West Branch of the Penobscot
The faces fishing Big Eddy this week have changed. Last night there were about 10 kids circling Big Eddy. I watched a young lad land two fish, at least one of which was a salmon, this morning. It’s great to see them out there throwing flies at the fish.
The temperature is changing as well. On July 1st Brookfield opened the sluice gate, adding 100-200 cfs of warm water off the top of the lake. It’s not a lot, but with temperatures getting high it’s not helping the fishing any.
If you are around at night, there are LOTS of bugs still around. Caddis of all sizes, and even a few black caddis, can be found around the river after dark. This morning fish were still taking flies off the surface. As the sun and the midday heat arrived, the surface action shut down but we were still able to catch a few fish on wet flies and streamers.
The best news is that there are some yellow stoneflies around. Fish have been responding to stonefly patterns in the morning and evening. We caught several fish on a yellow Turk’s Tarantula. As it warmed up we moved to wet flies and streamers. We picked up a few more fish on a Partridge and Orange soft hackle and a Little Brook Trout streamer.
As the river warms up, I encourage folks to consider giving the fish a break mid day. Early morning, and late evenings are going to be your most productive times.
