Maine’s Upper Androscoggin River Report




I made a mistake this pass week. I had a father and son from Texas who were completely new to Fly-fishing.
I taught them casting and the different flies. I showed them how to work the fly on the water, whether it was a dry, a wet or streamer. I thought I had covered all the bases. WRONG! I forgot to show them how to play a big fish. BIG mistake.
We fished a stretch of water that holds some big fish. The Son caught a Small mouth on the first cast! Then we moved up stream. After tying on a gold ribbed bead head nymph for the father I explained how to make the presentation. The nymph was swirling in an eddie along the edge of a good-sized pool, as I spoke to him. The next thing I knew he said he had a fish on! The fish made two tight circles there right in front of us and then ran down stream. Before I could say a word to help the fish parted the three-pound tippet and was gone! The fish was a big brookie and because I had not shown them how to play a big fish my client lost an opportunity to experience that part of fly-fishing we all want to have. Playing a big trout and it will not happen again. Some times the best learning experience comes from hind sight and is a hard, but unforgettable lesson.
The flow now on the river offers an excellent change to pick up the fishing a bit. The water temp is lower and the fish are much more active than they would be if this stalled weather pattern hadn’t come in . Timing can be everything. Get out there !
I ran into a crew working for the D.E.P. that was doing an electro fish survey on the river last night. They were doing the section from Shelburne NH to Bethel Maine and will go all the way to Merry meeting Bay. The information will include tissue samples to test for Mercury, PCB’s ,and Dioxin
The crew had taken a pike at the mouth of the Sabattus river that was 40 inches long ! Now that is a big fish!!
“A man should believe in something I believe I’ll go fishing”