Fishing Report & Tips

Low water...No Problem!!!

August 30
While we haven't had significant rain in the past week we have seen some really cool night time temperatures and the fishing has really improved. Most river temperatures are beginning to move into the mid to lower 60's! We are catching fish in all the major rivers, Kennebec, Moose, Roach, and The West Branch. We are also beginning to see many silvery chrome Salmon in the river which is a good sign that the fall run is beginning. Streamers are becoming very effective, larger patterns as well; Grey Ghost, Pink Floyds, and Mitchell Creeks. Nymphing is still consistent, especially in the sunnier times of the day, pheasant tails, prince nymphs, and assorted copper johns can generally do the trick. If your lucky enough to fish during one of the cloudy or overcast days tie on some small dries, parachute type patterns are great, and be patient, big fish are still coming up for properly drifted dries. As of late there have been many good reports coming in from the west branch below Rip dam, lots of salmon in the 12-14 inch variety and as always the possibility of something really big! The seven day outlook is looking very favorable, they are currently tracking hurricane Earl to hit Maine by Saturday. We could use a big dose of rain and a hurricane or tropical storm could be just what the doctor ordered.

Fishing Report

August 25
The past month of fishing reports have been sounding like a broken record, but the weather hasn't really been cooperating with us fisherman. The good thing is that there really are still fish in the river, and some cooler nightime tempertures have really helped a lot. We are still desperate for water and crossing our fingers for some rain today. Right now I can't stress enough that there are no magic bullets, try anything and everything out there. On Sunday we caught all fish on small parachute dries and yesterday all fish with streamers. The water is low so its a great time to hunt out potentially good spots for higher water and to get a better feel for the shape of the river. There are really no flies or specefic techniques that are working better than others. Varying retrieves, presentations, and flies can really pay off. Don't be shy about pulling out that fly you bought ten years and haven't used!

Late Summer Salmon!

August 18 We are still seeing good action on the Kennebec even with all the warm weather and lower water flows. The outlet has been holding at about 1400 cfs for the past three weeks, this is a great level for wading and still enough water to hold decent fish, salmon in the 16-18 inch class are still being caught regularly. As far as fishing styles and selection things are the same. Early morning and evening will be the best time to use dries and nymphing will be most effective overall. this is a great time of year to really brush up on your nymphing skills and to try out flies that haven't seen much action in your fly box, really anything goes this time of year. On a recent trip we had our best luck with Mitchell Creek Maribou streamers, go figure! Its important with these conditions and sunlight that you approach the area or pool that you are fishing with care, fish can spook easily and a stealthy approach can really help out. Delicate casts are a must and excessive noise are a no no. We experienced a little over 1 inches of rain on monday night which was great and nighttime temps are really cooling down, but with lake levels as low as they are a pounding of rain would be really beneficial right now

Fall is around the corner!

August 11
It looks as if our water temps have finally peaked a couple of weeks ago and we are beginning to finally see the temperatures on the decline. Our area has seen some very cool nights and rain in the past week or so which is a good thing. Some of the trees in the area are starting to change just a little which reminds us that September is almost here. Fishing has remained decent through August even with the warmer weather. A good nymphing strategy remains key but we are taking a few fish on the river with dry flies, small patterns though of the 16 and 18 variety, small caddis are still hatching sporadically and with water temps creeping back into the 60's the fish are responding. Fish are still slower to move this time of year so location is key. Traditional soft hackle flies have also been productive, when fishing soft hackles controlling the speed of the swing is very important. You'll want to make small mends throughout the drift to ensure as slow and steady swing as opposed to the more dramatic swings we use with streamers. As fall fishing approaches one of the things we really want to see is a steady decline in water temperature at the same time we see an incline in water level. This is the combination that equals incredible fall fishing and can really kick start the spawning runs of Brook Trout and Landlocked Salmon. So as you plan your fall fishing trip to the area its not necessary to assume that the best fishing will be towards the end of September, sometimes a few rainy days and a couple of nights in the 30's even towards the beginning of September can trigger the fish to really move into the river.

The following email was an account of one of our guides Mike Jones and an August 12th trip on the East Outlet. The photo above says it all.

Mid August, and the river temp is 64.0F at 8:00 am.; we had 5 to 7 hours of good fishing ahead of us. With Peter Newton, and his son Walker, we started the drift with dries and nymphs on the East Outlet. After an hour, we had caught a few nice salmon then we anchored up in one of my favorite nymph holes. After reviewing casting a nymph rig, and considered the depth of the hole, Walker drifted into a perfect East Outlet hen about 19" in length; a great sign for early fall fishing for bright salmon! Best fish of the day, and many other good salmon brought to net! A great skill-building trip for Peter & Walker. Michael Jones

This is the email from Peter and Walker after their day with Mike:

Mike, Here is the picture I took of you and Walker.
Great day floating the East Outlet! We appreciate you getting us on all those great nymphing holes and Walker is especially grateful after pulling this 19" salmon off of her spot when his
thingamabobber went down like a rock. We've been fishing with the Maine Guide Fly Shop for
10+ years and every year we have had a great time - can't wait to come back for another trip. Thanks so much, Peter and Walker Newton

Our Annual Project Healing Waters Fishing Trip

July 28-31We held our annual Healing Waters Fishing Trip on July 28-31.
Seven disabled veterans; Everett Butler (Sonny), Alan Johnston, John Rogers, Wes Cumming, Stan Munson, Jerry Gilbert and Pete Sargent attended this years outing. Teri Olson, recreation director at Togus Veteran’s Hospital organized the group and Bruce Bowman with Trout Unlimited was also on the trip for additional support.

Everyone arrived on Wednesday afternoon for their stay at Moosetracts Cottages on Prong Pond. They have a wonderful handicapped accessible cottage that is extremely wheelchair friendly with an impressive wooden ramp that weaves its way through the woods to a beautiful dock on Prong Pond so everyone gets to enjoy the spectacular view.
On Thursday everyone made the journey to the West Branch of the Penobscot for our first day of fly fishing. Fish were a bit fussy at first but everyone caught fish on dry flies before the day was over. A medium size tan caddis and a yellow hornberg worked the best. We all enjoyed a barbeque at Big Eddie Campground. The day was spent fly fishing from Big Eddie down to a takeout just above Big A Rapids. The weather could not have been better.
On Friday everyone headed for the East Outlet of the Kennebec and the 3 ½ mile drift to Indian Pond. Fishing was tough in the upper river in the morning but after we had lunch at the Beach Pool persistence paid off in the lower, less accessible part of the river with more action and everyone catching fish once again. A small tan tent wing caddis called the King’s River was the dry fly of the day. Again the weather and the company could not have been any better.
The vets spent their evenings dining at the Rod & Reel Café and Kokadjo Trading Post then relaxing at Prong Pond. On Friday evening our American Legion put on a wonderful barbeque. After the great meal everyone had a lot of laughs brought on by some very funny local story tellers. They claimed all their stories to be true. There may have been a touch of doubt.
A guy from R.I. saw me mowing my lawn, pulled over, then waved me over to ask for directions. “How do you get to Bangor?” I replied “I always ride with my neighbor.”
Many thanks have to go out to the countless folks who had a hand in putting together this year’s Healing Waters Outing. If I tried to gather all the names of the individuals and businesses that gave their time I would surely miss some. It’s a very long list. You know who you are and it’s because of your overwhelming generosity that makes this a wonderful event our disabled veterans so look forward to each summer. We are already laying plans for next summer. Our heart felt thanks goes out to each and everyone involved. It would not be the event it has become without your continued support.
You will find more photos of the outing at our photos page.

Got Nymphs??

July 25
With water temps on the rise and water flows getting lower the most consistent technique becomes nymphing. If your still looking to dry fly fish you will definately aim towards fishing the early morning or the evening. Caddis and stonefly patterens are both effective. If your fishing towards the middle of the day however you will most likely find yourself nymph fishing. Nothing fancy; stonefly nymphs, p-tails, prince nymphs are always a hit and small is the game. We like to rig up a couple flies. A beadhead stonefly makes a great lead fly and then about 18 inches behind tie on a trailing nymph, this allows you to experiment with different patterns, colors, and sizes to see what fish are looking for. Fish are not moving very quickly these days so make sure your nymphs are getting down to the bottom. It's O.K. to get hung up now and then so you know that you are fishing the right zone.
Remember 90% of a fishes food is consumed from a foot along the bottom or a foot at the surface.

The East Outlet is the best game around.

July 20
Fishing may not be what it was a month ago but the East Outlet still holds good numbers of nice salmon still in the river from the last high water event two weeks ago.
It did take six different flies to catch the first six fish of the day yesterday but who's counting and we're still seeing 16-18" fish in most of the runs.
Tiny black caddis have been the predominant hatch along with a mottled wing caddis called a King's River. Fishing has been best in the morning before the bright mid-day sun has its effects on surface activity. Then again as the light fades around sunset.
The West Branch of the Penobscot below Rip Dam is seeing flows increase from 2000 to 3200 cfs during the day due to power demands. Weekends should see the levels remain more stable at around 2000 but there are no promises. Fishing has been very good when the flow are around 2000.
One nice thing, it's wet wading season and the water feels great on these hot summer days. Some folks are falling in on purpose.
See you on the river.

Summer in Moosehead

July 15
With the monster caddis and stonefly hatches of June slowing up we are now officially into Summer fishing. This time of year can really test the patience and skills of even the most seasoned of anglers. In the East Outlet we are still finding fish but with warmer water temps they are being less cooperative. Stoneflies are hatching daily so big stimulator and tarantula patterns are effective. The fish in warmer waters are much less aggressive than last month but they will still rise to a big offering, just react fast because recasting over the same spot will most likely not cause a second rise. During the summer months fisherman must really start thinking like a fish. The way we feel on a 90 degree day with 90 percent humidity is the way fish feel in the river, there metabolism and energy levels are low. Look for riffles and whiter water, these areas have much higher oxygen than the surrounding waters which means these areas can hold fish. Nymphing is another great technique in the summer. Fish are rarely willing to move very far for a snack and nymphing allows us to present a fly directly to the fish. Stonefly nymphs, pheasant tails and copper johns are excellent choices right now.

Heat Wave !!

July 8
While hazy hot and humid has never been synonomous with good fishing the East Outlet is holding up quite well even with the 90 degree temps. The flow currently is about 2700 which is the upper range for wading but there are plenty of fish throughout. We are in the summer fishing season so you really need to come ready to try out every last fly in your box, a fisherman that is willing to adapt and try many different techniques can do well this time of year. Stoneflies and caddis are still the insect of choice which means that fish will definatly rise to a dry. Big ugly stimulators are effective to imitate summer stoneflies, hoppers and other terrestrials can be just as effective as well. Nymphing and streamer fishing are also techniques that should be experimented with. As we said in the last report there are a lot of new fish in the river that will be more than willing to wail on a streamer.
Green Drake fishing on lakes and ponds is still going well. Hatches throughout the area are still occurring nightly. While early in the season typical hatches could last an hour or more, late in the season and with added heat hatches are becoming shorter, sometimes only lasting for 20 or 30 minutes, so be prepared. Fish are also becoming much more selective with their green drake selections so quality casting is important as well as quality fly selection! Instead of using your favorite dry fly tie on a nymph like the maple syrup and work it just below the surface. At the end of the hatches fish are more apt to take the nymph than the dry.

The East Outlet gets a new run of fish!!!

July 3
The heavy rains that fell last week put the lake level on Moosehead over the top. As a result water had to be dumped and flows went to 3400 cfs, making it almost nearly impossible to wade. This amount of water does have its positive effects though. In general salmon love big water and whenever flows are increased drastically, in any river with a population of salmon in the lake below, new fish will enter the river. With water temps still in the low to mid-60's the East Outlet just got a fresh run of fish and the continued high water should keep them coming.
Yesterday we saw all the new fish first hand. There were bright silver 16-18" salmon all over the river.
When water flow is high you need to look at the river from a entirely different angle. It's big, intimidating, and completely changed from the last time you saw it at a much lower level. The pools you know aren't there anymore. It's now a flush of water and your not going to wade to any of your favorite spots.
The fish are still there but where? They don't want to battle all that big water so they'll move to the edges and find slower, less hospitable water. We call this spots High Water Holes, when fish are in spots you would never see them during lower flows. They aren't the big pools and runs you are used to. Fish are now holding along smaller less obvious eddy lines below a small point of land or bend in the river. They aren't hard to find. You just have to look at the river differently and move your focus away from the big water and traditional spots. Just look down the sides of the river and you'll begin to pick them out. They are now holding in the quieter water along the eddy line where there is now 2-3 feet of water.

Fresh fish are also very different creatures than fish that have been in the river during all the hatches. The resident fish have been dining on insects for some time and won't chase a streamer like they did before the hatches started. You'll still catch these guys on tiny caddis and nymphs. Fresh fish have been making a living chasing smelt in the lake and now they are in the river with the same game in mind. They'll find the bugs in due time but when they are new to the river they need streamers.
If you want to find out if fresh fish are around put the sink-tip line back on and swing your favorite streamer. New fish are eager to chase streamers and less likely to sip a dry fly. We proved it yesterday and caught the bulk of the fish swinging streamers. They were chrome silver, fresh from Indian Pond, hit like a freight train and jumped eye high. It was the best day we have had for bigger fish in quite a while.

Remember always be over cautious of high water. It can be dangerous wading but if you look to the edges for newly flooded High Water Holes you can stay in safe water and sniff out plenty of fish.

Have a great 4th of July weekend.

Green Drakes!!!

June 29
The Green Drakes(Hex) have finally started in a few spots. Now is the time you had better be baby sitting your favorite haunts. The first night of the hatch can be magical. The biggest trout in the pond are on top and making pigs of themselves. Lay out anything that resembles those monster mayflies and they'll eat it! What a hoot it is to pick off cruising trout on flat calm water.
There are lots of imitations around and they work well at given times. The drakes mostly are a yellow/brown color but also all gray and even pale yellow or green. Its good to carry all the different colors in size 8 just in case. A good nymph is just as important as the dries. A nymph called the Maple Syrup has gotten lots of attention in the last few years. Its a tan chenille body with a yellow calf tail and a brown soft hackle collar. Tied on a streamer hook its long enough to imitate the nymph very well. Remember to use a good stout leader on these big bugs or they will spin in the air as you cast and twist your leader. 3X tippet should do the trick.
Take a flashlight along because you'll be staying till the end. The Hex hatch happens just before dark. Hatches will usually last about a week on a pond with the deeper, higher elevation and northern ponds hatching last. Allagash Lake for instance doesn't usually pop till mid month.
While your waiting around for the hatch to start hook up a sinking line and the nymph so you can work the bottom for a couple hours before the light starts to fade. You should find fish cruising around the cove looking for an early meal.
This is the time hard core pond fisherman wait for all year. The big boys are out and feeding on top.

Stoneflies and Drakes

June 18
We have had a fantastic spring of fishing and as we roll closer to summer the forecast is still looking great! Cool temperatures in the evening have really benefited the rivers, while flows are still low the temperatures have still remained cool. Caddis are still abundantly hatching throughout the days and evenings and we are now beginning to see stoneflies on the river. Again this is a couple of weeks ahead of schedule, but signals some really fun fishing as fish continue to look up for food. Tarantulas and stimulators are important flies right now. A great method that we use quite often is a double dry rig which a stimulator is the lead fly and varying smaller caddis patterns as a trailer.
With all the early hatching this spring we are eagerly awaiting the hex hatches and the big mayflies of summer. We are seeing them sporadically so it really looks like we will be seeing the bulk of the hatch activity earlier than the 4th of July.

Caddis Season in Full Swing!

June 11We are into week number 2 of the caddis hatches and things are still going strong. Last week saw a few rainy days but that hasn't affected the river flow at all. The East Outlet of the Kennebec is running at around 1000 cfs which is very wadeable and the fishing has remained excellent. The river is seeing a lot of pressure right now so be sure to bring the whole bag of tricks. A standard 14-16 elk hair caddis will probably not cut it right now. Emergers and sub surface presentations will be key. With the hatches arriving early we are looking to see the Stoneflies begin ahead of schedule as well. Nymphing with heavily weighted Stonefly nymphs has been producing fish as well. With relatively overcast days and some downright frigid nights river water temperatures have remained very steady. Flows in the Moose River have been a little high the past few days, although fishing has still been good near the dam. Good reports have also come in from the West Branch as well. Caddis still being the dominant hatch with many fish being caught on nymphs and streamers also.
Ponds in the area are starting to produce. We are beginning to see early signs of the Hex hatches, very sporadic, but an indication that the typical green drake mayfly hatch which typically starts around the 4th of July might be a little early. Smaller mayfly action has subsided on the ponds but with water temps still fairly low there are fish around, and willing to take a dry fly.

Breaking News !!!!!

June 3Ice out was early, mayflies were early and it appears that the caddis have arrived early as well. Typically we do not see the first caddis hatches until the middle of June but they are here now!! Anyone that was lucky enough to be fishing the East Outlet yesterday found themselves enjoying the first serious dry fly action of the summer. The first wave of caddis consisted of the bright green variety as usual but fishing emerger patterns and parachutes this time of year can be very important. The water level of the East Outlet also dropped considerably down to 1000 Cfs even with the deluge of rain we recently had. This is the optimal level for wading as almost all section of the river are easily accessible. So beat the crowds and head up early, the caddis are on!!

Fish On !!!!

May 25
Temperatures have been in the 90's the past few days and the fishing is really starting to heat up as well. When you head up this weekend make sure to bring your whole bag of tricks. We are still fishing a lot of streamers and nymphs in the river, but with water temps hovering between 50-54, expect anything. Reports of Hendrickson mayflies hatching are coming from all over the area, Moose River, Kennebec, and the Penobscot. Typically this early mayfly hatch will last about 10 days so if you want to experience the first dry fly fishing of the season, come on up!
Water levels are on the high side but still very fishable. Even better we still have a limited number of drift boat trips available for the first couple weeks in June, but they really are going fast!
In the nymphing department we are having a lot of success with caddis larva, especially the bright green ones. Typically the first caddis hatch will be in the first or second week in June, right now the river is filled with tons of larvae and the fish are eager to partake. On the eastern side of the lake good fishing reports are in from both The West Branch as well as The Roach. The Roach is at summer flow level so its worth checking out before the water starts to get to warm.
The still water ponds are beginning to percolate and seeing some nice hatch activity in the early mornings and evenings.
For the smallmouth fisherman now is the time! Most bass in the area should be making their way to the spawning beds as temps reach the magical 60 degree mark, which means its time to bring out the poppers and start working the surface.

Have a great Holiday weekend

...and it begins again

May 20
We are beginning to get some really nice weather in the Moosehead area, looks like it will be close to 80 today! The East Outlet of the Kennebec has been brought down to fishable levels today. It's been dropped to 2400 cfs which isn't the best level for wading but very fishable. There haven't been many fisherman around so the pressure is light and the fish are plentiful. Temps are still on the cooler side in the upper portions of the river so make sure you come equipped with some heavy sinking lines for your streamers and definately nymphing gear. This week will begin to see some of the Hendrickson's beginning to appear towards the lower end of the river, and with the forecast calling for unseasonably warm temps for the next week we could be in for a real treat.
Action on the ponds is ramping up as well. We are beginning to see the early hatches of mayflies. With the warmer weather don't be surprised to see some ants and other terrestrials creeping around the pond. A few good ant patterns are a necessity this time of year. Sometimes trout feeding on an ant hatch will ignore everything else.
So far so good on the weather and water fronts, we'll keep our fingers crossed. Surprisingly, with the extremely early ice out the fishing season, as far as hatches and water temp go, is exactly where it was last year! If you scroll down you can read the fishing reports from last year, sometimes it can be interesting to see what was going on this time last year!

Have a great weekend on the water.

Nothing but net!!

May 7Fishing traffic was light this week but most fishermen I talked to had nothing but good things to say.
It appear the smelt run was earlier than normal on the Moose River. No surprise. Fish are already throughout the river and all the way to the dam. Someone called here the other day looking for a taxidermist. He had caught a 4 lb brookie somewhere on the lake in the Rockwood area.
The East Outlet is down to 2400 cfs and prime for picking. We haven't started running the river yet but fish should be throughout the river.
The beautiful weather last week got the ponds perking. Folks were catching plenty of brookies using sinking lines. Dragon fly nymph imitations were doing the trick. Nothing on top just yet.
It's sucker spawn season. If you haven't fished them yet you're missing out. Suckers will start spawning around the mouth and in the rivers. Trout love to lay just downstream of the beloved beasts sucking in their eggs. Suckers are good for something. It's a short window of opportunity but the window is now open.

Streamer fishing is probably the most productive way to catch early season fish. You've got your favorite streamer on and made a great cast. The fly is right where you want it. Now what do you do? There are two schools to fly fishing. The 1st is learning how to get your fly out there. You just did that. The 2nd is what to do with your fly now that it's where you want it. It's all about the retrieve. Different flies, different fish, and different times of the season require different retrieves. Ever been with someone who was doing all the catching and you're using the same fly? Who hasn't. Don't focus on where they are fishing but what they are doing with the fly. It's got to appear natural, if it doesn't you're not playing the game right.

I'll try and make some sense of it all, starting with early season streamer fishing on moving water. When you're fishing streamers in the spring your fly is supposed to represent some species of minnow, mainly smelts in our neighborhood. Bait fish scurry about not hanging in any one place for any length of time. They stop in the wrong place and they stand the likely chance of getting eaten.
In moving water, as your fly swings across the current, flip the tip of your rod slightly to give your fly a little life. Flip the rod tip 4 inches and your fly accelerates ahead 4 inches. Pump the rod a foot and so goes your fly. A fish may slam the streamer as it moves cross current but we all know most strikes come at the end of the swing when your fly stops in the current for a second or two. Try leaving it there for a bit and give it a couple more jigs before you start the retrieve. You'll provoke more strikes. Now as you retrieve it stop the retrieve every few feet. Your fly may go right by a fish that may not be in the mood to chase it but then it stops and becomes a easy target.
So many times fishermen recast a streamer before they can see it. It drives me crazy. If we had a fly camera to prove it, I bet anything they may be taking the fly away from an interested fish without knowing it. I always, always, always retrieve my streamer close enough to see it, stop, then jig the fly in that spot a couple of times before making another cast. A) I'm making sure the fly is not fouled. Streamers are notorious for that. Ever reel up to leave or change your fly and find your streamer in a tangle. Who knows how long you've been fishing a fly that won't even catch bottom. B) A fish may just make a try for your fly before your very eyes which is always a thrill you'll be talking about later around the campfire.

If one retrieve isn't working, change. I like to not cast all the line I have out and as the streamer swings cross current feed more line allowing the fly to drop downstream then use a couple quick jigs to turn the fly giving it a little different presentation. Subtle changes sometimes make huge differences. If a fish makes a pass at your fly at the end of the swing leave the fly there. Do not recast, you're taking the fly away from an interested fish. Leave it in the water and jig the fly, move it just a little to the right then left. Do a strip tease. Tickle him. It's amazing how many times you'll get a fish to chase your fly again. Some are down right suicidal.

So I'll just finish by saying "It is important where you put your fly but I believe it's way more important what you do with your fly after it's out there."

Have a great time on the water.

The regions trout ponds are true jewels

May 3rd
Now that the ice has made an early retreat and the river are a bit too high and cold to fish give one of our many wild brook trout pond a try.

In the Moosehead Lake region we have an inventory of wild brook trout ponds that, for the most part go overlooked. An effort was made years ago to put regulations in place and revive our ailing wild brook trout populations in all our wild brook trout ponds. It has been a wonderful success story but never made the pages of fishing publications. Pick up a fly fishing magazine and it's all about moving water.

A flat calm trout pond may not appear as exciting as the next pool in the river but there isn't a more peaceful spot on earth. And you will likely have it all to yourself, everyone else is on the river. The only equipment you need other than your fishing gear is a canoe, kayak, or float tube and you're good to go.

A ponds fishing cycle starts a few days after ice goes out. The high sun begins to warm the water a bit and aquatic insects become more active. Dragon fly nymphs are busy preying on mayfly and caddis nymphs in the shallows. A sinking line and a good dragon fly imitation fished at the drop-off along the sunny shoreline will usually produce the first brookies of the season. By the end of May-beginning of June mayflies begin their cycle. They start hatching in early afternoon and continue hatching until about 5, leaving plenty of time for happy hour. The action can be fast and furious, spotting, stalking, and casting to cruising fish eating everything in their path. Tie an emerger on as a dropper behind your mayfly and you may catch two at a time.

During your time on a back country trout pond don't be surprised if a moose or two is sharing your cove as they feed on the aquatic plant life also beginning to grow. Pick a pond that produces lots of trout and has liberal laws and you may take a few for breakfast or choose a pond where strict regulations allow fish to grow to photo size and try for a BIG one.
The peace and quite can become infectious.
Have a look at our Remote Pond Info where you'll find 40 ponds within an hour of Greenville. Grab your Maine Atlas, do a little research and this season devote a little of your precious fishing time chasing wild brook trout on one of our many backcountry ponds. You won't be disappointed.

You'll find a nice collection dragon fly nymphs and early mayfly selection at our on-line catalog.

The ice is long gone!!

April 30, 2010
Ice left the Moosehead Region very early this season almost breaking the all time record. It was officially called out on April 15th, one day later than the record.
The great weather of late March and early April led everyone to believe things we're going to be summer like soon. Then April returned and things have returned to near normal with snow squalls roaring down main street Greenville April 29th.
Smelt have been running in the smaller streams but the big river runs are just now beginning and the warmer weather predicted for this weekend should send those smelt to their spawning grounds in the Moose, Roach, and East Outlet.
There have been very few fishermen out and about. The rivers have been a bit to high and the weather hasn't been very favorable for pond fishing. That should change with the warmer weather predicted for this weekend.
The good news is the East Outlet just came down to 2800 cfs and those fish haven't seen any flies yet.
My guess is the lower river might be better because of the gathering of smelt.
The fish will all be stacked up at the mouth of the Moose River where all the smelt are but fish have been seen chasing smelt up in the river a bit. Tomorrow, May 1st is opening day on Moosehead Lake so anywhere the smelt are gathered at the mouth of a stream is where you want to be.
Sinking lines and smelt patterns. If your fly isn't down 3-4' fish you're not really in the zone.

Good luck

April 4, 2010
Ian Cameron has been guiding for us forever and is drawn to the rivers as soon as spring shows. Here is the account of his first outing of the new season.


Ian and Bamboo Bob's Excellent Fishing Adventure

Friday, April 2 was a gorgeous blue bird day in Greenville. With temperatures close to 70 degrees Ian and Bamboo Bob headed to the East Outlet for our annual early bird outing. Past years had found us struggling through waist high snow. This time there was barely any in the woods or along the shoreline. The high peaks though, still hold snow.

The flow on the EO was down from 750 to 550 CFS. It was reduced because of flooding on the main stem of the Kennebec, The dam keeper told us that it would be ramped up to 1000 CFS on April 3. We fished from the dam, all the usual known honey holes, some pocket water down stream a little past the Route 15 bridge.

We tried assorted streamers, nymphs, and woolly buggers. Turning over rocks showed active aquatic life and the water temperature was 42 degrees. We never moved or saw a fish...but the excitement and the "feeling" was with us.

We decided that we needed deeper and slower water. The Beech Pool fits the bill for this. The road was firm, and we drove and parked above the road down to the pool.

It looked perfect. No fish, but we saw butterflies, midges on the water, ducks cavorting, and we sat in the sun.

A little after lunch we drove to the Moose River and fished both sides below the dam. Still no fish, but still midges on the water and the feeling was "fishy."

We headed back to the EO, and decided to chance a drive down the West Outlet road hoping we could get to Indian Pond. We almost made it, but turned back because the road was a little too boggy. as this was the first trip of the year, we decided that getting stuck in the woods would be better after a few more trips under our belts.

All in all, it was a wonderfully satisfying day to out in the North woods....and, as we all know, when we're skunked..."It's not about the fish."

Winter reports

During the winter months, while the region is in a deep freeze and there isn't any reporting to be done, our "Fishing Report" page remains very idle.
This off season we will be posting articles of interest about what's going on behind the scenes that often goes unnoticed. There is always ongoing research to further understand, maintain, and improve our fisheries...a great opportunity to learn more about life beneath the surface of the water. Fisheries science has moved to a new dimension. We find it fascinating and we believe you will too.

          NEW Year-Round Fishing Law Book

The Department of Island Fisheries and Wildlife and been working on a new system of regulations that combine Maine's fishing laws into one book and include both summer and winter regulations. It is intended to save the department a bundle of money, address conflicting laws and establish a new code system needed when special regulations are applied to a given body of water. It is not radically different from past law books but the format has changed so you'll need to learn how to use it in order to check for special regulations.

Try my approach. Every season I always pick-up two new fishing law books. I put one in the vehicle and the other next to my rocking chair so when I'm spending some down time I'll read it from cover to cover and have a check on my favorite spots for any changes. The nice thing about a year round, two year book is now I will only have to get caught up every other year and that's a good thing.

The new fishing law books are now available so check with your local sporting goods shop. The new book contains both summer and winter regulations and is in effect from April 1, 2010- March 31, 2012. You can also view or download your own copy from the Department's web site. Click the IF&W logo above to see the new law book.

Here are some changes for waters in our area. First, all waters open under Group A for ice fishing are now open for the month of April to ice fishing as well as open water fishing. This should provide some great days of ice fishing on waters like Prong Pond, Fitzgerald Pond, and Little Big Wood Pond. Second, we have removed the delayed opening at First Roach Pond. You can now open water fish starting on April 1st . Also, we are reverting back to the 5 togue limit on Moosehead Lake starting this summer. All 5 can be l4-18" and only 1 may be greater than 18".

Maine's Black Bear Research Program

While fishing with customers I often chat about the natural wonders of nature all around us and that there is much more to a day spent in the back country of Maine than just the fish.

During our off season another dedicated group is very busy trudging through the woods looking after those very creatures we find so fascinating.
An email came to us the other day about the ongoing Maine Black Bear Project that we want to share with everyone. Good stuff that goes on during the dead of winter.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has been studying Maine's black bear population for quite some time. Biologists have been tracking a number of radio collared bears year round. During winter hibernation they get the opportunity to pay a visit to den sites and check on hibernating bears and their newborn cubs. The little guys, helpless at birth, are born in the den during the winter months. They feed on mother's milk while she tends to them between naps, all tucked away in their den until the snow leaves when they emerge to begin their new lives as one on Maine's fascinating and elusive creatures.

If you haven't seen this yet, it's a video of one typical visit to a bear's winter den. The mother bear is safely tranquilized so she and her offspring can get their physical unharmed then be returned to their hideaway to continue their long winter's nap. Although this biologist's visit to a bear's den is routine, what they discovered at this particular den was not.
Click on the photo of the cubs to view the video and what they found on a beautiful winter's day in the back country of Maine.

Natural Resource Education Center will build a new Visitors Center in Greenville

Realizing a Dream – NREC receives grant to build Visitor’s Center

The Natural Resource Education Center at Moosehead (NREC) is pleased to have been awarded a grant of $253,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business Enterprise Program. The funds from this grant, in combination with our Capital Fund, will be used to fulfill one of NREC’s primary goals of developing a Visitor Center for the Moosehead Lake Region.

We envision a center that will provide permanent exhibits for visitors to learn about the history, heritage, and recreational opportunities in the area. The new building will be NREC’s new headquarters and provide a location to carry on our Maine Wood Explorer (K-12) program and monthly evening educational programs on various outdoor topics. The facility will house orientation and interpretation services, educational exhibits, both on-site and off-site programs, interpretive trails, and events that explain and celebrate the unique natural and cultural heritage of the region. The new center will also house the Moosehead Lake Chamber of Commerce which recorded over 24,000 office visits last year. We plan to have a large conference room and rent office space to help fund maintenance for the new building.

We will be working with the Town of Greenville and the Moosehead Region Chamber of Commerce to develop the new building on the NREC property abutting the DOT rest area just south of Greenville on Rte 15. We are currently working with DOT and the Town of Greenville to acquire the rest area. It is a perfect location to welcome and provide information to the many guests that vacation in the Moosehead Lake Region.

We want to thank Dr. Ken Woodbury of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council for his assistance in writing and applying for the grant. We are also grateful to NREC’s past-president Eric Ward for taking the lead on the project and thanks to all the members of NREC for their support over the past 13 years.

Moosehead Lake wild brook trout study

January 2010The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is partnering with NextEra Energy, The Natural Resource Education Center at Moosehead, and Plum Creek to conduct a two year study of the wild brook trout population in Moosehead Lake. Moosehead Lake is a 75,000 acre oligotrophic lake with wild brook trout, lake trout, and landlocked salmon fisheries. It is the largest wild brook trout lake east of the Great Lakes. The recreational fishery in this lake and its tributaries and outlets are of major economic value to the region and to the State.

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV) identified Maine as the “Jewel” of the eastern range with the most intact wild populations of any state in the northeast. In addition, Maine is the only state with large lakes (over 5,000 acres) of self-sustaining populations of brook trout. We are the last stronghold for wild brook trout and represent a unique opportunity for research to improve the knowledge base and to promote better stewardship and restoration projects across the northeast. In March 2008, the EBTJV identified 10 areas of study needed for brook trout in large lakes and rivers. The Moosehead Lake project has multiple objectives which address several of these research needs. This study will quantify the difference in population size and any changes in sex/maturity or age/growth. We will also be able to compare the number of brook trout utilizing Socatean Stream in 2009 to data collected in 1958, when Fisheries Biologist Roger Auclair constructed a wooden weir on the stream.
The specific research needs identified in that 2008 meeting that will be addressed during this study include:
1. Movements of brook trout in large lakes and rivers.
2. Interactions between brook trout and exotic salmonid fish species.
3. Interactions between brook trout and exotic non-salmonid species.
4. Factors influencing brook trout spawning survival.
5. Determination of persistent population size.
6. Effectiveness of regulations for brook trout management.

Our assessment will include a major initiative to evaluate all of the major and minor spawning tributaries in two years. Specifically, we plan to fabricate and operate a fish weir on two major brook trout spawning tributaries to capture the entire runs beginning in 2009. Trapnets will be used to capture brook trout at the mouths of smaller tributaries and at potential shoreline spawning sites. Thirty mature brook trout from the Roach River, Socatean Stream, and various shoreline sites will have a radio transmitter surgically implanted in the body cavity. All mature brook trout captured will receive an individually coded PIT tag and a fin clip. We will install stationary dataloggers on the source streams to identify fish moving into and out of the stream/river. Aerial flights will be conducted bi-weekly during the fall and monthly during the remainder of the year.
Tracking will allow us to locate specific spawning areas, areas of winter refuge in the streams, areas of winter refuge in the lake, identify mortalities and estimate post-spawning mortality, and track general fish movements in this large lake system with multiple inlets and outlets. Winter angler surveys and angler counts in combination with the PIT tag information will allow us to estimate angler use, harvest, and exploitation of wild brook trout in the winter fishery. Population data collected from Socatean Stream will be comparable to work completed by Roger Auclair in 1957.

The study has already begun.

The weir was installed on Socatean Stream in late August and we immediately began catching mature wild brook trout moving into the stream in preparation for the fall spawning. Clearly, flow was the most important factor on trout movement into the stream. Each time we saw an increase in flow, there was an immediate response of more trout moving into the stream (and the weir). In fact, it was extremely dry in early September and we stopped catching trout in the weir. So, we took a day to survey the entire stream and remove debris/beaver dams. We removed several large beaver dams which created a small, short term increase in the stream flow as the beaver flowages were drawn down. At the end of the day, we observed several trout in the weir and more came in over night due to this flow increase. Each time we had a rain event; more fish would come into the stream. Peak movement occurred during peak flows and movement quickly dissipated as the natural flows receded.

The weir operated from late August through late October. We had hoped to operate it through November; however, a large rain event the weekend of Oct 24th caused scouring and washing under and around the structure and it could not be reset in the high flows. Therefore, we removed it later that week.

We caught 372 wild brook trout in our weir during the study. Most of the fish were 14-17” in length. We took one large female that was just over 21” and 3 lbs. We know we missed many fish as well. Several times we had holes appear under the weir and fish were able to pass. We observed dozens pass around our feet one day while trying to patch the holes. In late October, we seined a pool of trout to count the number of tagged vs. untagged fish to try to estimate the number we missed. We seined 39 trout and only 10% were marked! Overall, we were very impressed with the numbers of fish in the stream. Socatean Stream still has a strong run of wild brook trout.

We were able to implant radio telemetry transmitters into 40 fish. All other fish were PIT tagged. We tracked the radio tagged fish through the fall and were able to locate many spawning areas in the stream (Note the antenna protruding from male trout in photo!). We only observed 1 mortality in the tagged fish prior to the onset of spawning. These radio tags have mortality switches which emit a different signal when the fish dies. We expected to see high post-spawning based on a similar study at Chamberlain Lake and the work conducted on Socatean Stream in 1957. To date, we have seen 58% mortality on these fish. This is very similar to data collected at Chamberlain Lake.

We will continue to track these fish from a plane during the winter months to locate areas of winter refuge. We will install our antennas on the stream next spring to see if and when any fish return to Socatean Stream. We also received grant for nearly $12,000 from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund (The instant lottery ticket fund) to conduct the same study on the Roach River beginning next August.

You'll find more pictures of the original and new weirs at our photos page.

The East Outlet Rules!!!

October 3
The East Outlet flow is now at 1000 cfs and will probably stay that way for awhile. You can literally fish anywhere in the entire river.
Bring your full bag of tricks. Fish this time of season have their mind on each other and not so much on food. Hatch season is over except for late season Blue wing olives in the size 24 range.
What works in one pool doesn't in the next. My best piece of advice is "If it's not producing change it".
Fish from top to bottom. Talk to 10 different anglers and you'll get 8 different answers. Yesterday we caught fish on top with tiny wets, on the bottom with buggers and nymphs, and took fish swinging big streamers. We had to constantly change our tactics, and we got very nice fish.
The water temps are now in the mid-50's so fresh fish should start showing but the fish that have been in the river for a while are catchable, you just need to be willing to change tactics often.
Rumor has it there are good numbers of handsome brookies in the upper river. The photo above says it all.
Have a great October. It's not all about shotguns anymore.

Last Call!!!!!

September 25
Last Call! Can you believe the summer is over? It feels like it never started, but there are only 5 more days left in the regular open water fishing season. Remember that the East Outlet will remain open for an extended catch and release season beginning October 1st. The way this fall has shaped up I expect October to be a great time to hit the water on the East Outlet
The next 5 days are looking good for fishing, cool nights and overcast days, the perfect weather for swinging a big old streamer across the current. The flow at the East Outlet is at 1355cfs which makes wading a breeze and reports are that some nice fish have entered the river just begging to be caught! Streamers and nymphs are still the choice of the day. All the usual patterns ; grey ghosts, woolly buggers, mitchell creek, footer specials, etc and for nymphs small, 16-18 pheasant tails, hare's ears, and copper johns should do the trick.
The Roach River has been as consistent as always for solid September fishing. Fish are being found throughout the river at both upper and lower pools. Many fisherman will focus on the pools if your looking to beat the crowds, work the pocket water in between! Just as many fish can be found in between the pools this time of year moving from pool to pool. One way to cover even more ground is to tie a trailing streamer behind the bend of the lead streamer. I like to experiment by tying different combinations of color, size and style, Sometimes fish will hit the lead and sometimes the trailer.

T-Minus 12 Days!!

September 17
12 more days to go until the end of open water fishing for most waters!! The East Outlet has been fishing well as of late, we are beginning to see some of the larger spawning fish enter the river. As of yesterday the water temperature was 58 degrees, we have had some very cool nights! Nymphing seems to be the most productive of fishing styles, small pheasant tails, hares ears, and copper johns in the 16-18 range have been effective. Although fish will still chase the big streamer from time to time. Last night the upper end of the east outlet saw an incredible caddis hatch! Strange but true brown caddis in the 12-14 variety were the choice of the evening, definately not something that happens on a typical September evening but we have seen some strange things this year!
Things have really been heating up at the Roach River. It had been quite slow as of late but a bump of 50 more cfs has really done a bunch to draw some more of those spawners in. I had a great evening of fishing with streamers in portions of the lower river which is a good sign and catching brightly chromed, fresh fish in the river was an even better one. At 250 cfs fish can be lurking anywhere in the river. Earlier the focus has been strictly in the pools but with the extra water fish will move around and enter some of the pocket waters which lets us spread out a bit.
The Moose River has finally been brought down to very wadeable levels, it had been running near 2000 for most of the summer. Reports are that there is plenty of activity and good fishing, but not too much in the way of size, but with only twelve days remaining who can complain??

Good luck

Fall is Here!!

September 9The key to great fall fishing is higher water levels and lowering water temperatures. Well we have one of those covered. We have seen increasingly cooler night time temperatures in the area, which has been great, most river temps are in the low to mid sixties throughout the area. Although I hate to say it the best thing that could happen now is...rain! Cooling water temps are great but for really great fishing some higher water would be perfect.
Fishing has been good throughout the area. The East Outlet has been consistently producing, still caddis in the early morning and late evenings, small-small-small. Swinging big streamers is also attracting a lot of fish as well, the typical fall patterns; Montreal Whores, Shufelt Specials, lots of white! By the end of September fish have seen every shape, size and color of fly so take this chance to use some of the standard fall patterns before the crowds come!

Water temperature already dropping

August 30
It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride this summer with water levels bouncing all over the place. The plug on the Roach River had to be pulled earlier for a time. All that did was pull in more salmon for the upper pools. It's currently flowing at 115 cfs but will be likely be increased to 200 cfs by the end of this coming week. The perfect fall flow. We can count on an early run of fish especially with water temperatures already back in the 60's.
Fish are still taking everything, streamers, nymphs, and dries. The tiny caddis of mid-summer have been hatching for sometime, mostly in the morning and late evenings.
In the morning look to the shaded side of the river. We have been seeing
hatches of small, #16 Goddard Caddis and tiny, #18 Black Elk Wing caddis. Small Hemingway
Caddis have been doing some damage on the feeding trout and salmon as well.
Remember when you are faced with higher than normal water levels look to the shallower, slower moving water near the river's bank. Fish often move from heavy water flow areas where they normally hold to lesser flows and shallower (2-3 foot)water.Fish will be in places you never see them during more normal, lower flows.
Pull out your full bag of tricks. Start by throwing a cheeseburger over the bigger water. Tie a beadhead caddis pupa as a dropper behind the big fly. Fish see the cheeseburger but often grab the dropper hanging beneath. Use a double caddis rig along the edges and over shallow, slower moving water or put on a sink-tip line
and fish a good sized streamer in the depth of the pools and runs. It's not to soon to use your bright fall patterns. We tied on a Montreal Whore the other day and hooked a nice bunch of salmon already in the river, officially starting the
spawning run of fall.
We've been told that the Moosehead Lake will not be drawn down as low this fall as in past years. It's about the togue spawning. What this means is we should see a drop in the water flows sometime in the future but I know just when.
It won't be long before the small pond trout emerge from spring holes where they have been spending their time during the heat of summer. When warming waters sent them to spring holes to wait out the heat they were fat and happy from all
the insect hatches earlier in the season. When they decide to leave the cool water of the spring
holes trout do so because they are hungry once again and begin roaming the pond for a meal. Launch out a nice, fluffy Wulff or a Hornberg, then give it a twitch once in a while so hungry trout can find it or try a traditional, bright fall streamer like a Micky Finn or Royal Coachman and use a jerky retrieve in the film of the water if the dries aren't getting ant attention.
I can't think of a much nicer way to spend a fall day than on one of our many small ponds.


> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good Late Summer Fishing

August 20
The unusual heavy rains and high waters of the past month has done a lot to help the fishing in these dog days of August. The East outlet has been experiencing higher than usual water flows, generally around 3000cfs, this is at the upper level of wadeability. This time of year it would be more common to have flows around 1200. Although the higher water doesn't make the wading easy is does however keep more fish in the river by keeping the water somewhat cooler. The best times to fish have been in the early early mornings and late evenings. High sunny skies in the midday will usually settle most of the fish down till evening. Hatchwise caddis still seems to be the big show in town, sporadically hatching in the evening, nymphing and streamers should be the way to go in the morning. Don't forget to try stoneflies and stimulator patterns as well. Consistently darker and smaller caddis patterns have been most productive, black caddis, miracle caddis, etc have all been working well.

Water has gone down, and the fish have come up!

August 5
With the deluge of water we saw last week the rivers are returning to very fishable levels. It seems like deja vu here, the same thing happened in August of last year with heavy rains and high water but there is a bright side!! All of this water has brought fish in great numbers into the rivers, and has managed to keep the temperature down as well. The East Outlet as of today has come down to 3000cfs which is just about the boundary for wading levels, but with no significant rain in the forecast it should drop even more. The fishing is fast and furious! Caddis are still proving to be successful as well as the big stimulators. Streamer fishing is always a good thing to try after high water, new fish from the lake and Indian Pond are generally chasing small fish, perch, and other bait fish. So swing your streamers and hang on! The Roach River is seeing a ton of water, 500 cfs as of today!! A considerable number of fish should be entering the river right now, as the water gets brought down the fishing should be fantastic. Typically August is the slowest time of the season but with these heavy flows and low water temperatures this August should give us a great extended fishing season!

Water levels back to wadable levels

July 18
As you can see in the photo above Emily Farley was a very happy camper when she drifted a pair of dries at the head of a pool, on a guided trip at the East Outlet, and hooked not one but a pair of nice brookies. This doesn't happen very often. Way to go Emily!!!
Water levels have finally subsided to more fishable levels and it looks like they should stay fairly stable if we don't get any measurable rain in the near future.
High water will screw-up the fishing but it will bring in another crop of fish.
The East Outlet is again full of fish from one end to the other and with water temperatures presently in the low 60's fishing will hold up for quite some time. The same applies to the Moose River.
The giant stones of summer are now out so it's time to drift those big stimulators and foam stones over big water. There are still good caddis hatches in the evening, black is the color.
The green drakes have now been hatching for about a week and continue to hatch on some of the area ponds. The water temperature in the ponds remain cool enough to keep the trout out of the spring holes and cruising about in the evenings grabbing whatever in available on the surface. It won't be long though before the heat of summer drives the trout into spring holes were they will rest fat and happy living on the fat they built up from all those hatches that ends when the drakes quite.
Fishing is holding up nicely for now.

Great fishing in between the raindrops

June 29
So as of today both the Moose and the East Outlet are running just a bit high(okay a lot!) but that doesn't mean there aren't great opprotunities to catch fish in the area. The Roach River has been bumped up to 250 cfs which is great. A high flow in the summer can help bring some new fish into the river, as well as expanding some of the fishable area. Caddis is still king but don't forget to try your nymphs as well your go-to streamer patterns. The West Branch of the Penobscot is still fishing well. Chesuncook Lake is capable of holding a large amount of water so the heavy rains haven't affected the flow at Ripogenus Dam. Again caddis are your best choice, but I have also heard reports of wooly buggers becoming a favorite, coneheads in black, olive, and brown.
Another overlooked spot is the the West Outlet of the Kennebec, it doesn't get the press of the East Outlet but it can definately be just as good of a time. Smallmouth bass rule the ponds but the quick water sections down to Somerset Junction hold a ton of beautiful brookies. While you aren't gonna necessarily bring home a trophy no one ever complains about catching a bunch of 12-14 inch fish.
Keep in mind while the high water holds back the fishing now when the water returns to its normal flows...look out!! The East Outlet and Moose will both see fresh runs of fish and the rivers will be on fire!
The drake have not yet shown up in any real numbers but our local indicators ponds are starting to have small hatches which means the main event isn't far away. I suspect as soon as the sun starts to shine again and the water warms just a bit the small ponds will be the place to be.

Water levels still fine and fishable

June 24
While most of Maine and the rest of the east coast have been under a deluge of water the Moosehead Lake area has remained on the drier side. We have had very minimal amounts of rain which has kept the water levels in the rivers very consistent and the fishing excellent. Looking back at the water flows from last summer, this week saw flows between 7000 - 12000 cfs at the East Outlet!! Its a much different story this year, this week the Outlet has hovered around the 1400- 1700cfs level which is really good for wading. As far as techniques go be sure to bring your imagination with you as well. Caddis are prevalent all over the river right now smaller caddis in the 14-18 size range have been working well, but don't be surprised when what worked on the last pool doesn't even get a look on the next, be prepared to switch flies often. Experimenting with different dropper set ups is a neccessity. Dangling a nymph behind a dry can be very effective as well as tying caddis of different sizes and colors as well.
In the warmer waters of Indian Pond the Bass spawn is all but over. Look to the stumps and other structure to find the lunkers. Having a good selection of poppers is key right now, matching the popper to the kind of light, bright days- yellows,chartreuse to dark days- blacks and reds, will get you on to some more fish. As the spawn is ending in the warmer water this usually means that the action will heat up in the cooler waters of Lily Bay in Moosehead. The same rules and flies apply, find structure and you'll find bass, and Lily Bay has no shortage, fields of boulders and stumps abound and provide bass "condominiums" to lots of big fish.

Caddis, Caddis, Everywhere

June 15
It's caddis, caddis, caddis everywhere now. If this says anything about how fish love caddis I had customers on the West Branch below Rip Dam the other day and they brought up over 100 fish to caddis imitations. Every fish in the river loves to eat caddis.
For a while it'll be elk wing caddis in sizes 12-16. Have a close look at early season caddis from the top and they all look just about the same but flip them over and look at the bottom side from a fishes angle and you'll find, bright green, olive, brown and black bodies. Believe me the fish know the difference.
We like to rig a second caddis as a dropper behind the lead fly. Use about 2 feet of 4X or 5X tippet and tie it to the bend of your first fly. Choose a different color body or a different size caddis for the dropper. Dead drift your flies much like you do mayflies but at the end of the drift lift your rod-tip and skitter the caddis upstream a few feet then drop your rod-tip and dead drift them back over the same water. Unlike mayflies, caddis often skittle along the surface in an attempt to fly and fish often key in on the tiny v-wake they are making. You'll be surprised at who might take a stab at the helpless caddis you are dead drifting back over the same water you just fished.
Even though there may not be a caddis hatch going on at the time you are fishing, every fish in the river is now looking up and with water temperatures still cool they have no problem coming to the surface for your dry fly.
Nymphing is always in season and now is the time to break in your caddis pupa in all those popular colors. Work the eddy lines especially at the heads of the pools. Make sure to let your nymph drift to the surface before you recast them. Fish are used to chasing caddis as they naturally head for the surface to hatch. Don't be surprised if something nails your nymph on the pick-up.
As the caddis hatches progress and fish start getting a bit fussy about what they want try not treating your dry fly with floatant and fishing it in the film of the water as a cripple or take your nipper and trim it back a bit to imitate the emerger instead of the adult. It's good to have a few tricks up your sleeve, you'll start fooling a lot more fish.
Start making plans for the Green Drake (Hex) hatches. They haven't started yet but predictions have the event scheduled to start sooner than later.
So polish off your monster mayflies and if you need a few new ones go to our
Our on-line Catalog where you will find a great selection of proven winners.

Big Bugs for Big Bass

June 10
Smallmouth bass season is just upon us. Although we have had some fantastic daytime tempertures, into the seventies, the night time temps have not really sustained an overall warm up in water temperatures. For bass to begin the spawning ritual we really need to see water tempertures hold in the low sixties. Large female bass abound in the west outlet of the Kennebec, Indian Pond, and Prong Pond, however the techniques to catch them are a little different than our warmer neighbors to the south. Right now bass are glued to structure and not very active in the shallows. A steady diet of sinking flies like buggers and clousers with stop start retrieves will entice strikes but patience is a must.
Reports from local rivers are also favorable, weather wise fishing can suffer from long periods of high pressure so while blue skies and seventy degrees can be good for the soul it might not always help for the fishing! Mayfly hatches are still being seen in great numbers, and great varieties. Make sure the flybox is stocked with all shapes, colors and sizes. Caddis are also showing sporadically along the Moose, Kennebec, and the West Branch of the Penobscot. Remember to skitter your caddis across the surface during the swing this can really entice some great top water action. The blanket hatches haven't happened yet so grab a handful of elkhair's and be prepared for some of the best fishing of the season!

The caddis are coming!!

June 6
In the past week the weather as well as the fishing is really beginning to heat up! We have finally seen temperatures in the 70's up here in the Moosehead Lake area. The mayfly hatches are in full swing, with hatches coming off early in the morning till late in the day. We have also had some reports of early caddis hatches in the Moose River area, although its not quite time to ditch the rest of your fly selection. If your headed up to the area its time to pack the entire arsenal; streamers, lots of nymph imitations, and a good selection of dries. The East Outlet has been continuing to fish well, expect to see a lot more brookies in the upper sections due to IFW stockings. Reports from the north say that the West Branch of the Penebscot is doing well. Lower energy costs are cutting into demand which is allowing the West Branch to see some real consistent flows. Ponds have also been doing quite well, trout have still been gorging themselves on dragonfly nymphs, but with dragonflies starting to emerge they will switch over to a more topwater diet from here on out.

The Hendricksons are Here!!!

May 26
Code Red! As you can see from the picture the mayflies are out in swarms!! Okay, the picture is an exageration but the hendricksons are finally here, and we couldn't be happier. Still plan on swinging streamers and working nymph patterns, but make sure you bring your dry flies when you head up north this week. Hatches have been ocuring daily on the Moose and East Outlet, usually during the warmest part of the day 12-4ish. The best part is that you don't always need to match the hatch perfectly a good drift will win over every time. With a low pressure system in the forecast fishing should remain steady right through the weekend.

The Heat is On

May 22
We have seen a crazy week of weather in the north woods, 27 degrees a few nights ago and just yesterday topping out in the low 90's. Unsettled weather to say the least, but it looks as if the temperature will stablize through the Memorial weekend and into next week. On the rivers we are really starting to see some significant hendrickson(dark) and blue wing olive hatches. If your fishing in the upper ends of the rivers stick with the sinking line streamers and weighted nymphs, the water from the lake is still pretty cold so the hatches will take a little while to make it upstream. Saw a few folks catch some nice landlocked salmon in the upper end of the East Outlet yesterday; copper johns, pheasant tails, and stonefly nymphs are all steady producers. The outlook is great so far, remember last year we really didn't see mayfly hatches up here till the first week in June, so we are ahead of the game this year.
Pond fishing strategies will remain the same, hopefully this weekend will bring some hatches. Warm weather can also signal ants, flying ants, carpenter ants, big and small. Folks are catching a lot of trout in the ponds with bellies just full of em. Dragonfly nymphs and woolly buggers should also attract some action, as well as pond classics like Hornbergs and Muddlers.

The Time is Now!!

May 14
Where to begin? With ice leaving the " big lake" early and without considerable rain(fingers crossed) the early season is really starting to take shape. Lakes, rivers, and ponds.
On the riverfront the East Outlet, as of 12pm this afternoon, will drop down to 2100 cfs! Which is great news. With heavy flows throughout the past couple of weeks a healthy run of fish should have come up from Indian Pond. So if your looking for something to do come up to the area and be one of the first to wade the East Outlet. The Roach River has also moved into "summer flows" and is moving about 100 cfs, barring any heavy rain it should stay at this level through the summer. Lots of new fish in these rivers can mean good fishing, they probably haven't seen too many grey ghosts or any of our other popular streamers. This is also a great time for nymphing; caddis,stonefly, and dare I say mayflies! can all be found on the river bottom. If you need any help stop in the shop we'll be glad to "hook" you up!
Trolling streamers is still king in the lakes and on the Moose River we are still hearing reports of big Salmon caught up Rockwood way. Ponds in the area are starting to fish well too. If casting tiny #24 midges isn't your thing, try working a big old dragonfly nymph close to shore. Dragonfly nymphs are little dinosaurs patrolling the shorelines for something to eat, which means that the brookies aren't to far behind.
This is a great time to check out the Moosehead Lake area. The bugs or the crowds aren't here yet and the fishing is fantastic! Stop by the shop and say hi on your way through! Good fishin to all.

Small ponds already fishing well

May 5
This picture says it all.
With early ice out this year, the small ponds have already heated up and some beautiful brookies are being caught.
Bring your sinking lines, dragon fly nymphs and streamers. It's shoreline fishing at its best. Expect a midge hatch in the afternoon if the water warms a degree or two during the day.
This is also prime time to troll for brookies in the big lake. Remember the ice out rule " Troll close enough to shore so you can see bottom on one side of the boat and not on the other."
The river flows are starting to come down and will likely be at wadeable levels by the weekend if we don't get any measurable rain.
Things are already starting to perk!!!

Ice is officially out everywhere

May 1st
Ice was called out on Moosehead Lake, April 26th. The wonderful, warm weekend last week vaporized the remaining ice just about everywhere.
Because the water temperature would be rising at the West Outlet during that beautiful weather pattern I thought I would give the bass a try and you can see in the photo above I caught it right.
The West Outlet Dam at the lake has been producing some nice brookies and salmon. Some guys are claiming good numbers of fish as well.
The East Outlet has seen it's water flow double to 1200 cfs. Very wadeable. The lake is still down and needs to be filled more before any additional water will be added. It may take a week or more since the run-off everywhere but the Moose River is about done.
The Roach River is still running high at 500 cfs, down from the 800 cfs it was at, which makes it unwadable but will insure a good run of salmon. It's opening day on Moosehead Lake but I bet the mouth of the Roach is holding good numbers of fish feasting on smelt gathered there to spawn.
With the warm weather last week midges have started hatching on some of the shallow water trout ponds. Lots of opportunity there.
Don't forget your sinking lines, streamers or nymphs. Most of the fishing will be beneath the surface, at least for now.
I have left all of last years reports and water flows up so you can go back and do some comparison planning. There is a ton of worthy information if you take a little time and do a bit of homework you may find some more pieces to the very big puzzle. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and then start back up. It's worth an evening.

Life begins again!!!

Ice is officially gone !!!

April 27
Ice was officially called out on Moosehead Lake April 26.
The beautiful weather of last weekend vaporized the remaining ice. Everyone I talked to is saying the ice appears to be gone everywhere around here.
The smelts runs have started all over so it's time to shed any cabin fever that remains and head for the hills.
We'll be doing some hard snooping around in the next few days and report back hopefully with some pictures of the first fish of the season.

Life begins again!!!

Iceout won't be long.

April 22
Ice still remains on our lakes and ponds but it won't be long before we're be back on open water.
The great weather predicted for the upcoming weekend should gobble up most of the remaining ice.

Here is a preseason fishing forecast from our regional fisheries department. I thought you would find it interesting.

Variety is the salt of angling. In the Moosehead Lake Region, the angler can find the variety of angling opportunities in which they seek. There are various fish species to pursue and various types of angling techniques to bag your quarry. After a long and successful winter of ice fishing in the Moosehead Lake Region we will soon hear the delightful sounds of the words “ice-out”. Snow melt and spring run-off are changing angling opportunities daily. Although many of the ponds and lakes are still covered with ice they will produce some of the fastest fishing of the open water season shortly after ice-out.

Lake trout fishing strategies change with the season. Lake trout typically seek a constant water temperature between 40-52 degrees F. Lake trout can be targeted between the surface and at depth of 15 feet at ice-out. In mid- to late spring, anglers will need to get down to deeper water around depths of 30 – 50 feet as water temperatures increase. Lake trout primarily feed on small fish, but can be taken with heavy jigs or cut bait and are also caught by trolling large spoons and lures. Anglers can find some fast fishing on Moosehead Lake, First Roach Pond, and Lower Wilson Pond if they are targeting lake trout this spring.

Spring is also a good time to find landlocked salmon cruising the shallows and the mouths of tributaries looking for smelts as they begin to congregate. Gray Ghosts, Black Ghosts, Mickey Fins, and a variety of other smelt imitation streamer patterns can be deadly this time of year. So as local ponds and lakes that provide principle fisheries for these mini-Atlantics begin to thaw, anglers could be surprised at what the Moosehead Lake Region has to offer. Some places to try this spring are Chesuncook Lake, Brassua Lake, Moosehead Lake, and First Roach Pond. There are also good opportunities to catch landlocked salmon on some of our local river fisheries like the Roach River, Moose River, East and West Outlets of the Kennebec, and the West Branch of the Penobscot.

Many of the season’s largest brook trout are caught along the shore as water temperatures begin to increase. Even the most novice angler can find fish that will take an assortment of flies, lures, and bait. Make sure to check the law book to determine which fishing gear is allowed on bodies of water you plan to fish.

Once we begin to see an increase in water temperatures and a decrease in stream and river flows, we will begin our annual spring stocking of legal-size brook trout. These brook trout are stocked in easily accessible waters through the region to create “instant fishing” opportunities. Many of these waters are stocked on more than one occasion to distribute the catch among anglers and to ensure fishing success longer into the season.

Finally it's time to talk fishing again.

We have missed the smell of campfire coffee

and time spent on the waters of the Moosehead Lake Region.

April 5th
It appears winter is loosening it's grip a little sooner this season than last. The recent warmer weather and rain has the snow pack much lower than last season. You can leave your snowshoes at home.
The East Outlet is at it's annual spring flow of 500 cfs. The plan is to start filling Moosehead Lake which is always drawn way down during the winter and to manage potential flooding downstream now that the state's snow pack is turning to runoff.
It's the perfect time to really learn the East Outlet. At 500 cfs you will see the dimensions of every pool and run and begin to understand why you find fish is certain places when the river is at normal levels when reading the river can be very difficult.
April below the East Outlet is about fooling fish, mainly salmon, that have been in the river all winter scratching out a living feeding on the nymph population. Streamer aren't really on the menu yet because smelt runs are still a month away.
Over the winter 99% of the fish that have stayed in the river after the fall spawn slowly made their way up river to the dam pool. Reports from April anglers indicate fish are only being taken in or close to the dam pool and on nymphs.
April in the north country is more about the first outing of a new season and learning an old favorite or new river than hooking a bunch of fish.
It's about the season's first fish, spending time on the water with friends, and the smell of campfire coffee perked on an open fire.

                                                      "Ask the Guides"

During the winter months when we don't really have any fishing to report on we are going to dedicate our reports board to questions we receive from newsletter readers participating in our "Ask the Guides" segment. Here you will find questions sent in followed by comments from the guides who make their living guiding the waters of the Moosehead Lake Region.  

When it comes to figuring out fish there is always something to learn. Please read, learn, and enjoy what the guides have to say.

Seneca Love sent us this great question,
>
"I have fished the East Outlet once in October, and I caught one
> salmon about 14 in. on a #18 hares ear nymph. That was the only time ever
> that I have fished the East Outlet. But I am extremely knowledgeable about
> the West Branch of the Penobscot, because that is rearly the only place I
> fish. Can you tell me the similarities between the East Outlet and the
> West Branch(such as hatches, types of fish, and productivity)?

Hi Seneca,

It's all about time on the water required to learn any river.
The East Outlet has the same hatches with both salmon and trout. If there is
a difference it would be the West Branch has a much larger population of
salmon and also smelts. Al salmon are born in the WB and live out their
entire life in the river. The fish in the East Outlet come and go from both
Moosehead Lake and Indian Pond.
I guide both rivers and there are lots of times when I would consider the
East Outlet fishing better like last summer. After the hatches started to
fade away I found it hard to catch many fish with the higher than normal
flows on the West Branch. The East Outlet fished better for me because of
lower water flows making it more fishable.
The bottom line is it is all about time on the water and learning a system
and where the fish hold. We both know there is a lot of unproductive water wherever we fish.

Good fishing,
Dan Legere


Hi Seneca,

The fish on the West Branch are all wild, bigger and stronger (with a few seasonal exceptions) than the fish on the East Outlet. The EO is about 50% stocked fish, but we're getting more and more wild fish every year. The brookies on the West Branch are all wild too.
When the water warms in the summer, the WB usually fishes much better because of colder water coming from Rip Dam, as opposed to the top water coming from the EO dam.

The EO "seems" to have a better and more consistent hatch of stone flies that the WB, but there may be those who find this to be the opposite. The caddis "seem" to be more prolific on the EO.
And as we all know, the smelts that come through Rip Dam provide the heavy dose of protein that grows bigger salmon.

In A.A. Luce's book Fishing and Thinking (1959), he wrote of the mysteries of the stream: " In trying to understand the behavior of the trout, as in trying to grasp the nature of truth, this attitude, technically called emperical, is essential. There are no 'causes' of the behavior of trout, if by 'cause' we mean a mechanical force acting on an animated machine, and mechanically producing effects...There is only one way of finding out whether it is a good fishing day or not; and that is to fish and find out. Experience is the only test."

See you on the river!
Tight Lines!
Ian Cameron

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Bill Stanton sent in this great question to "ASK the Guides"

Which of your dry fly patterns would you recommend for skittering across the surface without absorbing too much water and sinking?

Hi Bill,
The caddis flies. We skitter them all the time because fish tend to chase caddis that skitter about naturally. Mayflies don't work very well if skittered, they need a drag free drift.
If you plan on skittering your caddis make sure to treat your leader with floatant also so it won't sink and pull down your fly.

Good fishing,
Dan Legere

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Tim Shaw sent this question to "Ask the Guides",

I would like to see in your newsletter a little article on the tackle (lines, leader, flies) and techniques (area of pond, water temp, depth of water, time of year) for fishing in the ponds when no visible hatch is occurring. I am an experienced fly fisherman but have limited knowledge of pond fishing.

Tim,
I have to say, one of the hardest skills to acquire is knowing how to work a trout pond when there is nothing going on, no hatch and no trout showing.
First you need the right tools for the job. Water temperature is always important so a good thermometer will help you determine what you should be trying.
You'll need at least two different fly lines, a floating and a sinking. If you own only one sinking line it should be a fast-sinking that is also a full sinking line, one with a sink rate of around 2 1/2 - 4 1/2 inches per second. A fast sinking, 10' sink-tip would be the next and a super-fast full sinking line if you plan to fish ponds of water depths greater than 15 feet.

At ice out, water will be under 40 degrees and insect activity is minimal. As the water slowly starts to warm mayfly nymphs start to actively feed in swallow 2-10' of water especially along the shoreline the sun beats down on. This renewed insect activity provides a banquet of food for dragon fly nymphs that now are crawling on top of the duff along the shoreline gobbling up the easy prey. It is here and now that the sink-tip line is important. With a good dragon fly nymph imitation you can cast along drop-offs then let your sink-tip line take the nymph to trout patrolling the shoreline. All you need is a short, 6' piece of 3X tippet material as your leader.
Nymphs just crawl about so a slow retrieve will work the best. This is a good time and place to use a black or olive woolly bugger also. If there is a good minnow population a streamer imitation like a black nose dace could do the trick, just use a faster retrieve.


As the water begins to warm after the ice has been out for a week of more you'll begin to see fish working the surface on any calm afternoon but you can see no obvious insect activity. It's midge season and time to drag out the tiny fly box that contains Griffiths Gnat , Blue Wing Olive, and Clusters in sizes 20-24. You'll need 6X tippet material and a very steady hand. Because they are near impossible to see on the water I like to use midges as a dropper 2'- 3' behind a larger dry fly. It lets you know where the midge is and acts as a strike indicator. Trout tend to sip midges making it hard to see the take. If your larger dry moves just lift your rod. Remember you'll be playing a sometimes large trout on a very tiny hook on very light leader.

When June finally arrives so does the mayfly hatches. For the first couple for weeks the fish keep bankers hours. The high sun warms the water a few degrees by mid-day when hatches begin and continue all afternoon till around 5 pm then fade away and fat, happy trout disappear. You might as well head for Happy Hour because late evening feeding isn't that popular to the trout. If you want to stay you might catch a spinner fall just at dark but fish are fat and happy from the mid-day meal and quite often not that interested. Hatches include Blue Dunns, Black Gnats, Adams, Hendricksons and Red Quills in size 10 or 12. If fish get finicky I will use the associated unweighted nymph as a dropped a couple of feet behind the dry.

Bankers hours don't last that long as the heat of summer arrives warming the water to over 70 degrees driving trout to the cooler 55-60 degree water of spring holes where they will spend most of their time till fall when the water cools. If is wasn't for cold spring water entering the ponds from the bottom, often in a small area no bigger than the foundation of a house, trout could not survive the heat of summer.

If there is a magical time during the summer trout pond cycle it comes around the beginning of July with the Green Drake or Hex hatches. The monster mayflies that hatch just before dark will bring the biggest trout out of the spring holes in search of the abundant bugs often referred to as cheeseburgers with wings. If you have even witnessed the first drake hatch on a pond you will never stop talking about it. I always bring a second rod with a sinking line along. With the right nymph you can begin to catch trout well before sunset as fish begin to cruise the shallows in search of an easy meal.

Once the Drakes are done hatching, usually by mid-July, trout will spend all their time in the cool water of the spring holes. They have had a great season of hatches and remain in the spring holes living on the fat they put on earlier. Fish can be caught during the heat of summer but it is very technical fishing with sinking lines, nymphs and the closely guarded secret of where the spring holes are located. If you are not fishing close to the bottom where the cold ground water enters the pond you are fishing in bath water where there are no fish.

Once the heat of summer breaks around the end of August water temps start to drop and the bath water of summer releases its hold on the ponds. It's now time of trout to exit the spring holes and go on the feed once more. They usually spend a long enough duration in the cool water of the spring hole and work up a mighty appetite.
By the second week of September you should find trout cruising around ponds in search of a meal. There aren't really any hatches that time of season so you won't see many rising fish but they are looking. All you need to do in the fall to catch trout is tie on a Royal Wulff or the like and let it lay on the surface then twitch it so it makes a set of rings. Fish are cruising about looking for anything. I believe they often will key in on the concentric rings made by something struggling on the surface.
You'll be surprised at what shows.

Good luck Tim and thanks for your question.
Dan

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Capt. Rob Thompson of Kennebec, Maine
asked the guides:

"When a landlock, a laker, a brookie strike at a smelt or streamer what part are they most likely to strike, the tail or the head? From befind or from the side?

"In my experience, salmon and brook trout hit a fly from behind, then turn. This behavior may have something to do with chasing bait in moving water?! If a fly has too long of a tail, the result is a tug, but no take. Bass go for the eye spot, both striped bass, largemouth & smallmouth alike." Michael Jones

Hi Rob,
I don't think there is any question these fish strike at the tail of a fly. We watch fish come at streamers all the time and as Mike mentioned, strike a streamer from behind then turn to head back where they came from. Once in a awhile they one will gobble a fly but 99% of the fish we bring to net are just barely hooked, many just by a piece of skin. If you ever lost a fish after thinking you have him hooked solid it is probably because the fish is only hooked by a piece of skin that ripped loose when the fish put the power on. All because they are nippers and hit short from behind. Dan Legere

***********************************************************************************

John Mooney asked the guides:

Hi, I just started trolling tandem streamers for LL salmon and I was wondering first what type/color fly you would start the day with and when to change the fly and why?

John: "I was told by an old Maine guide that whenever in doubt (when it comes to light conditions and time of day) go with a Black Ghost Streamer. The logic follows that a black & white pattern will be visible in all light conditions. It is a virtual salmon and trout killing machine!
When to change the fly? I always say out loud "we better change flies!", and then a fish will strike the cold fly 3 out of 5 times?! Don't try to figure that one out, it just seems to work that way in practice. Really, I change flies
whenever I have lost faith in the one I am dragging; the most important thing is to have confidence in what you are presenting behind the boat." Michael Jones

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The newlyweds, Mike and Holly Jones

On October 18th close friends and family gathered for a celebration of the union of Michael Jones & Holly Russell at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland. It was a beautiful, sunny day that saw all our guides off the river, out of waders, and sporting around in suit and tie.
After the ceremony everyone joined the newlyweds at the Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit for a fabulous luncheon and many toasts of everlasting love and happiness.
I'm sure the salmon and trout of the Kennebec and Penobscot also wish the extremely happy couple a lifetime of love and laughter.
A grand time was had by all.

October on the East Outlet

October 7
Even with the cold mornings and the winds of fall the East Outlet is a wonderful place to finish out the season. Water flow is at 1000 cfs so wading is easy, you can even wade across the river in places.
We are earning every fish and you do need a big bag of tricks this time of season to tickle fish that have been in the river awhile. Be sure to swing some streamers, they are getting use to seeing white so try olive or yellow. A Barns Special has gotten some attention the last few days. There have even been some good blue wing olive hatches lately, size 22-24 that fish are sipping early and late in the day.
Not a lot of folks on the river either. No need to start at daybreak, early morning isn't that productive this time of season. About the time the mist leaves the water fish seem to be waking up. It's a great time to sit back and have another cup of java before sliding into the long johns and wool socks and three other layers before taking on another day on the water.
As many can remember it wasn't all that long ago this time of year our fly rods were all put away till another year. It certainly is great to have this extended season with salmon still jumping eye high.
Just remember October can be like May. Water temperature is down to the low 50's which means a dip in the river is a cold one so be safe.
See you on the river

October fishing opportunities

October 1
Fishing season maybe over for most of the waters in the Moosehead Lake Region but there still are opportunities for some great late season fishing.
Fishing ends in most wild brook trout waters the last day of September for one simple reason, it's brook trout spawning time. Around mid-October native brookies begin their exhausting spawning rituals. Fisheries officials want wild brookies to be able to go about reproduction undisturbed to insure there will be plenty of fish for another season.
In a few waters where viable wild brook trout population are not present fishing is allowed through the month of October and a couple of our rivers are open all winter.

Here is the line-up;

Mountain View Pond at the base of Squaw Mountain Ski Area
Prong Pond in Beaver Cove
Sawyer Pond in Greenville
Shadow Pond in Greenville Jct

These ponds remain open to fishing through the month of October. These are stocked ponds and you are allowed to take two trout per angler. Some special tackle restrictions do apply so please consult your law book for details.

The West Outlet of the Kennebec River will remain open all winter. The tackle restrictions are Artificial Lures Only (AOL) and two trout over 6", all salmon caught must be released alive at once. Water flow on the West Outlet does not change and remains at 125-150 cfs year round depending on the lake level. It a great opportunity to do some late season wade fishing. There is a good dirt road (Somerset Jct) that follows the river for about 5 miles on the north side. The river meets the road in a number of spots and access is allowed all along the road. There is a fall run of salmon and brookies. There is very little pressure and fishing can be quite good.

The entire length of the East Outlet of the Kennebec River remains open through the month of October. From November 1st till April 1st only the upper portion from the Dam to the Beach Pool remains open. This extended season is strictly catch and release.
Water flow is presently at 1008 cfs which makes it extremely wadeable. Keep an eye on our water flow page for any changes that may occur. The word is it probably won't see any major increase.

The leaves have turned and peaking, fall is definitely in the air, and the river is full of fish. What a great time to be on the water.
We still have openings for a late season drift. Talk in over with your fishing buddy and give us a call at 207-695-2266 for a great day on the water.

The shop is now closed during the week and only open the first two weekends in October. If you are in town and need some supplies during the week give us a call, if we are around we'll be glad to open.

Have a great late season fishing trip. See you on the river.

So many spots and so little time !!

September 22
Well the first day of Fall is upon us, the nights are cool and the fishing is excellent. Many of our ponds and rivers will be closed for the season so this week is a great opportunity to get in some of the last great fishing of the year. The East Outlet will be opened throughout the month of October for catch and release fishing only.
Fly selections haven't changed much over the last week. Fish are still chasing flashy maribou streamers. Remember in the river the color white is a sign of weakness and sickness for baitfish, which makes that color an excellent choice for fish looking for an easy meal. Nymphing is also an excellent way to catch even the pickiest of fish this time of year, experiment with different patterns and set ups, without a predominant insect hatch fish aren't neccessarily keying in on anything in particular. This time of year fish are territorial and will sometimes chase anything that is in their area. Folks have also had some luck on the surface, with small dark caddis and tent wing caddis. Again its all about territory not really "matching the hatch".
Have a great last week of fishing.

Wadeable waters for the rest of the season

September 15th
GOOD NEWS !!!

High water issues seem to finally be behind us. The East Outlet flow has been cut back to 1335 cfs and is predicted to stay at that flow till late October. The Moose River has also been cut back to 809 cfs. What this means is wadeable water should prevail everywhere barring any major rain event
.
The great news is the Moose, East Outlet, and Roach River are all full of fall fish. This is the time of season when a small fish is 16". The urge to spawn brings the biggest fish of the year in from the depths of the lakes. It really is an exciting time to be fishing. The leaves are turning, the water has cooled and fall is in the air.

It's time to swing those big fall streamer patterns. Pack your sink-tip line and nothing less than 3X leader material. The violent strike from a big, aggressive fall landlock will leave you wondering what happened to your fly if you use anything less than 8lb tippet.

A quick tip about fall salmon fishing with streamers. It is all about territory and salmon are just trying to run the intruder out of its area. The hits are usually short nips at the fly or just a big boil behind your streamer. If a fish doesn't grab your fly make sure to leave it where it is and simply gig the fly in that spot. Often a fish will get more aggressive and make another pass, maybe 3 or 4 passes till it finally grabs the fly and gets hooked or poked. Quite often the fish will be just skin hooked and if you try and hold the fish, which is now going crazy and leaping about, you'll rip the hook out of the fish. A lot of big fish will be lost and I'm as guilty as as the next guy of trying to hold fast on a fall fish. Try to remember "the act of aggression on your behalf when a fish hits so hard you think he could rip the rod out of your hand, has to be immediately followed by the the act of surrender and let the fish run" or you and your salmon will likely part company.

Although dry fly fishing slows this time of season you still may bring a fish to the surface with a big Royal Wulff or tiny Henryville Caddis at the tailout of any pool.

Nymphing will still be productive for the rest of the season. Because nothing much is hatching there is no one nymph that works everywhere. Don't be afraid to change nymphs often. If you believe there are fish in the run you are fishing you'll probably get one to grab a nymph even if it takes ten changes to do it.

There are so many great places to fish and so little time. I only wish September could be three months long.
Stop by the shop when you are in Greenville for any last minute needs or just to say Hi. Good luck.

Early September East Outlet report!

September 8, 2008
The river is in perfect shape following a glancing blow of heavy rain that mostly fell 50-100 miles south of the Moosehead region. While river levels rose in southern tributaries in Maine, the East Outlet Dam Manager, Michael Moon, lowered the level from 3850 cfs to 2900ish on Sunday! This new flow exposed a lot more wade options for shore anglers seeking fresh run salmon.
Our guides returned from the weekend with very happy clients. The weather was mild & comfortable, and caddis flies were hatching once again as water temperature returned to the low 60's F. The trend is for more and more fish to enter/return to the river throughout September and early October with the best fishing Maine can offer to the fly enthusiast!
In terms of fly selection, dark size 16 & 18 caddis were productive fished behind something bigger and brighter, like a Royal Stimulator (strike indicator). Blue wing olives are showing, although the stomach pump shows that the fish are predominantly keying in on available caddis. On bright days, a small olive wooly bugger can save the day, while on overcast days, the traditional ghost patterns work well. Our favorite fall streamers remain the Montreal Whore, and Shufelt Special, and some of Danny's home spun white maribou and rabbit strip casting streamers available on the counter at the fly shop; stop in!
For nymph fishing, our guides like to use Copper Johns in all color varieties for riffle nymphing, followed by an 18 Pheasant Tail. In deeper plunges, go with a heavy stone in brown or black (Orvis Tungsten bead), followed with a PT or Copper John. The later the season progresses, the more 'persnickity' the fish become. To get the fish to take, you need to drop size both in tippet diameter (5x) and hook size (#18); and the guides start fishing BLT's (black little things...enter your favorite small nymph here).
We hope this helps in planning a visit, and please feel free to call if you are interested in learning all of this in the company of one of our full-time guides; excellent dates still available in our calendar!
Anyone considering a trip to the E.O. should call ahead to see what the flow is scheduled to be @ 1-800-557-FLOW, and always wear your wading belt; arrive alive!

The Roach River will start to see fall flows

August 29
The Roach River is scheduled to get an increase in water flow after Labor Day. There is plenty of water in 1st Roach Pond so it will go to around 200 cfs to start and get another bump to around 250 about mid-month. Because of the abundance of water these levels are more than we usually see which should result in more fish in the river sooner than usual. There is already a run of fall fish in the Roach River. Nymphs and streamers.

The Kennebec River should start to come down to more wadeable flows after Labor Day although there are no promises. The river is already full of fish and we are picking up plenty of fish in the shallower water around the edges. Streamers, small caddis, and nymphs.

The Moose River is also full of fish but is still experiencing high flows. If we don't see any measurable rain it will start to come down before long.
It's streamer season and we are starting to do well with the traditional fall patterns.
I could tie a Montreal Whore on tomorrow, leave it on for the rest of the season, be happy as a clam and catch lots of fish.

Fall flows have started at Seboomook Dam. Each fall the flow is increased to around 900 cfs at Seboomook Dam as an attractor flow to start the fall spawning run of salmon from Chesuncook and Lobster Lake. It is believed the Chesuncook fish move into the lower portion of the river and the Lobster Lake fish move into the upper part of the river from Roll Dam to the Dam on Seboomook. That upper part is very accessible with multiple, beautiful state campsites at Roll Dam and Burbank. It's a great place to avoid the crowds and has the potential of catching a very big salmon. Remember these are the fish from Lobster Lake, where all salmon have to be released under 20".

We have ideal fall fish conditions.

Great fall fishing conditions are exactly the opposite of ideal spring conditions.
In the spring we look of falling waters levels and rising water temperatures. As water levels drop fish become more contained in pools and runs. As the water temperature rises insect activity increases and hatches begin. Fish feed on a regular schedule and fishing gets better and better.
Then comes the heat of (most) summers during August and typically lower, warmer water. Fishing slows and many fish retreat to a lake.
When fall arrives we look for rising water levels and falling water temperatures. The increased flows and lower water temperatures are the stimulus needed to spark the fall spawning runs of trout and salmon. We usually are sitting around hoping for a good hurricane to make it's way north and we benefit from the cool rains and higher water flows.
There are also agreements with the water people to hold back water during the heat of summer so they can provide increased fall flows (attractor flows) that begin after Labor Day Weekend. These scheduled increases usually provide us with a good, early run of fish in the Roach, Moose, East Outlet, and Upper West Branch of the Penobscot.
After that initial increase we hope for additional cool fall nights and some rain that continues to increase water flows and decrease water temperatures. When this happens more fish will continue to enter the rivers as fall progresses.
This year is the exception to what we consider normal. We have had lots of rainfall and a surplus of cool weather. The higher water levels and cooling water temperatures have already brought lots of fish into the rivers. The issue as everyone knows is about wadeable levels. The fish are there, you just can't get to them. This could actually be a fall fishing season we'll be talking about for a long time. We'll keep our fingers crossed no hurricane makes it's way to Maine and water levels drop as the fall progresses.

Remember this one thing about fall fish. We always focus hard on feeding lanes throughout the season. Both trout and salmon do not regularly feed during the spawning run.
For that reason they may not set-up housekeeping just in the obvious spots. Fish will certainly occupy many of the traditional spots but you will also find fish in places you will not see them any other time. That place is shallow water usually around gravel where they will actually be spawning later on. Fish the edges and high in runs where the water is shallow. It's amazing how many fish we pick-up in unlikely spots. Spots no one else bothers to fish.

Because fall is not about food we often use bright attractor streamer pattens. It becomes more about territory and defending that territory against intruders, than getting a square meal. That's why we swing big, bright streamers on sinking lines to try and appeal to the fish's more aggressive nature. Never is a sinking line more important than during high water conditions especially in the fall. You need to get that fly in the fish's face and during high water conditions it takes a sinking line to get it where it needs to be.

The other side of the coin is after fish have been in the river for a while they become more tolerate of their surroundings. They've seen lots of streamers, probably been caught one or twice and not as likely to chase them as aggressively as when they are first enter a river. Even though food isn't the reason they are there they will eat a "Lay's potato chip" if one is dropped in their lap. The Lay's potato chip comes in the form of a nymph bounced along the bottom along eddy lines and in the tails of the pools. There usually isn't any one pattern that dominates so keep changing them and you will pick up fish that are done chasing streamers and occasionally grab a tiny snack.

We almost always catch our biggest fish in the fall. They are in their prime, hit like freight trains and jump to eye level.

The rivers are dropping

August 15
The latest round of high water has started to drop once again and should be back to wadeable levels before long. The consolation prize is the East Outlet has gotten another run of salmon and there still appears to be good fish in all the pools. We caught a number of bright salmon yesterday all the way down the river. The rains along with the cool temperatures has brought the waters temperature back down with added to the new run of fish. I don't thing there is any question but we will have good fall fishing because water will not be an issue this fall.
The Roach River also got a shot of water this week when the level had to be increased to 125 cfs sparking life in the salmon that were already in the river and seeing new fish entering from Spencer Bay.
We've been catching fish on streamers and dries, as well as nymphing. What could be better.
The high water is allows a pain but we are looking at what could shape-up to be a grand fall fishing season that will start earlier than ever before. I don't want to wish away summer (what we had of it) but fall is certainly my favorite time of season when we catch the bigger fish of the year. It's time to make plans.

We do 3 & 4 days fall fishing trips during September to the Fox Hole on the Upper West Branch of the Penobscot. We go by 20' canoe and small motor 8 miles down river from Lobster Landing and camp right on the river to fish the fall run of salmon from Chesuncook Lake. If anyone is interested we currently have an opening for two people the week of Sept 11-14 and September 23-25 & 26-28.
If you are interested go to our guided trips page on our web site for details and costs.

Fall fishing is just around the corner.

Early Fall Fishing!!

August 27We'll keep are fingers crossed because it looks like the water on the East Outlet is finally coming down. The best part about the high water is that it has brought a lot of fish into the river. The fish are literally piled up in there, say goodbye to the dry flies and bring out the streamers and nymphs. Big streamers and pheasant tails. The water temperature is currently at 62 degrees!! which is unseasonably cool for this time of year. The fish are coming in to spawn and brookies and landlocks have been caught in their beautiful fall colorings. Some folks have even seen some black caddis hatches as well in the afternoon.
On the other side of the lake the Roach River has been fishing extremely well. Again the fish have come into the river a little early. Streamers like; pink floyd, shufelt specials, Montreal whores have all been producing consistently as well as small beadheaded nymphs. Most fish caught have been in the 16-20 inch range so hold on!The plan is for more water to be released sometime this week so we should look to see even more fish in the river

Project Healing Waters is great fun for everyone involved

August 4
Although there are nice fish in all the rivers and most of the pools, we are using a big bag of tricks to pull a few rabbits out of the hat.
Take the East Outlet, water level at present is as good as it gets for wading, 1300 cfs. There are still nice fish in every pool along the entire river. You can bring fish to the top with big flies like Stimulators, Tarantulas and foam stones in one pool but not in another. The same goes for nymphing but not consistently on any one fly. Golden or brown stones work in one place and not in another where tiny caddis pupa or a pheasant tail maybe the answer. Yesterday it seemed to be a size 18 Hemingway Caddis along shallow eddy lines that brought both salmon and trout to the surface.
The fact is our regular hatch season is starting to fade. There are small hatches mostly confined to early morning or late evening, usually small dark caddis. Hemingway caddis and soon Henryville caddis will be hatching, dark brown or black. From this point on they will be small, size 16 and smaller.
Fish the big flies over bigger, deeper water and small stuff in shallow water. Fish nymphs along eddy lines everywhere.

We had our annual Project Healing Waters Outing on August 1 st & 2nd. Eight disabled vets and two administrators came to the Moosehead Lake Region for two days of guided drift fishing on the East Outlet. There were some great fishing stories told about battles with salmon, trout and a very large smallmouth that ate a 10" chub Pappy had on his fly rod. Great times were had by all.
The outing is part of a year long program through the Veterans Administration at Togus in Augusta. During the winter everyone in instructed in fly tying and casting by Trout Unlimited members so they can participate in outings like this during the summer months. Project Healing Waters is a wonderful national organization dedicated to helping disabled vets learn and participate in the sport of fly fishing. We are proud to a part of such a worthwhile cause.
Have a look at our photo page to see pictures of this years outing. Then go to www.projecthealingwaters.com to learn more about how they are helping our disabled vets.

Summertime!....and the Fishing is Easy.

July 25th The extremely wet weather we had here in June has done us quite a favor, the high water flows in the Kennebec last month have really helped to extend our fishing season in July. The east Outlet has been fishing extremely well. With fish not keying in on one particular morsel this allows us to expand the menu in our fly boxes. Folks have been doing well fishing big stimulator and tarantula patterns as well as small bead head nymphs and larger stonefly nymphs. Tying on a classic like a Grey Ghost or a Mitchell Creek can also coax a big fish from the pools.
Action can still be found on the West Outlet on the Kennebec as well as the Roach River to the east. Best bet are small bead head nymphs at the latter. Warmer waters in Indian Pond is driving the Bass closer to cool waters, so the mouth of the Kennebec is a great spot to catch some summertime bass. Its also a great time to catch the monsters customers are reporting fish in the 18-20 inch range.

Stonefly Season has arrived!!

July 11th
The Golden Stones just kicked in on the rivers. They are the big helicopter looking bugs you see from time to time flying around the river. The nymphs crawl out of the river at night onto rocks and trees then slowly emerge and become adults. Look around the rocks and tree trucks and you will be able to find the cases they leave behind. They look like clinging little dinosaurs but hollow.

What does this mean?

The fish are finally dining on the big stuff. Up till now we had to fish small caddis to catch fish on the surface. Not any more. Yesterday our best fly was a size 8 Tarantula. Salmon bounded it hard. They also came to size 8 Foam Stones and Stimulators.
Now is the time to prospect around over heavy water with cheeseburger size flies. Even though there are no fish showing, every so often a big fish will come up and nail the big fly. When they show they mean business. There usually are no refusals. They grab it and growl. It's easy, great fun and the flies are big enough our aging eyes can see them easily. You'll be yelling out loud, you can't help it.

As you can see on our water flow page the Moose River is now at very wadeable levels and as an added bonus the East Outlet is scheduled to go down more tomorrow to 1468.
Drop everything because this is about as good as it gets.

The pond fishermen are having a grand time chasing the Hex hatches. A few spots have gone by but lots are yet to hatch. The main event should go on for another week or so as the larger ponds and higher elevation spots begin to pop.

It won't be to long now before trout have to retreat to the spring holes to wait out the heat of summer so get your licks in before the ice cream melts.

Monday's Weekend update

July 7
As predicted the Green Drakes started hatching all over on the small ponds as well as around the coves of the big lakes.
These hatches should continue for a while.

The East Outlet was at 2500cfs all weekend and everyone reported catching lots of fish. The river has fish all through it. Salmon and trout are taking a variety of patterns from the West Branch Caddis & Olive Elk Wing Caddis to Stimulators, Tarantulas, and Golden Stones all on top. Underneath it's Copper Johns, Dark Caddis Pupa, Hare's Ear and Bead Head Golden Stone to name a few.

With the lake full we should see good water flows throughout the month staying cool enough to hold fish in the river.
When the Moose finally comes down to a wadeable level, you can only guess as to how many fish are up in the river.

High water means fish the shallows.

The Drakes are here !! 

Happy 4th of July
Even though high water persists folks are catching lots of fish. During high water on the rivers new spots start to appear. Fish will move into places you don't often find them holding. Seek out shallow, slower moving water around the edges. The bigger flush of water pretty much washes out the best known and fished pools and runs but fish will move out of that heavy water and hold in the shallower slower runs that show-up during high high flows.
Caddis are still your best bet with a darker body #14 working well. The West Branch Caddis (a local fly) has just started to hatch. Also golden stones are beginning to appear which means big stimulators are now in season. Drop a caddis behind a stimulator and skip it around the slower water. You will probably be pleasantly surprised. Don't leave your nymphs on shore. They are always in season.

NOW for the Green Drakes (hexes) which have already started in a few places. This is the time you had better be baby sitting your favorite haunts. The first night of the hatch can be magical. The biggest trout in any pond are on top, making pigs of themselves. Lay out anything that resembles those monster mayflies and they'll eat it. What a hoot it is to pick off cruising trout on flat calm water.

There are lots of imitations around and they all work at given times. The drakes are often a yellow/brown color but are also gray and even pale yellow or green. It's good to carry all the different colors in size 8 just in case.

A good nymph is just as important as the dries. A nymph called a Maple Syrup has gotten a lot of attention in recent years, because it works! It's tied with a tan chenille body, a yellow calf hair tail, and a brown soft hackle collar, a very simple fly to tie. Tied on a streamer hook the nymph is long enough to imitate the nymph very well. Remember to use a good stout leader on these big bugs or they your fly will corkscrew in the air as you cast and twist your leader. Go to a 3x tippet to do the job.

Take a flashlight along because you'll be staying till the end. This hatch happens just before dark. Hatches will usually last about a week on a pond with the deeper, higher elevation and northern ponds hatching last. Allagash Lake for instance usually doesn't pop till mid-month. While you're waiting around for the hatch to start hook-up a sinking line with a nymph so you can work the bottom a couple of hours before the light start to fade. You should find trout cruising around the cove looking for an early bird meal.

This is the time hard core pond fishermen wait for all year. The big boys are out and feeding on top. How can it get any better than that.

NEWS FLASH !!! 9:00 a.m. July 3rd

Mike the dam keeper at the East Outlet just called to tell us the E.O. is being dropped from 4000 cfs to 3064 cfs today and probably will go down to 2500 cfs tomorrow, July 4th. You know where we'll be. See you on the water & have a safe and memorable 4th of July celebration.

High water and Green Drakes

June 26
High water in most of the rivers has been the issue for the last week. Thunderstorms dropped too much water on the Kennebec watershed. Although water has been dropped considerably wadeable levels have no yet returned. The E.O is supposed to come down to 3000 cfs but it hasn't quite yet. Hopefully by the weekend. The caddis are still hatching in good shape and we have been picking up a fair number of trout and salmon in the shallow eddies.

It's time to drag out the big mayflies. The Green Drake (Hex) hatch is in the near future. The shallow lower elevation ponds will be the first to pop. If you play your cards right you can follow the hatches as the water warms in the coves of the bigger bodies of water like Moosehead Lake. The higher elevation ponds should be the last to bloom often not hatching till well into July. We'll keep you posted as the event all pond fishermen anxiously await unfolds. Remember the first night of the hatch you can do no wrong. You'll never forget it.
One quick tip when you start casting the huge #8 flies it takes to match the hatch. Use a 3X tippet leader. Ever have the leader twist all up when you fish these big flies? That's because you are still using the light leader you had on for the small flies. The bigger stiffer leader will control those bigger flies and stop them from corkscrewing when casting. Trout don't care that the leader is 8 lb. test. You'll be glad you did.

Caddis , Caddis Everywhere !!!

June 18
The caddis are hatching in big numbers and are hatching everywhere. The rivers are on FIRE ! Despite the big water on all the rivers the caddis have the fish doing back flips all over the place. I was on Big Eddie yesterday and fish were banging caddis all over the pool all morning. Just remember on Big Eddy it's all about the foam. When you see a fish take something on the surface have a hard look at where that fish showed. Odds are the fish took a bug in a patch of foam. Foam means food. Bugs collect in the foam and fish look to the foam for food. Whatever fly you choose, land it and dead drift it in a patch of foam. I know it's tempting to drift your fly all by itself on clean water but fishing the foam will get you way more takes. Believe me it works and is as essential to success on the Eddy as having the right fly.
Make sure you have plenty of Elk Wing Caddis in all the popular body colors. CDC's bring a lot of fish up as well. OH yea emergers, don't forget emergers, salmon love emergers.

If you follow the waters flows on our water flow page you'll see high water is presently an issue everywhere.
The big round of thunder storms last week dumped a good deal of water in a short period of time. Water had to be dumped, the lakes are brim full. The consolation prize of big flows is fish. The East Outlet has seen a tremendous run of fresh fish. There are more fish in the river than I've seen in a long time. We were not seeing many 18" plus fish earlier but they are there now in big numbers. Fish straight from a diet of smelt in the lake want smelt and will chase streamers hard. Don't be afraid to use the big spring time smelt streamers and you don't need to put them on a sinking line any longer, the fish are looking up. Despite the high water fish are feeding on caddis all day and chasing streamers to boot. Life is extremely good.

I know wading is tough but fish are everywhere and swinging a streamer is all it takes.

It all about caddis !!

June 13 -Caddis season has arrived. The mayfly hatches are all but gone and the annual caddis season is upon us. The first caddis hatches arrived on the West Branch yesterday and have not quite started on the East Outlet but should any day.
All you'll need is a hand full of olive or bright green bodied caddis in size 12 & 14 and you can do no wrong.
As I have stated with mayflies about the drag free drift being essential things change with caddis. The drag free drift works but now you can skitter caddis at the end of the drift. Also skip a caddis towards you by lifting the rod then letting it drift back over the same water by dropping your rod tip. Also try tying another dry caddis as a dropper and skip the pair around. Drives fish crazy.
Enjoy caddis season. It's a great time of year.
Don't forget to stock up on caddis pupa and lava. The fish in the above photo was caught on a bright green bead head caddis lava fished along an eddy line.

Mayflies everywhere!!

June 4th - The mayflies are in full bloom and hatching most days throughout the rivers. They are usually mid-day hatches and last till 5 or 6 pm. Have plenty of BWO # 14-16, Dark Hendrickson #12-14, March Brown # 10-12, and associated nymphs, like pheasant tails, olive and natural hare's ear.

We like to drop the smaller flies about 18" below a weighted stone fly or use two of the smaller nymphs and put a split shot between the two. Also try dropping a small unweighted nymph about 2' behind your mayfly to tickle any fish feeding on the emerging mayfly.

Bass are just now starting to head for the gravel to spawn. The cool nights and rainy weather has keep water temperature below 60 degrees most days but anytime the sun shows and water temperatures get to 60 or above the bass head for the shallows. We caught our first bass on a popper just 2 days ago. Clousers have been the answer till then.
There is a good supply of bass water in this region and plenty of really very big bass to be caught. Prime places are Prong Pond, the entire West Outlet with Long Pond being the focal point. Indian Pond on the Kennebec has long been know for fabulous bass fishing. The area around Lily Bay State Park is getting quite a reputation for large smallmouth as well. It's great fun especially when they start nailing poppers on the surface. Take a look at our photo page to see some of our recent bass outings. Very impressive fish!!
See you on the water.

The Hendrickson's are here!

May 30th - Well its almost June so that means its time for mayflies! Some good hatches are showing up so be sure to arm yourselves with plenty of hendricksons, red quills, and blue winged olives the usual suspects of the early mayfly season. Most of this action is occurring in the ponds in the late afternoons. Our recent blasts of high winds and really cool nights have slowed down some of the water warm up in the area so you'll still want to keep that sinking line handy or at least a sinking leader.
The rivers have remained cool and fairly fast so pack the streamers and other smelt patterns as well as a good selection of nymphs.
The big waters have remained cool as well, but productive. Some sinking line and a Joes Smelt or Grey Ghost will probably due the trick.

The warmer temperatures in the ponds have signaled the beginning of the smallmouth bass spawn, if you like catching big fish now is the time. Smallies are retreating to the shallows to begin their spawn and are extremely defensive. Not quite ready for surface presentations but throw a clouser or big streamer close to shore and hold on!

Time to drag out the dries

May 23 - Things are starting to come around nicely. The cool temperatures have held off the hatches we are all hoping for. The fact is in the Moosehead Lake Region we often don't see any real mayfly hatches till the beginning of June. If we have a nice warm spell in late May the hatches sometimes start earlier. One thing for sure the hatches will come it's just a question of when.
I have seen major Blue Wing Olive hatches the last couple of days on the lower East Outlet. They always get mixed reviews from trout and salmon. I've seen the water littered with the little morsels and nothing taking a one on the surface. Other times, like yesterday, the fish make pigs of themselves on the tiny tidbits.
The hatch that every fish in the river eats is the Hendrickson's and the Red Quill's. They are usually not far behind the BWO's.
The warmer weather predicted for this weekend should get things percolating any day. When the Hendricksons & Red Quills do kick-in they'll be size 12-14. Like most hatches the first day is magical with fish taking anything that even comes close to the real bug.
Two things to consider when matching any hatch. First is size and second is color. You don't need to know the names of any of the insects. The fish don't know any names, they just know they want one particular bug, the one that's hatching. If you spot fish rising don't just start casting, hoping you have something they want. Fish can be extremely particular. I once had to go to # 18 Blue Wing Olive to catch huge smallmouth bass acting like trout, sipping the tiny mayflies as the wind blew them over a reef they were holding on. Bass are not supposed to care but nothing else would work. So before you screw things up, stand back and observe. What is it that they are eating. Look at the water's surface and watch for insects hatching and drifting along on the currents. When you do see fish actually eat a bug look in your fly box and pick a fly that is the same size and next is the same color. Do this and you should be able to join in on the action. The next extremely important ingredient is the presentation. Just as important as having the right fly is presenting that fly properly to feeding fish. Remember a good drift is always better than a good cast. With the right fly you are in the game but a bad drift will leave you scoreless. Trout and salmon demand a drag free drift during mayfly season. The shorter you have to cast the better you'll be able to mend the fly line and control the drift of the fly. The further the cast the more currents you'll have to deal with and the more slack line you'll have to manage. A drag free drift with the right mayfly to a fish you found feeding along an eddy line or maybe at the tail end of a pool offers one of the best rewards I know... You'll have a good reason to pat yourself on the back.

This is what we've been waiting for so polish up those mayflies, don't forget the Gink and have a great time on the water.

Let the games begin

May 16
Things are finally beginning to settle in for us up in the Moosehead Lake area. A combination of warmer waters in the ponds and lower water flows in the rivers have paved the way for some great fishing opportunities in the past week.
The Kennebec River at East Outlet has gone down to 2700 cfs, which means....fishable! The river should be brimming with good size fish that have yet to see fly fisherman or fly. Large streamers should be the pattern of choice, as most fish in the river are feeding primarily off of spawning smelt. A note of caution though, the river is still running fairly fast so be careful wading. West outlet slower flows have also yielded some good fishing. I caught a beautiful 17 inch Brookie on a Joes Smelt the other day. This is a great time of year to be in the Moosehead area mild weather, no crowds, and good fishing has made the early spring season a real treat.
Folks have been coming in the shop looking for devil bugs, griffiths gnats and dragonfly nymphs so the pond season fishing is underway. Warm afternoons have given rise to some nice midge hatches griffiths gnats have been the fishes favorites so far. Hopefully the mayfly season will begin in the next couple of weeks, which makes for great fishing and a chance to dust off that floating fly line! A lot of our ponds are only a short drive away if your looking to save some gas money.
Don't hesitate to stop by the shop and say hi, and good luck fishing!!








May 9

Even though high water prevails on the rivers for a while longer there are lots of fishing opportunities. The Roach River is the exception and was lowered to 125 cfs today. It was sky high for a while, which should have tickled a nice run of salmon.
All water is ice free and now is the time to do some trolling on any of the lakes and ponds. 1st Roach Pond is fishing well around South Inlet Campground. The smelt are gathered around the gravel bar where they spawn and so are the fish. Some big lake trout are always taken there this time of season.
The mouth of the Moose River in Rockwood is prime with fish gathered at the mouth feasting on the spawning smelt. They haven't filled the river quite yet but will within a week.

It's midge season on the small trout ponds. We really have been blessed with wonderful, sun shiny days and day time temps in the 60's. We are already hearing folks say the fish were rolling everywhere and there were no bugs to be seen. That's because midges are so tiny they are near invisible. It takes a size 22-24 fly to even interest a fish. The Griffith's Gnat or a Cluster fished in the film of the water is the ticket around here. Because it is next to impossible to see exactly where your tiny fly is, I like to drop it on 2' of 7x tippet behind a dry fly which I can see like a #12 Adams. When you do set the hook just lift your rod, don't try to set the hook. If you do set too hard you'll either break off the fly or pull the fly loose. You'll have the fish hooked only by the skin with such a small hook. It's not as tough as it sounds and it's about the only way you'll get any surface fishing this time of season. Midge fishing is usually an afternoon activity and like all hatches there is no guarantee. Don't forget dragon fly nymphs on sinking lines along the sunny shore. This is prime time with very hungry fish searching the shallows for the easy pickin' dragons.
We have been posting current water flows on our web site www.maineguideflyshop.com every morning so you'll be able to tell when our moving waters start to recede.
I caught my first salmon of the season a couple of days ago. A beautiful 18-19" male with a hook jaw. Caught on a Grey Ghost. It is wonderful to be back in the saddle.
Have a great fishing week.

Unofficial Iceout!!

May 2 -There is open water everywhere. Moosehead isn't officially called out and there is still some ice in coves and floating around the main lake but Lily Bay is open, Rockwood is open, Spencer Bay is all but free of ice. Any stiff wind and winter's grip will finally be gone. Hoorah!!
It's all about smelt patterns on the lakes and wherever streams and rivers flow into any lake.
The rivers are running high and probably will be for a few days. Bad for now but good for later. High water in spring always brings fish in.
Smalls ponds are opening up steady and will be a good bet for this weekend. As soon as the water starts to warm brookies will be circling the ponds picking up dragon fly nymphs along the shallows. Check our small ponds guide plus there are printable maps of the area, click on Moosehead area maps on the left.
I can't wait to get out myself but I have shore duty all weekend. Stop and say Hi if you are in town.
Good luck.

Right on schedule

4/25 - We are back on schedule for iceout. The beautiful weather of last week has done major damage on the remaining snow and ice. Moosehead's top layers of ice are gone leaving the remaining ice jet black which means with a little more nice weather, some sunny days, and a stiff northwest wind the remaining ice will be gone sooner than many thought.
We always say if the ice comes out before May 1st it's early, if it goes out after May 10th it's late. I think it's safe to say that we'll see the ice gone closer to the 1st than the 10th.
For the trollers in the crowd opening day on Moosehead is Wed. May 1st. The mouth of the Moose River in Rockwood is the place to be. Smelt will be gathered at the mouth waiting for the water to warm above 40 degrees triggering the spawning run. There will be plenty of open water around the mouth of the river for the annual flotilla of boats. Plenty of fishermen will be taking advantage of these ideal conditions. Dust off the tandem smelt streamers, it's that time of season.
If anyone is in the business of trying for one of Moosehead's legendary trophy brook trout, the window of opportunity is about to open. The first two weeks after iceout will be your best chance to become a member of "The One that Didn't Get Away Club". Brookies have to be 4 lbs or better. Put on your best, beat-up old propeller and do battle with the rockiest shoreline you can find. Adult spawning smelt head for the shallow shore and follow it to any stream where they will spawn. Troll the contour close enough to shore where you see bottom on one side of the boat and not on the other. Keep a constant lookout for boulders and have the motor unlocked so it will bounce if you happen to get too close to structure (rocks). If you aren't constantly in peril you aren't in the zone. Springtime brookies aren't a whole lot different that smallmouth. They love patrolling the shallows especially along reefs and boulder strewn shorelines.
We like to use old fiberglass fly rods, sinking lines and long leaders at least 20'of 8 lb. test. Fish a long line, work the rod, and give your fly action. The scenery is great and the reward may be a lifelong memory. This is your best chance to make the club. The by-product of pounding the shoreline at iceout is salmon and laker trout are also there indulging in the banquet of bait fish as well.
We'll keep you up to date as the ice finally is replaced by the mirror image of an uninhabited shoreline on windless open water. Life begins again.
Good luck this weekend and stay safe. Don't sit on your life jacket, WEAR IT!. An unintentional swim this time of season can be deadly.

Help the fisheries by leaving information for the biologists

4/18 - Looks like it is going to be a nice weekend to get out and cast a fly, enjoy the nice spring weather, and maybe hook your first fish of the 2008 season.
The beautiful weather this week saw temps climb into the 60's in the Moosehead Region. It has really dropped the snow pack a lot but hasn't done away with all the snow. Not like it has just south of here. You'll still need snowshoes if you plan to hike downstream anywhere. Don't expect the back roads to be free of snow and OK to travel by truck till the beginning of May. Ponds rarely go free of ice till the first week of May.
I will say with the great weather we have had iceout stands a good chance of being on time. We always say if ice goes out before May 1st it's early, if it goes out after May 10th it's late.
The East Outlet's flow remains at 511 cfs and should stay there for some time to come. It is exceptionally wadable. I can't say the fish have been very cooperative but it's been fun trying. Until the ice leaves and water temperatures top the 40 degree mark, catching is going to be slow. Bring your tiniest midges. There was a huge midge hatch right at the bridge on the East Outlet when I was there on Wed. and I didn't have my midge box. You'll want #22-24 midge nymphs. All they really are is a tiny bit of very fine black dubbing wrapped around the tiny hook. That's it.

The photo you see at the top of the report is that of an information box put out by the fisheries biologists at access points to the rivers and ponds in the region. There are a good number around. Take a moment and flip the lid to fill out one of the information cards inside. It's painless and takes less than 5 minutes to fill out. The information asked for is how long you fished and what fish you caught, released and kept. You need to understand we only have 3 full time biologists and a couple of summer assistances (maybe) to manage the fresh water fisheries in a management area that starts below Dover Foxcroft and extends to Allagash Lake, 100 miles north of Greenville. Good information regarding a fishery is hard to come by and very valuable to these guys. It helps give them a good idea of the quality of the fish in a system and helps with rules making and stocking rates. You are truly doing yourself and the fisheries a big favor by taking the time to stop and share what you know with the scientists. I do and you should too.

If you would like to receive our regular email newsletters and fishing reports all season sign-up. The button is on the left at the top of any of our web pages. I think you find them informative and fun. Lots of folks have told us to keep'em coming.

Have an enjoyable and memorable weekend around the water.

There is no better time to learn about a river

4/11/08 -The East Outlet is at minimum flows as the water people start to fill Moosehead with the remaining run-off.
The river will never be any lower than it is right now. What an opportunity to learn a river. It will become obvious why you catch fish where you do. You might even find a new run you didn't know was there. You will easily see the deepest parts of the pools, where the deeper runs are, and where the plunge into the pool really begins. You'll see it all.
Not long ago the river ran at 5000 cfs, which put the water level well beyond the river bed. Now the river is low and you can walk what is now dry river exposed with low water conditions.
I went yesterday with a friend. It was wonderful to be on a river again and we had it all to ourselves. I did get a chance to fish a new Cortland, Big Sky 9', 6 wt. It's amazing these days that for under $200 you can have a rod that compares to much more expensive rods. It was a treat to cast right out of the box.
Even though we didn't hook any fish, the river is spectacular at low water, wading was easy, and it's teaming with wildlife. There isn't much open water in these parts so migrating water fowl are all around plus the East Outlet is a wintering area for deer. Deer sign was everywhere. The low water has allowed the deer to get out of the waist deep snow and walk the river bed to feed. I saw 4, one of which walked up on me as I fished. Great stuff. So even though I didn't hook a fish (yet) it was a wonderful first outing than did my open water deprived soul a world of good.
If you decide to give it a go put in snow shoes if you have them. Walking in the snow would be near impossible. Walking the river is actually quite easy with minimum flows but if the water happens to go up you'll be faced with deep snow.
We'll be open 9-5 , Thursday-Sunday during the rest of April so stop in if your get up this way and say Hi. We can once again fuel our passion for running water and the creatures that live there.

The snow pack is dropping

April 10th - The snow pack has been dropping steadily all week. Bright sun and 50-60 degree weather is sucking the snow into the sky and running water into the drainage.
Dam gates are being closed so not to loose any more of the run-off. It will take quite awhile to capture the remaining run-off and fill all the lakes in the Upper Kennebec Valley. Moosehead is 75,000 acres and is as low as it can be drained.
The East Outlet has been dropped to 500 cfs which is ideal wading conditions and the Moose River is flowing at 572 cfs which is also perfect. I suspect these flows will remain for some time unless we get greater than anticipated spring rains.
I've got a shiny new Big Sky series fly rod from Cortland that needs to be broken in. Today's the day I've been waiting for all winter.
Life begins again!!!

Still up to our ears in snow

March 27 - It seems like we are still under winter's grip. Night temps have been below zero this last week and rising only slightly above the freezing mark during the day. With near record snowfall, snowmobiling is still the #1 activity.

Moosehead Lake is still experiencing the annual draw down with flows on the East Outlet still extremely high. I expect they will start to cut back on the flows as the run-off kicks into high gear. I'll let you know when fishable levels begin. With the extreme high water all winter I believe the river should have more wintered over fish than usual plus there is a good chance lots of fish got dumped below the dam in the high flows of winter.
I know I'll be heading there as soon as the flow allows, I'm just going to need my snowshoes to get to the river.

The West Outlet is actually fishable with a year round flow of 125-150 cfs. There should be fish from Long Pond, just down stream, working their way up to hold in the road side Dam Pool. There are usually some nice brookies and salmon taken there through the month of April, nymphing mainly.

The West Branch of the Penobscot below Rip Dam is always a good bet to wet a line in April. There is always a few very hardy souls taking advantage of the April 1st opening. Newsowadnehunk Deadwater is the place. Many salmon winter over in the deadwater and big streamers fished near the in- flow will see some action. People will have to slide their watercraft over the high snow banks and shore ice to get to open water. Bring your snowmobile suit and REMEMBER the water is deadly cold this time of season and ALWAYS wear a good life jacket. Keep in mind the 50/50 rule. If the water temperature is less than 50 degrees you have a 50/50 chance of making it out of the water before hypothermia does you in.
Let the games begin!!!

East Outlet of the Kennebec Open Year Round 

1-14-2008 - The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has openned the East Outlet of the Kennebec River to Year round fishing.

The current rule change reads:

From November 1st to April 1st - Fly Fishing Only - Catch & Release from the Dam to the tail end of the Beach Pool.

I remember, not that many years ago, standing in the shop looking out the window on a beautiful April Day feeling penalized for living in Greenville because nothing openned till May 1st. With some effort on my part the East Outlet, West Outlet, Moose River and Roach River were openned the 1st of April like the rest of the state. It was more about opportunity that productivity.
Opportunity is what this new change in the rule is all about. Even though I haven't taken advantage of the new opportunity to fish the East Outlet this winter, it makes me smile "Just thinking about it".

For those of you who may be considering giving it a go on one of those above freezing days you need to know the water flow is at 3500 cfs and won't be dropping anytime soon. Moosehead Lake filled this fall from all the rain and it has to be drained back down by spring to make room for all the run-off we will probably have when the snowpack cuts loose. If you could get to the river through all the snow you can't do any wading. There is a consolation price though. Generally after the fall spawn takes place fish drop back into Indian Pond with one exception, HIGH WATER!!
High flow hold fish in the river. When it does become fishable there should be fish to fish over. Time will tell. I plan on giving it a go when it warms up again and I'll let you know. My guess is it'll take a very, very heavy nymph to get the first fish of the year on.

Contact Us At
Maine Guide Fly Shop     info@maineguideflyshop.com
34 Moosehead Lake Road     PO Box 1202
Greenville, Maine 04441     207-695-2266

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife