Yep, fall is here. August is fast winding down and September signals harvest and hunting. A lot of outdoor folk have already forsaken fishing rods for firearms and headed out to the target range or skeet and trap fields to prepare. There’s the first moose season, native goose gunning and of course bear season for most of the month, and a few adventurous sportsmen are preparing to travel south for the fall turkey season. Many zones are open for bow and arrow or shotgun allowing a hen or Tom, and a few zones allow two big birds.
A good number of Aroostook outdoorsmen remain in fishing mode however, and although many might not realize it, most regional waters remain open until the end of September. There are some regulations regarding limits and using artificial lures and flies only on brooks, streams, and rivers, but any casting is better than no casting, and I’m partial to the fly fishing anyway. Although County anglers attempt to be a bit closed mouth about it, many years as the nights cool off, late-season lake and pond trolling can be every bit as productive as spring ice out fishing.
This has been an unusually warm summer for the Crown of Maine with intermittent rainfall at best, all leading to warmer than normal water conditions and fairly low levels as well. A lot of fly casters hung up their rods in frustration and even the lead core and downrigger proponents boasted only moderate success. A number of my fanatical fly fishing friends have refused to quit, and like myself have simply changed times and tactics to accommodate the weather and the fish, and our dry fly results flourished.
Getting out at daybreak often produced action, but the last hour or two before dark usually yielded the most dependable top water results. Cold creek inlets, ledge seeps and spring holes where brook trout school up to take advantage of Mother Nature’s liquid air conditioning and increased water oxygen levels produced steady strikes on certain dry flies. During the hottest days when temperatures spiked into the 80s for several consecutive days, a tiny size-20 fly pattern was a must to draw surface strikes.
Generally I prefer size 16 or 18 hooks, and even these can be tough to tie onto a leader in dusky conditions, and it’s no simple task to track these tiny flies as they float along. Unless the trout are very aggressive, even practiced dry fly casters are going to miss a good number of hook ups, and it’s no simple task to fight even a 10-inch trout to the net on a fly and hook not much larger than a BB. A black slim Jim, Henryville special, light Cahill, Hendrickson and Adams have been extremely dependable, and I’ve used a fairly uncommon pattern with consistent success this season that others might want to try, a hare’s ear. You may have to tie it yourself as most stores do not carry this fly, and be aware it can be tied in a light or dark version.
If warm weather days continue, trout will remain grouped up in cool locations and deep holes for a few more weeks, offering an extended dry fly season. I favor a 7-foot rod for small streams and close-quartered, brush shrouded confines but on more open brooks or rivers, a 7-1/2 or 8-foot stick will allow more distance yet maintain a delicate presentation. I used to favor a five-weight rod several years ago, but more recently have switched to a four or even a three weight. They offer a delicate touch with tiny flies and if you are fortunate enough to tussle with a 12-inch or larger brookie the fun and exciting tug-of-war memories will last all winter.
The Aroostook River offers a variety of dry fly casting sites, some near every village and town it flows past, just locate a creek inlet, trout should be schooled up there. Wading or casting from a canoe are both options on this larger waterway. I visit the Prestile often and there are always a few remote spots near Easton and Mars Hill to fish. The Meduxnekeag and its branches deserve some attention as well. If you’re lucky, a brown trout might be hooked among the brook trout that are more prevalent.
Don’t overlook small brooks near your community; I visit Three Brooks in Blaine, Whitney Brook in Bridgewater and Rocky Brook in Mars Hill. There are hundreds of great little wading creeks that seldom get overfished, especially if you hike 100 yards up or downstream from the access road. I bet there’s one within 20 minutes of your house.
If you’d enjoy some more remote dry fly action over the last few weeks take a drive into the North Maine Woods before the bird and deer hunter influx. Fort Kent anglers will find some great streams near Allagash or toward Escourt. I’ve never been disappointed with a trip to the Little Black or around the Fall Brook flowage.
Dry fly fishing has its own special niche among all the opportunities for Aroostook anglers, and it may become habit forming. Autumn casting offers its own special sights and aromas to an already intoxicating endeavor. If you’ve not tried floating a delicate insect imitation on a long thread thin length of leader and fooled a fish into eating it, now would be a fine time to begin. If there’s a single word to describe dry fly fishing – the presentation, the float and the fight – I think delicate fits. Fall fishing is fine and fall dry fly fishing is extraordinary. Find out for yourself.
