I have been doing live fly tying sessions on Instagram recently. To help with those who are unable to watch, or want to check them out later, I have set up another camera to make edited versions of these sessions.
Here is the Mickey Finn I did the other night. It's a classic bucktail streamer.
INSTAGRAM: @allpointsfly
I have been doing live fly tying sessions on Instagram recently. To help with those who are unable to watch, or want to check them out later, I have set up another camera to make edited versions of these sessions.
Here is the Hair (Dubbing) Caddis I did the other night. It is a variation of the famous Elk Hair Caddis but uses squirrel dubbing in the body.
INSTAGRAM: @allpointsfly
As a fly shop situated in South Portland, Maine near the coast of Casco Bay, a lot of what I get asked about are the fly fishing opportunities right here in the greater Portland area. With Portland being in the very southern part of Maine, we do not have the plentiful native and wild brook trout and landlocked salmon waters that our northern part of the state holds. But, our endless saltwater fishing opportunities for striped bass combined with some great options for freshwater trout and bass give local anglers plenty to keep them busy!
The following are very general areas and recommendations and are intended to give you an understanding of what this area can provide. Keep an eye out for future articles regarding specific species and areas to target in southern Maine. Also, if you have any questions please feel free to email me: josh@allpointsflyfishing.com
This is the most popular species to target in southern Maine. The vast majority of the striped bass in our local waters arrive via their annual migration. Beginning in early spring, they work their way up the east coast from the Chesapeake Bay, past the tip of Long Island, Cape Cod, and eventually arrive in Maine. Like most fish, their behavior is very dependent on water temperature, so when the local inshore temps hit around 50 degrees (F), we are confident that the first push of striped bass have arrived. This usually equates to about mid-May on the calendar.
Their first destinations are generally the estuaries and tidal rivers. This provides them with a good food source and more comfortable water temps. So these are the places where anglers should try and focus their attention during the early parts of the season. As the water temps rise and more/different bait arrives to this area, the stripers start to spread out. Some will still reside in and along the rivers and estuaries, but later most will be prowling along the beaches and rocks. This then starts to really open up the game and provides plentiful areas to fish. Your favorite beach which you frequent with an umbrella and cooler can also be one of the best places to land a big striped bass!
As mentioned above, the trout fishing in southern Maine is very different than it is in the northern regions. This is because a vast majority of the fisheries here in the southern part are stocked. Below is a map provided by the state which details this very well:
Within the immediate South Portland area, there are two rivers which are stocked regularly and provide good fly fishing opportunities. Those two are the Royal River in Yarmouth and the Mousam River in Kennebunk. If you are willing to travel a little further, the Presumpscot and Pleasant rivers which run in and along Windham and Westbrook are also good options. The Presumpscot is probably the most heavily stocked river in southern Maine. Further, seeing as it's in a fairly populated area, it's also likely the heaviest fished river in southern Maine. So FYI, you will usually not be alone on the river. The species stocked in all these river systems vary from brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, and landlocked salmon.
You can stay updated on the stocking here: Maine Current Fish Stocking Report
Every year, fly fishing for smallmouth bass and pike in southern Maine gets more and more popular. We have some great bass and pike water around here and for those who don't want to trek 3 hours (or more) to the northern region for wild trout, some of the best smallmouth bass fishing can be found right here in our backyard. The Saco, lower stretches of the Penobscot, and the Androscoggin are all rivers which are close and have great fishing (the Androscoggin also holds good shots at pike). For those who prefer stillwater smallmouth bass fishing, both big and little Sebago Lake can produce some opportunities, especially in the shallower areas. Also the Belgrade Lakes region is becoming a hot spot for bass and pike. Further, many of the small ponds in this region can hold largemouth and smallmouth bass as well.
Written By: Josh Thelin
Photos By: Andy York (main image), Josh Thelin (striped bass image)
There are very tangible benefits to fishing flies on jig hooks. This has been something which has increased in popularity especially with the techniques of Euro and/or Czech nymphing really taking off in fly fishing. For the anglers who do a lot of nymphing or fish their leeches and streamers down along the bottom, here are the added values of fishing flies tied on jig hooks. The benefits are also not exclusive to freshwater nymphs and can be certainly translated to sculpin imitations or even clouser or crab patterns in saltwater.
When fishing nymphs along the bottom, or dragging saltwater crab patterns along the sand, having your fly ride with the hook pointed up is clearly beneficial. This can be done with properly balanced/weighted eyes (or beads) on turned down eye or even straight-eyed hooks, but when weight is added to angled jig hooks, they will ride hook up and level and provide a much more stable position. This gives an assured drifting or "swimming" position along the bottom allowing you to not get hung up on the rocks, sand, grass of the water's floor. This also helps to keep your fly from tilting one way or the other and not scraping and dulling your hook point.
For the above mentioned reason, this also presents the ability for the fly to be set into the fish’s mouth in better way. Usually this means getting the fly set in the top or corner of the mouth. These spots in the mouth hold hooks much better and give you a better chance of not losing that fish. You also have better control when trying to turn the fish's head while fighting.
This is especially true when nymping on a tight-line or euro system where you need to really feel the bottom of the river. When weight is added to jig hooks the eye of the fly is what is bumping along the bottom, instead of simply the hook shank or body of the fly. This gives the angler a better feel of if/when their flies are hitting the bottom which in turn gives you feedback on where in the water column you are.
Similar to #3, but when a slotted bead is used in tying a nymph on a jig hook, the center of gravity changes. This helps to angle the hook in a position similar to the nymph in the main image of this blog which gives an even better feel for where the flies are in the water column and if/when they are hitting the bottom on rocks, etc.
We want all the advantages we can get when fighting fish, especially the big ones! When a fish has been hooked with a fly on a jig hook, the fly line (and leader/tippet) is essentially parallel to where the bend of the hook is. When this happens, the leverage that the fish has is reduced and can provide a much more certain hook set in the fish's mouth. This is especially true with our Landlocked Salmon here in Maine which usually go arial (at least once) during the fight. With all the head shakes and jumps, the jig hook can give the angler the advantage. When the hook is set properly, you will find the fly pops out a lot less.
Whether it's a straight eye, turned down, turned up, or jig style hook, all of these give the fly a particular movement or "swim" in the water. As fly anglers, we are always looking for interesting ways for our flies to appear or move in the water. Jig hooks are popular to tie on for streamer patterns as well. The angled eye gives the fly a very undulating movement when stripped. It's a very up-and-down appearance which can give the look of an injured or confused baitfish. It's also becoming one of the most popular ways to tie a sculpin pattern as it keeps the fly on the bottom, riding hook up, and "hopping along" when stripped.
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If you have any questions please feel free to contact me: josh@allpointsflyfishing.com
I recently got my hands on a couple of the new fly rods that Echo will be releasing mid November. One of them is their newest premier saltwater rod, and the other is their top end trout rod. Both of them will be at the highest end (price-wise) of Echo's offerings in the $350-$525 zone. This is smack in the center of the "mid-priced" rod category that has seen a lot of attention and growth in the fly fishing industry over the past few years. There is good reason for this as well. For some people, a high end rod is either unaffordable or irrational. Most high end rods are a combination of meticulous construction and peak performance. What makes the mid-price range so alluring in most cases however, is that you get all (or most of) the performance, but the rod might lack higher quality finishes and/or materials like reel seat inserts and hardware. However, this is not to say that every rod under $700 is ugly and falls apart after a season by any means. But, for a company like Echo who tends to make their rods with function as their top priority, it tends to attract anglers who are likeminded in their fishing endeavors...
The first rod I cast was the Echo Prime. A saltwater rod available in either 4pc or 2pc configuration, the Prime comes in 8-12wt options (8, 10, 11wt for 2pc) and is 8'10" across the board. According to Echo: "when targeting flats fish, things happen quickly and usually in the 40-60 foot "kill zone." Everything about the Echo Prime rod has been optimized to help you succeed in the zone." This is interesting because one of the first things I thought about while working out line was "man this would be a good bonefish rod." The slightly shorter length and not incredibly stiff action helped me dial in accuracy quickly and confidently. There was not much wind that afternoon, so the Prime was not tested much in this department. But I could create good line speed and felt it would do well if breezy. (Better in the wind, I believe, than the Echo Bad Ass Glass Quickshot I reviewed recently)
Fly line used: Airflo Ridge Striper WF8F (290gr)
Fly rod tested: Echo Prime Fly Rod 8'10" 8wt (4pc) - $469.99
The Echo Prime boasts a "Dual Zone" (cork) handle, which I'm still not 100% what that means...but I will say the larger half wells front lip and overall size of the cork felt good in my larger hands. This can be an afterthought for most consumers, but I do find it makes a difference. For instance there are some rods, like the TFO Mangrove, which is a great rod, but the cork handle is small and sometimes uncomfortable casting for long periods of time.
Overall I was very impressed with the Prime. With a moderately aggressive floating line it cast incredibly well within 70ft with good reserved power. I am not sure how it would do with heavier aggressive heads or sinking lines. But, as this road is advertised with flats fishing in mind, it seems incredibly capable within that capacity. I am going to try very hard to bring this on my next bonefish trip.
The Echo Trout is tuned in a very similar manner as the Prime. Specifically, it has a certain distance or "zone" which Echo feels is the proper area in which the fly rod should excel. For the Trout, it is the 30-50 foot "sweet spot." Additionally, each model/wt of the Trout series has a "unique action suited to that rod's typical application." For instance, the 6wt has been refined even further in the tip section to help negotiate sinking tips and heavier flies.
Fly line used: Airflo Super-DRI Elite WF5F
Fly rod tested: Echo Trout 9' 5wt - $349.99
In the lighter weight options, the Trout has been made to help protect lighter tippets and softer presentations with a softer tip section. So, seeing as this rod is only available in 4-6wts, if the 6wt has a stiffer tip and the 4wt has a softer tip, I would think it's safe to say the 5wt is right down the middle of the road. I would tend to agree with this thinking after casting it as well. I did not get the impression that the rod was only dialed in for dry flies, nor did I get the feeling it was hungry to only throw sinking lines and meat. I think the Echo Trout 5wt is going to be a great rod for those looking to buy one trout rod that can handle dry flies to nymph rigs.
One added perk I thought was interesting, was the included fighting butt (similar to the Echo Shadow X) that will be available in the other models as well from the 4-6wts. This would allow anglers to adjust the rod to specific styles/techniques such as nymphing.
Overall the Echo Trout was a pleasure to cast. Similar to the testing of the Prime, these were just preliminary reactions while casting in my parking lot, but for what I got out of the tests I was certainly impressed. I will be curious to cast the Trout and the Boost 6wts side-by-side to see which would be better for streamers...
