The Crown of Maine abounds with rivers, streams, brooks and creeks, most Aroostook anglers live within 15 minutes of a productive native brook trout waterway. As summer progresses, the smaller spring-fed streams offer better fishing, especially for fly casters, because the larger flowing rivers become lower and warmer. This month however, The County’s namesake Aroostook River is in peak conditions and yielding top rate trout fishing right now.
Mike Wallace of Freeport drives to Presque Isle every week during the month of June to scout up and down the Aroostook River searching for a hatch taking place, then anchoring the canoe and casting dry flies to feeding trout.
(Contributed photo/Bill Graves)
From its roots in the Munsungan area the Aroostook River winds and wanders through forest and fields dozen of miles before exiting into New Brunswick beyond Fort Fairfield. Along its pathway many brooks and streams flow in to help it grow and the flowage skirts or bisects no less than a dozen villages and towns. Top rate management by Maine fisheries biologists over the past couple of decades has truly boosted trout size and numbers, a great benefit to visiting sportsmen and especially river adjacent fishermen.
Trolling is a great tactic for covering a lot of water so more fish get a look at your lure or streamer fly. Over the last week I’ve had great luck using silver or silver/bronze Sutton spoons trolled behind my 21-foot Maine Freighter canoe. Water levels are dropping, so if we don’t get a good day-long rain, trollers will have to be more selective where they launch. The stretch above Caribou dam motoring back toward Presque Isle has offered consistent action on 12- to 14-inch brookies, especially between Prestile and Spring Brook inlets.
For trolling comfort, safety and propeller clearance over 18-inches of water depth or more, I’d suggest at least an 18-foot canoe or a 12- to 14-foot Jon boat or medium V-hull aluminum boat. A short shaft motor is a blessing, but there are several runs near Ashland, Washburn, Caribou and Fort Fairfield where a long shaft won’t cause problems. Streamer fishermen should enjoy steady action dragging a Magog smelt, gray ghost or a black and white bucktail on a size 6 or 8, 3X long shank hook. Along with the size 44 and 8 Sutton spoons, a small red and white Dardevle, bronze Mooselook Wobbler or an orange accented DB Smelt should draw strikes.
The Aroostook River is currently fishing well for trolling flies and lures as well as casting dry flies during insect hatches. Many anglers cruise the river watching for rising fish, then drop anchor and cast dry flies as long as the the hatch goes on, just as this pair in the long, stable canoe are doing.
(Contributed photo/Bill Graves)
Most of my ventures to various locations on the Aroostook River begin with trolling, but I always have a 7- to 8-foot, four or five weight fly rod rigged for dry fly casting at hand. For the rest of June, there will likely be insect hatches daily, often two or three times a day at various times, not just early and late in the day as you might suspect. I’m always watching the shorelines while trolling, hoping to spot fish rising and feeding on surface hatches.
When this happens it’s time to pull the boat within casting distance, drop anchor and work a dry fly over the feeding trout. A mosquito, light Cahill, Hendrickson, Henryville or gray slim Jim in size 14 or 16 usually puts a bend in the fly rod. Hatches may last as long as an hour or be over and done in 15-minutes, but several may occur at different locations at different times. It’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Some die hard dry fly enthusiasts don’t even bother to troll, they just motor up and down stream until a hatch is located.
Folks that don’t own a canoe or boat to troll or cast from need not worry. There are plenty of shoreline opportunities for bait and lure fishermen as well as literally hundreds of top rate stretches of wade and fly cast pools. Chest waders offer fly fishermen more access than hip waders and I’d go with a bit longer rod too, perhaps an 8 or 9 foot, 5 weight with floating line. The Aroostook River bottom is uneven, slippery and often the current is heavy in June, so a wading staff will help you stay upright and dry. Heed the voice of soggy experience.
Bankside casters will find that boat launches abound for water access and an abundance of secondary and farm field roads offer shoreline access to many fairly secluded runs. The tougher a spot is to reach, the better the fishing is likely to be. Be sure to check the fishing laws covering different portions of the Aroostook River, such as artificial lures only on various sections, no live bait, and on the other runs only kids may use worms.
Great trout fishing is much closer than many folks realize and there are some bragging size brookies in the 16- to 18-inch range throughout the Aroostook. Visit this month before warm weather forces the fish to school up and become lethargic. A quick pre-work or dusk outing fits into most avid angler’s schedule. Prime time is now, so visit your nearest section of the Aroostook River soon.
