Androscoggin River Report








Water Temp 74.56 Flow rate 2193 CFS @ Mead Westvaco in Rumford.


The fishing for Rainbows, Browns and Small mouthed Bass has been great! I have guided almost every day and have had some excellent catches of fish. A recent group of fly fishermen caught over forty Small mouths Bass. Every thing from ten inches up to 17” and that was in a five-hour float.


Another party fishing the river down from the New Hampshire line did well on Rainbows. One in the group had what must on been a five pound Rainbow on for a short time. He was using a three weight Orvis rod and was way out classed both by the equipment and his ability to handle that size Fish. I had offered him the use of my new Beaverkill rod, a nine ft. seven weight, but he saw no reason at the time to use the other rod …UNTILL He had that size class of a fish on.


We were fishing big streamer and leech patterns. Working the deep long runs and holding pools using Hi-D sink tips working the flys along the bottom for the big trout. The Big Rainbow took a weighted clouser minnow I had tied on a # 4 using moose and deer hair. The fish came to the fly as we pulled in to fish a long run above a bend in the river. The fish took as the fly came off the bottom and swung up and down current. He came straight up out of the water in what sounded like a cement block hitting the water!


My clients tippet parted at the blood knot and that was it.


He is going to up grade to at least a six weight now. He learned from his mistake. I had told him the size of fish that were in the river. He just didn’t understand. He does NOW!


“A man should believe in something…. I believe I’ll go fishing.”