Halls Pond (Paris, Oxford Co.): no gasoline-powered augers allowed

[waderman]

My son and I had planned to ice fish Halls Pond in Paris (Oxford Co.) this morning for the first time. Imagine our surprise when we saw small yellow panels along the shoreline which announced that gasoline-powered augers were not allowed to be used on the pond. It turns out that Halls Pond (51 acres) is a source of municipal drinking water which the town wants to protect from potential pollution.

I'm sure that this information is already out there but it certainly threw a monkey wrench in my fishing plans. We fished nearby Little Penneseewassee Pond instead (1and got skunked... : (     

[whitetail34]

They've been fishing there sense the second week of December...they got some good ones there the first few weeks..heard they was still getting some good browns still..

[waderman]

That's the reason I wanted to try out Halls Pond. With the power auger ban, it certainly looks like this would be a great "early-season" pond to be fished when the ice is not too thick yet.

[CB22]

Interesting.

I wonder if this would be legally enforceable or it is merely a strongly worded request? Fishing Law book only states no vehicles on the ice.  Can a municipality have a local ordinance on a body of water? Law book is very clear on rules for other drinking water sources like Auburn and Sebago.

I wouldn't want to test it 1) as its disrespectful to the residents of that area and 2) it would almost ensure that the pond would be closed to ice fishing in the next book.

[kkippas]

Now I know why they make those electric augers!

[kkippas]

How about propane?

[EmeraldShiner]

My son and I had planned to ice fish Halls Pond in Paris (Oxford Co.) this morning for the first time. Imagine our surprise when we saw small yellow panels along the shoreline which announced that gasoline-powered augers were not allowed to be used on the pond. It turns out that Halls Pond (51 acres) is a source of municipal drinking water which the town wants to protect from potential pollution.

I'm sure that this information is already out there but it certainly threw a monkey wrench in my fishing plans. We fished nearby Little Penneseewassee Pond instead (1and got skunked... : (   

Bummer, you did the right thing though, especially in setting an example for your son.  I'd check into the local town ordinances and see if this is legal or maybe a local group trying to make up their own rules.  In the mean time go to this link and click on "signs (acoustic)", for what I consider to be a great take on this subject matter! 


https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=Buftvizpxqzynq5anbvroo67epm&tid=song-Tgcjze467qsqc5gf5gj3jjqfozu&feature=search_result#?t=W10.

[C.Tripp]

It is a town ordinance that was passed 2 or 3the years ago. It does not allow anything with an internal combustion engine. But all the houses around their let the dogs run loose and do there deeds all over the ice.

[Coach]

Interesting.

I wonder if this would be legally enforceable or it is merely a strongly worded request? Fishing Law book only states no vehicles on the ice.  Can a municipality have a local ordinance on a body of water? Law book is very clear on rules for other drinking water sources like Auburn and Sebago.

I wouldn't want to test it 1) as its disrespectful to the residents of that area and 2) it would almost ensure that the pond would be closed to ice fishing in the next book.

We were there opening week and a Police car came by. He stopped and looked out his window to see, it was to cold with the wind blowing a gail so he didn't leave the car. So I would say right or wrong, they do take it serious.

[Coach]

Now I know why they make those electric augers!

That's what we used

[Grumpy]

It is a town ordinance that was passed 2 or 3the years ago. It does not allow anything with an internal combustion engine. But all the houses around their let the dogs run loose and do there deeds all over the ice.

Oh but these were the beautiful dogs owned by the 'beautiful people!  ( they feed their pooches vegetable soup, so it's organic!) 
     It is becoming more and more a social divide to be on the Hard Water.

[PerchPro113]

Cops will enforce the rule. Game wardens will not say anything as it's not a state rule. 


Whats up that, you can swim, dogs can use it as a batroom, but you can't drill a hole?
Any way, ya that sucks. Always got the skunk a Norway myself.

[fishless12]

I bet if power augers were twice as dirty and half as loud it wouldn't be an issue...

Reminds me of the time:

I went to a meeting to discuss proposed rule changes at Brunswick High School. I was there to insure a trophy provision for Togue in Sebago. I walked into the meeting about 5 minutes late and found it packed. My first thought was, "Holy smokes! Alot of people here care about Sebago"


Turns out 90% of the people in the room were there to discuss a petition to open Wilson pond to ice fishing. The Lake association was at the meeting and they were grasping at all the usual "this is our pond, not yours" anti public access straws. Their arguments mostly boiled down to parking concerns. One Woman even said "The school bus that travels these roads carries young people, some of whom are handicapped." This kind of BS makes me very angry so I Stood up and said "I've never been to Wilson pond, but I resent the things being said about ice fishermen. Parking issues are separate issues and signage will usually solve these problems. I've been fortunate to have access to a boat for my whole fishing life, but ice fishing is an opportunity for people without boats to access places that would otherwise be off limits."

The other thing that really made me mad about this thing is how the lake association buttholes were flattered so much as to think that ice fishermen would be fishing this dump of a warm water pond in great numbers.

If there is a copy of this petition floating around, I'd love to sign it and encourage anyone who supports access to fishing opportunities to do the same.

[teabagger1773]

the pond is absolutely surrounded by hippies. Fishing in late december i had a hope/change type who lived by the pond come skating up to me and ask me to limit how many holes i drilled so he would have room to skate. and yes he had three dogs with him and yes they all dropped heat on the ice.

[Bugman1964]

Fishless12,

I believe that you are referring to Little Wilson Pond in Turner. Yeah lake/pond association is very strong willed. Its funny, here we are 3+ weeks into the season and there is all of 2 shacks out there. One belongs to a lake association member! The parking issue is a non-issue. The road has been posted "no parking" Nov 30-Apr 1 since I have lived up this way, 23 years and counting. Halls Pond I believe also has a horse power limit or ban during the open water season in addition to the no gas auger ordinance. At least they are allowing access on both ponds.

[fishless12]

Bugman, That makes me very happy to hear. That's the pond I was talking about. They look at the FFAC derby and think it's going to be like that on their little private puddle. I'm honored to have spoken on behalf of opening that pond to ice fishing. Gotta laugh, some argued that the fish in the pond "couldn't handle the pressure." What a joke.

I very much support access with limits, over no access at all.

[Cut Bait]

Halls Pond is where Hebron and maybe a handful of Paris residents get their water from...but the big "bump" is Hebron Academy they own all the land around it..even tried to get the Town of Paris to move the road so it wasn't close to the pond ...at the Towns expense