Maine Fly Fishing: I gotta say it was a good day!
Today I fished a pond with John from Maryland…weather was decent fishing was off the hook for Maine Brook Trout…Too many landed on dryflies to count…I gotta say it was a good day.
Since our last report…
Caddis arrived in full force this past Sunday on the West Branch, during a soaking downpour… seems the Branch is the only game in town right now with high flows all over Maine. Fish have been fussy during these hatches try a variety of flys at all levels of the water column. Weather has been wet, but I have had a lot of good company the past to weeks. I love my job!
On the River we have been seeing a good variety of insects, caddis from size 20 to 14, Bwos from 16 to 22, March browns, lots of yellow sallies, golden stones, and some lingering Hendricksons…
Some of the best fishing of the year is yet to come! Book a day on the water and spoil yourself! Don’t wait til July to book a July day on the water…it will be too late! And if you are looking for a dry place to hang your hat after a day fishing the West Branch…Chewonki’s Big Eddy has you covered with a new cabin for rent seconds from the river…Good news is you will be dry and comfortable with a woodstove and other amenities, bad new is…I’m your neighbor…
Here is a link to booking info for Big Eddy Campground :
http://www.chewonki.org/vacations/vacations_big_eddy.asp
Email maineriverguides@yahoo.com as cell phone service is limited.
Todays Catch…
The past week in review:
Til next time,
April Fishing in Maine: Go get some
We are off to a slow start to the 2011 fishing season here in Maine. After a long snowy winter rivers across the state are running cold, high, and off color. Despite the less than ideal conditions, each visit to moving water this season has produced a good variety of fish species. Prime Time is on the way…slowy.
Check out this fish tale from an recent outing with my friend Jeremy over at www.fliesandfins.com
From Rangeley to Mount Katahdin
Been a wild ride lately from a few days guiding for Grants Camps up on Kennebago Lake back to the West Branch of the Penobscot where I will be guiding and fishing through July. Had a lot of fun with a good group of folks up at Grants Camps, and got to spend some time with some good friends and fellow Maine Guides. My friend Tony had a rough commute in to the Camps when a Big Maine Moose decided to run into his truck, folding his mirror in and leaving behind just enough fur to tie a fly or two. On the fishing front, flows on the Kennebago River went from too low to too high, so we spent most of our time looking for windless waters and rising fish on Kennebago Lake. Although fishing was a bit tough, we got some feisty brook trout in the net and the hospitality at the Camps was exceptional as always.
Tony's truck after clipping a Moose
Evening Calm Kennebago Lake
Subtle Sunset Kennebago Lake
Kennebago Limbo
Motoring out from Grants Camps
The West Branch of the Penobscot greeted us with huge numbers of caddisflies and the fish have been hot on their tails. We have been seeing a good mix of caddis species as well as blu winged olives, Cahills, March Browns, Golden Stoneflys, and Yellow Sallies in the air. This big bug buffet has had some evening anglers scratching their heads, while those willing to look closely, and keep changing flies have been rewarded.
What are they eating?
Brookie barf tells the tale...
I'm not a pro photographer, but Matt Boutet is.
Last week we fished the river hard from Ripogenus Dam to the Abol Deadwater, and found some awesome dry fly fishing and solid fish throughout. Spent a day chasing fish from sunrise to sunset with friend and photographer Matt Boutet. He picked the right day for epic caddis…and got some amazing shots…Check out some incredible photos from the day along with many other stunning images at Matt Boutet Photography
Foam is Home
View from my cubicle...
Fat West Branch Salmon
The way things are going up here the big bugs will be here very soon, so have some Big stonefly imitations in the box if you are heading up. Stimulators, Sofa Pillows, and Bugmeisters get it done. For you Pond anglers, Hexes will be showing early this year too. Get on it…Prime Time is here.
Penobscot River Fishing: Summer is here!
June is here and it sure feels like Summer. We have seen some high daytime temps and humidity followed by powerful thunderstorms that felt more like July than late May… As for hatches, the Hendricksons seem to be trailing off, but I have been also seeing some good yellow sally hatches as well as bwo’s and the occasional golden stones and sporadic caddis. Spent wing mayflies have been the ticket in the evening and early morning, so keep an eye on the foam lines for subtle sipping rises. Not all small rises are small fish:) Streamers and nymphs have been filling the void between hatches. Try grey/white mitchell creeks, conehead olive wooly buggers, small stones and pt’s, green caddis, and hot wire prince nymphs.
Things really seem to be progressing very quickly this season, I even noticed some Lupines beginning to bloom at The Big Eddy over the holiday weekend! I’m guessing by mid next week we should be into our first really big caddis hatches of the season so keep your box stocked with elk hairs, X2 caddis, and Nancy’s Prayers as well as larvae and pupa imitations cause it will be on very soon!
I do have some open days for left for June and July, but they are limited, email if interested.
maineriverguides@yahoo.com Or call my cell 207-749-1593
Rusty Spinner Kennebago Lake
I have fished in good company the last few weeks from Grants Camps to the West Branch, made some new friends and caught up with the seasonal crew up at the Big Eddy. Here are a few photos from the past week and a half, including a shot of an empty Big Eddy Pool from last week… Won’t be seeing that again for a long time as Summer is here!
Misty Pool
Postcard day with a family of flyfishers...
Hendrickson by driftboat
Spring Salmon
Nesowadnehunk cleaning out a rafting crew...
Kevin with a nice Brook Trout
The Big Eddy Crew
Wood on water
Big Eddy Sunset
Maine Fly Fishing Report 2010: First Time for Everything
Meet with Shannon this morning at 9am, skies were grey rain was cold and the wind was moderate. Perfect day to introduce someone who has never fly fished to the sport. We began the morning at a local park in Portland, I told Shannon that our two “simple” goals for this half day excursion were for her to learn to cast a fly 40 feet, and to catch a fish. These goals are rarely ever that simple, even when conditions are perfect and skies are blue.
I am happy to report that Shannon caught on to fly casting quickly, we had some laughs and in the end she caught her first Maine Brook Trout on a fly rod. It would’ve been an easy day to to pack up and call it quits, the right attitude is everything.
Thanks Shannon!
Check Shannon’s Blog out at:
http://blogs.mainetoday.com/category/blogs/maine-today-blogs/out-going
First Time Fly Fishing: First Trout