Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
It’s finally here — summer. We’re almost through June, and the best fishing across Maine is happening right now.
Stripers are pushing into the state, hatches are in full swing and fish are feeding on the surface.
Smallmouth bass are in their post-spawn phase and feeding heavily. Remote ponds are on fire as Hexagenia hatches begin — the hatch that makes big brook trout stupid.
This year has been a bit up and down for my guiding. We’ve had a cold spring, which has slowed fish activity but should help make the season last longer.
Every year on the same day in May, I guide Grant and his daughter Charlotte for crappie. Crappie are great fish to eat and a lot of fun on a fly rod if you just want to catch numbers. They typically catch a five-gallon bucket full, but not this year. We only got six, along with a bunch of yellow perch and pickerel that Grant turned into fish tacos. It was probably the slowest day of crappie fishing I’ve ever had.
The best fly I’ve found for crappie is a Mickey Finn Clouser. Grant and Charlotte fish Echo Gecko fly rods. They’re kids’ fly rods, but they’re a blast when fighting crappie.
On another trip, I had a client from New York who wanted to fish for three days. We targeted bass on day one and did very well. On day two, we headed to the West Branch, but the water was high and cold, and we didn’t move a single fish. The following day, I took him to a river farther south where the water was warmer and lower, and he landed seven salmon up to 20 inches.
Fly selection for trout and salmon depends heavily on the time of year and the current hatches. We did well with a large yellow stonefly pattern and a soft-hackle streamer. When nymphing, I use a 10-foot 4-weight rod. For streamers, I prefer a 6- or 7-weight.
The smallmouth fishing this year has been outstanding, and we’ve landed some of the biggest bass I’ve seen in my 23 years of guiding. We’ve put clients on a 22-inch fish, several 21-inch fish and many between 18 and 20 inches. The bigger fish seem especially active this year and eager to eat.
I usually fish a 6-weight fly rod, although many anglers prefer a 7- or 8-weight. In the spring, I throw a variety of streamers, but my favorite is an olive Crystal Bugger.
Now that the water is warming up, dry-fly fishing is really taking off. On a recent trout and salmon trip, we experienced one of those days anglers dream about. We arrived at the river at 8 a.m. It was raining and in the 70s — perfect Blue-Winged Olive weather. I tied on a large Stimulator with a small dropper beneath it so my client could see the smaller fly.
As the morning went on, the hatch got thicker and thicker. He had countless strikes, but dry-fly fishing is all about timing. You either set too fast or not fast enough. On top of that, you need a perfect drift because if you don’t get one, the fish won’t eat. He landed several fish, missed quite a few and lost some good ones. But that’s fishing.
We took a break for dinner and were back on the water by 6 p.m. As it got closer to 9 p.m., caddis started hatching and big fish began rising. We ended up spending nearly 12 hours dry-fly fishing.
The very next day, you wouldn’t have known there were fish in the river. Not a single rise. He did hook three fish on nymphs.
I just came off three days of guiding Eric and Jeff, and the wind blew nonstop all three days. The day after they left, however, I guided Sal, and conditions were perfect — no rain and no wind. It was an incredible popper day for smallmouth bass. We caught so many fish that we started experimenting with different patterns, including the Fingernail Fly, which absolutely crushed it. I now need to tie a bunch more of those. Sal even landed a giant pickerel that measured 24 inches. It was so big that we both thought he had hooked a northern pike.
If you’re willing to hike and get away from people, this is the time of year when Hexagenia mayflies begin hatching. They’re large mayflies, and most anglers in Maine simply call them green drakes. Whatever you call them, big brook trout lose all caution and feed aggressively on them. My biggest Maine brook trout — a 5½-pound fish from a remote pond — was caught during a Hex hatch.
Any pond with a mucky bottom is likely to have Hexes. I typically use a 5-weight rod, but I always bring a second rod rigged with a sink-tip line so I can throw Maple Syrup flies before the hatch starts.
It’s hard to beat fishing in Maine — we have endless rivers, ponds and lakes, and even on a busy day, we don’t see the crowds found elsewhere.
So get out there, explore our great state and enjoy everything Maine has to offer.
