All Points Fly Shop + Outfitter - News

Here we are! It's October and a lot of trout fisherman are now getting ready for winter's frosty grip and to begin organizing their fly tying area. Many of our beloved trout and landlocked salmon waters have closed as of September 30th...Well, hold the phone! There are some great areas that are still open to trout fishing after a majority of the waters have closed. Here are a few rivers/sections that can produce good fishing even when the fishing season seems well into the rearview mirror...

(Photo: Alison Gardiner)

1. East Outlet of the Kennebec - From Oct.1-31st the East Outlet becomes fly fishing and catch-and-release only. The section of the river from the markers at the dam of Moosehead Lake down to the markers at the end of "Beach Pool" is open throughout the year. The Kennebec, especially this section, is a larger Maine river. Even if you find other anglers there it's likely you'll find some water all to yourself.

2. Upper Dam Pool - Open until the end of October. Upper Dam is located between Upper Richardson Lake and Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Expect to see landlocked salmon and brook trout. 

3. Mousam River- Running through southern Maine - notably in Kennebunk - the Mousam provides tidal fishing below the Rt. 1 dam, but also has freshwater trout fishing open all year. Between Mousam Lake downstream to the Rt. 1 dam holds stocked trout.

4. Presumpscot - Possibly the most well known/heavily fished river in Maine. The Presumpscot is a tailwater out of Sebago Lake which eventually finds its way to the ocean in Portland. The crossing at rt. 35 in Windham is one of the hot spots for trout. Easy access in a well populated area and heavy stocking brings many an angler here. It's a great river to enjoy a real possibility of a tight line even throughout the winter. 

5. Ponds - Maine is chock-full of ponds. Many of these have extended seasons beyond September 30th. There are too many to list, especially with all the individual regulations, so check the Maine fishing laws/rules before you go - http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing-boating/fishing/laws-rules/special-laws.html

6. Royal River - Brook and Brown Trout are stocked here. Some of the stocking happens in Yarmouth with plenty of access. From Elm St. down to tidewater is open throughout the winter. 

So, when you are sitting inside on a cold Maine day and you get that itch to hit the water, don't fret, there are plenty of options for you! There are more than listed here, so do a little reading and research of your desired area and I'm sure you'll find some great spots.

Check Out All The Maine Fishing Laws:

Maine Open Water Regulations - http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing-boating/fishing/laws-rules/statewide-laws.html

Read more

Most of the best fishing spots, especially trout and salmon, are well off the commonly traveled roads. Specifically here in Maine, this sometimes requires the use of logging roads to reach these areas. Knowing the safety precautions, etiquette, and laws, can make your time spent on these dirt roads much safer. 

1. Private Roads/Logging Trucks - A lot of the dirt roads in Maine are privately owned and maintained by the logging companies. Permission is given to people for use recreationally, like us fishermen. But the logging trucks that drive on these daily have the right of way. So, when you are approaching a logging truck it is best to slow down and pull to the side. They are working, you are fishing. Give them their space..
2. Headlights - One of the first things you see with an approaching vehicle are their headlights...if they have them on. This is why most cars these days come standard with daytime running lights. Seems obvious, so it is especially true on dirt roads where narrow, dusty, tight cornered areas can make vision poor. Headlights on...
3. Durable Tires - I have passed many cars + trucks along logging roads with blown tires. It's not necessary to get a full set of four AT or MT tires, especially if you only travel on dirt roads a couple times a year, but good quality tires (and a full sized spare!) should be on the top of your checklist. Being on the side of the road with a blown tire, no spare, and no cell phone reception is not fun.
4. Dust - Creating situations much like white-out conditions during snow storms, it is even more evident this time of year with the little rain and hot sunny days we've had. When these dirt roads are lined with tall, thick trees, dust simply has a tough time dissipating. It does not take much to make an entire stretch of road extremely difficult to navigate. It was just recently that a fatal accident occurred on the Golden Road due to dust + visibility. After you pass a vehicle going the opposite direction and it's dusty, slow down until you can see well. Same goes for following behind a vehicle - keep a safe distance.
5. Speed - With other vehicles to be concerned with in addition to deer, moose, and other animals, speed can usually be found as the common denominator in most accidents on logging roads. On some stretches there are speed limit signs, mind these and your common sense and you will cut your chances of an accident to a fraction.
6. Puddles - Not only does mud cut down dramatically on your tire's traction and can easily cause spin-outs and cars in ditches, but puddles can be deceiving as well. When rain starts collection in the pot holes of a dirt road, it is next to impossible to determine the depth of these puddles. Take caution and either approach them very slowly or simply detour. 

There are a lot of logging roads that are highly traveled and used safely by many everyday. They are great ways of finding new locations and reaching your favorite water. Keep your eyes on the road, give way to the logging trucks, slow down, and you'll be finding those "super secret spots" real soon...

Words + Photos: Josh Thelin

Read more

Sunday July 9th was the 2017 Southern Maine Striper Derby. In the third year running, it attracted teams from all over including New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and almost every corner of Maine. Divided into teams of two, anglers had the entire coast of southern Maine as their playground. WhyKnot fishing has been the driving force behind this event since it's inception and along with Ben Whitehead (yup, the guy that ties our saltwater flies here at All Points Fly Shop + Outfitter) and gracious support from Cheeky, Costa, Yeti, Beulah, Mud Dog Flies, XTRATUF, Cortland, East Coast Flies, Brackish Flies, Coastbusters, Kismet Outfitters, and Early Rise Outfitters, it is now a thriving event.

The rules are simple: it's a catch-and-release format (like all WhyKnot tournaments) and the winning team will have the best 4 fish (measured in inches accumulatively). Each team received a unique tag and measuring tape at the beginning of the event and pictures of the fish needed to include these tags with accurate measurements shown in the photograph. 

Check-in for the derby was at 3:30am at Pine Point in Scarborough. Teams gathered, drank coffee and Redbull, received their unique team tag, and finalized their strategies for the day. At 4:00am over 30 teams were released and quickly got into their vehicles to head out along the rocky coast. 

The derby ran from 4am-2pm so a total of about 10 hrs for fishermen to work the diverse coastline. This included about 2 hours of an outgoing tide and a full incoming tide. So, this presented the opportunity to fish different areas and also utilize the tide range to try numerous game plans. Some headed to the beaches, some to the rivers, some to the ledges and rocks, with all theories producing fish.

The afternoon progressed and the sunny warm weather didn't seem to slow the action down much. Anglers were catching fish in almost every spot they went to and teams were on average catching fish in the 24-27" range! The biggest fish of the day was a nice 31" landed by Gary Kearns of the winning team "Into The Backing." 

The day wrapped up with a 2:00pm check in at Oxbow Brewing in Portland. Teams raced into town to make the cutoff and submit their fish/total lengths. People ate, drank, dried off, and exchanged fish tales. It was a perfect way to end a great day of fishing! The sponsors involved all had top notch awards and raffle prizes. The winning team received a rod from Beulah, line from Cortland, and a Cheeky Reel. The 2nd place team won Redington Predator fly rods from us at All Points, and the 3rd place group were given $100 toward XTRATUF and many coupons and accessories for their accomplishment!  

Thanks to everyone who participated and was involved in this years derby! It was the biggest to date and not only shows how good the fishing can be here in Maine, but also is true reflection of how great of a community we have here. Teams ranged from a father and (young) son team, to a husband and wife combo. The derby is open to anyone and we can only hope to continue with what's been established well into the future! 

Here are some additional photos from throughout the day...

Words + Photos: Josh Thelin

Read more

The technique of using two handed rods has a long history in fly fishing and has spread from Europe, to the west coast of the U.S., to now seeing it more here on the east coast.  Although the concept of using a two-handed rod in the ocean to achieve longer casts and to better negotiate larger/heavier flies and lines is not a new thing, it is still somewhat of a grey area in New England. Although slowly catching on, single handed rods still rule the flats and seaweed covered rocks here in Maine. But, if you have not considered using a two handed rod in the salt for striped bass, here is a great chance to get started. Especially with the fishing being so good lately!

The Redington Dually was released a few years ago to great reception. It has found a foothold in not only the spey world, but the skagit and also two-handed overhead casting worlds with ease. This review will cover using the Dually specifically for striped bass on the coast here in New England.

A medium-action rod, which is well suited for most two-handed applications, the Dually is not only a good rod for beginners to learn the "two-handed world" but also those accomplished casters who enjoy a more feel-oriented experience. The idea of a medium-action rod might not initially conjure up thoughts of 100+ft casts, but this can actually be quite on the contrary with the Dually. Specifically when using a spey/skagit rod in the ocean, having a softer rod while specifically overhead casting will allow it to fully load under less weight. This intern equals less need for false casting and provides the rod the ability to load under one or two water-hauls - which is really the preferred style for how we are using it in the salt. This doesn't mean that the Dually is the longest casting two-hander on the market, but it is very well designed for this style.

Generally, the main goals when picking up a two-hander and heading out for striped bass are to eliminate the amount of false casting, to cover a lot of water, and to do so efficiently. Most of the fishing we are doing is blind casting. So if we can cut down on the amount of false casts before shooting the line out, we are saving a lot of energy, Advil, and time. Plus, if dialed in, one can achieve longer casts with heavier flies using less energy! 

Fitted with a full cork handle and reel seat, the Dually is a burgundy/maroon colored rod in a matte finish. Available in either spey or skagit configurations, it ranges from a 10’9” 4wt to a 13’6” 8wt.  So whether it’s swinging streamers for trout or looking to target big steelhead, salmon or striped bass, the Dually has a size/weight for all of these applications. Plus, it has been a popular choice for anglers here in Maine who also venture to upstate New York and Canada yearly for other anadromous fish. The price point puts it well within most anglers budget. In our opinion it gives rods twice the price a run for their money.

The rod that we have been testing here at All Points is the 11’3” 7wt. Matched with shorter head and skinking lines in grain weights 330-375 from Rio, Scientific Anglers, and Airflo work very well. This setup allows an angler to effectively fish bait patterns such as clousers and also crabs flies deep along the bottom. You will find most anglers using two-handed rods here on Maine beaches are doing so with sinking lines. Matching the proper line to the rod is one of the most important aspects in fly fishing. When first getting involved in two-handed technique, this mystery of line matching can be infinitely more confusing. One added note about reels: finding a slightly heavier reel to help (counter) balance the longer rod will aid in casting and help with fatigue. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us!

• Rod Tested: Redington Dually 11’3” 7wt
• Action: Medium
• Price: $249.95
• Warranty: Lifetime

Rod testing + content by: Ben Whitehead + Josh Thelin

Photos: Josh Thelin

Read more

The Caddis fly, especially here in Maine, accounts for a huge percentage of the diet for trout and salmon. Around this time of year (late spring/early summer) caddis start to make an appearance. The first signs of caddis that I usually see in the rivers are the Northern Casemaker. These caddis are leaf shredding, stick/gravel/debris collecting, larvae. They make their portable homes out of whatever is around them. The most common of these is from the genus Pycnopsyche which can be seen every spring along the bottom and on rocks in most rivers/streams around Maine and northern New England. These pictures were taken about a month ago when these caddis were very prevent in a northern Maine river.

In most situations, these caddis are found in relatively slower water. They are not very mobile and rely on staying in deeper pockets or simply areas of slow moving water. Rarely will you see these hanging on for dear life in fast water. As the water warms up approaching summer, you will find that Casemakers will then try and move towards cooler water. Whether it’s near a spring or feeder-stream, they will even start to move under rocks to find the cold water. This is why many are not seen in the dead of summer's heat. 

Although not the most appetizing looking meal, covered in its “natural apparel,” fish DO in fact eat them! They are easy prey for fish. They move slowly in water, or not at all, and fish can simply pluck them off rocks or grab them while they clunk around the river bottom or float helplessly in the current. Fishing using a Casemaker imitation can be effective, but only if done correctly.  There is little to no “retrieve” while fishing a Casemaker fly. Most times a simple dead drift on a nymph rig with an ample hang-time at the end of the drift is all that’s needed. Make sure that fly is on the bottom! Or, some find success in getting that larvae deep on the bottom and slowly creeping it along at essentially a “snails pace.”

So next time you are out fishing, especially during early spring, keep an eye out for these Casemakers as they can be a great sign of a healthy water-system and also a perfect offering for a big brook trout or landlocked salmon here in Maine!

Words + Photos by: Josh Thelin

Read more