I think we were a little spoiled with how good the fishing was in the early part of the open water season. It was only a matter of time before we had another snap of cold weather. Often times the bite will invariably slow down, but you can still catch fish if you put in the time. The early part of April was more reminiscent of my time growing up in Sebec when we would venture out into the river despite the conditions to cast our flies over the fish we knew to be there. You need to have your line in the water if you hope to catch the fish you want. Well, you could say we were a little hopeful back then. Now I do not always accept the excuse that the fish were not biting because they were cold and sluggish. I am always analyzing every trip out to make adjustments and thinking critically as to what went wrong and what went right. Somehow I always focus on the failures as those give me the best insight. Even in life those are the moments that stick with me and are a constant reminder of what to do or not do. With fishing, what worked one day may not be effective the next day. Drawing from your many experiences will help guide you in the right direction every time.
Downpour Coming!
Brown Trout Alley
Early season fishing can be very challenging as the weather can change from one extreme to the next. I have mentioned in other posts that having the right equipment in adverse conditions will not automatically make your day on the water enjoyable. You need to have the right mental attitude to work through these conditions and you will also need to have a well thought out plan in case any of your equipment fails. Take for instance the square stern canoe. I have a small 3 horsepower motor that can fail at any time because it has moving parts and those have a greater chance of breaking over its lifetime. I have accepted that fact and always bring two paddles. If the motor breaks down I am prepared to paddle home. There are worse things in life than a long paddle through some of the most pristine environments our state has to offer. If it is later in the day having a good headlamp is always advisable along with extra water and a snack or two. Also vitally important when venturing out into the woods and waters of Maine is you need to let someone know where you are going and when you plan on being back. It helps to have cell phone service so that you can let them know you are ok, but many places we go do not have cell service. Having that extra safety net will help if you really do need extra assistance.
First bass of the season
How could you not be happy when on the water?
Personal preferences play a big role in where and how you fish. For me I always have loved the smaller more intimate ponds. Larger ponds and lakes can be broken down into smaller portions and treated like a small pond, but with the smaller ponds I feel that you get a more complete understanding and appreciation for what it has to offer. With any pond you will need to spend some quality time learning everything you can. Observe what is going on around you to pick up any useful information that can be used in the future. Knowing what baitfish that are present will allow you to start building a repertoire of streamers and lures. When one works you can experiment on different variations or similar colors to create a box that you can rely on and have confidence in. Find patterns that imitate what type of baitfish is present and you can work from there. If you find the trigger in each pattern then you can build from there. If you use a streamer as an example many times the tinsel wrap comes apart when the first few fish grab your fly. At this point you can easily snip the tinsel off and the fly still works. Obviously the tinsel was not the trigger and can be used effectively without it. Recently we were using a lure that had specific spots on it and it was working very well. We had landed a bunch of fish, but after reeling in the lure after an extended period of activity I noticed that all of the spots had been stripped off and it was now just a colored spoon. I put on a new one that had the spots and within minutes we had a fish on. Knowing the trigger for many streamers have allowed me to tie flies much quicker as I have reduced many extra and not necessary pieces that did not contribute in the effectiveness of that pattern. This was a very important lesson that I will keep in the front of my mind.
Very nice brown trout
Hot shore side lunch
On this same trip we had a very positive encounter with a young angler. Dan and I were cooking lunch at a wonderful spot overlooking the pond when we heard a mother and father speaking to their son who was around ten years old. Both Dan and I had our guide patches on and we heard the father say to the son “you didn’t drive all the way up here not to say hi.” We both figured that they had mistaken us for Game Wardens as that happens frequently enough. This young boy walked up wearing his Junior Game Warden t-shirt and we struck up a conversation about how the fishing was and we gave them some pointers and where to go. I made sure to let the father know that we were not wardens, but guides and he simply said “it doesn’t matter to him.” I had always held the Registered Maine Guide in very high esteem, but this was one of the first times that this had happened to me. I always have in the back of my mind that the public is watching what we do as guides and we need to make sure that we are making the best decisions possible. This event reinforced that some of the younger generations look up to us and we need to live up to that expectation. “Would your mother be proud of the decision you have made?” is the statement that runs through my head when faced with a dilemma or any decision that could be viewed negatively.
Working some great pools out of the canoe
Many slack water areas on this river hold very aggressive panfish
Sunset on the river
Standing guard over our favorite pond
As the weather improves so will the fishing. The smelts will finish their spawning runs and during that time you will have the opportunity to take some of the largest fish chasing them down. The difficulty is making sure that your offering stands out amongst the plethora of baitfish. As the temperatures climb hatches will start to come off with more consistency and the trout and salmon will fall into more predictable lies within the confines of rivers and streams. We think you should get outside and enjoy what our state has to offer.