First things first: I will be presenting at the Marlborough Flyfishing Show that was postponed from January to this upcoming weekend, April 22, 23, and 24. I have a total of five presentations but only two distinct topics. One presentation is where, and how to catch trophy brook trout and landlocked salmon and patterns to use: Friday at 2, Sat. at 10, and Sun. at 11. The other presentation is tactics, techniques, and patterns for pressured salmonids – those snotty educated fish that seem to be ignoring everything you throw at them: Fri. at 10:30, Sun. at noon. See you there.

It is finally the start of the official season. The month so far has featured regular rain, thank goodness, the last several years started way to dry and we were into drought conditions before we knew it. In Southern Maine and into central New England, stream temperatures have risen from the high 40s into the 50s and while they run high the day after a rain, they seem to return to really nice flows quickly.

In northern New England and the Maine mountains it is still late winter. Ice is still hanging on in the ponds and lakes and there is enough snow to still snowshoe in the woods. It is snowing today and snowed most of last weekend. Woods roads are starting to thaw but not there yet.

My fishing has been primarily local streams, rivers, and ponds and most places haven’t been stocked yet so I am catching holdovers or trying for wild fish – the drought last year probably means less wild fish in small streams. I tried in March and early April for big browns but didn’t connect. I have seen on social media photos of giant pike (44 inches plus) caught on Sebago Lake – going to have to try that next year and definitely trying for pike in the next month. I have never caught one in Maine.