Bring It.

"It's summertime and the living is easy"

Sam Cooke

We have passed the peak and have entered the summer season. This is by no means the end of good fishing. It is a time to change tactics and open up to new ideas. Early mornings and late evenings will be more productive. That's not to say every day trip is a wash out. That Fat Lady ain't singing here yet. Below are a few of the reasons we love the summer season.

• Wet Wading! We haven't worn waders in two and a half weeks. Grab a pair of river shorts/pants and fish comfortably in the heat.
• Throwing big rubberleg attractor dry flies and watching "The Mouth" appear.
• Fishing pocket water with the dry/dropper combo.
• Finding out just how many fish are in that riffle.
• Swimming the pool you just fished.
• Rope swing antics.
• The changing light of early mornings and evening sessions.
• G&T's and frozen Margaritas are in season.
• Spey casting dry flies far, far away.
• Micro nymphing.
• That evening rise where time is lost.
• The walk out at night under the moon.
• Small stream trips
  

Float Fishin.

Drift boat trips are a great way to see and fish a river. Below are a few ideas and tips to help you enjoy that experience.

• Never fish another angler's water. I don't care if it's a wader, guided party, merganser,heron, spin caster or bank maggot. Not in our boat. Ever.
• Stay centered in the boat. Casting braces are designed for just that purpose. Use them.
• Line management is a skill that will pay off when the fish of the day decides to make a run. Use the stripping deck in the bow not the floor. For the rear fisher pile it either in a bucket or coil it in your retrieve hand.
• The rear angler or tail gunner keeps the boat tangle free. He/she can see when it is time to make their cast.
• Read the water ahead of you. The first image the fish should see is your fly not the boat.
• After anchoring to fish over rising fish be as quiet as possible in the boat.
  
• When your guide says don't cast. Don't cast.
• When your guide is rowing to position the boat take full advantage of it. Good guides work as hard as you fish.
  
• When streamer fishing from the boat keep your eyes on the rig. Watch for shadows, flashes and anything that looks fishy.
• It still comes down to the cast. Distance plus accuracy equals a wet net.
• Sitting back and taking it all in is just as important than anything discussed above. Just ask that dog.
  

Primo.

"It's all good"

Bob Dylan

Excuse us for being late with this report but it's been pretty freakin' good this week. Six different waters and all had hatches to some degree. Some days were slower than others but all were worth the trip. For mayflies it was Sulphers,Pale Evening Duns,Slate Drakes and Blue Wing Olives. Golden stones are starting to peak and Yellow Sallies are showing up strong on sunny days. The main menu item is caddis. Tan,brown,green,black and gray in sizes 12 -18. We did happen onto an epic Alder fly hatch this week that was incredible. You know when the salmon are full when they puke in your net. Fishflies are thick. Also Flying Ants in sizes 10-12 were providing top water bliss for some clients. Dragon and Damsel nymphs fished with a sink tip gave the patient angler another option between hatches.

Drys produced best this week. Adding one or two droppers put clients on the fast track. Swinging a couple of wets is almost a gimme. Throwing streamers from the driftboat has been excellent provided you can cast and move those flies. Nymphing is taking a back seat right now, but will return as it always does. This is like a powder day. If your not here now you are not going to get the goods. Summer starts tomorrow and with it a whole new season. Bring on the Solstice!!

A word on flows for the Kennebec river. Whatever dartboard is currently used to determine flow regime shall remain in use. Almost every flow schedule has been inaccurate lately. Play safe and know how to wade well.

Booger Knot.

This photo shows a clear violation of the one minute rule. Simply stated if it takes you more than one minute to untie that rat's nest of a leader/dropper rig the nippers come out. More fishing time is lost playing cat's cradle tippett games during the season than I care to remember. Cut that mess out and start over. Don't think you can sneak it by the ref. You will go to the penalty box as shown above.

Update.

Water is starting to recede after this weekends rain party. Wading will be out for a bit on the Kennebec and Androscoggin. Smaller streams and rivers will be really good by weeks end. Drift boat trips resume at the end of this week. Thanks to all the clients who rescheduled for better conditions. Depending on if the Ouija board is found at the water management headquarters, we will see what we end up with for dam controlled flows. It takes a positive attitude and an open mind to deal with high water conditions. Yes, it's back to the bobber rig. Come to the dark side.

Best news of the week is a new micro brewer is opening in Maine. Baxter Brewing Company is going to operate in Lewiston. They will renovate/recycle space in the 100 year old Bates mill for manufacturing. The kicker is that they will produce their beer in cans. That's right CANS. No more worries about broken glass. No more annoying clinking sound in your pack or vest. Crushable convenience after the celebration. More cooler space! It's about time we had a Maine brew in a can. Better for the environment, better to recycle and better than Bud.

Caddis Thirty.

"There are two seasons in Scotland: June and winter"

Billy Connolly.
The same can be said for Maine this week. The fishing was good to excellent. Small streams got a much needed water boost as did the larger rivers. Caddis are the dominate hatch right now. Mayflies get all the press but caddis get the fish. Mornings, afternoons and evenings all saw some type of caddis stage working. Skating the dry was a fun technique to use on the bright days. Don't be afraid to try something new. Spinner falls in the evenings have been fairly strong also.

We canceled/rescheduled two trips this week due to weather forecast warnings of lightning. Rain we have no issue with. If it's raining we are on. Throw in lightning and it's game over. I've had enough close calls on rivers and in the mountains to build a healthy respect for that event. Most clients are understanding of the matter. Those that are not are tomorrow's headline. Play safe and think ahead.

May I Present.

"Mend"

Every trout guide on the planet.

It's dry fly season. This can be the best part of your year or the most frustrating. After seeing hundreds of dry presentations over the seasons we know what works to improve bent rod syndrome. You will notice there is nothing about changing the fly. Good presentation skills are more important than the absolute perfectly matched fly.

• Read the water. Imagine what the current/s are going to do to your fly and leader before you make that first cast.
• Read the rise form. Surface feeder, porpoise rise, head shot. Decide before pulling the trigger.
• Don't "Flock Shoot" when there are numerous rises. Pick a fish and stay with it.
  
• Cast short and away from the target to gauge the distance required.
• Learn the reach cast. A most useful cast for drys.
• Pick up below the rise. Way below.
• Keep false casts to a minimum.
• Don't do the "Creep". We see this with young bird dogs and people who want to get closer and closer to the target. Movement and noise scare birds and fish. Break that habit early.
• Treat every rising fish you see like it's the one pictured below and your presentations will improve. And yes it is a Maine fish.