Hatches & Hints

Hatches & Hints

Our Hatches & Hints page is dedicated to educating you about fishing the Moosehead Lake Region and its many windows of opportunity that present themselves throughout our fishing season. Starting with early season smelt runs, followed by the sucker spawn, then major mayfly, caddis and stonefly hatches culminating with the spawning season. We’ll fill you … Continue reading Hatches & Hints

A Simple Solution

Every summer, around Drake season, fishermen wander into the fly shop frustrated about their leader getting all twisted when casting big drake patterns to feeding trout at their favorite pond. They want to lay the blame on the particular brand of leader they were using. Fortunately it’s not the brand of leader’s fault. Because it … Continue reading A Simple Solution

Ice-Out Time

Variety is the salt of angling. In the Moosehead Lake Region, the angler can find a variety of angling opportunities. There are various fish species to pursue and most can all be found in the same place early in the season. After a long winter in the Moosehead Lake Region we hear the welcome sound … Continue reading Ice-Out Time

Moose River Smelt Drift

Estimating Smelt Drift through Brassua Dam into the Moose River Fisheries biologists keep a watchful eye on smelt populations in Moosehead and other lakes throughout Maine. Rainbow smelt are the most important forage item for landlocked salmon and lake trout, two of the most important coldwater gamefish in Maine. Smelt populations are notorious for natural … Continue reading Moose River Smelt Drift

Swinging Streamers

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. … Continue reading Swinging Streamers

Moosehead Lake Region Wild Brook Trout Ponds are True Jewels

In the Moosehead Lake Region we have an inventory of wild brook trout ponds that, for the most part go overlooked. To be accurate there are 40 trout ponds within a 40 mile drive for Downtown Greenville. An effort was made many years ago by our then Fish and Wildlife Commissioner, Bucky Ownes, to put … Continue reading Moosehead Lake Region Wild Brook Trout Ponds are True Jewels

What makes a generic fly so frigin’ good.

What makes a generic fly so frigin’ good? If you could only have one fly to use for the entire season which one would you choose, certainly one that has worked for you more often than not. Your go to fly. Conduct a survey and many would pick the Woolly Bugger, others a Muddler Minnow, … Continue reading What makes a generic fly so frigin’ good.

The Sucker Spawn

If you have ever spent any time on a stream in the spring chasing smelt runs, the presence of mature suckers is very obvious. Unlike trout which are fall spawners, suckers spawn in the spring just after the smelt spawn when the water temps begin to creep up between 40-50 degrees. The first to spawn … Continue reading The Sucker Spawn

Moving Water Mayflies

The first of our moving water mayflies is the Blue Wing Olives. Hatches begin mid-May into early June. They love lousy, drizzily weather. There may be just a few or they may cover the entire pool. The odd thing about BWO’s is river fish often don’t both with them. Other times they eat some but … Continue reading Moving Water Mayflies

The Drag Free Drift

Our best advise during the mayfly hatches is ~ A Good Drift is Better than a Good Cast ~ After mayflies hatch they drift on the surface like tiny sailboats until they take to wing. They seldom bounce around on the surface as do caddis when they hatch. The bottom line is, if your mayfly … Continue reading The Drag Free Drift

A Season on a Wild Trout Pond

Years ago Tim Shaw sent us this request. “I would like to see 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 … Continue reading A Season on a Wild Trout Pond

Try Skipping Your Caddis

When all the stars line-up and you’re witnessing a caddis hatch stop everything and watch what’s going on. Often there will be hundreds of caddis floating pretty as can be on the surface going unnoticed and untouched by lots of fish watching as well. Spot one caddis amongst all the others that is struggling and … Continue reading Try Skipping Your Caddis

Frustrated with Caddis Hatches?

Caddis hatches can be somewhat frustrating to the angler. There are lots of different species and the ten thousand dollar question is, “At what stage of the hatch cycle are fish eating?” Yesterday we found a bunch of nice trout and salmon feeding along an eddy line, maybe 6 or 8. Instead of tossing just … Continue reading Frustrated with Caddis Hatches?

Hexagenia Life Cycle (Drakes)

If you have ever had the good fortune of being on a wild brook trout pond during the beginning of Hex season you are still talking about it. Hexagenia limbata or Green Drake as we call them in Maine’s north country, is one of the most geographically widespread mayflies in North America. It is found … Continue reading Hexagenia Life Cycle (Drakes)

It’s Like a Garden Growing

Seasonal aquatic insect hatches are no different than a garden growing. In the aquatic insect world seeds are planted in the form of eggs. Eggs are deposited shortly after aquatic insects become adults (the hatch) during our summer months. Living in the rubble on the bottom they slowly mature as nymphs then emerge and become … Continue reading It’s Like a Garden Growing