Maine’s black-bass anglers find lots of action during most months from mid-spring to fall, but fishing peaks in the next five weeks, depending on latitude and elevation, as males defend spawning beds in the shallows.

Many predictably ask for a compromise that works on pavement as well as on light-duty forest paths — the latter say gravel roads or trails minus big rocks, deep sand, long, steep drops, etc. That info narrows the choices.

This column continues the discussion of osprey biology from my last column. I wrote about the dependence of osprey on live fish for food. Ospreys are not picky about the fish they prey upon in either salt- or freshwater environments. As long as the fish are in shallow water or within 3 feet of the surface of deeper water, they are at risk from an attack from above by a feathered menace.

Eight years ago on a Maine fly-fishing bulletin board, a young fly-fishing guide posted a comment that has stuck in my mind. He claimed that aquatic-insect hatches were so sporadic that he wondered why the events seemed important to people.

“Hatch Guide for New England Streams” by Tom Ames, Jr. hit bookstores 13 years ago, and yes, that figure generates a predictable comment from folks like me — “How time flies.”

For birders, one of the joys of April is the arrival of the ospreys. We’ll look at this remarkable raptor today and in the next column.

Transcendentalism is alive and well in Maine, as many old Mainers have indicated when they tell me no one can learn from a book. These backwoods philosophers expostulate that experience teaches — not words on a page or screen — as if they have a corner on truth.

This coming week in Maine’s bottom third, brooks with brook trout start producing decent to darned good fishing, unless nature conspires against my prediction with unseasonably frigid weather for the next several days. Even if action remains slow, though, trout brooks will surely pick up in late April or early May and continue into the first week or two of June.

Anglers troll worldwide, but in Maine, this technique dominates at ice-out and continues in high gear for at least the next six weeks. Lots of trophy fish come to hand now, too, as evidenced by records in The One That Didn’t Get Away Club — far more big fish than anglers catch in fall.

Serious, regular exercising adds to our quality of life, and for me, a bicycling health regimen has everything to recommend it as an aerobic, calorie-burning activity and just plain undeniable joy. What more can we ask than fun while doing something good for us?