Hi folks,
Just a quick update today. The weather has remained seasonably cold, windy, and dry so both the water temperatures and levels continue to fall. Evidence of this is the continuing wildfire warnings almost everyday for most of New England.
I have never seen river and stream flows lower. Obviously, rivers with dams are doing better as water is released from lakes and ponds. However, even that supply is limited. Just to give a few examples, last week, the lower Mags flows were briefly below 200. Roach Ponds are extremely low, Kennebago Lake is at it lower limits and the river is only marginally higher.
With wqter temps falling through the 50s into the upper 40s, a few fish are moving but are spooky with low water and flow and cloudless bright skies. Someone let me know that t-e Roach fished very well last week. I caught a gorgeous male 18-inch brook trout in full spawning colors on the Little Kennebago River. People fishing lakes and ponds like Tim Pond say it is the best fishing in years because the big trout are schooling in the shallows waiting to move upstream and are attacking big attractor dries.
No rain is in the forecast for the rest of September so I don’t believe things will change dramatically although as the season progresses more fish will move regardless of the water level. To the degree they concentrate in the few pools with deep water, they will be susceptible to anglers. Please practice restraint and you nymphers, don’t snag. I refuse to fish those areas anymore – too much combat fishing.
Enjoy the colors…leaves are changing by the hour and with the drought are not staying on the trees long.
Lou