Androscoggin River Report July 31, 2004

I fished last night for two and a half hours. I caught six fish three of them were about twelve inches. One was fifteen inches and fought very well. The other two, one of which broke me off, were about the same size. The one I landed was eighteen inches. It hit like a ton of bricks and ran into the fast water taking line. The loose line rapped around the reel, but luckily the fish sulked for a moment allowing me to clear the reel seat and handle.
I was fishing a riffle feeding into a pool casting a streamer up and across. I was casting a clouser tied up as a Black Nosed Dace pattern. The two bigger fish both took the fly after it made the swing and was stationary in the current for a while. I tie most of my flies using marabou. This allows the fly to show lifelike movement in the slightest current.
What I enjoy the most about the time I spend on the River at this time of year is that rarely do I see other fisherman. There is a good reason for this. The catching can be really slow or non-existent. I had no expectation of catching fish last night. It was more a chance to be alone on the water at sunset. Time to think mostly, Time to enjoy where I live. In this case it paid off all the way around. I have no idea why the fish were on the feed. I stopped trying to figure that out a long time ago. All I know is I am thankful when they do feed and humbled by them more times than not. Maybe that is why I love fishing you can never really tell.

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