The patterns I attempted to replicate for him were made with love . He always told me I had talent and an artistic eye and to stick with it . Watch the current and adjust your strip accordingly. At the end of June, Maine's premier mayfly, the Hex, produces the season's most frantic dry-fly action. We New Englanders value our native fish. Not only do we carry the standards like Gray Ghost and Black Ghost but also little known patterns like the Dam Wammy and Dr. Grantham. Dad tied scores of Tigers every winter for us and his friends trout-size ones for brookies in small streams and beaver ponds, and longer ones to troll and cast for salmon, togue (lake trout), and squaretails. 207-864-5615. rivertoridge@aol.com. Most of these flies are weighted, with a length of .5 to 1.5. Some of them are old and others have been hatched more recently. Others (Big Black, Little Black, and North ponds) are good, but harder to reach. This month's fly is the Edson Tiger Light. Some important early-season mayflies include Hendricksons, March Browns, and Blue-winged Olives. On Rum, Wilson, and Roach ponds in the Moosehead Lake region, use smelt patterns near inlet and outlet brooks, where the smelt spawn. Maine Fly Fish is the premier Maine Fly Fishing resources for fly fishing in Maine. He always believed in me.. Page created - January 19, 2013 . The Marabou version is a seriously aggressive streamer. Whether or not cannibalistic brookies mistake it for one of their cousins body parts, who can say? With the approach of September and October, the water cools and fish emerge from their summer refuges. Learn to tie Harrop's Hairwing Dun with master tier Charlie Craven. The story goes that one day he was fishing on an area river andhe found a fly wallet. This fly was created right here in Maine by Alvin Theriault of Stacyville. Thanks for your support and I hope you enjoy your flies!. This fly was created by Edward Hewitt in the 1930's. From August through the end of the season, sinking lines and big, ugly flies take the most fish. The best fishing is during the calmer early morning and evening hours, and crayfish patterns fished deep at sunup can take a trophy. When sight fishing with crab patterns I like to lead the fish far enough so the fly has the chance to enter the fishs world without detection and sink to the bottom. I go to the flatwing section of my box when I want a fly to flutter and hover in the current or when Im fishing in crashing waves. For the rest of the water, local anglers troll single or tandem-hook smelt patterns like the Grey Ghost, Governor Aiken, or Barnes Special. Key water temps for trout spawning activity will be at oraround 55F. They remain still in northcountry lakes and rivers and backwoods ponds and streams. When it became a Wulff pattern I do not know. These flies fill in where clousers would go in most anglers boxes. I prospect with this fly and spend lots of time blind casting patterns like this to the rocks. This fly was created by Bill Edson of Portland, Maine in 1929. Im going to post a pic of 8 or so different smelt patterns of mine that I prefer to fish with over "traditional" patterns such as the Gray Ghost (which I do fish a lot though). The Sparrow Nymph is one of his earliest designs, and it has stood the test of time. Mount Desert Island's Upper Hadlock or Bubble ponds are good early-season spots, as well as Fox and Simpson ponds in Rogue Bluffs on Route 182 in the Downeast region. There are many different ve Marchs fly of month is actually a fly combination in celebration of the coming of April. 2023 American Museum Of Fly Fishing. Box 421, Ashland, ME 04732, (207) 435-6213. Among his revolutionary inventions are the Gurgler and the Soft-Hackled Streamer. Ill throw this fly at our rocky Maine coast, estuaries, drop offs, and to busting fish. I was young & fascinated by the the flies created from the goods he brought in . This fly hits the water for me when striped bass are actively feeding on a school of pogies. Estess Alderfly imitation combines the distinctive profile of the deltashaped wing with the high flotation of a palmered body. Not only filling a void with my tying, but with all the fisherman & women I have met & I speak too. A handful of parks provide easy access to good water, but if you want the ultimate remote experience, hire a guide or visit one of the fishing camps with private water. These species are easy prey for striped bass. I dead drift the fly as the wave recedes but I am very careful to keep my line taught so I can detect the strike which can be surprisingly subtle at times. This months fly is my own creation called the F.T. Cold Water. Campsites on Great Northern Paper and North Maine Woods land are arranged on a first-come, first-served basis when you pass through the gate. . Twenty-five of the park's 100 ponds contain wild populations of large brook trout. When you are pausing, this fly it will not hover and flutter, it will drop slowly in the water column. Each of these flies will hover in the water. We caught a lot of brookies both ways from the streams we floated in Dads canoe. All traits I hope to carry through life & pass on to my 4 Sons. Crease flies skip through the water, alternating from side to side creating the facade of a baitfish skipping across the surface. Kevin Tracewski is a biology instructor at the University of Maine at Orono. Made of black thread, silver tinsel, and jungle cock feathers, its nearly as popular as the Gray Ghost. The Tom Brady of fishing flies, an overachieving underdog, and more. "kiss & release" the fish. Now its up to you to trigger the fish to eat through a crafty retrieval. Most patterns are original designs crafted with a wealth of knowledge & and artistic talent. All of the area's easy-to-reach, fly-fishing-only ponds (Denny, Upper, Island, and Stink ponds) stay cooler throughout the season. agree, I would include a salt pattern or two. We cast them down and across and twitched em back. I would certainly tie up some of the original colored versions, but don't be afraid to experiment a little! For equipment, I like a 9-foot, 4- or 5-weight for dry-fly fishing and a 5- or 6-weight for fishing sinking lines. The Black Ghost is of the most popular and widely known fly patterns ever tied. The next best time to fish the Rapid is between the first week of September until the season closes on September 30. This months fly is the Mosquito dry fly. My first cast produced a handsome 14-inch brook trout. My Cart. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. All trophy ponds are fly-fishing-only and have increased size and reduced bag limits. All Rights Reserved. I came up with the pattern many years ago and it has been a good producer from the start. Match the size of the bait as best you can and remember to pause on your strip and keep tension on your line throughout the presentation so you dont miss the strike. Sometimes top water flies can also draw aggressive fish to feed on the surface even when there are no signs of surface action. Carrie G. Stevens (who didn't use a vise) tied the world's first Grey . For more info on Maine and its beautiful waters, fishing and more click here: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/fisheries/species-information/index.html. At that time Lee had just created the Wulff design that used bucktailhair as the wings and tail. This month's fly is the Winnipesaukee Smelt. Their elusive behavior, expert camouflage and skittish personalities make bonefish the quintessential poster child for shallow water sight-fishing. This months fly is the Pat's Rubberleg nymph. Also, since you are using larger and more buoyant dry flies, take this opportunity to tie on a dropper off the back! On July 1, 1924, Carrie G. Stevens cast a homemade fishing fly into the outlet of Mooselookmeguntic Lake and netted a 6-pound, 13-ounce brook trout. The Brown Owl was created by Bob Broad of Wentworth location New Hampshire. This fly isnt used very much, but when you need it you should have it. What is the Loyal Customer Reward Program? Several caddis species are also present. That same afternoon, she tied her new creation to her leader, cast it into the Upper Dam Pool near her home on Lake Mooselookmeguntic, and caught a 6-pound-13-ounce brook trout. Modern anglers who might sneer at brightly colored attractor flies can comfort themselves with the fact that this famous red-and-white wet fly was designed, perhaps whimsically, as an imitation of the pectoral fin of a spawn-colored brook trout. One, if not the main, motivating factor of trout in Maine starting their fall behavior is water temperature. *****Update as of 4/25/ 2023~~Orders are piled up for the Spring Frenzy and are currently shipping in about 4-6 weeks. Casting down and across and twitching the fly across the currents (skittering we call it here in New England) brings trout slashing and boiling when theyre up on alderflies. Adult flies reach up to three inches long and are imitated by extended-body patterns with large, upright wings. AK SkimDecember 30, 2020 in Fly Tying. This is simply a "get out of my area" tactic. Welch introduced the use of long-shank hooks for streamers bigger flies fished underwater, usually meant to imitate baitfish convinced they more closely resembled smelts. A Stevens original is an exquisite piece of art, commanding $1,000 or more.. I see him in each of them in their own ways He taught me so much and instilled in me a great passion for the outdoors. Sporting Goods Store Page transparency See all Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a Page. Custom orders are all flies hand-tied by Jesse Rochester (Mainely Outdoors) using the highest quality materials and hooks. It tends to incite those aggressive/territorial strikes from brook trout and landlocked salmon. Her Gray Ghost featuring white hairs from a deers tail and pheasant and jungle cock feathers catapulted her to acclaim in the sporting world. The construction of this fly is a combination of marabou and bucktail for the wing - redand blue bucktail is mixed and tiedunder white marabou. The movement of the materials is the most important characteristic for this set of flies. As the water warms, trout focus on insects, and by early June you can catch trout with dry flies. I look for two indicators to determine if a water is healthy and has fish-producing potential: the tall, broad-leaved water weed called Potamogeton and tiny, shrimplike scuds called Gammarus. Cahill, Light and Dark 12-16. As the name implies, this is a caddis imitation most plentiful in the fall months. These flies are durable, very lifelike, and an easy fly to cast and present. He was also passionate about family, honor, integrity, hard work & self worth. Lee Wulff's signature fly patterns utilize hair instead of feathers for wings and tails, thus creating a much bushier, higher floating, and much more durable fly. The Good Old New England angling days focused on brook trout and Atlantic salmon, the only salmonids native to our waters. The Gray Ghost is the Tom Brady of fishing flies, says Bill Pierce, executive director of the Outdoor Heritage Museum, near Rangeley. The Nearenuf imitates no particular mayfly perfectly but its, um, near enough to most New England mayflies to catch any trout that are eating them. It was created by Pat Bennett a fishing guide from Island Park, Idaho. This month's fly is the Blue Winged Olive Parachute. Additionally, Quimby created his Dusty Streamer (first tested on Moosehead Lake), the Governor Brann (for which he tied and presented the pattern to the former Maine Governor at the Sportsmen's Show in Boston), tied the first Nimrod Bucktail for its pattern originator Henry Beverage (then fishing editor of the Portland Press Herald) and perhaps . 30 bass caught in 12 of water; sight fished on a crab fly by Ellis, 14 years old. This minnow spawns in many of our area rivers during the month of June. Its L.L.Beans bestselling fly. Finding brook-trout ponds on your own can be challenging, considering the vastness of the state's ever-changing maze of signless logging roads. Original flies were floating, the recipe below is for one that will sink. Smaller, super easy to cast, and a perfect bite for hungry stripers throughout the season. And I started to tie, self taught with a basic book. For two people traveling together, costs usually range between $50-$100/person (round trip), depending on the distance. The Silver Shadow. Try this, sonny, an old-timer told me in 1974, watching me cast unsuccessfully at the outlet of the Kennebecs Wyman Dam. This months fly is the Wardens Worry streamer. This 3" or 4" fly might come out of the box when stripers are feeding deeper. I think it goes way back My Dad was a hunter & a well know butcher and had his own shop . I truly love each creation I tie and want you, more than anything to love them and catch fish with them! That's changing now, though, as the state spreads the word about its brookie revival. "Making Fishermen/Women happy one fly at a time". FAQ. Shop hours of operation for customer service are Monday thru Friday 8am-5pm. This pattern was created by Dave Whitlock. Clear editor. I started using it many years ago and quickly found it's worth a space in my fly box. At our shop we stock over 70 different streamer patterns in a wide range of sizes. I went from a hairdresser to fly tying . One thing I want to note is just how vital presentation is. Dead drifting and a slow retrieve is my go to as a starting technique but every situation is different and it all depends on how aggressively the bass are feeding. This pattern was created by Art Flick and was introduced in 1947 in his Streamside Guide. Ben Whalley tied this one, as well. With more than 50,000 flies, the couple's unassuming store is Maine's largest supplier of flies and fly . As the wave rolls in and washes over the rocks, I deliver my fly. I Love to tie, it is a true art and passion.Let me introduce myself, I'm Kat. At the end of the last ice age, when retreating glaciers barricaded anadromous fish from the ocean, the salmon adapted, became landlocked, surviving in the headwaters of what had been four oceangoing rivers. If other competing species (perch, pickerel, and bass) are present, there is less food for the trout. Bob Popovics Hollow Fleye is one of the most effective patterns in my box. The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (DeLorme Publishing, (207) 865-4171) is the best resource and will help make sense of it all. Also, working variations of emergers and nymphs can also be productive, but I have found most success actually with dry flies (not the usual here in Maine!). Trolled behind an outboard motor, the fly mimics a darting minnow. Through tagging and conservation efforts, the quality of many historic bonefish fisheries is improving, as is our understanding of the species' movements and patterns. Pasted as rich text. This pattern was created by Dick Frost who owned the Rangeley Region Sports Shop in the late 70's and early 80's. At the 1927 Boston Sportsmans Show, legendary Rangeley Lakes guide Herbie Welch debuted his 1919 prototype Black Ghost fly. New backcountry roads caused increased fishing pressure on the state's remote ponds, which in turn led to overharvest of fish. Keep in mind, however, that all "trout-only" waters do not produce big fish. As the fish approaches I give the fly a little twitch and watch the fishs reaction. Our coastal waters teem with migratory striped bass and bluefish. There's also The Maine Guide Fly Shop (Greenville, [207] 695-2266), the Rangeley Region Fly Shop (Rangeley, [207] 864-5615), the Blue Dun Fly Shop (Medway, [207] 746-3044), and Fly Fishing Only (Fairfield, [207] 453-6242). It was created in the mid 1900's by Jim Warner of Wolfeboro New Hampshire. Known for its 23 pools, it is characterized by fast . Before the April frenzy! Guides like Matt Libby, (207) 435-8274, Jack McPhee, (207) 528-2855, Hal Blood, (207) 688-4169, and Steve Coleman, (207) 668-4436, are either pilots themselves or have direct access to a float plane and can usually provide you with the best opportunities to catch quality trout. The pamet special, named after the Pamet River in Truro, MA, is a fly originally tied by Rich Murphy for striped bass in New England. Something most girls would shy away from, but I got to hang out with him . Ron Joseph retired as a Maine wildlife biologist in 2010 following a thirty-three-year career working primarily in the woods of western and northern Maine. This 10 fly is tied hollow style and its articulated to give even more movement and action to the fly. I believe guides and flying services work best if they operate hand in hand. Some fishermen wouldn't think of using this fly, (Sometimes I would be one of them.) I am the sole fly tier here at Lakeside Flies. It has been around for a long time and a standard for those who need to imitate emerging midges. Stripers feed on these small bits of protein throughout the tide. This month we are featuring the Bugmeister which was created by John Perry, a fly fishing guide from Montana. The foamulator was created by Randall Kaufman of stimulator fame. Bean, Kittery Trading Post, Maine Professional Guides Association, and Moosehead Lake); and Fly Fishing in Maine, www.flyfishinginmaine.com (includes guides and fly shops and fishing advice). Fish pick up the vibration of the fly moving through the water on their lateral line. I have been using it for 10 years or so. Two handed rods, old flies, river dogs, and good books. This is a very effective pattern in the spring for fishing duringthe smelt run. Learn to tie the versatile Hare's Ear with master tier Charlie Craven. Ben Whalley tied this specific fly; he is a terrific crafter of hollow fleyes. It can be fished deep or swung in the surface film. Dont ignore a Wood Special in different sizes 8-14.Very effective in the Rangeley areas AND the East Outlet.Especially when the water gets much cooler. I can't find much background info on this fly. Wells named it after western Maines Parmachenee Lake, his favorite salmon-fishing waters. This very simple fly can imitate a large variety of different types of bait it all depends on your presentation and retrieve. This months fly is the Grizzly King Wulff. Specializing in Tandem Trolling Streamers. If youre reaching for this fly there are likely big bass around who are feeding on menhaden aka pogies, bunker, mossbunker, etc. So the fly tying love I have how did it even start ?? This is not a very well-known pattern, but was very popular in the decades following its creation. And you should read Al Raychard's guidebooks Remote Trout Ponds in Maine, Fly Fishing in Maine, and Flying in for Trout (all Northcountry Press). Most of them are tied predominantly with natural materials and a little bit of flash. He is my sweet boy! This month's fly is the March Brown dry fly. Dan Legere, (207) 695-2266, Don Dudley, (207) 528-2448, and a number of other guides that can be found by contacting the Maine Professional Guides Association, (207) 785-2061, www.midcoast.com/~guides, can also lead you to some great fishing without the added cost of the plane. I want to leave behind something for generations ahead to enjoy . Basically wherever I am he is! Outfitter Rick Estes, who calls New Hampshires brawling Androscoggin River his home water, gives his localized version of the Woolly Bugger a bushy tail and a heavy conehead to go deep and tumble along the bottom the way weak-swimming sculpins do. The olive grizzly hackle on the upper wing helps to color this mackerel imitation in a natural and realistic way. The pictured beast fleye above is roughly 12 long with a 4 profile. The Mickey Finn was originated by John Alden Knight of Pennsylvania in the 1930's. The fly worked so well that Cooper applied for a patent. Weve got lot of good fly fishing to choose from. Flatwings were popularized by Ken Abrams and his book Striper Moon. Thes flies are tied and tried in Maine and all over New England. This large caddisfly swarms in streamside bushes in June (at the height of the New England blackfly season). This month's fly is the Blacknose Dace streamer fly. We tied it last winter one Saturday at the shop. This month's pattern is the Mole fly emerger. Our coldwater streams and lakes abound with self-sustaining populations of European brown trout and western rainbows, often happily mingled with smallmouth bass and northern pike. I like to tie a variation of his original pattern that is pictured above. I think the Black Ghost, Nine Three, and Mickey Finn probably deserve a place in the native New England pantheon. The Dark Tiger was my fathers favorite bucktail for both salmon and trout, and inevitably it became my favorite, too. See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. We love what we are doing and will never look back. There are two categories of camps: American Plan, where all meals are provided in a central dining area; and Housekeeping, where you do your own cooking and cleanup. This month's fly is the Grouse and Flash. Every so often he would bring the bucktails and hides to local tiers and I would tag along. Our fly selection is made up of patterns that I have found effective on our rivers and lakes while guiding fisherman in the region for the last 20 plus years. Only 6 or 7 in length, this fly gets it done. These flies have the ability to take on different personas depending on how you fish them. Whatever he was doing I wanted to learn about. Places such as Libby's Camps (Ashland, [207] 435-8274) and Mt. Dad believed the Dark Tiger was the only bucktail anyone would ever need, and it was just about the only one he ever used. This is one of my favorite flies. This month's fly is the parachute Royal Wulff. Nearby Nesowadnehunk Lake is also worth a visit. Display as a link instead, Avoid having slack in your system when fishing crab patterns. Stripers can be picky when they are keyed in on sand eels so its important to closely match the hatch. This 3 or 4 fly might come out of the box when stripers are feeding deeper. I found this pattern in the book Go-To Flies by Tony Lolli. Of course, Estess delta wing Alderfly, in various sizes and colors, does a good job any time trout or salmon are taking caddisflies on top. In April and early May, the best time to fish is during the comfortable part of the day, between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. Smelt are the main forage for early-season fish, especially on the larger waters. This yellow tag can simulate the egg sack that forms on the mayfly. It is best fished in the pocket water around the rocks and in the seams. We New Englanders use it for probing pockets and riffles in fast-moving little brook-trout streams and as a generic caddisfly imitation. The Royal Wulff is one of the most popular flies of all time. Some will fish this streamer all season, but I have found it is most effective during the fall. Feeling renewed in 2011 and ready to continue her passion for fly tying, Dumaine is starting a new fly shop in Brunswick, Maine, with the intention of opening sometime this year. We are proud of our roots. Beetle 4-12. Thats exactly why I have chosen the career of being a full time, professional fly fishing guide. This pattern was first created and fished by Dave Hise of North Carolina. Bean (Freeport, [800] 221-4221), which are both located within a few minutes of I-95. June is a good time to visit Baxter State Park, a 200,000-acre semiwilderness two hours north of Bangor. Stevens created the Grey Ghost and other popular fly patterns.