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 more restrictive regulations in place and revive our then ailing wild brook trout populations in these ponds. It has been a wonderful success story but never made the pages of fishing publications. Pick up any fly fishing magazine and it’s all about moving water. So there they sit full of wild brook trout. It’s a dream come true for anyone who loves small pond fishing for wild eastern brook trout.
A flat calm trout pond may not appear as exciting as the next pool in the river but there is just as much live and you will likely have it all to yourself, everyone else is on the river. The one piece of equipment you need other than your fly fishing gear is a watercraft in the form of a canoe, kayak, or float tube and you’re good to go.
A pond’s insect cycle starts a few days after ice goes out. As mid-day high sun begins to warm the water a bit aquatic insects become more active. Midges begin hatching on warm afternoons. They’re size 20 to 24’s and hard for our aging eyes to tie on a 6X tippet but OH do they work. It may be a Griffith’s Gnat or tiny Blue Wing Olive or Olive Dunn. If you have a hard time finding that tiny little fly way out there try tying on a larger attractor pattern like a Royal Wulff. Now tie 3 feet of 6X tippet to the bend of the hook and add the midge to it. The Wulff is easy to find and if anything happen within 3 feet of it assume trout are after your midge and lift your rod tip to set the hook. You’ll should be connected to the first trout of the season taken on a dry.
Also early in the season dragon fly nymphs are busy prowling around preying on mayfly and caddis nymphs that are everywhere on the bottom. A sink-tip line and a good dragon fly nymph or small woolly bugger fished around drop-offs along a sunny shoreline will usually produce good numbers of brookies.
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 backcountry trout pond don’t be surprised if a moose or two are sharing your cove as they feed on the aquatic plant life also beginning to grow. Pick a pond that produces lots of trout with liberal laws and you can take a few for breakfast or choose a pond where more strict regulations allow fish to grow and look for a BIG one. The peace and quiet can become infectious.
Have a look at our Remote Pond Info where you’ll find 40 ponds within 40 miles 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 of dragon and damsel fly nymphs, woolly buggers and early mayfly selection at our On-Line Catalog.
