2022/2023 And A Look Ahead...

Wow! Where does the time go? Hard to believe I haven’t had a chance to update this page in almost two years! Amazing how things come up and the time slips away from me. But anyways, I’m still here and I figured it’s time to get caught up and let you all know what’s coming in the future. There’s a lot to get to, so here we go…

A nice Autumn Brookie from a beautiful September morning.

2022 was a great season. Definitely the highlight of my guiding career. Good water conditions from start to finish resulted in reliable fishing throughout the season, and I had many memorable trips with great clients both old and new. I did my most trips ever, and things were looking bright for 2023.

A handsome Brown Trout from an early January outing. Winter fishing was hit or miss for me in 22/23. Higher than average flows seemed to have the fish cold and well fed during the cold months. Fishing didn’t really pick up for me until March.

I started my 2023 season as always, tying flies and trying to get on the water whenever time and weather allowed. I had a couple good trips in early January, which is typical, but higher than average flows on the rivers I fish seemed to slow things down after that. February was a slow month for me, and things didn’t really pick up until warmer weather materialized in March.

Early in the Winter, I also received the news I had been dreading for a long time; Bosebuck Mountain Camps had sold, and the new owner would not be opening for the 2023 season. It was a big blow, but I knew it would come at some point. I really enjoyed my time working for Mike and Wendy, and I owe them a huge thanks for 5 great years.

So sadly I wouldn’t have my favorite place to guide for 2023, but these things happen, and I had to look to book more of my own clients and prepared for an enjoyable season guiding on all my other local waters.

So early Spring 2023 was spent booking trips, and feeding my own fishing addiction while I waited for the nicer weather. I had some memorable days streamer fishing with my friend Mason at White Mountain Anglers. We found some angry browns and bows willing to smash big flies in New Hampshire.

Maine Brook Trout season kicked off in April as always with some great fish. Got a few regulars out on the water too and had some memorable guided trips. I cant recommend April fishing enough. It’s probably my favorite month to fish. The weather can be miserable and unpredictable, but man oh man can the fishing be worth it…

A heavy-bodied, 21 inch Native Brook Trout was worth the cold fingers on an early April morning.

May kicked off the start of my busy season, and it didn’t disappoint. Good conditions resulted in some very solid trips. Lots of fish, and lots of big fish. Some rain late in the month blew the float fishing out for a few days, but wade trips and stillwater trips were excellent.

June was good. Pleasant weather made for reliable hatches and the fishing was pretty darn solid right through the month.

A gorgeous Spring Native Brook Trout for longtime client John Molloy. Great story behind this fish too…

Early Summer saw the return on hot weather, but flows remained good on our smaller waters. Had some good evening trips guiding the Hex hatch on various North Country ponds, and spent the daytime hiding on shady mountain streams chasing little native Brook Trout and some wild Rainbow Trout.

Cool weather returned for late August and early September, and there was some good early “Fall” fishing. Dry, sunny conditions slowed things a bit for mid-September, but rain late in the month ended the Maine regular fishing season on a high note.

October fishing was good. Floats and wades on the rivers went as the weather went, but the Stillwater fishing was on fire.

Jeff Woodcock with an Autumn stunner. Jeff had never held a fly rod before September 2019. Now he probably catches more quality fish than nearly anyone I take out. The secret? He practiced his casting. Lobbing bobbers from a driftboat is nice, and slinging jigs on a euro-setup makes you cool I guess…but if you want to become a well rounded angler that catches quality fish in any scenario, practice casting that fly line…

My guiding season wrapped up in late October, and I spent the last few weeks of nice weather trying to get in some last minute fishing of my own. The late season stillwater fishing was just exceptional, and I even got a chance to scout some new ponds with some very exciting potential.

Halloween weekend I went south and had a chance to do some fall Brown Trout fishing. Had a great weekend in Western Massachusetts slinging streamers for browns.

November was mostly stillwater fishing for me. I tried to get out every chance I could until freeze-up.

Had a really great time on a guided float trip with Brian Gilbert of Hilltown Anglers/Western Mass Guide Service. Brian is an outstanding guide and knows his local waters well. Most of the local mature Brown Trout were off spawning, but grinding through cold, wind driven rain still produced an outstanding day with lots of fish and a few quality ones at that. I recommend Brian highly if you are looking to fish any of the great waters in Western Massachusetts.

Overall, 2023 was a great season. But as my first season in 10 years without doing any trips for a sporting camp, it offered some challenges that I needed to reflect on.

My trip numbers went down slightly for the first time ever. While I still had a very solid season, it was a grind trying to scrounge up enough business to make a full-time living as I compete with an ever increasing number of new guides, on waters that are becoming more crowded with each passing season. So as 2023 came to a close, it was time to make a decision…

Most of my clients know that as long as I have been guiding, I have spent my Winter season employed at the ski resort, Sunday River. After a decade as a part-time winter employee, my boss is retiring and Sunday River has asked that I take her place as a full time department manager. After careful consideration, I have decided to accept this promotion.

Now, this doesn’t mean that my guiding career is over. In fact, far from it. The best part about my new job is that it offers me the flexibility to continue guiding. But as I get settled into my new position, it will effect my 2024 season. Especially this Spring. So for this coming season, I will be guiding on a part-time basis, and will be limited to taking only returning clients. Trips I currently have on the books will be honored, and I will only be taking more trips on a limited basis. I hope that by Fall 2024 I will be settled in and able to guide on a more consistent basis, but I will have to update you on that a little later on.

I’m excited for this next chapter in my life. I believe this is the best decision for me at this time, and I’m excited for the prospect of having more fishing time for myself for a little bit! You better believe I’ll be spending my time getting dialed in on some new and exciting waters…

2021 in Review

It’s hard to believe that it’s that time of the year again. I’m not sure where the time goes these days. It seems like it was just the other day I was wrapping up 2020 with a post, and now here we are again. The guiding season is over, and my personal fishing days are pretty well gone. My house is shaking from winter-winds as I type, and there aren’t many days forecasted to be above the freezing mark before the New Year.

I didn’t make good on my 2021 resolution to keep up with my blog. I still have a lot of content rattling around on the draft board, and I hope that in the future I will get around to publishing some more of it. Somehow life keeps getting in the way, but hopefully I’ll have some more interesting stuff to offer here in the future….

Friend and fellow guide Kris Thompson with a nice wintertime brown trout from an early January outing.

2021 was an interesting follow-up to the mess that was 2020. I made it through the pandemic year relatively unscathed compared to many other guides and businesses. While I lost a lot of early season trips, a busy summer and fall made up for it. Despite low water conditions again, the fishing season ended on a high-note, and things were looking very promising heading into 2021.

The winter of 2020/21 was a chilly one, but we didn’t receive a lot of snow. The lack of snowpack made access to area rivers relatively easy, but despite this I actually did relatively little winter fishing for the first time in a number of years. I hit the usual spots a couple times, did a little exploring, caught a few fish, but for the most part I spent my free time tying flies and preparing for what looked like a very busy 2021 guiding season.

A rare treat from early-season low-water conditions. Lack of significant snowpack meant little in the way of spring run-off. As a result, area rivers were in wade-able shape when historically they should have been over their banks. Prime conditions to find the biggest fish at their most aggressive feeding mode.

Lack of water in 2020, and lack of snow in early 2021 was a sign of things to come. There was little in the way of springtime runoff, and the big waters were the lowest I can ever remember for early season fishing. The arrival of warm weather by late March meant fishing season ramped up early. A nice treat for me, but with my guiding season not getting busy until May, it meant many clients would be missing out.

Lack of significant rainfall kept area rivers and streams low through April and May. The result was fantastic fishing for my early season trips. Easy wading, recklessly feeding trout, and mostly pleasant weather was a great way to start the guiding season.

Eastern March Brown. Low spring flows and calm weather patterns were a recipe for fantastic mayfly hatches in the spring of 2021. We had some of the best spring dry-fly fishing in recent memory, with lots of memorable fish caught, and few even more memorable near-misses…

Unfortunately, the fast start to my season was about to come to a screeching halt. I had been plagued most of the spring with a mild pain in my abdomen. Doctors were initially unsure of what was going on, but when my pain wasn’t responding to treatment, they became concerned. A CT scan revealed that I had been suffering from chronic appendicitis, and I needed to have surgery immediately. This meant that my trips for the back half of May had to be cancelled or given to other guides.

My surgery went well, and my recovery was quick. I felt great after a couple weeks and my doctors cleared me to return to work. I was able to get back in time to catch the tail end of some great mayfly hatches and some really terrific dry-fly fishing. My trips in early June were as good as they get.

Sadly, at this point the lack of water caught up with us all. Very warm weather in early June coupled with low flows meant that water temperatures were rising quickly. By the middle of the month, most of the larger area rivers and stillwaters were seeing water temps in the mid to high 60’s. Fishing slowed in a hurry, and by late June it was pretty much over and done with in brook-trout country, and on the Androscoggin.

A happy client with his new PB brook trout. Sadly, this was the last sizeable trout I would see on the Upper Magalloway for the spring of 2021. Consistently dropping flows, and warming weather skyrocketed water temps, and the good fishing was done early in 2021.

Besides the low, warm water, another issues that I began to contend with was the return of significant pain in my abdomen. It actually became so bad that I took a trip to the ER to see if something was drastically wrong. Doctors couldn’t find anything specifically, but recommended I take a break to rest and recover. The combination of my health and the fishing conditions prompted me to clear out my summer schedule and take a break. I was disappointed to have to take this step, but I believe it was in my best interest and the fish’s as well.

I did a little guiding in the summer. Mostly the easy half-day stuff, but it wasn’t much. Water temps through the summer were some of the worst I have ever seen. This meant the only real trout options were the small mountain streams. A few shots of rain through the summer helped keep the small streams in decent shape. Water temps stayed mostly in the high 50’s to low 60’s, and flows stayed on the low side. This meant spooky fish, but a stealthy approach and well placed dry fly were all that was needed to find some small-stream stunners. It was enjoyable to spend a hot summer in the shade of the woods, getting a few folks into some beautiful native brookies, and having a chance to explore some new water for myself.

A small stream alpha-male. Shady woods, cold water, light tackle, and hungry brook trout are a great way to beat the summer heat. Oh, and did I mention the solitude?

As summer drew to a close, I was feeling better. Still not recovered, but I felt well enough to get through what was looking to be a very packed fall fishing schedule. Unfortunately, Mother-Nature still wasn’t doing anyone any favors. Still no significant rain North of the White Mountains, and nothing but hot, sunny weather. Late summer and early autumn flows were the lowest anywhere I have ever seen in my life. Area Reservoirs were almost down to their historic river beds.

Aziscohos Lake was so low, that the effect of the bottom-release dam was negated. The Lower Magalloway tailwater was running a sustained 69-71F by late August. Sadly, Brookfield Renewable still ran the scheduled white-water releases, further wasting-away the limited water, and flushing the lower river with 74/75F water (yeah I took that actual temperature with my thermometer). The long-term effects of this on the fishery will be interesting to see in coming years. And for those folks that were still fishing there under those conditions: BUY A THERMOMETER, and please have more common-sense…

If I thought autumn flows were bad in 2020, 2021 took it to another level. At least last year we received cold weather through September to lower water temps. No such luck this year. As a result, there really wasn’t much river fishing early in the month. Many of my trips at Bosebuck postponed to next year. This left me scrambling a bit to refill my schedule. My salvation was the stillwater fishing. Shorter days and spring-fed ponds were a recipe for solid fishing. Finally the stars aligned late in September, and we received a heavy dose of rain just in time for my last four trips at Bosebuck. The water came up, the fish piled in, and my Maine season ended on a high note!

Big salmon and lots of colorful brook trout were the reward for a last minute blessing of heavy rain in late September. While I am grateful for the opportunity to have had this good fishing, I am more grateful that the fish had the water they desperately needed to reach their spawning sites. I hope that the water was enough, and this trend of dry autumns does not continue…

With September over, I had a busy October to contend with. Pitifully low-flows on the Andro and my stomach still hurting meant I stayed away from float-fishing. Stillwater fishing was on fire, and that was the recipe for a successful month.

As usual, my season began to taper off by early November. I used my free time to do some late season stillwater brook trout fishing of my own, and to try and find some quality late season browns and rainbows.

Cold weather had water temps into the high 30’s by the end of November on the big rivers, and small streams and ponds were mostly ice covered. My fishing prospects grow dimmer by the day as winter tries to get it’s icy grip on the region. I hope that we get a lot of snow this year. The drought that has afflicted this area now for more than a year is a long way from being over.

A gorgeous late-autumn rainbow. A lot of anglers hang up their waders by early October, but these days the warmer weather seems to hang around a little longer. Don't overlook late season fishing. Whether its extended season stillwaters or rivers, some of the nicest fish I see each year come from the late fall.

Overall 2021 was a little bit of a trying year for me. It was another busy season, but health problems and fishing conditions kept it from being my busiest ever. As always, I am grateful for all the folks who came to fish with me, both new and old. And I am grateful for the other guides and businesses that help support me. Despite the setbacks this year, I continue to love what I do, and I can’t wait to get back on the water with you all next year. I apologize to the folks whom I had to cancel or reschedule with, but I look forward to seeing you next time.

I still am suffering from my on-going health issue. I am hoping for some kind of news on this issue soon. When I have some updates, I will try to post something to my social-media accounts. Some medical procedures this past year seem to indicate that it is nothing overly serious, but there is still no exact diagnosis. My doctor and I are hopeful that this issue will be resolved well before next season, and I am booking trips as normal based on this.

Because of both my health issues and the fishing conditions from this past season, a lot of trips were rescheduled for 2022. As a result of this, as well as many new bookings already, my calendar for 2022 is filling very quickly. I am pretty well booked solid from mid-May through late-June. I would encourage anyone looking to book for next season to do so as early as possible. My rates for 2022 will be increasing to remain competitive with my fellow guides in a market where demand for services and cost of doing business is rapidly increasing. My rates have been updated on my website and can be viewed here. Folks booking before January 1st can lock in at my old rates.

One additional note; after a great deal of consideration, I will no longer be offering float trips on the Connecticut River. My guiding career in recent seasons has increasingly kept me away from this piece of water. I feel obligated as a guide to be as in tune with the water I guide on as much as possible in order to offer the highest quality experience possible. I no longer feel that I have that connection with the Connecticut. Going forward, I will be referring float inquiries to other guide services that focus more of their attention on the Connecticut. I will continue to offer wade trips on the river in Pittsburg, however, as I still spend a good deal of time fishing/guiding there in the early season and summertime.

Thanks to everyone again for another great season. I’ll see you on the water.

2020 in review

I promise myself every year that I am going to devote more time to writing and keeping my website updated with content, and somehow all that keeps falling by the wayside. Oh well. A by-product of being busy I suppose. I do have some blog posts that have been in the draft phase for the better part of a year now, but I haven’t had the time to finish and publish them. I do hope over the next several months of winter that I can get some free time and get those finished, but who knows for sure. I’ll do my best, but in the meantime, I figured I’d at least give a little summary of the 2020 season.

My friend Kris with a healthy winter rainbow. One of several nice fish we caught on a pleasant winter day.

2020 started off for me like most other years. Winter was cold and snowy and I spent most of my free time tying flies. The occasional mild day near the freezing mark offered some chances to get on the water and scratch the fishing itch. Options to fish in the wintertime near the 45th parallel are pretty limited, but there are a few. Recent years have seen some of the more popular winter destinations becoming increasingly crowded, so I tired to make it a point to spend more time on the lesser fished waters. The results were very positive. I really enjoy the solitude of fishing, and that is usually one of the main draws to me for fishing in the wintertime. It was nice to find a little of that again this past winter.

By early March it was pretty clear that the U.S.A. was headed for a full blown collision with the global Covid-19 pandemic. Like many people, I felt a great deal of uncertainty about what was going to happen. I typically enjoy the fishing in the early Spring from March through May. This time of the year I generally don’t get many guiding requests, so I’m free to take advantage of what can be some of the best big-fish fishing of the season. Normally I do a lot of float fishing with friends, but with the social-distancing guidelines and my concern about not contributing to the spread of the terrible Covid virus, there really weren’t many spring floats in 2020.

As we headed into April, and the pandemic worsened, a lot of my trips for the 2020 season began to cancel. It began to look like the season might be a bust, but I held out optimism that things would improve as the weather became warmer.

Not being able to float with friends meant I did a lot of fishing solo, on foot in the early spring.

With the country on lockdown, I stayed pretty local to do my springtime fishing. I spent some time on the old favorite, and invested some time fishing some other places that have always peaked my interest, but I have never investigated as thoroughly as I should have.

The early season brook trout fishing was good, in both size and quantity of fish. I even managed to find a real stunner. A big-shouldered fish, pushing the 22inch mark and easily over 4 pounds. That was the nicest brook trout I have caught myself in a number of years. The downfall to being a fishing guide, is that your personal fishing days can dwindle. While I still catch my fair share of nice brook trout each year, I don’t get into the big ones the way I used to. I don’t spend near the amount of time fishing the waters I guide like I did 10-15 years ago. I’m always in awe whenever I see a brook trout of this caliber. They are a special fish, a throwback to a time when this region was home to the largest brook trout in the world.

A quick shot and then release of one of the bigger brook trout I have seen personally in a few seasons. The bag of this Stevens net is 19inches in length, so I suspect this fish would have taped at very close to 22inches. It’s girth was enormous, and this fish likely weighed in excess of 4 pounds. It’s amazing to think that these same waters 100 years ago produced fish that were 3 times this size! A fish like this is a glimpse into the past, a reminder of what was and what could be, and what is at stake. I always wonder when I let these fish swim away if it is the last time I will ever see one…

As the warmer weather finally arrived, more and more anglers began to show on area rivers, and this was my cue to switch gears to stillwater fishing. With restrictions still in place, it became quite clear that my May guiding was a bust, and so I resolved myself to spend my new found free time doing as much stillwater fishing as possible on both old favorites, as well as some new water.

I love fishing ponds. I find stillwater fishing to be such an enjoyable aspect of fly fishing. I lament that I often cannot interest more anglers into fishing ponds with me on guided trips. Our area trout ponds are such an underutilized resource. It seems like every year there are more and more anglers trying to squeeze into the same rivers, while our ponds sit devoid of anglers, yet teem with trout.

It felt good to get dialed in a little better on some of my usual haunts, and it was nice to get into some new places as well when the fishing conditions were good. I look forward to getting some clients into some of these places in the future.

Stillwater dry-fly eater. This pond was like glass, except for the boils of 10-17inch brook trout.

Fortunately for me, my optimistic prediction for June held true. Restrictions were eased and I was able to resume guiding. I lost most of my scheduled trips, but was able to rebook many new dates. June ended up being a little lighter than usual, but overall was a very solid month of guiding.

2020 continued to show its ugly attitude however, and the weather turned unusually hot and dry. Water flows plummeted and water temperatures skyrocketed. This made the brook trout fishing a little on the sluggish side, but clients found fish, and even a few nice ones here and there.

By the time July rolled around the trout fishing on the big waters was headed South in a hurry. Fortunately I was off the bigger rivers and the guiding in the White Mountains of NH was busy. Small mountain streams stayed relatively cool, and the small trout kept clients happy.

Low, warm water was the theme for June 2020. Flows were some of the lowest I have ever seen for this time of the year. That didn’t stop this healthy trout from sipping my client’s dry-fly attractor though.

Mid-summer was more of the same. It stayed hot and dry with little reprieve. I stayed very busy with trips, thanks to everyone searching for outdoor activities. Small stream fishing held on for the most part, but by mid-August things were beginning to look pretty bleak.

Otter Falls on the Big Magalloway River.

By the middle of August, conditions couldn’t look worse for the upcoming fall fishing. Flows were pitifully low, and water temps were dangerously high. But finally, the Universe decided to give us a little break, and some frosty nights began to manifest at the end of the month.

I had a little break at the end of August to marry my sweetheart. Our wedding had originally been planned for the fall, but with Covid restrictions in place we thought it better to do something immediately. So on a grey, damp afternoon, my wife and I were married, just in time for me to run away to guide for a month straight!

Despite the lack of rain, the cold temps were all that was needed to light the fall brook trout fishing on fire While not everywhere fished well, many places did, and what started as a rough season of guiding ended with one of the most enjoyable fall fishing seasons I have had in my career.

With the close of most of Maine’s fishing at the end of September, the bulk of my late fall fishing was in New Hampshire. Float fishing was solid through early October, and the stillwater fishing was good as well. With the continued dip in temperatures, the fishing began to fall off late in October, and by early November water temps were very cold, and my guiding was done.

By Mid-October it was downright chilly out there. I caught this splendid stillwater brookie on my first cast of the day fishing on a day off near the end of the season.

Unfortunately, 2020 ended much as it began. With the onset of cold weather, Covid-19 cases went on the rise and as a result, I spent less time fishing with friends in the fall than in years past. I endeavored to get out a little here and there, and was able to pick up a few fish on my own.

As I write this post, there is optimism as a Covid vaccine is being distributed, and hopefully the prospects for the 2021 fishing and guiding season are a little brighter. Despite everything, 2020 was still my busiest season yet, thanks to all the old and new clients who came to fish with me, and all the businesses that help support me.

I’m excited to get back out on the water in 2021, and look forward to seeing you all.

Thinking Through Streamer Set-Ups.

Think about how to get your fly to the fish….and keep it there as long as possible.

I spend a lot of time scanning through the internet looking at fly-fishing information. I read blog posts, fishing reports, watch YouTube videos, and the like. I’m always interested in learning what other people have to think and share on the subject of fishing, or I’m looking for inspiration to motivate myself at the fly-tying bench. The other day I happened on an interesting article on the subject of streamer fishing, revolving around fishing enough weight to get one’s fly down to the fish. It was interesting because the article touched on a subject that was on my mind from a very recent fishing expedition. One in which the subject of weight played a major factor in the success of my day. While the article was well-done, I did find it to be an oversimplification of a subject that I find to be very important, and often not well understood in the realm of streamer fishing. So I am inspired to share some of my thoughts on a sometimes confusing subject of setups for streamer fishing, and how to balance line selection, fly patterns, and retrieves to maximize your success on the water.

I believe anglers must develop systems to be consistently successful on the water. No one fly pattern, fly line or leader setup will allow an angler to effectively fish every water type they encounter on a river, pond, or lake. Having a variety of fly patterns and equipment to choose from, and being able to identify when and where to use what setup, will greatly improve an anglers ability to catch fish under a variety of conditions.

Modern Streamers:

The rise in the popularity of “euro-nymphing” in recent years has introduced many fly fishermen to a more technical side of fishing that was previously unknown to most. As American anglers began to delve into the world of competitive fly angling, they found quickly that their skills were no match against anglers from other parts of the world. So they were forced to rethink how they approached fishing situations, and learn new tactics. This has given rise to some of the most skilled fly-anglers America has ever known. Lucky for the rest of us, these anglers have been happy to share their knowledge and skills through books, videos and other media.

The biggest lesson to be learned from competitive anglers, is that an angler needs to think about each situation before fishing. Be able to size up conditions, and make gear and fly selections based on what you see, and then approach a piece of water in the best way possible, to maximize one’s chance at success.

This method of critical-thinking has caught on with a lot of anglers, especially when it comes to nymph-fishing and throwing dry-flies. But I feel like many anglers still don’t apply this method of thinking when it comes to fishing streamer-flies.

Maine’s Rapid River is home to very large brook trout. The river’s runs and pools offer the challenge of being both very deep as well as having very swift current. To successfully fool the Rapid’s biggest trout on streamers requires an angler be able to present their flies to where the fish are holding.

For most of it’s history, streamer fishing was about swinging a fly down-and-across current on either a floating or sinking line. Let it swing, then strip it back. In 2000, Bob Linnseman and Kelly Galloup revolutionized streamer fishing with their book: “Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout”. This book taught anglers to trigger aggressive responses from big, predatory trout by throwing large flies on heavy sinking lines, and aggressively stripping them across currents to imitate wounded prey. Bob and Kelly’s ideas and techniques helped to modernize streamer fishing, and has helped countless anglers catch bigger fish and create streamer fishing addicts the world-over.

While the techniques and ideas pioneered by Bob and Kelly in their book were revolutionary and effective, they too are an oversimplification at times. A lot of anglers never get past the “big fly on a sinking line fished fast” mentality. Trout are not grizzly bears, and if you think that you can simply splat down a fly in an area where a big trout is sitting, and run the fly away at high-speed, and expect the big trout to run it down and eat, than you won’t catch as many big trout as you could if you broaden your thinking a little. Kelly, and other talented streamer anglers have expanded on these ideas in the 20 years since “Modern Streamers” first came out, and there is some really excellent material out there, but I feel like many anglers are missing out.

Friend and fellow guide Kris Thompson joined me for day of throwing streamers on foot during prime conditions one Spring day. These are the days streamer addicts dream of, when big flies fished aggressively draw arm-wrenching strikes from the biggest fish in the river. Reality is that there are very few days like this in a whole season, and most days it’s much harder to get the big fish to commit to eat. Taking the time to think through your presentation will help put more fish like this in your net, instead of just chucking-and-hoping.

To consistently and effectively catch big fish on streamers, anglers must expand their thinking, as they have done with other aspects of fly fishing. Most anglers will tell you they understand about having the proper weight, depth, and drift when nymph fishing, and that leader length and drift is critical for fishing dry-flies. So too must the same care be taken when fishing streamers. Anglers will carry multiple boxes of different weighted nymphs and spools of tippets, and fuss endlessly about “getting the right drift” on each little piece of water, but carry one sinking line and fish the same leader for all their streamer fishing on every body of water they go to. Having a variety of gear and streamers at one’s disposal, will greatly increase an anglers ability to approach different situations and conditions with success.

Factors to Consider:

While it is true that on occasion you can trigger a territorial response from a big fish by slamming a fly down on its head and running it away aggressively, the fact is that you will catch far more big fish by getting a fly down into the predator’s space, and keeping it there as long as possible. I feel it is better to trigger a feeding response as opposed to a territorial response. An easy meal dangling right in front of a fish’s face is a lot more likely to get eaten than a meal that runs away, under a greater variety of conditions. Under ideal conditions (high, off-colored water, low light, ideal temps) trout, especially brown trout, will move a long way to take prey items. Under these conditions one can fish aggressively and expect a lot of eats. But change even one of these conditions and suddenly the fish’s mood will change and those eats become follows and half-hearted swipes. This is when slowing it down, and giving a fish the option to feed on an easy meal becomes the best strategy. But to do this effectively, there are some factors anglers need to consider instead of just blindly chucking a sinking line and big fly.

A beautiful stretch of water on a big freestone river. The right-side bank is deep and dark. The water is slow, and cold. It’s important to consider these factors to make the correct presentation. Get it wrong in this clear water and you will never even know if that big brown trout was there…

Water temperature

Trout are cold-blooded. The single most important factor that determines their behavior is water temperature. Every species of trout has a “preferred” temperature range. This is a range of temperatures where the fish feels most comfortable and is the most active. Generally this falls between the mid 40’s and mid 60’s. In this range, the trout will move to intercept prey items. Above and below this range, the trout begins to experience physiological stress, and becomes lethargic. Trout will still feed, but are less likely to move any distance for food, and feeding windows during the day become shorter. To warm or to cold, and the trout will feed only during very brief periods, or may stop feeding all together. In fishing terms, the further the water temperature is away from the “preferred” range, the closer and slower the streamer must be presented to the fish. In reality, temperature is a far more complicated subject than my simple explanation here, but I offer this generalization to help give a basic understanding of how water temp plays a role in fishing.

Water speed

Speed of water flow is important to understand when presenting streamers, because it can determine how fish react to flies. Fish occupying faster water types have less time to inspect offerings, and must make a split second decision on whether to feed or pass on an offering. In slower water, fish can see flies from a greater distance, and have a much longer time to inspect potential prey. Fish in slow water may pounce on a fly immediately, or may follow for long distances before eating or not eating. Understanding how water speed affects fish behavior can help an angler make a selection in fly, leader and line combination to bring a fly to the appropriate level, and then maintain that level while moving a fly at the appropriate speed to elicit a strike.

Water depth

Large trout can occupy both shallow and deep water at any time of the year. Water depth is important mainly in its relationship to temperature and speed. Determining how the fish are likely to react based on water temp and water flow, will then allow an angler to make a setup choice to fish the depth of water they are encountering. An angler must choose a setup to effectively fish the appropriate depth of water at an appropriate speed. A good rule of thumb out there to follow is if the water temperature is within a trout’s preferred range, than a streamer needs to “split the difference” of the waters depth. This means the fly should be a minimum of half-way between the surface and the bottom. The further the temperature is away from the preferred range (whether cooler or warmer), the closer the fly should be to the bottom, where fish are holding.

Putting it together:

If anglers take the time to consider these factors while streamer fishing, it should become very evident very quickly that one cannot simply fish the same set-up through every water type encountered in a days fishing. Anglers need to make on-stream adjustments to more effectively cover the different water types encountered. Being able to manage and control one’s fly depth and speed is paramount to maximizing success.

Summer pocket-water is no place for a sinking line and light-weight fly patterns. The churning complex currents offer no control with a sinking line, and light flies get swept out of the small pockets where the fish hold. Weighted flies fished on longer leaders in conjunction with floating lines offer the angler maximum control, and the ability for streamers to drop into the strike zone without being swept away from the fish.

The key to all this is balance. Having the right combination of line, leader, and fly. Once an angler considers the three factors of water temp, speed, and depth, they must then choose a setup that allows them to bring the fly to the fish, and retrieve it at an effective speed to elicit a strike. A setup that is too heavy will hang bottom, or cause an angler to fish too fast to avoid hanging bottom. A setup that is too light may not get deep enough to elicit strikes from fish that are not willing to move a long distance to feed.

Anglers that predominantly wade-fish should consider carrying a variety of spare spools rigged with different grain sink-tip lines, or carry sinking poly-leaders in various lengths and weights. Couple this with a streamer box with confidence streamer patterns in various weights, and an angler is equipped to deal with most situations that they may encounter. A heavy sink-tip and weightless fly fishes the deep, slow pool effectively, but is easily swapped out to a floating line and long leader with weighted fly to fish pocket-water.

An early season float trip with Hill Country Guides resulted in this nice brown. Cold water in the Winter and early Spring often has fish glued to the bottom. This fish was on the drop-off in a very deep pool. A weighted streamer fished on a full-sink 300 grain line was the recipe for success. Above and below this pool are long stretches of shallow water, and the 300 grain is overkill, but in this instance it was the right tool for the job.

Anglers that fish from boats have the ability to carry more fly rods, rigged and ready to go. It is important when floating and covering a lot of water to be ready to swap if conditions change. Heavy full-sink lines are useful for fishing deep pools, or if there are sudden flow increases on a tailwater, but lighter options are necessary for the in-between shallow riffles, flats and banks. One cannot simply fish the same set-up and expect to effectively cover all the different water types one encounters when floating. Being able to swap between set-ups quickly is key to being more efficient when covering water quickly.

The bottom line:

At the start of this article I eluded to a recent fishing trip where weight proved to be of importance to the success of the day. A good friend and I decided to take advantage of a very nice winter’s day and float a local tailwater. Bright sunny weather, moderate flows, and cold water led us to suspect that the winning presentation would be nymphing deep, slow water. We packed a couple of streamer set-ups as more of an afterthought, but after several hours of no success with nymphs, we decided to switch to swinging small streamers. This method proved effective at producing some solid rainbows, and we ended up salvaging a decent day from what had been a slow one. What is important to note however, is that only one of the two setups we fished was effective. I had brought my very heavy full-sinking line, and my friend had brought his lighter sink-tip. Despite the deep, moderate current, my full-sink line was too much and I was routinely hooking bottom. My companions lighter sink-tip, coupled with a lightly weighted fly, proved to be the winning combination. His set-up was more balanced, and allowed for a deep, slow presentation, where the fly stayed in front of the fish and elicited strikes. My set-up was simply too heavy, even coupled with unweighted flies, and on the slow swing needed to trigger winter trout I simply would hang bottom. I feel it’s very important to note that in this case, it was a difference in set-up that meant the difference between catching a few fish and catching nothing at all.

Winter rainbows wanted small leech patterns swung slow and deep. Finding the right balance of sinking line and weighted fly meant the difference between catching fish and catching rocks!

The bottom line is to think critically about choosing set-ups for streamer fishing. Anglers that carry a variety of equipment and assortments of different weighted flies will be better prepared to deal with a variety of conditions they might encounter on the water. When approaching a piece of water, take the time to consider the water temperature, speed of flow, and water depth. Consider how the fish might react based on the prevailing conditions, and choose a presentation that most effectively fishes the conditions. Get your streamer to the fish, and keep it in front of them.

There are a lot of other factors that go into hunting big fish on streamers, beyond what I’ve covered here. But I think it’s important for anglers to recognize the importance of thinking critically about streamer fishing, and that there is more to streamer presentation than the “chuck-and-hope” method that many people employ. Think about the water you are fishing, and find the best setup to present your fly. This is the first step in becoming a better streamer angler, and will help you have more chances at some really big fish. Good luck.

Classic Streamers

In a world of “Modern Streamers”, can we still find a place for traditional patterns?

I’ve been obsessed with streamer flies and fishing them for as long as I can remember. I am fortunate that my father is a lifelong fly fishing addict, and he started me in the sport at a very young age. He began taking me away on his annual “ice-out” trip to Northern Maine when I was only eight years old. Traditional Maine streamer flies like the Grey Ghost, Black Ghost and Magog Smelt were common selections as we trolled and cast for Spring landlocked salmon, brookies, and togue (lake trout). Something about those colorful flies and that powerful tug when a fish took always stayed with me. Closer to home, those same flies often found their way onto the end of my line when fishing my local trout waters in Northern New Hampshire.

Like all young anglers, I became obsessed with the idea of catching the biggest fish possible as often as possible. Streamers produced most of my largest fish when I was young, and as a result I probably spent more time fishing them than I realistically should have been. Instead of becoming a more well rounded fly angler, I swung and stripped streamers looking for any big fish I could find, and often I ended up empty handed. When I couldn’t find success with flies, my solution was to turn to conventional gear and tackle. I spent a good portion of my younger days casting lures and spoons, and produce they certainly did. I was always impressed with the ability of a Rapala to attract big trout on days when nothing else seemed to work.

I could have remained a gear angler, but there was always something so appealing about fly fishing to me. As I got older, I realized that in order to consistently catch fish, I had to become a more complete angler. I became a better dry fly fisherman and learned to nymph and began to understand when to use what techniques, and eventually my spinning rods went permanently into the closet. But a part of me was still obsessed with the idea of throwing streamers to find big trout. I realized that the traditional flies of my youth had limitations, and if I wanted to match the success of the Rapala with a fly, I needed bigger, badder fly patterns.

Magazines and the Internet introduced me to the innovative patterns and ideas of anglers like Jack Gartside, Bob Linsenman and Kelly Galloup. These anglers were pioneers of a modern streamer revolution through the 90’s and early 2000’s. Quickly my classic streamer patterns were replaced with large #2 and #4 wooly buggers, marabou muddlers, soft-hackle streamers and then later larger imitations tied of rabbit strips, gradually evolving into monstrous articulated streamer patterns tied of every conceivable material. Gone was my old leather fly wallet with a few crumpled bucktails, replaced with boxes, some the size of a briefcase.

So then what about the classic streamer fly? Has the modern streamer eliminated the usefulness of classic patterns that caught trout and salmon for more than 100 years?

Not a chance. If I have ever learned one lesson from fishing, it’s that in order to consistently be successful, an angler must be well rounded and use every tool at his or her disposal. You never know what kind of conditions you will face on the water, and having a variety of fly patterns and styles will help you to meet the challenges of each day on the water. What follows are some of my observations and ideas of where traditional flies still fit into a modern streamer system, learned from years of fishing and being a professional fishing guide….

A key to angler success is developing systems to make oneself efficient and effective on the water. No one fly will magically produce day in and day out on the water. A key to being successful with streamers is carrying a variety of patterns to cover a variety of conditions. Classic streamer patterns can be an effective tool within a well-rounded streamer system.

So where do classic streamer patterns fit into today’s world of “Modern Streamers”?

As a fishing guide, I don’t get to pick and choose the days I guide. I go when I’m booked. In addition, I don’t often get the luxury of choosing prime days to go fishing when I’m not working. I get out when I can get out. Whether guiding or fishing on my own, I need to have flies and techniques to deal with whatever conditions I find. To maximize success, anglers should develop systems for choosing techniques and flies based on conditions. In streamer fishing, this means looking past the “big fly = big fish” mentality.

The revolution in streamer fishing of the last 20 years has caught on in a big way. Modern fly design and techniques has produced fly patterns and fishing techniques that more consistently produce big fish on pressured fisheries than the fly patterns of old. For a time, fly design became a nuclear arms race. Everyone seemed to be trying to produce something bigger and with more movement than the other guys fly. Most of the really good fly designers and fishermen eventually realized that there is a law of diminishing returns in streamer fishing for trout. Eventually your fly just gets too big to really be effective on the water. More recent years has seen the introduction of the “Mini” articulated fly. Now we have “Mini”-Game Changers, “Mini” Sex Dungeouns and “Mini” Boogeymen. These flies range in the 2 to 4 inch category, and probably are about as close to the perfect weapon going in streamer fishing today.

As good as all these modern flies are, there still is no magic fly among them. Big flies, small flies, they all work…provided you fish them under the proper conditions. Good streamer conditions for trout are generally associated with low light or cloudy days, and elevated water flows or diminished water clarity. Combine all these conditions, and trout will actively seek larger prey items, and the modern streamer is your best weapon. But change one of those elements, and suddenly those big articulated flies stop pulling fish from everywhere. What can you do when you are faced with low, clear water, bright sun, and heavily pressured fish? This is where having a well rounded system of streamer pattern selection in place can really help you. We’ve all been there. It’s bright, there’s no hatch, the nymph fishing sucks, and slapping the 4 inch bunny strip on the water feels like you’re throwing rocks at the fish. This is when something a little more traditional might just save your butt…

Thoughts on Fly Patterns:

The key advantage with traditional streamers really boils down to size, profile and weight. Classic flies tied from natural materials can offer realistic looking imitations of forage in small sizes that can be presented delicately to wary fish. They also can be tied in offensive attractor colors as well, but aren’t so large and offensive to put pressured fish off. I favor traditional patterns like bucktail and marabou baitfish streamer patterns, small wooly buggers, and muddler minnow variations.

Rods/Lines:

Generally, classic flies come out during low water conditions and when I’m on foot. You really don’t need the 7 or 8 weight and 250 grain sinktip for this style of fishing. The exception is when drifting and I want to fish double streamer setups. Classic flies like bucktails, thundercreeks, and wooly buggers make great trailer flies, and this is the one instance when I fish them on heavier setups, but this is always in conjunction with a much larger modern streamer.

When I’m guiding, I generally carry a 6 weight rod with a 150 or 200 grain sinktip rigged and ready to go for clients when I want them to throw streamers. Likewise, when I’m fishing on foot and I know I will be primarily throwing streamers, I’m fishing the same 6 weight setup. In stillwater situations, I also fish streamers on a 6 weight, but carry multiple sinking lines for fishing different depths.

Most days when I’m wade fishing, I generally expect to fish a variety of tactics. I don’t like to carry multiple rods, so generally I’m fishing a 9 foot 5 weight with a floating line which allows me to effectively fish dry flies, nymphs and streamers. I used to carry a second spool with a light sinktip that I would swap to fish streamers. Recently, I had an opportunity to guide a very skilled angler from Europe who introduced me to the idea of sinking poly-leaders. I now carry a variety of sinking leaders, some short, some long and in different sink-rates, that I swap out depending on conditions or situations I encounter on the water. This setup has been a revelation for me, and one I recommend every serious streamer fisherman add to their arsenal.

Times when classic flies can shine:

Smelt Run

A landlocked salmon favored a traditional smelt imitation on a sunny day. No “modern” streamer design could produce a fish this day, but the traditional design produced several quality salmon and lake trout.

Every Spring starting sometime between mid-April and early-May, smelt populations in our Northeast lakes begin their annual spawning runs up tributaries. This is the first major chance for many of our trout and salmon to put on the feedbag following winter, and this is a great time to catch big fish on streamer imitations. Indeed many of my largest fish have been caught at this time of the year. These days, most of my best patterns are tied from rabbit strips or synthetics. These flies work really well…most of the time. During years when the smelt run is heavy, fish feed greedily the first few days of the run, and then become stuffed and lethargic. Popular fishing spots also see fish become pressured and shy. Combine these elements with sunny days, and great fishing can turn tough in a hurry. This is when turning to traditional, smaller, sparse imitations tied with bucktail and marabou can really help. Something about a sparse fly with a natural profile and natural materials seems to be able to fool picky fish better than the bunny and synthetics. My father still favors a classic imitation of mylar and marabou that I tie for him, and he routinely kicks my butt on slow days while I flail away with my modern flies.

Stillwater Baitfish Spawn

A stout stillwater brook trout was coughing up 4 inch baitfish, but still took a 2 inch wooly bugger.

Following the smelt run, other minnow species follow suit. Local rivers see the White Sucker spawn, and this has become the main event of the season for many people. Hordes of anglers flock to our local streams armed with their bobbers and egg patterns, to stand shoulder to shoulder with each other. These anglers completely forget that the same thing is happening on our local ponds and lakes, and miss out on some of the best stillwater fishing of the season.

Spring stillwater favorites. A traditional “red tag” bucktail and a Wood Special. Deadly imitations of spawning Red-Belly Dace. Alter the colors a little and they are a great match for a variety of forage species.

Each Spring, clouds of baitfish crowd the shallows of ponds and lakes in big spawning schools, and trout eagerly gobble up as many as they can. Stillwater streamer fishing is where the classic streamer really shines. I really prefer bucktail imitations, as they offer a realistic profile with no weight. Fish them on a light sinking line or clear intermediate, and you can hover and twitch your lightweight streamer in inches deep water. Often you can land the fly just off the shore, and a couple of quick twitches towards the drop off and your fly will get crushed by a huge trout waiting to ambush an unsuspecting school of bait. I’ve fished a lot of different styles of streamers in stillwater, and I still can’t find anything better than traditional bucktails and wooly buggers, especially for fishing shallow water.

Run-off Streamer Fishing

A small Thundercreek bucktail makes a nice fry imitation. They look natural, don’t “foul”, and take 2 minutes to tie. It’s worth carrying a few.

Every Spring our rivers swell with snowmelt and rain. Small trout and salmon fry that hatched out in early Spring, along with young of the year baitfish get swept out of their natal habitats by the high water and become easy pickings for big, hungry fish. As the high, cold, muddy water begins to subside, some of the best streamer fishing of the year occurs. This is one of the best times of the year to fool the biggest fish with your biggest flies. But sometimes the conditions don’t line up, and the big flies draw follows, but no eats. This is a great time to think about a double streamer setup. Small flies trailed off the back of large streamers are often the recipe for success. Big fish will notice the large fly, but choose to eat the smaller offering. Wooly buggers are a popular choice, but I also favor bucktails and especially thundercreek-style flies. These simple flies make very realistic fry and parr imitations, and the design of the fly reduces “fouling”. You spend more time fishing and less time “un-fouling” tangled tails. It’s worth keeping a few in your wade and boat boxes.

Summer Time Trout

A beautiful, wild, freestone brown trout fell to a small streamer twitched around structure in the summer in very low water. Will these classic flies produce a 26 inch monster? Probably not…but they keep you catching fish when other techniques aren’t working.

Summer means lower flows, bright sun and an ending to midday hatch activity. As anglers, we tend to switch to fishing early and late to be successful. On bigger waters, larger streamer flies can still produce results in low-light, but in crystal-clear freestone streams, any kind of big splash sends spooky trout running for miles. Again, this is where I reach for something a little smaller and more subtle. Small natural-colored muddlers, buggers, and baitfish imitations presented delicately on light lines land naturally on the water and reduce spooking. Fished on light sinking leaders or sinktips, these unweighted flies can be twitched and hovered tight to structure where fish will be hiding, and this can be key to drawing strikes in the daytime. Recently, Michigan streamer guru and fishing guide, Alex Lafkas launched a YouTube channel to discuss a variety of topics related to streamer fishing. I admit I had a big smile on my face when he revealed that a simple Black Ghost was one of his go to low water streamers on his crystal-clear, pressured Michigan rivers. Alex might be the best in the streamer business, so this is a pretty glowing endorsement of how effective these flies can be.

Fall Fishing

Fall has long been synonymous with streamer fishing. Colorful imitations tied to anger colorful pre-spawn brook trout is really what gave birth to streamer fishing. The same ideas were applied to fall brown trout and streamer fishing gained a cult following.

Fall trout are territorial. Imitations of smaller trout can be key in enticing a big fish to strike, and are good options under any conditions. But be warned, as brighter flies will fail you if fish have been sitting in one place for any length of time.

The mistake that most anglers make is in thinking that Fall is all about big flies. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. Fall often sees some of the lowest flows of the season and some of the most beautiful blue-sky weather a person could ever hope for. Migrating, pre-spawn fish will aggressively take big flies under ideal streamer conditions. But bright sunny days can often mean resting fish, that can be downright impossible to move on any fly.

Every Fall, my clients arrive and eagerly show me the giant articulated monstrosities that “so n’ so” at Bean’s or Orvis or wherever told them they had to have to catch the biggest brook or brown trout of their life. I smile and tell them that it is a good choice, but it hasn’t rained in a month and we are expecting low water and sun for a week straight. I humor them and let them splat the big fly around on the flat, clear pools for awhile, but after an hour of no action I usually politely suggest we try something a little smaller.

Low water Fall fishing is much like summer streamer fishing. Small imitations presented delicately on light lines can be the key to success. Fish that are on spawning runs can be susceptible to attractors when they first settle into a resting pool or run, but after a day or so in clear conditions they seem to ignore brighter options. Natural looking food items, with tiny hints of color that can be twitched and kept close to resting fish is often what will produce best. There are many classic time proven streamer imitations for fall brookies and browns that are worth trying if you find yourself stuck with bright days and low clear water.

A word of warning:

While I encourage anglers to keep a few classic streamer flies in their rotation, I must offer a word of warning in regards to their weakness. Especially in regards to bucktail and marabou streamers.

I fish all barbless hooks. Many of my local waters mandate this, but I feel any angler not seeking to keep their catch should fish barbless. We owe the fish to do the least damage as possible. The downfall of traditional “Rangeley” style streamers is that they are typically tied on hooks that have extra long shanks, and narrow hook gaps. When these style of hooks are de-barbed, they struggle to hold fish. The long shank and narrow gap have a “crowbar” effect, and fish can leverage themselves free more easily than on other hook styles. Care needs to be taken to maintain solid pressure while fighting fish, and low rod angles should be utilized to prevent fish from jumping.

I’ve been fortunate enough that I have caught some very nice fish in my life, and as such I don’t get too broken up if a nice fish comes unhooked….I was going to let it go anyways. But if you really worry about losing big fish and your Instagram fame, I caution you with these flies. Always crush your barbs, and if you worry about losing fish, try tying these same patterns of shorter shanked hooks. I still prefer the classic hooks, as they make for a nicer looking fly, and feel that shorter hooks make these flies heavier and defeat their lightweight advantage. But feel free to experiment, that’s half the fun!

Final Thoughts:

Modern streamer design has produced some truly epic fly patterns. But all patterns have limitations. A successful angler should try to incorporate as many tools into his or her toolbox as possible. Traditional streamers over the course of a season will fall well short of matching up with more modern flies, but they can be useful at times, and help produce when other flies and techniques fail. These days on the river it seems that everyone I see walk by with a streamer setup has a fly that looks more like a grey-squirrel than a minnow, so it might a good idea to have a few options to show fish that are getting used to seeing the articulated monstrosities. Hopefully you will consider leaving a few slots in the streamer box for some old-school flies. You might be surprised how effective these flies can be for you. Good luck.

2019 in review

Well here we are in early January of 2020, and I’m not sure where all my time went. Oh wait, yes I do! 2019 was my busiest guiding season of my career, and though I had promised myself I would keep my website more updated with content, I failed miserably! A big thank you to all of my repeat clients for fishing with me again this season, and to the other businesses that help keep me busy! Bosebuck Mountain Camps, Pond in the River Guide Service, Hill Country Guides, and North Country Angler to name a few. I couldn’t do it without all your support. Since I fell behind so badly in posting this year, I figured I should give a little recap of this past season, so here it goes….

Winter 2019 was a chilly one with a lot of snow. I was able to do a little winter fishing in New Hampshire here and there with some friends. We caught some fish and had a good time, but by March we were pretty eager for winter to be done with. Unfortunately Mother-Nature had other plans. There was a nice window of weather in late March and early April. Pre-runoff fishing was good on both streamer float trips and wade trips. As usual, I didn’t get a lot of guiding requests, so that left me to enjoy the early season for myself. I made the most of my free time by feeding my streamer addiction and landing some of my best fish of the season.

Mid April still had us buried in snow, and that’s when Mother-Nature decided to prolong my agony and dump inches upon inches of rain on the Northeast. The result was one of the wettest and worst Spring fishing seasons I can ever remember. Even by mid-May it was still a struggle to find rivers in fishable shape. Many of my May guided trips had to be cancelled or postponed. I still managed a few solid outings with clients, and was able to find a few fish myself, but May 2019 was a month to forget.

As the saying goes: “if you don’t like the weather, just wait an hour…” things changed dramatically in early June. It stopped raining, and didn’t rain again until September. June float trips on the Andro bordered on epic, with some days seeing close to 100 fish being hooked (though not all landed). In Maine, brook trout trips were fabulous and the dry fly fishing was fantastic. It seemed like fish everywhere were on overdrive to make up for lost time. But the hot fishing should have been a sign of things to come, because with the lack of rainfall and warm weather, conditions began to deteriorate for the summer.

Hot weather in July and August slowed fishing on the big rivers. Brook trout were pushed into their summer thermal refuges. It became an early and late game, as often is the case in the summer months. I had to work a little harder to find fish some days, but small brook trout streams and cold tailwaters still produced some very memorable days. By mid-summer the terrestrials were out in force and early hatches of Isonychia mayflies began to perk the fish up.

Cold nights began to manifest in late-August, and despite the lack of rainfall, this simple change in the weather dropped water temps just a bit and really got the pre-spawn bite going. In New Hampshire, some nice browns and rainbows began to show on the tailwaters, and in Maine some very healthy brook trout began to appear in their fall staging areas. Fishing was still tough under the bright sun, but some very memorable fish were caught by those willing to work for them.

Finally a decent rain storm rolled through in early September, and the rivers again came back to full life. My September guiding was again dominated by trips for Bosebuck, and the Upper Magalloway watershed didn’t disappoint. The early rain pulled a lot of fish into the river, and those folks that were lucky enough to fish near rain events and on overcast days had some very good days. A lack of rain in the middle of the month slowed the fishing again, but patient anglers were still rewarded with good fish every day.

The last full week of September saw a break in my Bosebuck guiding, and I had the opportunity to guide some other waters. My good friend Kieran came for a visit and I had the chance to guide him on both well known and some lesser known waters in Western Maine. Some days fished better than others, but Kieran is a very fine angler and he found big fish wherever we looked for them.

With September in the books it was on to October and the last of my guiding for 2019. Early October float trips on the Andro were spectacular, but the cold nights took their toll, and the fishing fell off later in the month. I had a few chances to guide extended season water in Maine, and had some very memorable days. Low water left us working to find our fish, but find some nice ones we did. Cold weather was setting in by mid-October, and sadly that was the end of my guiding.

Fishing season in 2019 ended much as it began, meaning some free time for myself to feed my streamer addiction along with my fellow guide friends. Cold, dark days casting big flies resulted in some more of my best personal fish for the 2019 season. One particular outing with my good friend Mason from White Mountain Anglers saw 7 brown trout over 20 inches (that’s ‘saw’ mind you. Even us professional guides are known to screw up a few fish). The fall streamer bite was a good one, but short lived. Early November saw record cold temps and accumulating snowfall. Snow and ice covered the boat launches, and though I made a few other trips, I resigned myself to a long winter season of tying flies for 2020. It was a fun year with lots of wonderful people, and I look forward to this coming season with you all again!

Pre-Runoff

For fishing fanatics in the Northeast, it’s hard to beat the anticipation of early Spring. Winter is finally releasing it’s icy grip on the woods and water, and the sun shines a little brighter and warmer with each passing day. For many anglers, the warming weather signals the time to get their fishing gear in order, in anticipation of the ending of the Spring runoff and the first outing of the season.

The fish don’t wait for warm weather…

As a diehard fishermen myself, I know the feeling of anticipation well. But unlike many other anglers, I don’t necessarily wait around for the nice weather. I get out to fish here and there as Winter allows, but as soon as the calendar reads “Spring”, I really start to hit the water hard.

Early season fishing at it’s finest.

There is a period of time every year we fishermen refer to as “pre-runoff fishing”. This is the time of year that begins in early Spring when the temperatures begin to creep over the freezing mark during the day consistently enough to thaw the frozen stretches of our rivers, and to cause just the slightest bit of melting in the afternoons. It varies year to year, but typically this period occurs beginning around mid-March and lasts until mid-April in my neck of the woods.

A healthy early-season brookie.

Pre-runoff fishing can be some of the better fishing of the entire season. The slightest increases in water temperatures often trigger fish to begin feeding aggressively, and after a long, lean winter, trout are often willing to eat a whole host of offerings. Streamers and nymphs dominate, but a warm sunny day can trigger some excellent hatches of midges and early stoneflies.

That being said, the fishing can be inconsistent. Cold-fronts, snow, rain, and excessive snow-melt will drop water temps and shut fish off like flipping a light switch.

Early season streamer-eater.

I think because of the potential for inconsistent fishing along with cold weather. many anglers seem to forgo this time of the year. Sure I see a few people on the warm sunny days, and opening week of fishing season in Maine (April 1-7) may see a crowd, but in general most people seem to stay home and wait for better weather.

As a full-time fishing guide this a double-edged sword. Lack of crowds is nice for my own personal fishing, but boy I wish I had more folks interested in a guided trip. Fishing season in New Hampshire is open all winter, and come March things really start to get interesting. There are wade options for big rainbows and browns, and even early season float trip options for folks looking to throw streamers for that brown trout of a lifetime.

In Maine, the season opens April 1st, and there can be some great brook trout fishing right from the get-go. It might be cold, but the fishing can be a lot better than waiting until the summer when things have become too warm for the fish…

Pre-runoff streamer float courtesy of Hill Country Guides. Do you want to sit at home, or do you want to catch fish like this??

I encourage anglers not to overlook this time of the year. Yes, it can be hard to predict what conditions will be like, and yes, it can be very cold at times, but for those of you who are willing to make the effort to brave the elements, I promise you some of the best fishing of the season awaits.

As I write this , the pre-runoff season has ended. Rain and snowmelt have swollen the rivers and streams to flood-stage, and it will be a week or so before things settle down again and we are back to waiting for the nice weather. Next year, don’t forget about the early season fishing. Give me a call, you’re missing out…

The "off-season"....

When the sun shines…it’s just that much colder…

Being a fishing guide in the Northeast comes with a price. We have a long off-season. By late October cold weather has settled in and the first snow is falling. Water temps plummet, hatches end, and before long the slower reaches of our rivers and our lakes and ponds become skimmed over with ice.

You can never have enough streamers.

Winter here is long. Really long. This year might be the longest I can remember in at least a decade. We received our first blizzard in November, and it hasn’t stopped snowing since. It’s hard to be locked inside when all I do is think about being on the water, but you have to make the most of it. I spend my free time refilling my fly boxes for guiding and my own fishing, and I usually pour through the internet looking for new fly patterns or tying techniques to experiment with.

Snow and more snow…

Fortunately even at the 45th parallel we get a few days that help to shake off cabin fever. Winter fly fishing options here are limited. Tailwaters offer the only real fishing opportunities, as our freestone streams are buried in snow and ice. Winter fishing offers a peace and solitude that can be hard to experience at other times of the year. I look forward to my opportunities to get out, and its always nice when I can get out with a friend.

Better dress for the weather.

While I enjoy winter fly fishing, it is not for the faint of heart. Our weather here is more humid than places like the Rocky Mountains. The damp makes the cold that much more unbearable. I don’t care how warm I dress, it’s hard to stay out most days for more than a few hours. Windy days are downright torture.

Oh there are fish…

A chance for a few fish make it worth it. Cold, stinging fingers and aching frozen feet become more bearable on the days when I find success, and fortunately most days I find success. Thoughts of guiding on these cold days creep into my head every time I free my barbless hook from the lip of a trout, but those thoughts slip away as the fish slides back into the frigid water and a cold breeze blows across my wet hands.

Happy Spring….??

The end of March brings a new anticipation of the coming season. April marks the beginning of fishing season in Maine, and a host of other waters open in New Hampshire. A few warm days will begin to open some of the mountain streams and tributaries, but this year the snow is really hanging on. I will continue to make the most of the off-season, tying flies and fishing when I can. My phone is starting to ring more each day with guiding inquiries, and I’ll take it as a sign that despite what it looks like outside my window, Spring is coming.

Welcome to my blog!

As a full-time fly fishing guide and all around trout fishing bum, I spend a lot of time on the water and fly fishing some really amazing places.  I'd like to try to periodically post about my adventures, share what's going on out on the water, offer tips and techniques, talk about my experiences as a guide, post pictures of fish and flies, and generally rant about anything that rattles around in my mind.  So please follow along, and hopefully I will offer you some helpful tips and other interesting and entertaining content.