November 1st Report

Well October is now over. The fishing was productive till the very end with fish eating black and orange midges on Halloween.

Wild rainbow taken on a black and orange midge 10/31/2014

Over the past few weeks I've had some time to get out in the boat and do some exploring. I've been finding productive water with large trout caught on streamers, nymphs and even dries. It has been fun searching for  browns which are aggressively chasing large streamers this time of the year. The key to finding these fish is locating the water types where they prefer to spawn. We've found fish laid up in riffled water close to banks, as well as in mid river riffles, flats and side channels, where there is appropriate spawning gravel. Rainbow trout can also be found in these water types and will chase streamers this time of the year. Rainbows will also strike egg patterns and a variety of nymphs as they focus on feeding behind spawning browns. 

Brown trout caught nymphing from the inside corner of a riffle. 

This 17" brown chased this large articulated streamer on two consecutive casts before engulfing it. Was laid up on a piece of slightly riffled water in an otherwise slow moving section.

Slow moving eddies are another water type worth exploring this time of the year. Here fish will hold to feed on bugs trapped in the back flow and seams. A nine foot four weight with a soft tip is your ideal weapon for this water type. Large fish will come up slowly to suck down small BWO's and midges. A softer rod ensures good tippet protection when fishing these smaller flies. 

This brown measured 21" and was found in the seam of a deep fast moving riffle.

Areas below dams are also a good bet as fish will move to this area of deep aerated water to hold through the winter months. I prefer using large weighted streamers on a sinking or sink tip line to effectively fish this water. If you are not having success be sure to vary your retrieve. Sometimes slowing things down can result in increased takes this time of the year. 

So what will November bring? Fishing will continue to be productive in the areas mentioned above. Dry fly fishing will be most productive on warmer, calmer days with streamers being your best bet when temps drop. Egg patterns and larger nymphs will become even more important as fish continue spawning and try to pack on weight for winter. While it gets a bit colder this time of the year there is no reason to stop fishing. Being prepared for the weather with extra warm layers, hats and fingerless gloves, as well as a thermos of hot coffee, or soup, will ensure that you stay comfortable enough to hook and land fish. I prefer fishing with ski pants under my waders this time of the year. I find them less restricting than long underwear and even warmer. It is also a good idea to wear some blaze orange, as the hunting season is underway. 

If you are interested in learning more about late season angling, it is not too late to book a trip for 2014. 

Tight Lines,

Nate

17" wild rainbow tout caught nymphing a riffle. 

Mid-October Report

Well the "regular" season ended today but the fishing on the lower Andro will remains open through the year. This section of water, from Berlin to the Maine border has been designated as Catch and Release Barbless Hook fishing with No Closed Season. Most NH trout waters close to fishing to protect spawning brook trout. The Androscoggin is primarily a rainbow trout fishery (spring spawners) and most if not all brook trout migrate from the Androscoggin to spawn in (now closed) feeder streams. For these reasons the river remains open to angling throughout the year, providing a unique opportunity to fish through late fall and winter. 

On to the fishing. Last Wednesday we had fish on dries and nymphs with the biggest fish coming on a size 12 purple Haze dry fly. This was a spectacular catch to witness. I was able to watch the fish come up and engulf the fly, not five feet from the boat.

Took a size 12 Purple Haze Mayfly not five feet from the boat.

On my last Andro float I saw one of the best Blue Winged Olive* hatches of my life. Fish were feeding hard in every eddy of the river and all fish hooked on dries were wild rainbow trout. This does not mean that the fishing was easy. After each fish was hooked the rest of the feeders would wise up for at least ten minutes before feeding resumed. This presented little problem as it was an easy for me to simply row over to another pod of undisturbed trout. As if prolific dry fly fishing were not enough, when the sun began to set we took out the streamer rod and promptly landed two chunky bows on a baby rainbow trout pattern I'd tied up the night before. We must have missed another four fish on the streamer before the sun had set. 

*Blue Winged Olives are a typical fall hatch on many streams throughout the country. Unlike most mayflies they hatch as waters cool, instead of as waters warm (maybe they should be called Fall Flies). They are similar to their spring brethren as they begin hatching when water temps reach the low fifties. They differ from their spring friends in that they will continue to hatch even once temps fall into the mid 40's. Thus BWO's (as they are called) can provide steady dry fly action when most people have packed away their fly rods. 

Yesterday I had the rare opportunity to fish on my own. Although I was on foot I was able to find a few pods of rainbows feeding...to my delight...on Lady Bugs. This was a particularly gratifying find as I've been trying to key in on a true Lady Bug swarm for the past three years. I've always seen these terrestrials fluttering about on warm days, in mid-October and I've tried to find fish feeding on them a few times  to no avail. Perhaps it was the water I chose or just the day itself but yesterday I landed eight rainbows on Lady Bugs with many other fish missed.

What is to come? The rain forecast for October 16th will put a hold on the Lady Bug hatch and bring back the BWO's. Look for good streamer conditions, especially if the water rises a bit. In the long term any more warmer days should produce more Lady Bug swarms. The BWO's will continue through early December, especially on calm overcast days. You might also still see some sporadic pale duns and Isonychia. Streamer fishing will continue to be productive as trout become more aggressive in response to the up-coming winter months. Brown trout will also be effected by spawning aggression in November and post-spawn hunger in early December. Later this month egg patterns will become effective for taking rainbows, as they look to capitalize on the spawning habits of their neighbors. Large nymphs such as stoneflies and woolly buggers will become more productive come November when fish focus on putting  weight on for winter. The fishing is far from over!

Tight Lines,

Nate

Foliage and Fish... an October Report

Well the foliage has definitely peaked this first weekend of October, and the fishing has also been bright. Last week I floated the Androscoggin Four times and the river produced good fish on every outing.  Last Wednesday I guided Paul Doeherty and we saw big fish on dries, nymphs and streamers. The most exciting fishing occurred when the late day sun brought on a golden stonefy hatch. When this hatch comes off it is a good idea to fish a floating stonefly with a fast strip pause retrieve. Paul got this down fast and had trout sharking after his fly with reckless abandon. Then as evening approached the mayflies came back on and we landed our biggest fish of the day on a floating nymph pattern. 

Thursday I hit the water with good friend Alex Pries. Alex is fairly new to fly fishing but has been fishing hard for the past few years. We started fishing with a dry dropper combo and the fish were on the dropper from put in to take out. I'm not sure how many we landed because I loose track after about ten. Alex got a few good fish in the 12-14 inch range and lost a few more that were larger.

Friday I floated the same section as Wednesday With Buck Ramsey and Bob Watts. The fishing was much slower to start, but then as darkness approached we switched to the foam Stonefliies and the trout came out of the woodwork. Six fish were landed in the last hour or so of the trip. Interestingly almost all of the fish were brown trout.

On Sunday I floated the river with long time local customer Ken Cargill and his good friend Jeff Smith.  I always enjoy guiding these guys as they love to razz each other with every fish caught or lost. The fish started biting from the put in and it was obvious that size 12-16 pheasant tail nymphs were the ticket. Later in the float the fish began to rise and Ken got many strikes on a size 16 Floating pheasant tail. I think Jeff caught the biggest fish of the day but Ken had plenty of close calls on bigger fish. I'm sure they would each tell the story a bit differently.

This past Thursday I guided repeat client Brian Stack. Brian had a few good strikes fishing a Stonefly/ Pheasant tail combo in the first pool. This pool always produces a few good strikes before we have time to adjust our hook-set. The fishing through the next few pools was slow with a few subtle bites. Then around 2pm the fishing turned on and Brian began picking off browns and rainbows on a size 16 pheasant tail dropped off of a Purple Haze Mayfly. The fish were taking the dropper just as the flies swung at the end of the drift. The take was so subtle you had to have faith it was a fish and not the flies bumping submerged leaves. Still when the hook was set there was never any mistaking what was on the end of the line. As darkness approached I began seeing some larger caddis flies scuttling about, so I switched the Purple Haze mayfly with one of my foam EHC's. This fly has a realistic silhouette and is buoyant enough to support a heavy dropper. As soon as we switched to this point fly we began getting fish on top. The last fish of the day, a fat 15" rainbow came up so slow that I could see her head pushing up through the surface film before she engulfed the fly. A great way to end the day.

Last minute update. II Fished the Saco this evening. Had just got back from Striper fishing on the coast and still had my 8 weight rigged with a five inch silver side pattern. Decided to give the big stick a few throws in the Saco, and promptly landed two large rainbows swinging this saltwater pattern through a riffle. (See picture below.) 

The streamer fishing should be good on the Saco through the close of the season. On the Andro streamers are a good bet anytime. They are highly effective from late October through early December. (Note: the Andro From Berlin to the Maine border is open year round.) 

 It is not too late to book a float trip for October or November...Now is a great time to hit the water!

Tight Lines,

Nate

September Report

Many changes have taken place since my last report. Late August and Early September brought some epic flying ant hatches that produced explosive dry fly fishing on all local rivers. The Ants have slowed with the recent colder weather, but blue winged olive mayflies, Isonychia Mayflies, pale duns, and October Caddis have taken their place. Last Tuesday I had a great outing guiding on the Upper Androscoggin. My client John landed five nice rainbows all on size 10 Isonychia Nymphs. This past Wednesday I guided repeat client Dale who had good luck fishing emerging mayflies and October Caddis on the Saco. It was cool to see Dale land a fat 13" brown trout out of small water where I have seen mostly brook trout in the past. Dale also lost a few big rainbows that pounced on a chernobyl ant as well as the October Caddis.

On Friday the real cold weather hit us hard. The fishing was slow with a few tout taken on nymphs but not much surface activity.On Saturday the clouds rolled in and brought on a solid blue winged olive hatch that resulted in one nice rainbow to hand as well as quite a few fish missed on this small mayfly before we had to call it at noon. Sunday (today) started out cold with few fish seen. As the day warmed the fish began to show resulting in half a dozen beautiful wild brook trout to hand.

The wild brook trout waters I guide on are a mix of spring water and surface flow. As the surface flow cools the fish move from their summer hiding places and explode on nymphs, streamers and dries. This evening I went out to a local small stream with the pup and landed close to a dozen wild brookies that averaged eight inches and went up to 11". With a little over a month left to the general season the fish will be making a last ditch effort to fatten up before winter. I'm looking forward to many productive drift trips on the Androscoggin, some technical dry fly angling on the Saco, and Ellis, as well as plenty of vibrant fall brook trout. 

It's also worth noting that the lower Andro is open to fishing year round and some of the biggest fish are caught from late October through Christamas. The Blue wings will be on through November, when they aren't big streamers will be an even more important menu Item. 

Tight Lines,

Nate

Plump Saco Rainbow Taken on a flying ant right at dark.

Andro Salmon taken on a flying ant.

Greg with an Upper Andro Bow. 

Fred with a solid Ellis River Brook Trout.

John with an Upper Andro Rainbow.

Dale with a golden Saco Brown.

Saco brookie

Brad's first trout on the fly, A lower Andro Rainbow.

Bosley the dog saying hi to a wild brook trout.

How to fight a big fish...

As a guide I have seen my share of big fish caught and big fish lost. People often ask me, "Is it harder to hook or land a big fish?" While it takes a lot of knowledge to get a big fish on the line, it is even more of a challenge to get that fish to the net. Here are some tips to help you land the big one.

1. Inspect your gear before and while you are fishing. Big fish are often lost when there is a weak point in your rigging.

A. Wind knots are a common culprit but nicks and frayed line are just as much of a problem. Improving casting technique can minimize these problems (see number 2) but it is always a good practice to inspect your leader and line regularly. Also be sure to match the correct tippet size to the flies and fish you are after. It is not necessary to fish 6X tippet when you are after big fish eating size twelve mayflies. I prefer 4X and even 3X in such situations. With streamers 2X to 0X ensure that an aggressive predatory trout does not break you off on the strike.

B. Gear selection and maintenance is important. I've often heard people say, "You are better off putting more money into your fly rod than your fly reel." This is under the assumption that the reel will not be used to fight a fish that can take line.  Once you lose a big fish due to a faulty drag system, you will understand the importance of  a good reel. As for fly rods, be sure to use faster action rods when fishing streamers and nymphs as these rods will give you better hook sets. When fishing small dry flies for big trout you will want a slower action rod that has a good flex and will protect lite tippets.

2. Casting technique and line control. When I introduce beginners to the fly cast I try to emphasize the importance of keeping a straight wrist on the back cast. While this is essential to get your forward cast to straighten out, it is just as important in keeping tippets and leaders from getting frayed and weakened. The next piece I introduce to beginners is how to shoot line and retrieve line from under the index finger on their casting hand. This seemingly simple practice is commonly done incorrectly and results in many problems when hooking and landing a big fish. Once the fly lands on the water a fish may strike. If the line does not come under the trigger finger on the casting hand, one cannot set the hook on a striking fish. Once the hook set is complete the angler must then keep the line under their trigger finger and keep tension.

3. Control the fish. The way to control a fish will depend on: the fish's size, strength, and water conditions. If I hook a fish in water with a good deal of debris I am going to be sure to lift that fish out of the structure, conversely if a fish is in open water I am going to keep a low rod angle (down and to the side) to ensure that the fish does not leave the water and shake the hook. If I have fast water below me I am going to keep my rod tip angled upstream to be sure the fish doesn't run into the fast water below. While all of this might sound complicated, it is not unlike trying to keep a kite under control in the wind. You want the fish moving under tension but in your preferred direction.

4. When a fish runs. When a fish runs the angler needs to be prepared to point the rod tip at the fish and let the fish take drag. If you hook a big fish it is a good idea to take up as much line as you can before the fish makes a run. Of course if you hook a very big fish she will take the line before you have time to deal with it. In such cases letting the line slide progressively through your fingers is your best bet. Once you have a fish on the reel the fish can be fought from the reel, especially with larger arbor reels. Of course if a fish decides to charge straight towards you it may be necessary to take line by hand again. 

5. If a fish tries to jump. When a fish tries to jump it is important to keep tension on the fish and a low rod angle. This ensures that the hook will stay in the fish's mouth even when airborn.

6. Landing a big fish. When landing a large trout, steelhead or salmon, a large net is a good ally and a good net-man is your best ally. You will want your net-man to be downstream of the fish if possible. When the fish begins to tire work to get the fish broadside, meaning that the width of the fish is turned to the surface. If you can get the fish broadside, a quick thrust with the net is the best bet to subdue your quarry. Often an overly cautious net-man will dip the net slowly, allowing the fish time to notice the net, and run. While smaller fish will simply let you net them, larger fish will not. The fear of snapping the tippet with a brisk thrust of the net needs to be overcome in order to ensure high rates of success. 

I hope this quick tutorial gives you at least one thing you can focus on when it comes to landing the big one. Feel free to leave comments on your own experiences with fighting big fish.