Learning to fish on Sebago Lake in Maine is a rite of passage. It’s extra special if you’ve had the honor of learning how to fish from Ranger Rick. For more than two decades, Rick Smyth has been teaching kids the art of casting a line and the importance of being patient on the docks of Point Sebago Resort.
Rick is a legend at the Casco, Maine campground.
He’s the heart of the Ranger Program at Point Sebago Resort. Generations of campers know Ranger Rick. He’s been teaching kids as young as 4 years old to fish.
However, it’s not just about fishing with Ranger Rick. It’s really about the important lessons fishing teaches all of us.
Each year, Point Sebago receives reviews, emails, and social media messages from campground guests thanking Ranger Rick. But in the summer of 2025, one stood out.
A Sebago Lake fishing lesson turned into a special, emotional moment for one family that they’ll never forget. It’s about the special bonds created at Point Sebago – the kind that last well beyond a day of fishing. So with the author’s permission, we’re sharing her poignant email with the rest of the Point Sebago family.
Good Afternoon,
I wanted to take a moment to tell you about a very special interaction with Ranger Rick.
I grew up vacationing on Sebago Lake, and we have now been taking our own family the last several years, four of which have been at Point Sebago.
We had the pleasure of participating in fishing lessons with Ranger Rick a couple of years ago and again during this year’s visit.
We lost my dad in 2020 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. My boys were only 4 and 6, but they remember him vividly and have beautiful memories with him.
Well, Ranger Rick reminds all of us (especially my boys, now almost 9 and 11) of my dad. He has patience of steel, just like Grandpa Joe did. He walks just like him. His hands and his mustache are the same and he even wears the same aftershave/cologne. It’s unbelievable!!
Ranger Rick took a very special liking to my boys during this year’s lessons and went so far as to compliment my husband and I about how kind and polite they both were.
He sat and talked to me for quite some time, telling me about the years he’s been at Point Sebago, how much he enjoys his work, and that he was a police officer for many years prior.
When we asked him for a picture at the end of the lesson, he said he would rather wait until a little later. He asked us to please stay after he was done giving out the awards for the fishing.
He brought us into the office and talked to us about how proud we should be of our boys and what a wonderful job we are doing as parents.
He went on to tell the boys how happy he was with how well they listened and how well-mannered they were.
He went into the back office and got two special fisherman awards, one for each of them, and relayed to the boys how he doesn’t give many of these out and how truly special they were.
At this point, my husband and I were both in tears as Ranger Rick had no idea how truly special HE was to all of us!
I took a moment to share with Ranger Rick how much he reminds us all of my dad and how special this was for all of us. He was so genuinely appreciative of the interaction and even got a bit misty himself.
You’ve got an amazing gentleman heading up your fishing program. And he’s got the same heart my dad once did.
Thank you for an amazing experience!
All the best
Angela Mareno
Editor’s Note: Ranger Rick began working at Point Sebago Resort 26 years ago. He now solely teaches fishing lessons during the summer peak season, which ends the last week of August.
Book your vacation for 2026 to discover the magic of learning to fish with this Point Sebago legend. And see why generations of families have called Point Sebago their summer home for 55 years.
Trophy Recipients Through the Years
