There are so many different types of feathers available for fly tying. From saddle hackle, to marabou, and jungle cock, it can be very hard to determine what is best for your needs. In this video Joe discusses the various types of feathers that we like to use for larger saltwater and big game patterns.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW!
Tying the SF Minnow Hollow Fleye. This video takes you step-by-step through Joe Webster's very effective pattern for striped bass and other predatory fish.
Check out the video below!
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)
Here at All Points, the goal is to not only provide quality gear and travel opportunities for our customers and clients, but to also be a respected resource for useful information on fly fishing. Whether it's gear reviews and fly selection, or trip reports to tips and techniques - knowledge is power. The more you know, the more confidence you'll have on the water. This in turn can create more success on the water. Plus, it can help prepare those looking to take a trip so they can make the right choices before they leave. So, who better to ask about specific fishing regions than the guides that are on the water there every year?
This is the first installment of "Ask The Guide." These interviews will be with guides all over the world to help fly anglers get the real scoop! This first one is a conversation with Chris Williams who is a guide out of Riverkeep Lodge in Labrador, Canada.
As our DHC-3 Otter cruised over the expansive gap between Labrador City and the Atikonak River, I couldn't help continually saying to myself "I have never seen so much water inland in my life." Lakes, ponds, streams, creeks, and rivers seemed to scatter towards the horizon like a splatter painting. Some would connect while others stood isolated, but from above it all appeared like one huge checker board in the water which we were 'jumping' over. The pilot turned us 270 degrees to the south in preparation for our landing in front of the Riverkeep Lodge.
The lodge owners and guides greeted us and we all unloaded our gear and provisions for the upcoming week. In transition on their way out was an older couple in their 80's. "An 8lb salmon and she got a 4.5lb brookie" the husband explained as we made small talk before they boarded for their flight back to Labrador City. We had little question about what flies they used as he had them all organized deliberately on his hat, mostly streamers. I nodded to myself in confidence as I do a lot of streamer fishing here in Maine.
We were shown to our respective cabins, made friends with our beds for the next week, and then headed to the main cabin to get an orientation of what to expect for our fishing until the following Saturday. I had heard before we left that ice-out at various other locations/lodges in Labrador was quite late this spring, so it was not surprising when we were told that the water was cranking for that time of year. "We usually wade this river" Steve Murray, the owner, explained "but we will be fishing out of boats this week as the water is still quite high...this is the highest I've seen it in over a decade." Some lodges had even cancelled their first weeks of anglers because of the delayed spring with ice and snow covering cabins well into late June. So it did not surprise me that we would also be dealing with the repercussions of a long winter. "Hence all the streamers in the previous guest's hat" I thought to myself...
But I was ready! Prepared with various sinking lines and boxes of weighted and unweighted baitfish and sculpin imitations, I came with a full arsenal of gear and it proved to be well worth it. This did not mean however that there was nothing hatching. A giant salmonfly stumbled around the main lodge during orientation, and the first afternoon we went out, a thick line of caddis flowed along the bank of a section they called "the Aquarium." I had never seen this amount of concentrated caddis floating on the water. While looking at this sight of thick caddis along the edge, my guide for that day, Eric, said "that's nothing, you should see it when it's really thick." The rest of the week was similar in the insect life, with sporadic caddis hatches and juicy stoneflies/salmonflies.
Our week's routine was fueled by hearty meals prepared by the family which allowed us to fish from sun-up to sundown. Lunches were taken on the river at their "lunch bar" to keep lines in the water longer. The lunch spot even provided good fishing opportunities. Daylight started at around 5am and lasted until 10pm, so these were long days, especially if you wanted to fish after dinner. But, the guides working at Riverkeep are tireless and very willing, seemingly anxious, to bring clients out on the river even after a belt-loosening dinner and desert. I can not say enough about the friendliness and willing attitude of the guides.
This tenacity of the guides was certainly put to the test as well. With the high water and unusual condition of the river for that time of year, there was no cruise-control set with these guys. They were constantly moving around, trying spots even unlikely for that time of year, and always wanting to get their sports into their desired fish. If something didn't go as planned, you'd hear them say something along the lines of "you have no idea how badly I wanted you to get into a fish there." It was with that attitude which gave us a big mixture of fish. Fish were spread throughout the river but willing to take flies. Bigger streamers and buggers indeed proved to be the best bet and with simple color changes brought us every fish the Atikonak River provides for anglers. Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Lake Trout, Whitefish, and Pike all held inside the pine tree lined river. Of them all, the salmon fishing was the most consistent and productive. Out-fighting a pike 3-times it's weight, the landlocks were willing to take streamers and seemed to specifically like some white articulated ones I packed.
One of the most memorable fish of the trip was caught in that "Aquarium" section. We had seen some fish, including Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, and Whitefish rising for caddis falling out of the Black Spruces nearby. As they floated and danced their way down river, the caddis would be interrupted by splashes and then taken down under. After a couple of missed fish on dry flies, I switched to a streamer on a sinking line. Cast in the tail section of this run in the slower moving water, I came tight to a fish that made my Galvan reel scream with a couple of strong runs. After a lengthy fight with a very strong fish my guide netted this Landlocked Salmon which was exploding with color. A very clean fish. It was dark with deep blue cheeks.
The Brook Trout had not fully arrived in the river yet. They were absolutely around, but not how they would have been in normal conditions. I have a suspicion that if I were to go back in a week or two that it would be lights out brookie fishing! I've heard reports and seen the pictures. They're there in the Atikonak for sure... The first to arrive in the system are the Lake Trout and Landlocked Salmon, then shortly after that the Brook Trout make their way into the party. But regardless we certainly found some at the end of our line. My largest came during one of the evening outings. With a stomach overloaded from dinner, my guide and I came up to a section they called the "Boulder Field." With a black woolly bugger, I cast upstream, stripped three times and instantly felt myself hooked-up. Almost as soon as the line came tight, a fat male brookie came (unusually) jumping out of the water and tail danced a couple times up river. It was a quick fight as I got it along the boat in short order, but lost it right as the net was about to plunge underneath the fish to bring it to hand. I caught some other nice brookies, but the one that night lingers.
We made our way though the week catching the Antikonak's offerings with regularity. It was the health and size of the fish that was most remarkable. For a fish the same length you might see here in Maine, the Atikonak's version was significantly fatter. Well fed fish, with plenty of food resources that saw little fishing pressure, gained weight by the pound. With this in mind, our guides were quick to tell everyone on the first day to "get the fish on the reel as soon as you can." There are a lot of trout anglers who fish at Riverkeep that are not used to the size of trout found here, so many anglers would lose fish while trying to strip them in. With the use of strong leaders and tippet, but making sure fish were properly fought helped to ensure more were landed successfully.
(Only the strong survive in Labrador. This landlocked salmon looks to have successfully escaped a recent tussle with a Pike)
I was very generously supplied by TFO rods and Galvan reels to be used and tested on this water.
