Maine Bass and Pike Fishing: Now is the time!!!
Sweet Summertime is here in Maine! As we roll into the dog days and the rivers warm, our focus shifts from Landlocked Salmon and Brook trout to Bass and Pike on the fly on the Androscoggin River. Purists my scoff at the idea, until they hook their first hefty Smallmouth on a topwater fly, or witness a 10 plus pound Pike T-bone a large streamer right at the boat.
While temps on trout waters across the state approach the 70 degree mark, we give the trout and salmon a rest. And shift our focus to fly fishing for Bass and Pike which provides tons of action for our guests in a sustainable manner. The topwater (dryfly) conditions for these species simply couldn’t be any better right now. Drop us a line and get out and enjoy a day of Sweet Summertime on a River in Maine!
Check this short edit of what it is all about!
See You on the water!
GB
The Dog Days of Summer: Fly Fishing for Bass and Pike
It has been a very busy and very hot summer here in Maine. Most of the river temperatures on our favorite Trout and Salmon waters have warmed to harmful levels for the fish for the time being… So what is an fly fisherman to do? Summer Bass and Pike Float trips are keeping us busy and bringing smiles to our customers! Imagine a laidback sunny summer day catching lots of fish with vicious topwater takes, tailwalking fish, the occasional Pike blindsiding your fly at 30 miles per hour. Then finish it off with a killer lunch and a cold beer and you you are styling! Give us a call and get in on the fun before summer is gone! We are offering Smallmouth Bass Float Trips on the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers through September. We fish different sections of both rivers and all trips are within an hour’s drive of Portland Maine. So if you are a local angler call take a day off work and get out and enjoy a summer day on the water while it lasts! If you are visiting Maine for vacation a day on the water with a Maine Guide is sure to become the highlight of your visit! Give us a call!
207-749-1593
Matt doubled up
Speaking of Maine Guides, I am pleased to announce we have a new guide working for us. Introducing Matt Bickford as the newest member of the Maine River Guides Team! Matt is a skilled fly angler, patient teacher, and enthusiastic guide! Matt will be guiding many of our bass fishing float trips by raft here in Southern Maine and we could’nt be happier to have him on board!
Got Teeth?
Jim with a Big Birthday Bass!
Matt and Jim having some fun
Open up and say ahhh
Jim gets it done!
Close up
Chuck’s best Bass ever!
Stay cool…
Maine Dry Fly Fishing in Full Swing!
It’s Time!
Been a road warrior the last few weeks…fishing from the West Branch, to the Rapid, East Outlet of the Kennebec and even banging the banks for some early season Smallmouth Bass on the Androscoggin. I’m finally settled in at the Big Eddy Campground for the 2012 fishing season. Had a great kickoff Holiday weekend here with friends and family fishing, eating very well, and catching up with old friends.
Here are some shots from the river and road:
Hendricksons are in full swing on the West Branch, duns by day rusty spinners in the evenings and mornings. This is the most predictable mayfly hatch of the season here on the branch, before the blizzard caddis hatches kick in. We have seen alot of surface feeding activity over the last few days, and things are only going to get better from here. So far I have seen golden stones, bwos from 16- 24, small caddis, March Browns, Yellow Sallies, and a hand full of dobson flies to boot. It has not been just a dry fly game, although how can resist fishing dries all day… Nymphing has been fair to ridiculous with pt nymphs and stones boating the most fish on bottom. River flows have been right around 2200-2300cfs, but I anticipate flows bumping up soon as the lake is near full. More than likely flows will land around 3200 cfs soon which is the standard summer flow these days. River temps have ranged from 49 to 53 degrees from one section to another with the warmer flows down river and the hatches further along the further you go downstream. The best news I have to report is that I have seen ALOT of smelt in the river this year compared to the last 5 years, and the fish are on em in a few key locations. This feed is critical for maintaining a healthy landlocked salmon population and I am so glad to see significant numbers of smelt in the river again.
Prime Time is almost here! I have select few days open between now and mid July if you are interested in floating a beautiful Maine River fly fishing for salmon and trout soon! I will be offering combo Trips Early July river fishing the morning/afternoon, pond Hex hatch fishing the evenings. Email for info and availability.
Come mid-late July we will be offering Float Trips on the Bingham section of the Kennebec River for Wild Rainbows, and Landlocked Salmon. We are also Float Trip for Smallmouth Bass in within an hour of Portland. The trout purist might cringe while reading this, smallmouth on the fly are a blast and the action can be downright ridiculous. Its a great accessable option for getting on the water without a huge travel commitment… Sunny Days with Beers, Burgers and Bass, it’s an all American experience.
Drop a line or give a call for details…
I will try to return calls within 48 hours due to lack of cell service. I do have access to email daily.
207-749-1593
Parting Shot
Nap time is over, get on the water!
Signs of Change: Maine Fall Fishing is almost here!
Ah…The Dog Days of August… While the extended forecast shows high day time temperatures the nights are beginning to cool off… The days are growing shorter as the earth tilts, and it won’t be long until my favorite season to fly fish in Maine is here. I have already seen some early signs of Fall color along the backroads:
While last season brought torrential rains keeping anglers off many bodies of water here in Maine… this year the extended periods of high temperatures have made trout fishing a tough game. What’s a trout hound to do? I traveled with my wife to her homeland in Finland to try to escape the heat of late July early August…only to arrive to record breaking high temps and smoke from Russian wildfires filling the air across Southern Finland. I gave trout fishing a try… Then realized that cold beverages and Sauna with faraway family was a better use of time…
Back home in Maine for over a week now, and the River temps remain around the dreaded 70 degree mark on my favorite trout and salmon waters… I have fished over six counties catching Rainbow Trout, Landlocked Salmon, and Smallmouth Bass. If you are still chasing trout and salmon right now… play them quickly, keep them in the water, and fish barbless hooks.
Other fishing opportunities? While trout purists may cringe at the thought, Fly Fishing for Bass in Maine is where it is at right now. Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass remain active during these high water temperatures and provide a lot of fun, and action for the fly fisherman until cooler (trout friendly) water temps arrive. I had a some great days recently including showing a boat-full of young fishing addicts the joy of catching Smallmouth Bass on the fly rod in Southern Maine. If you have forgotten what fishing is really about, check out these photos! It’s all about having fun on the water!
Summer is growing short, and Fall never lasts long enough.
Give us a call and get on the water!
207-749-1593