What a difference a week makes. After no rain for weeks and weeks, a stationary low-pressure system and lots of humid air resulted in a deluge. At my Windham residence, we received 2.5 inches of rain Sunday night, June 28th; followed by another 2.5 inches on my birthday, June 29th; followed by another 2 inches of rain over the next few days; followed by more rain on July 2nd. We obviously received similar or greater amounts in Rangeley, since when I arrived a few days ago, my dock was awash, the lake level was in the bushes, and the rivers were in full flood. Still, I am thrilled to be relieved of my watering duty by Mother Nature. Keeping my perennial beds and vegetables moisturized was getting to be a full-time job.
I hate to keep beating on the same drum, but this is exactly what the climate change models predict – more periods of drought interrupted by huge rainfall events. Not good for the fish.
Brown drakes emerged on Kennebago Lake during the last week of June, and Lindsey and I hit pieces of it, somewhat hampered by our schedule and a couple windy days.
Lindsey did hook and land the largest salmon I have ever seen caught on Kennebago Lake. We were cruising down the middle of the lake when I spotted a boil, watched the tail of a big fish descending back into the depths, cut the engine, and then swung the boat around. Lindsey took a guess as to what direction the fish was heading and made a snap cast with a size-10 Quigley Green Drake Cripple (one of my favorite flies). A good fish (the same fish?) took the fly with aggression and jumped immediately after Lindsey tightened up. We watched a big salmon who was level with our heads as we sat in the boat, fall back into the water about ten feet away from us, and then jump again.
Eventually, he was netted, and quickly released. A hand measure (the span of my hand is actually 10 inches) showed him to be over 20 inches and well over three pounds, maybe 4. Kennebago doesn’t usually produce hefty salmon so this fish was exceptional.
Lindsey’s big Salmon during the brown drake hatch
Anytime the winds calmed, we found sporadic emergences of drakes and rising trout and salmon. Most were in the 12-inch range with a few larger fish mixed in. We were always on the look out for shucks in the water…
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Before the rain, when the lower Kennebago River was flowing at summer levels, I know a spot where the trout and salmon that winter over in the river hang out as the water lowers and warms. At some point, they give it up and run down the river into the Cupsuptic arm of Mooselookmeguntic lake, but I caught up with them before they left. When fish are concentrated and the current is at the proper flow (not too slow or too fast), high stick (Czech/tight line nymphing) can be deadly and it was for me one day with a number of good-sized salmon and trout landed.
As is usually the case, the holdover trout were fat and healthy, and the holdover landlocked salmon were skinny and looked in need of a good meal.
The upper Kennebago’s flow diminished and with endless days of cloudless skies, you could see every pebble on the bottom. The bigger fish stayed tucked right against undercut banks or other cover. I managed to tease a nice fish out by drifting a nymph without an indicator inches from an undercut bank.
With the big rain event, all the rivers are in flood at the end of the month and finally starting to recede on July 4th. Once the flood water subside, it will be interesting to see if the increased flows bring fresh fish into the rivers. As the brown drake hatch peters out, I will also be on the lookout for green drakes and hexes.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @mainelyflyfishing. And don’t forget to check out my books on this website. I welcome emails asking questions about where to fly fish or seeking other information. I answer everyone, but often, I end up saying, “the best and most complete information is in Flyfisher’s Guide to New England” , and they buy the book and email me later about how helpful it is. For each region of New England, I offer recommended weekend and week long trips.
Stay safe.