July 13
The hot and humid days of summer have finally reached us here up at Moosehead. Although the temperatures aren’t quite as warm as further south, we are still seeing temps in the upper 80’s!!! The water at the east outlet has remained relatively high and this is definately a blessing as the bigger water will help to keep fish in the river. As far as insects go, its still the same, big stimulators and attractor patterns with a healthy variety of caddis in all shapes and sizes. Nymphing can be a very effective way to get to the fish in the deeper pools. We say it this time of season every summer “It’s the time of year to really bring your whole bag of tricks and begin digging deep into the fly box.” Rarely will there be many “magic bullets” this time of year, so if something is not working…change it. This time of year we are looking for an opportunistic fish that just sees something that he wants. Usually you will have one chance to set the hook. Drifting a fly back over an area where you missed a fish will generally not get a second look. Line management is key, you need to make sure you don’t leave yourself out of position to make a solid hook set.
The fishing remains good at the West Branch, especially in the summer months as cooler water from the bottom release dam ensure a much more active fishery.
