We have survived the high waters of spring, rivers and streams are ebbing to a reasonable level. While both rivers are among the best landlocked salmon streams an angler can find, the east outlet is currently outperforming the west branch of the Penobscot.
East Outlet of the Kennebec River
The East Outlet, running from Moosehead Lake has been really productive. Last weekend Greg landed 10 fish over sixteen inches, two were over twenty. In addition there were a few brook trout in the mix. A really solid day early in the season, but man was it cold! I’ve been told if you want to be successful, you’ve got to suffer.
This past weekend, fish were taking streamers and eggs. Think spring spawning season for suckers. In the afternoon the river gave up some blue winged olives, but a flash backed pheasant tail was the fly of the day.
West Branch of the Penobscot River
Wind was the name of the game. This was no day for a 10′ leader. On Sunday the river was vacant, not an angler to be found. Even the Golden Road was eerily quiet. Those I did talk to said fishing was still slow due to the cold waters. As cold as it’s been in the Katahdin region, you could find yourself still fishing streamers.
What to Look for Next
WHEN CAN WE START DRY FLY FISHING! ! !
It’s all about water temperature now. Descent hatches haven’t started in earnest yet. Once the water hits 50 degrees we should start seeing the first descent hatches of March Browns and Hendricksons, good news for those of you who are dedicated dry fly anglers.
Early Season Mayfly Tips
When you start to see the Blue Winged Olive mayflies sailing, sometimes the fish don’t respond to the dries on the surface. When this happens, try an emerger pattern like a Klinkhammer as a dropper. The Klinkhammer hackle sits on the surface, leaving the white visible parachute above the water. The body of the fly hangs below the surface, like a bug caught in the surface film, trying to get to the surface. Just what you need for enticing strikes from
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