Looking back

This past fall was an interesing one for sure. We had later bass trips booked than normal, which was a blessing as the water stayed a little too warm for many of our trout streams to safely fish. I think that many clients are now seeing the benefits of the fringe seasons. That is to say the times of the year that many seasoned anglers relish, but require a little more thought in preparation on the part of the client.  For instance a few years back we had some tremendous salmon fishing in late March when the season was opened early by the state.  Now mind you there was ice forming on the guides of our fly rods and we were only out there for a shorter day, but it still was a great time.  Unless your client has ever fished in those conditions it is difficult to convey how to prepare adequately, both physically and mentally.  Unfortunately that keeps clients away from some of the best fishing of the year.

The later bass trips also showcased how good late season bass fishing could be.  I saw a bass come from well over 30 feet away chasing my lure as I trolled past where a small stream flowed into the river.  It was amazing and really showed me an interesting facet of fall time bass.  As the water cools down it triggers these bass to eat more to prepare for the upcoming winter and the results can be explosive.  We also saw more bigger bass than we normally would see on the river.  Those clients that took advantage of this time of year were also treated to beautiful scenery, cooler temperatures and a complete lack of flies to contend with.  There is something to be said about being in the woods in Maine and not having to contend with the hordes of blackflies.  That is not to say that when the bugs come out you should stop fishing as there is phenomenal fishing when that happens.  I just really have favorite seasons for sure.

Fall is by far my favorite season and every year we make our way up to one of our favorite rivers up north.  This river has a very consistent and predictable run of native salmon and trout on their way upriver to spawn, but each year is different.  Some pools that held plenty of fish might have changed slightly and now you would be lucky to catch a fish in that same spot.  We still manage to locate and catch plenty of fish and it is always like coming home when we stay up there.  This fall I managed to finally get my mother-in-law up there to fish with us.  We had been talking about this for a few years and this past fall we were able to make our schedules work.  Sharing that experience with her was special as I love sharing what we do with those closest to me.  Those conversations over family dinners and holidays take on a whole different context as they have seen for themselves the places and things that are important to you.  That is also what makes guiding so rewarding.  Sharing experiences is the ultimate gift that you can give someone.  We feel very passionate about the areas that we recreate in and it is special to us to help others find that same joy and comfort that we get when we are in the outdoors.

Wintertime is also a great time of year to be in the outdoors.  This year our season started earlier and the fish did not disappoint.  We were finding some very nice rainbow trout in one of our favorite spots, but what we did not expect was what we found in the stomach of one of them.  Depending on how the fish is hooked it only makes sense to keep a few fish that may have taken the hook too deep to safely remove and release with any chance of living.  What we found was a massive amount of beetles in their stomachs.  This made perfect sense as the section that we were fishing was a marshy bay with a bed of weeds under the ice.  We ended up suspending a worm right under the ice because after a little research we found that beetles would skate right under the ice and these trout were chasing them down.  This process brought me back to the time when I started fly fishing back home in Sebec.  At that point I was keeping a few more fish than I do now and I would always open them up and inspect their stomach contents.  This gave me a huge insight into what these fish were looking for and what they were actually eating on a consistent basis.  I was also always flipping rocks to see what was living in the stream bed.  I have fallen away from this practice the past few years, but I recommitted to doing this simple step that has helped immensely.  It also brings me back to my roots and that is always comforting.

What is more comforting is when I have clients or friends out on the water or ice with me and I get to share food that I have prepared for them.  This is what separates us from other guides.  We pride ourselves in going above and beyond when it comes to the food that we serve and the experience that we provide.  In looking back from all of our previous trips I am sure that our clients will remember the fish that they caught and the time that they spent with us.  But I am confident that they could remember specifically what we cooked for them and how it made them feel when they spent the day with us.  On one guided trip our clients said that when researching guides in our state we all really seemed to offer the same experiences.  When we got to lunch time and we had all of the food laid out for them they said clearly that this should be our selling point.  While we do pride ourselves on getting our clients onto fish, this part of the trip cannot be overstated.  The best advice that I have ever been given is that “you cannot control the fishing, but you sure can control the experience!”  So the best advice that I can give is to come fish with us and enjoy the total experience.