Late June and July has been hot and humid for most of Maine and New England with occasional heavy downpours that caused localized flooding. I checked southern Maine’s daily temperature highs and humidity and it compared closely to a typical July in New Jersey or Washington, D.C. Maine’s climate is changing rapidly.
Ocean, lake, and river temperatures were already above normal. It used to be almost too cold to swim in Maine’s big lakes and Casco Bay but no longer -water temperatures are well into the 70s. Obviously, trout fishing ended in early July at least on the surface or in rivers. Temps are just too warm and any trout caught would be stressed to the point of death. The exceptions of course are bottom-release tailwaters, and spring-fed tributaries in the mountains. The Magalloway River below Azischos Dam fished well because the flow was extremely low, something like 130 cfs. At that level all of the river is accessible, and the fish have nowhere to hide from the anglers.
Based on the Instagram posts I receive from Maine anglers, many flyfishers switched over to smallmouth bass fishing – a great idea. I like fishing for smallies in rivers this time of year, along with casting for big bull sunfish with poppers in the evening on local ponds and lakes.
Nothing better on hot summer days than wading wet along pond shorelines or riverbanks and casting for bass just like my son, Gwynn did with me one day in July.
I love fishing small, cold mountain streams for 6 to 8 inches with my 3-weight, although this July, all my family was visiting, and I now have three small grandchildren, so fishing time was limited.
Even in the height of summer, spring-fed beaver bogs stay cold with brookies active all day.
Many of you know that I live on 200-acre Dundee Pond, an impoundment of the Presumpscot River, created by Dundee Dam (originally called Great Falls Dam). In late June, a lower gate failed and stuck in an open position and virtually all of the water drained out of the pond. I will spare you all the details for now, but it is devastating for the aquatic life in the pond including fish, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, birds, insects, etc. The dam will be fixed and pond refilled September, but it will be years before the pond recovers. I liked fishing right outside my door but that might not be possible for quite some time. And I will miss all of the wildlife I used to see on a regular basis.
What drained Dundee Pond looks like. The stumps are from trees logged before the Dam was built in 1910. Wood decomposes very slowly underwater..
You can just see the orginal river channel on the rightside of the photo. The dam is still holding back some water.
The major mayfly hatches are winding down with a few hexes still emerging in northern climes. From what I have heard, it was a pretty good hatch season. Little rain and warm temps encourage good hatches I think. Of course, it isn’t great for rivers and streams. Most of Maine is now in some sort of drought condition (again), much of which is classified as the moderate category.
In Windham, we have had very little rain for going on three months and we must be at least six inches below normal. My lawn in many spots is totally brown and we have had to water so much that I am concerned about our well. Streams are very low. This is the fourth year in a row in our part of Maine we have been in some sort of drought for at least part of the summer. Maybe this is the new normal.
The Western Maine Mountains enhanced or created some thunderstorms and has seen more rain but still could use some real soakings. Rivers and streams are really too warm to fish for trout and salmon now without risking their survival, although anglers are still finding rising fish in larger lakes and ponds.
Lindsey and I did hit the brown drake hatch pretty well and because it was earlier than normal and fairly windy at the time, we had the rising fish to ourselves. We fished for two days, took a week break, and fished two more days. Lessons learned: Just because the lake isn’t calm, doesn’t mean the flies are emerging and fish keying on them. It is just harder to see. The fish were fat and healthy and Lindsey in particular landed dozens between 14 and 19 inches.
Many boats went right by us and didn’t stop. My observation is that as more anglers’ fish out of bigger boats with more powerful engines and go faster, they miss subtle clues about what is happening on the lake. I still do a fair amount of rowing from my Rangeley Boat or very slow cruising in order to be able to closely observe. People stop me all of the time as I am rowing and ask if I need assistance because they don’t understand why anyone would row if they had a functioning outboard.
A few landlocks migrated up Kennebago in the spring, but not many. I did hook several one morning that were substantial. My experience is that salmonids of the same size tend to school together. The first was a good three pounds although he wiggled free at my feet. I then missed a hard strike, and then hooked a salmon that took me into my backing (that rarely happens) and changed directions so fast that I had a hinge in my fly line. It confused me when my rod was pointing one direction and the salmon jumped way off my right shoulder. I have had bonefish do that. After landing him (without a net), a quick measure against my rod showed him to be a broad shouldered 23 or 24 inches. One of the largest I have ever
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.
A new favorite early spring stream: Mill Brook.The headwaters of another local river I like to try in early spring.
A few days remain in the season for some waters, while other locales offer extended seasonal opportunities. I strongly suggest playing hooky and abandoning all other responsibilities and get out fishing. Rain has come to all areas of Maine and flows are good. For some rivers, this is the first time they have been at normal flows since April, and the first time September flows have been normal in several years. So get out there.
I have been hopscotching around: both Kennebago Rivers, the Diamond Rivers in the Dartmouth Grant, N.H.’s Wild River, the Mags, the Roach and East Outlet of the Kennebec, to be more specific. I can’t say the fishing was easy, but persistence and changing approaches when required has yielded some good fish.
Releasing a nice trout from the upper Dead Diamond River on another hot September day.A released Wild River brown trout resting a slow current.This is my largest brook trout of the year and came from the Roach River. I didn’t want to take it out of the water but I am unhooking my fly from the corner of its jaw, and its tail goes past my leg. It was also very fat. 4 pounds maybe? The pattern you ask? Size 14 dark brown Klinkhammer, swung like a wet fly.
The average size of the salmon seem to be much bigger than normal this year. Doesn’t seem to be many of the skinny 14-inch variety, and a good number of 18-plus inchers.
Biggest landlocked salmon of the year, on a dry fly no less. Didn’t try to weigh or measure this big male, but somewhere north of 22 inches and four pounds.
The crowds on the rivers have been intense, but I can’t really blame anybody, no one has been able to fish some of these waters for months, and everyone seems in a good mood, just happy to get a line in some moving water.
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The weather has been unseasonably warm (along with the rain) and looks to continue to be that way. 35 years ago, fly fishing the last week of September on the upper Maggaloway River meant neoprene waders, down jackets and gloves. Water temps were in the 40s, air temps in the morning were below freezing, and the air might be spitting sleet and snow. I know that seems difficult to believe for you young-uns, but that is the way it was before climate change. The forecasted lows for the Rangeley area during the next week – first week of October – barely nudge below the upper 40’s. The change in seasons have moved at least three weeks later in the fall.
On the book front, my new 2021/2022 edition of Flyfisher’s Guide to New England has finally arrived and I am sending it out to stores and shops as fast as I can. You can also purchase from me directly. If you already own a copy, don’t feel like you have to rush out and purchase the new version. Overall, it has additional waters and some other updates, but not enough to warrant replacing.
In my In Pursuit of Trophy Brook Trout book, I discuss and give tying instructions for a number of patterns that I find very effective at hooking big brookies. One of these is the Lou’s Brookie Sculpin. Last week, I walked into The Warden’s Pool on the Roach River in late afternoon after it had been hammered by anglers all day. According to those leaving, success had been limited. Within the first few casts, a nice fat brook trout inhaled this pattern. Now, that sort of thing can happen with any pattern (to the dismay of anglers who are packing up to leave after a fruitless few hours on the same water), but this not the first time this has occurred with Lou’s Brookie Sculpin. Last year, I had a similar experience in October at Upper Dam.
A nice Roach River brook trout with Lou’s Brookie Sculpin in its mouth. See next photo for a close up of the fly.You can see by the two eyes peering upward that this fly is tied with a sculpin head available now commercially. Search on Fish Skull to find them
As the official season winds down to it final days for native trout and salmon waters, I will leave you with an excerpt from my book, Flyfishing Northern New England Seasons,
On the last day I quit fishing for the last half hour before dark, even though fish may still be rising. I sit and watch the water, and reflect on the fishing season past and the fishing seasons still to come. It may be a long seven months until the ice breaks up and fishing begins again in earnest so I try to fix in my mind the good memories, long-time friends, and personal tranquility that fly fishing has brought me. During the winter I recall these mental snapshots. It helps me bridge the gap between seasons.
By then it is dark, so I gather up my gear and go home, to reacquaint myself with family and friends that haven’t seen much of me in the past month – but not without one last backward glance at the water, to see if the fish are still rising.
March is a transition month, at least for me. Part of me is trying to cram in more ice fishing and cross-country skiing before everything melts. But the rest of me is getting spring fever, tying flies feverishly, longing for open water, and counting the days when I can plant radishes underneath my plastic hoop tunnels.
Ice fishing for salmonids slowed down as the winter weeks progressed, as it usually does, but the last few weeks has seen a resurgence of pickerel hook ups. I believe that is because pike species move into the shallows in February in preparation for spawning.
My wife, @lindseyrustad1, did try ice fishing for the first time and had a blast as you can see from this video. https://youtu.be/aGYjAC2rzgA
Here is a big salmon my friend Will caught through the ice on Dundee Pond. From the look of his nose, maybe a hatchery brood stocked fish. Click on the link: https://youtu.be/HhLLc99Hna8
My fly tying has focused on creating a better smallmouth bass popper. My experience is that the best smallie popper is yellow or chartreuse, small, but capable of making an audible pop on the surface. The ones commercially available are too big or too small (to make a good pop) or the rubber legs and tail material get tangled around the hook.
I will keep trying different options until I find one that works best.
During cheap viagra pdxcommercial.com the actual menopause, increase the dose to takeYou need to take the correct dose. Appropriate Usage It is important to take buying viagra in usa this ED pills. This concoction takes a shot at the PDE5 catalyst buy viagra online and standardizes the blood stream in the male organ. I personally am not cialis canadian a person who wears makeup. I am also experimenting with Cue-de-Canard fibers (natural floatation and air bubble creation) to produce more lifelike stonefly and mayfly nymphs, emergers, and cripples, especially for the brown drake hatch. I need to test various lengths, amounts, colors, etc.
Will Cue-de-Canard feathers change the way nymphs fish?
Finally, as spring approaches, let me remind or inform readers that have read my Flyfisher’s Guide, that my first book, Fly Fishing Northern New England Seasons, describes each of the angler’s seasons – starting with ice out, early stonefly hatches, and the early smelt runs – and what tactics and patterns to fish. It was written (and recently updated) to be a companion book to the Guide. One works with the other. Can purchase signed by me from this website or, of course, from Amazon and other specialty book stores and fly shops. Here is a photo of the back cover.
And to get everyone pumped for spring, a video of a smelt run, just click on the link. https://youtu.be/rgcGFC5Rwlk
I hope that you are surviving Covid and figuring out a way to see your loved ones in some fashion; in person or virtually. My family had our Christmas in hastily-decorated garage with car doors and windows open and everyone wearing masks. I think we deserve an A for ingenuity.
December is usually a month with little fishing activity, at least locally. The last few years, my wife and I have been fortunate enough to travel to southern climes, but not this year.
The weather has been a roller coaster. Early December was warmish, more indicative of November. Then in mid-December we had a burst of real winter; some zeroish nights, 20 inches of snow, and 4 inches of ice on the pond
Late December brought October weather – driving wind and rain, 50 degrees, and bare ground again with open water.
Ice breaking up. It was soon completely gone.
I am old enough to remember that late December in Maine frequently meant single digit mornings, snow on the ground from early December on, and lakes and ponds locked up tight with ice. I swear our weather is New Jerseyish now, at least 10 degrees warmer than it used to be. We hardly see any below zero temps anymore.
Fishing was a roller coaster as well. Early December featured water temps still in the 40’s and trout were still active to a well placed nymph. Some big browns were caught in the Royal River and Presumpscot River – some stocked that size, others hold overs or wild fish.
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A typical early Dec. brown.
A huge holdover brown weighing in excess of four pounds, caught in slow water (not by me)where he probably overwinters. During the summer he most likely lives in some undercut bank or under a sunken tree and only feeds at night.
Brookies were active in early December as well, and fishing tailwaters worked well.
On December 22,23, and 24th the newly formed ice was thick enough (barely) to ice fish on, at least in Windham, Maine’s small ponds and lake coves. My Floridian son-in-law had never ice fished or had a brook trout fish fry so we fished a put and take ice fishing pond, caught some brookies and fried them up. I don’t think I had kept and cooked brook trout for over ten years.
First ice fishing of the year on Dundee Pond, a few days before Christmas
My son in law, Brian, caught a number of large pickerel in front of my house.
Destined for the frying pan. We could tell from the coloring that one was recently stocked, the other two not for some time.
The warm rain melted the ice and sent rivers and streams raging with high, 35 degree, brown water. But below dams where the flow was normal and waters clear, fish could be caught if the angler could tolerate cold fingers and only the very sporadic take from a sluggish fish.
High-stick nymphing with tiny nymphs or egg patterns is the highest percentage play for winter fishing
A brookie caught December 27th on a size 20 tungsten bead red midge nymph.
Spring is taking its sweet time showing up. It snowed this morning, just like it has snowed every few days for most of April. According to the weather almanac, it hasn’t been much warmer in late April than it was in late February.
This has been the scene too often in April around my house. And yes, I am growing early spinach, lettuce, radishes, etc. under low hoop houses. That way I don’t have to go to the grocery store as much.
Up country they have had a number of wet snow storms including yesterday and there is still snowpack, especially on north-facing slopes. Rivers have been running high and in the Rangeley area at least, ice is still locked in tight on the lakes except for coves with incoming water. Ice out looks to be the first week of May if we get some warm rain or sunny days.
In southern Maine, the smaller rivers and streams have been fishable although still cold. i took the water temperature of Collyer Brook Sunday morning, April 26th and it was only 42 degrees. My family and I have been exploring local waters together because given social distancing constraints and Maine shelter-in-place suggestions, outside fishing is one activity we can do together. I just moved to the Windham area in the last year, so much new water to explore more thoroughly.
This is an interesting time to fish area rivers, streams, and lakes because you never know whether you will catch small stockers, brood stock, holdovers, or wild fish. I have caught all of the above in the same stretch of a small stream. It has been too cold for much to be in the way of emerging other than midges and early stones, so most of the action is on streamers and nymphs.
One beautiful weekend, my entire family, except my daughter in Florida, spend the day exploring the Presumpscot River watershed. We found a number of brown and brook trout that included stockers, broodstock, holdovers, and wild fish. See the following video:
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Of course, every spring I have to go back to Collyer Brook in Gray at least once. When I first started fly fishing in my 20’s, it was my local stream that I learned on. I have fished it every year since for over 35 years and I have only been skunked a few times. Last week was no exception, but catching a few recent stocked fish wasn’t the point. Collyer Brook is like an old friend, and I like to check in and make sure she is all right and to share a few memories. I have fished all over the world including most recently in Chile for ridiculously big fish, but I don’t think I had more fun than I did for a few hours on my former home water.
I have fished this same run for over 35 years.
Collyer Brook success. Hot fly this spring has been a fly tied by my daughter’s boyfriend, Will. We call it Will’s Redwood Special. (It is a variation of a Wood Special pattern)
Love this time of year when so many creatures feel the strong pull of perpetuating the species. Here are two videos. The first, by my friend, Kevyn Fowler ,shows smelt spawning in a tiny outlet stream. Note the eggs, which will hatch in a few weeks with the emergent fry washing down into the lake before seasonal streams dry up. Near the end of the video, watch the fat brown trout cruise on screen looking to pick off a distracted or injured smelt.
The second video shows newly arrived Merganser ducks with the splendid black-and-white males competing for females to pair off with.
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The weather stayed cold in early December and ponds and lakes continued the freezing process, although warmer temperatures and heavy rain in the middle of the month opened up some water again.
The Rangeley area has several feet of snow on the ground in places and lakes were locked up tight with ice.
The upper Presumpscot River continued to fish well in early December even with the colder water. I heard from anglers using flies discussed in my books that they were working well including the Cosohammer streamer, brook trout egg patterns, and bright-bead nymphs. Fly fishers are cetainly fishing later in the year now. Everybody used to quit when deer season arrived, but now the anglers are still at it after deer season is over! The following video was taken December 7th – a nice brook trout caught nymphing.
Year in Review: As I think back about 2019, I am reminded that you never know what might happen while you are fishing. For instance, you never know what fish species you might land on a fly. Here are two of the more bizarre hook-ups of the year. The invisible http://hartbuildersinc.com/html/meet.html viagra levitra pelvic floor muscles are functionally connected to the world wide web you can appreciate this hobby without leaving your home or office environment. When a man suffers from the condition, his male organ does not receive enough hardness for penetration and being erect at the time of, intercourse activity. cheap levitra on line Because a driver is taking the course on levitra for sale online the job training is provided to the students so that they can please their partners and end their sexual frustration. For all questions about plumbing parts we have on our website, feel tadalafil super active free to contact us and we’ll provide detailed answer in timely manner.
Will Folsum with four -foot eel he hooked and landed with a small Prince Nymph while fishing the fast water at the head of Dundee Pond.
A large yellow perch that took a 4-inch leech pattern designed for big largemouth bass or perhaps brown trout.
Finally, I found someone who illuminated me on the bait blitz that I posted a video of as part of my November blog. Apparently, landlocked alewives exist in Sebago Lake and the young of the year still attempt to migrate downstream. During several big rain events in November, a number of them were washed over the Sebago Lake and North Gorham Pond dams and became trapped in Dundee Pond, where in the shallow water, they became easy pickin’s.
Let me wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year with plenty of fly-fishing opportunities.
Winter arrived early this November, with overall temperatures dropping about 20 degrees suddenly early in the month and more or less staying put. Much of Maine got snow, and in the colder parts of the state it has remained and deepened with several small snowstorms. It made the deer hunting in the Rangeley area very productive since it made tracking easy.
Fishing stayed fairly consistent even with the colder weather because it took water temps a while to cool down. For example, fishing was outstanding in the upper Presumpscot River section near Route 35. Unfortunately, many anglers discovered that fact and it got amazingly crowded.
Toward the end of the month, water temps dropped significantly and ice started forming on the edges of small ponds. During several mornings on Dundee Pond, I observed from my office window, some sort of “bait blitz”. A flock of herring gulls started circling and diving, accompanied by dozens of mergansers (both common and hooded) also diving and chasing what I assume were schools of small fish. Great blue herons, kingfishers, and two bald eagles joined in the fray. The scene reminded me of stripers pounding bait on the surface of the Kennebec River.
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As the cold weather settled in, I escaped Maine for the warmer climes of Florida and California to visit my kids and other relatives. Shockingly, I found time to do a little fishing. I caught largemouth bass on a lake my daughter now lives on in Tallahassee – on a dragonfly pattern. It might be the first fish I have ever caught on that fly type, even though I always carry a few and fish them from time to time.
In California, my son and I floated the lower Sac for steelhead (and resident rainbows) and hiked the headwaters of rivers in the San Francisco Bay area, catching small rainbows with steelhead genetics in water you could jump across without getting your feet wet.
Fat Sac River steelhead
Typical healthy Sac River resident rainbow
Small rainbows with steelhead genes can still be caught in the headwaters around Oakland, California
