Tag Archives: brown trout

February 2024 New England Fly-Fishing Report

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Hello everyone,

Mid-January finally brought some wintery weather in the form of snow and cold, but it was interspersed with warmer weather and rain. Bottom Line: Very few lakes and ponds froze enough to be safe for ice-fishing or ice-skating, except in the traditionally coldest climes. Strong currents from all of the continuing rain left inlets and outlets and hundreds of yards of water nearby unfrozen.

The Presumpscot River in late January looked in perfect shape to fish with moderate flow and no ice.

Until you got up north to the Rangeley area and northern New Hampshire and Vermont, there was barely enough snow for skiing or snowmobiling unless snowmaking capabilities could cover the slopes. I managed to X-country for a few days.

Such a strange, non-existent winter. Only four sunny days in January, and I feel temps on many days were running ten degrees above normal. In southern Maine, we used to have double-digit numbers of nights below zero. This year? None. It hardly ever gets into the single digits.

I would predict for everyone a very early ice-out and an early start to fishing season, but can you call it ice-out when many stillwaters didn’t totally freeze? Near me, Dundee Pond only partially froze and North Gorham Pond as I write this is totally open water. A few bays of the major lakes are frozen enough to venture out, but that is it.

North Gorham Pond, an impoundment of the Presumpscot River is entirely open water as I write this because of strong currents from all of the rain.

I did get some ice fishing in, but it wasn’t very good, maybe the fish are confused given the strange weather. I know that turkeys were gobbling, songbirds were singing their spring songs, and male woodpeckers were drilling, marking their territories in late January.

Caught this 22-inch pickerel.

A couple of eagles, photographed at a distance, waiting for me to throw a fish on the ice. They left disappointed.

The Presumpscot River and its impoundments give up a few impressive brown trout every year. My son-in-law and myself have landed three brown trout between 3 and 4 plus pounds over the last several years. A gentlemen ice-fishing one of the impoundments at the beginning of February landed a monster. Why can’t I catch a fish like this ice fishing?

Hard to tell how large this fish is, but a monster for sure.

I am a member of the Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited, (sebagotu.org) a fine conservation and outreach organization. We host an Ice-fishing event every year on Chaffin Pond in Windham for families who want to learn about ice fishing. This year the weather was good, pond was frozen, and 70 or so hardy souls turned out. We even caught a few brook trout despite the commotion on the ice. Come join us next year,

A nice brookie caught by a few of the young men attendees.

I am always interested in hearing about your interesting fishing experiences. Email me. louzambello@gmail.com

British Columbia Fishing Adventure

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I started flying extensively again this summer after a two-year break during the worst of Covid. I am a cutthroat trout afficionado and I was eager to get out west and find some yellow-golden beauties. So excited in fact that I went twice! I traveled to the St. Joe’s River in Idaho during early August and then spent two weeks in British Columbia with my wife, Lindsey, in mid-September.

I captured so much fishing action and beautiful landscapes through photos, video, Go-Pro, and drone footage that I am just getting around to editing and posting the content. I just had my column published in the December issue of the Maine Sportsman in which I wrote about cutthroat trout and directed folks to my blog for further video. Yikes, I hadn’t posted any yet! So here goes a few videos.

Floated the Bow River for one day targeting browns with streamers along with sporadic nymphing and was fortunate enough to tangle with a few big boys. I broke the tip off a flyrod trying to land one of them.
We fished a tributary of the Elk River in Fernie and found large cutthroat trout migrating downstream for the winter. The largest fish grabbed my favorite Cosohammer Streamer.


January Maine Fishing Report

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The first half of January brought another freeze, rain, thaw, and refreeze cycle. Here is open water on January 17th.

IMG_4659

In fact, some very nice brown trout were caught below Saco and Presumpscot River dams that were wide open without any ice or snow.

Below is a big Presumpscot River Brown caught in mid January. The net opening is 18 inches.

Southern Maine BrownFinally, mid January brought winterlike temperatures. Well, winterlike for Connecticut, not Maine. But still cold enough to finally freeze sheltered ponds and coves for good. Usually, January is a busy time for me, traveling to and presenting at multiple fly fishing shows, TU meetings, and other fly fishing forums. This year – not so much. I still sold books every week through my website although the post office was  backed up and books took weeks to arrive. Anglers who have bought and read at least one of my books will email me wanting another title. I take that as a high complement.

I tried ice fishing last year for the first time in decades, but this January, with an open schedule, I had the time to take it up a notch. My family and friends (Mary, Will, and Lindsey) explored Dundee Pond and a few other local waters.

Past the following in your browser to see video of Lindsey’s first ice fishing attempt.

https://youtu.be/aGYjAC2rzgA

I would have had time for more “fishing on the hard” but (1) I was distracted by watching to see if our country’s democracy was going to hold, and (2) we were also babysitting our one-year old grandson for the month and driving down to Florida and back to drop him and his mother back to their home on Killarney Lake. Did get to do a bit of Crappie fishing while there.

In Florida, the spring crappie bite is on.

In Florida, the spring crappie bite is on.

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My daughter jigged this brookie.

My daughter jigged this brookie.

We caught other species as well; pickerel, yellow perch, largemouth bass, and landlocked salmon. You never know what it will be, but mostly pickerel and brookies.

My fist landlocked salmon through the ice

My fist landlocked salmon through the ice

 

We also found a local pond that I will keep quiet about for now, where we caught some very healthy largemouth bass including one that was the biggest I have ever caught using any method.

Panther Pond (3)

February will be a month I catch up on everything I planned to do in December and January. Replenishing fly boxes, replacing and fixing gear, writing articles, columns, and books, and so on.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @mainelyflyfishing. Based on the statistics I have seen, fly fishing is welcoming many newbies to the sport. I want to remind everyone that at the back of each region in my Flyfishers Guide to New England book, I list recommended waters for new anglers as well as sites that are easy access.

Stay healthy everyone.

December Fishing Report

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Seasons Greetings,

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.

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 typical early Dec. brown.

A huge holdover brown weighing in excess of four pounds, caught in slow water where he probably overwinters. During the summer probably lives in some undercut bank or under a sunken tree and only feeds at night.

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.

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

First ice fishing of the year on Dundee Pond, a few days before Christmas

We caught a number of large pickerel in front of my house.

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.

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

High-stick nymphing with tiny nymphs or egg patterns is the highest percentage play for winter fishing

A brookie caught December 27th

A brookie caught December 27th on a size 20 tungsten bead red midge nymph.

 

Late April Fly Fishing Report

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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.

Mid-April snowstorm (4)

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.

                                         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)

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)

Enjoy the fishing everyone. Stay safe. Lou

 

 

 

Brown Trout Look Very Different Depending on Where They Live

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Brown Trout around the world can have very different appearances depending upon where you catch them. Part of the reason for this is that they are not native to the America’s and were stocked at some point in the distant past. They were stocked from different strains of brown trout from different parts of Europe including Germany and the UK. The other factor is that over time wild brown trout colors change to better match the river or lake environment in which they live. Each generation of brown trout becomes better camouflaged because the baby trout that can hide better survive to pass on their genes to future generations.

Here are photos of brown trout we caught in different locations in Chile. Notice the range of colors and the difference in spots. The brown trout from one river had bellies and bottom fins that were orange. Other fish in rivers with a light-colored muddy bottom were a washed out gray as well.

Lake fish has a bluish-silvery sheen

Lake fish has a bluish-silvery sheen

This brown is orange, particularly on his underside

This brown is orange, particularly on his underside


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A dense pattern of spots.

A dense pattern of spots.

A brown with very few spots

A brown with very few spots

This river fish is almost completely a washed out gray

This river fish is almost completely a washed out gray

Ice-out finally and other news

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Ice-out is official. For all practical purposes, ice was almost all gone on Rangeley, Mooselookmeguntic, and Kennebago on May 6th or 7th.

I was guiding on Wednesday and didn’t see too many signs of smelt however. Water temps were below 40 on the Rangeley River in the morning but with air temps approaching 80 degrees in the afternoon, water temps were 43 on the Rangeley and Magalloway Rivers by afternoon. By the time you are reading this, I am sure the fishing has picked up.

Everyone anticipated potential flooding from the snowmelt but with little rain falling in the last two months, it didn’t happen. Now with the lakes low, dam operators are trying to refill them and some river levels are low. It is hard to believe given the amount of snow that we had. Mooselookmeguntic Lake is at least four feet low, but maybe this is intentional due to the Upper Dam work being done. This will limit fishing opportunities on the Rangeley River if it stays at that level.

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Brian, owner of Pheasant Tail Tours (www.pheasanttailtours.com) and Harry, owner of Berkshire Rivers Fly Fishing (www.berkshireriversflyfishing.com) have introduced me to Massachusetts fly fishing. People from northern New England don’t think about going to Massachusetts to fish, but that is a mistake. Mass. rivers fish better early and late in the season then more northern climes and you can extend your season.

The Deerfield River is a great river to float for rainbows and browns, and the Hoosic and Housatonic Rivers are being rediscovered for their very nice brown trout fishing. There are other options as well and Brian and Harry can take you there on either wading or float trips. I have been enjoying my time fishing in Massachusetts – you don’t get a lot of chances at holdover brown trout or rainbows in Maine.

Anxiously awaiting open-water season

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Well, I am sure that everyone is waiting for the cold weather to end so we can start to see some open water. This is the time when we all daydream about fishing and plan future trips so I have some recommendations for you…

First of all, if you have never fished for the steelhead or large browns in Upstate New York that run into the tributaries of the Great Lakes than you have missed out on some real fun. Forget about the stories you have heard about crowded water and snagging. There is a guide service that does a tremendous job in New York. Go visit their website at www.reelactionfly.com. You will be amazed at their photos and videos. They also offer some great options at their camp in Alaska.

Here is a photo of me with a rather large brown trout I caught while they guided me. Trust me when I say that when one guide chooses another guide to assist , then the guide must be good.

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Finally, if you haven’t seen the following video, check it out at http://vimeo.com/85147880

I am not going to tell you anything about it except it is from New Zealand, just click on it – you will be glad that you did.

Finally, I will be giving my book presentation at the Maine Sportsman show on Friday and Sunday, the last weekend of March and at the NutMeg Chapter of TU (http://www.nutmegtrout.org) on March 18th in Connecticut.

November fishing continued good

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Decent weather continued into mid November and the fly fishing in Southern Maine continued to be good in those bodies of water still open to fishing. The Presumpscott River was particularly good, not only the section near the Sebago dam but further down river below other ponds and dams. Water flows were low making wading and fish spotting easy, and water temperatures were still in the mid 40’s so the fish remained active. See my video of the action in early November. Later in the month flows increased significantly, limiting the fishing options somewhat
The attraction this time of year is the mix of fish you can hook up with. Good size brookies in gorgeous spawning colors are stocked as are large 18 inch plus browns. Holdover fish move up the river from ponds and lower parts of the river. I watched one guy net a wide and fat landlocked salmon that was over 4 pounds, and saw a picture of another 25 inch salmon (caught on a spinner). I also caught chubs and small mouth bass. Like I said, you never know.
Classic Maine streamers such as The Grey Ghost catch fish but nymphing has the highest rate of success. I nymph with copper johns in various colors as well as pheasant tails, and zebra midges. What tippet size to use is a dilemma; finer tippet sizes yield more fish, but breakoff’s are likely if you hook into a horse.
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Coastal streams that become brackish before emptying into the ocean stay warmer because of the ocean’s influence. Last fall, in southern Maine, the ocean temperature in some of the shallow bays and estuaries was still in the 60’s in early October. If you have never tried fishing for sea-run browns, I recommend it. From the Royal River in Yarmouth all the way down the Maine coast to New Hampshire, many streams have sea-runs. The Maine Sportsman newspaper and other publications give detailed descriptions every year of where to find them. I have a neighbor who every year catches browns over 20 inches from the Royal River, right in downtown Yarmouth. He uses very large lures and flies with lots of flash. I have had my best action with large soft-hackle marabou streamers in yellow and small muddlers. It usually isn’t fast fishing, but it is a thrill every once and awhile to hook one.