, to keep this going. It got to be too much to do this and keep a full-time job. This takes 15 to 18 to 20 hours a day right here.

Q: Your dad established the camp?

A: Yes, "Chubby." His real name was Oscar, but just about everyone knew him as Chubby. He weighed about 150 pounds.

Q: Is the camp on family land?

A: No, leased land. It's probably three acres total.

Q: You do this seven days a week?

A: Seven days a week, yes.

Q: How long is your season?

A: Well, jeez, it depends. Last year it was 16 days. I didn't even put out the cabins until February, and Feb. 16 we were all done. This year, we went on (ice) Dec. 28, and it looks as if we'll go until the first of March.

The year before we went on Dec. 28 and went to March 18. It seems every other year we get about half of the year before. That's why, when people ask me about the season, I can't even guess, because it doesn't seem to be close from year to year.

Q: How many cabins do you have?

A: Fifteen. They hold two or four people. We have 12 fours and three twos.

Q: How big are the cabins?

A: They are 8 (feet) by 8 (feet). The two-mans are 6 by 8.

Q: Do women fish here, too?

A: Yes, yes. In the last two or three years, it's gotten to be a real family thing. It used to be an all-guy thing, with drinking . . . but I stress to people if they call and have more than four people, I ask if they're going to be drinking, and if they are I'm not even going to rent them the cabins. I want it quiet for people trying to catch fish.

A lot of outfits will allow that, but I am very concerned. It's fine to come and fish and have a few beers, but don't come here for a party. It's not fair to people trying to catch fish, especially families.

That behavior had been allowed for 46 years, but the business has gotten a lot better by adhering to that policy. If I'm in the office and can hear hooting and hollering, probably 150 feet away, and if you've got a TV here like I do, setting here watching it and can hear people hollering, you know they're loud.

Q: How long do the cabins rent for?

A: By the tide, every six hours. People can fish incoming or outgoing. Today, for example, we have an incoming tide at 9:30, so the next outgoing will start at 3:30. Today is probably the slowest day of year, because of the storm, but by tonight we'll be booked up by evening tide. It's the first break I've had.

Q: How much do you charge?

A: It's $11 per person. A lot of people will rent for two tides, especially when they come from out of state. Fifty percent of the business is from out of state, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Q: How many people work here?

A: Me, my wife, Marilyn, and my boys. The oldest is Aaron, 16, and next is Michael, 14, and my stepson Nick just turned 16. I keep 'em pretty busy, getting the wood in the cabin woodstoves for the next shift. Getting ready for the morning tide is a big thing, and this January, chopping the ice out every morning . . .

My buddy that helped for a year, Gordon Campbell, just fell down in his driveway and broke his leg in three places. He was carrying his little girl and couldn't put his hands out.

Q: Oh, no . . .

A: That's what I said.

Q: How much wood do you use in a year?

A: If you've got a long season, a lot of wood. This year we're pushing 23 cords. But it's been one of the best fishing season I've seen. The first three weeks were the best I can remember.

Q: Do you advertise?

A: I don't do that at all. I go by word of mouth. It helps me to keep out the riff-raff.

When you advertise, it brings in a lot of guys who just drink . . . Word of mouth is enough, people telling their friends, year after year.

You wouldn't believe the people from Massachusetts that come twice a week for the season. It's just incredible, the retired men who come down.

Q: You see a lot of retirees?

A: Yes, during the week, probably 75 percent of the customers are retired people.

Q: How many fish do they catch, usually, in six hours?

A: Parties catch anywhere from 12 to 1,200. One party of two guys fishing two tides caught 172 pounds of smelts.

Q: What do they do with the fish?

A: Give 'em to all their friends, sell 'em, I don't know what they do. It runs about 10 fish to a pound, so their catch was 1,700 smelts. That's an outstanding catch. That and one other this year are as many as I've ever seen caught.

Q: What do they put them in?

A: Five-gallon pails. You're talking probably six of them in a catch like that, full.

Q: How do you cook smelt?

A: Most people just fry 'em up, in flour and butter.

Q: How long will you keep doing this?

A: I'd like to think not forever, but jeez, Dad did it till he passed away. But hope to retire some time.

Q: Or at least get a good sleep?

A: Last night was the first time I slept over five hours in at least 30 days. Usually, from Friday to Sunday night, if I can get four hours' sleep I'm doing good. So many people need line, a sinker, more wood . . . it's just busy.

To top of page