Upper Androscoggin River Report

Water temp 64.01 F Flow Rate 3366 CFS @ Mead Westvaco in Rumford.

The fishing on the River has been steady but not great. I have guided almost every day since last Tuesday on several sections of the river. The best day was with a party of two. We took twenty trout, with an even mix of Browns and Rainbows. The two largest fish, Both Rainbows were 18 inches! One was on a bucktail and the other took a # 16 Elk Hair Caddis. The rest were all 12 inches or better.

I had expected the Rain to do good things for the fishing but the fish were slow in coming. Yesterday it picked up and my party took three fish last evening all Rainbows. One 17 one 18 and one 13 inches in length. I’ll be out guiding this evening and hope that the fish come on the feed as the river clears and descends more to normal flows.

There is been some talk about mortality loss from high temps last summer. The river was up to 82F last August. The fish that I have seen this spring seem to of done well, But we can’t know what or how hard an impact those high temps did have . I am sure that fish were put under serious stress to say the least. We will need to play out this season to get a good handle on the river’s fishery. I do know that the food chain is alive and well with a great abundance of Caddis, May flies, Stone flies, bait fish ,and crayfish. With that food available the fishing would rebound quickly if affected.

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