Welcome to the Mainely Flyfishing website, your source for guiding, instruction, fly fishing information, books, videos, and more. My name is Lou Zambello and I am a guide, instructor, writer, speaker, and columnist. Please explore this site or email me to learn more.

Soon to be Fall Fishing Season

Maine and most of New England endured another hot and dry summer. Many sections achieved some level of drought status. I really worry about our native trout populations that don’t have access to thermal refugia. This is the fourth summer in a row with hot and dry conditions for some sections of New England

Recently, the weather pattern has changed and we have received some welcome precip. in some areas including the western Maine Mountains. Water temps are falling through the 60’s with adequate water in the rivers. Perhaps we are looking at a better September fishing season with more waters fishing well, less crowding, and an earlier start of the fall migration.

My column for the August Maine Sportsman magazine that was all about fishing September either in the dark or during bad weather to beat the crowds has received some attention. You might want to check it out.

My summer fishing was time constrained (in a good way), because of lots of family visiting and my daughter, Mary’s wedding. I did some fun worm-dunking with my 2 year -old grandson, Noah. He has the makings of a fisherman. He claims every sunfish he catches is a “Beeg One”

I was also distracted at Kennebago because it was the best blueberry year in perhaps a decade. Everywhere you turned around was a lowbush blueberry filled with fruit. We picked gallons for the freezer and ate blueberry pancakes, muffins, turnovers, etc. constantly.

I did some local pond and lake fishing for bass and sunfish. One early morning, bass were subtly sipping dead insects from a spinner fall from the night before and were happy to suck down my popper but I missed many hook sets because they weren’t hitting it, just sucking it below the surface, so I missed several takes from good fish.

Smallies on small poppers is how I learned to flyfish
Sunfish are fun too. They should call them funfish.

I did have a few leisurely afternoons wandering up the headwater streams north of Rangeley (where the water temps remained in the mid 60s) and catching small native brookies on my 3-weight. I think that the term “brookie” is most appropriate when landing fish under 8 inches from small waters. I don’t believe that a three-pound lunker should ever be called a brookie.

I will try to give you an early fall report in several weeks.

Mayfly Hatches

The major mayfly hatches are winding down with a few hexes still emerging in northern climes. From what I have heard, it was a pretty good hatch season. Little rain and warm temps encourage good hatches I think. Of course, it isn’t great for rivers and streams. Most of Maine is now in some sort of drought condition (again), much of which is classified as the moderate category.

In Windham, we have had very little rain for going on three months and we must be at least six inches below normal. My lawn in many spots is totally brown and we have had to water so much that I am concerned about our well. Streams are very low. This is the fourth year in a row in our part of Maine we have been in some sort of drought for at least part of the summer. Maybe this is the new normal.

The Western Maine Mountains enhanced or created some thunderstorms and has seen more rain but still could use some real soakings. Rivers and streams are really too warm to fish for trout and salmon now without risking their survival, although anglers are still finding rising fish in larger lakes and ponds.

Lindsey and I did hit the brown drake hatch pretty well and because it was earlier than normal and fairly windy at the time, we had the rising fish to ourselves. We fished for two days, took a week break, and fished two more days. Lessons learned: Just because the lake isn’t calm, doesn’t mean the flies are emerging and fish keying on them. It is just harder to see. The fish were fat and healthy and Lindsey in particular landed dozens between 14 and 19 inches.

Many boats went right by us and didn’t stop. My observation is that as more anglers’ fish out of bigger boats with more powerful engines and go faster, they miss subtle clues about what is happening on the lake. I still do a fair amount of rowing from my Rangeley Boat or very slow cruising in order to be able to closely observe. People stop me all of the time as I am rowing and ask if I need assistance because they don’t understand why anyone would row if they had a functioning outboard.

A few landlocks migrated up Kennebago in the spring, but not many. I did hook several one morning that were substantial. My experience is that salmonids of the same size tend to school together. The first was a good three pounds although he wiggled free at my feet. I then missed a hard strike, and then hooked a salmon that took me into my backing (that rarely happens) and changed directions so fast that I had a hinge in my fly line. It confused me when my rod was pointing one direction and the salmon jumped way off my right shoulder. I have had bonefish do that. After landing him (without a net), a quick measure against my rod showed him to be a broad shouldered 23 or 24 inches. One of the largest I have ever

.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

June Fishing Report

Obviously, the fishing season is in full swing and with relatively normal temperatures and rainfall, conditions have been good in most places and certainly better than last year’s early low and warm water. Most plant growth and flowering and hatches are earlier than normal by several weeks. At my camp north of Rangeley, we have Indian Paintbrush blooming already and I usually associate their red flowers with mid July.

My wife and I were able to try our hands at a few days of salter brook trout fishing in Acadia in early June. So fascinating to explore these unique brackish and coastal ecosystems. No wonder that brook trout historically were so widely distributed. They can adapt and thrive in widely diverse waters – deep lakes, fast flowing rivers, swampy bogs, tiny high-elevation streams, and brackish and saltwater creeks. Salters are not easy to find; they move around, populations are not high, and they mix with non-salter populations.

Salters are generally of modest size and we found them in small creeks including one that actually went underground on the beach and then the water came up through sand and rocks at waters edge. I assume the trout can actually only get to the ocean and back during very high tides, storms, and major run-off events, although saltwater no doubt mixes with the fresh water through the sand and gravel.

I always try to fish Damariscotta Lake during late May or early June and have managed it for 50 consecutive years! And after all of those decades, I might have had my best morning ever. Fishing a small popper on an early foggy morning, I hooked dozens of smallmouth and largemouth bass including at least 10 that between three and four 1/2 pounds. It was so much fun with constant action from large fish. I was in a rowboat, so I didn’t fish more than half a mile of one shoreline.

It is possible that the bass are growing bigger because of the massive alewive runs now. Baby alewives in the millions represent a lot of food.

A sampling of my morning

Now is also the time of the big drake hatches – brown, green, and Hexes. In Rangeley the drakes start about the time the lupine are in full flower. Get out there and try to find them. I know I will.

The Season is Heating Up: Fishing Report

This is the time of year when fishing heats up for every species: Trout, Salmon, Bass, Pike, Stripers, Etc. in Ponds, Lakes, Streams, Rivers, The Salt. How is an angler to choose? Here is an excerpt of a column I wrote recently in the Maine Sportsman:

When the month of May arrives, almost everyone in northern New England gets a spring in their step (pun intended). And why not: days are longer and getting warmer, spring flowers are blooming, kids are counting down to the end of the school year, and vacation time is approaching. Life is good.

But not for me. I stress out during May and it gets worse every year. “Why,” you ask? It’s because this is the month when fly-fishing season gets into full swing and I can’t be everywhere at once. No drug can be prescribed that cures fishing fever.

Many Options

First of all, where I live, the local streams, rivers, and ponds are freshly stocked and the fly-fishing will never be better for the rest of the year. Further north, the native fisheries are producing their biggest trout and salmon of the year as they chase after smelt or gobble sucker eggs. In warm-water lakes and ponds, the bass are on their spawning beds (or soon will be) and they are at their height of aggressiveness towards topwater poppers. The stripers arrive by the end of the month and will not be this naïve for the rest of the summer. Pike continue to prowl in shallow water and are easy to reach. How is an angler supposed to choose where to fish?

I am paranoid about missing great fishing. Nothing is worse than heading to the water this time of year and not doing well. You lament the opportunity lost because you just know if you went somewhere else, you would be crushing it. I have sat in the car paralyzed because I couldn’t decide where to fish. This is not a recent psychosis. I was like this in my twenties.

May started out cool and water temps stayed in the upper 40’s but then we had a week with 100% sun and temps rising into the mid 80s or even 90 in spots and water temps zoomed. I took a reading on May 15 that showed surface waters approaching 60 degrees on Kennebago Lake, probably well over 10 degrees above normal. Trout started rising and we caught a bunch. My wife decided to wade a river in a tank top it was so hot.

It was mid May but felt like mid July

By the way, I will be taking part in Rangeley’s Flyfishing Festival on June 4 with a table selling and signing books and chatting with folks and a presentation at 11:00 on How to Catch Trophy Brook Trout.

Back in my other house in Windham, in the early part of May, I found trout at most of the tailwaters and tribs of the Presumpscot River that are less than fifteen minutes from my house. You never know if you are going to find: nothing, stockers, holdovers, or wild trout. Click on link.

https://youtu.be/_2fyjVmo7-Q

I have also been exploring southern Maine Wildlife Management Areas, several of which have walk in or difficult access ponds with wild trout.

Walk-in Pond in Shapleigh with native brook trout.
Native Trout are Special

I will try to post more frequently, but in the meantime follow me on Instagram @mainelyflyfishing.com. Enjoy the season.

It’s Fishing Season

First things first: I will be presenting at the Marlborough Flyfishing Show that was postponed from January to this upcoming weekend, April 22, 23, and 24. I have a total of five presentations but only two distinct topics. One presentation is where, and how to catch trophy brook trout and landlocked salmon and patterns to use: Friday at 2, Sat. at 10, and Sun. at 11. The other presentation is tactics, techniques, and patterns for pressured salmonids – those snotty educated fish that seem to be ignoring everything you throw at them: Fri. at 10:30, Sun. at noon. See you there.

It is finally the start of the official season. The month so far has featured regular rain, thank goodness, the last several years started way to dry and we were into drought conditions before we knew it. In Southern Maine and into central New England, stream temperatures have risen from the high 40s into the 50s and while they run high the day after a rain, they seem to return to really nice flows quickly.

In northern New England and the Maine mountains it is still late winter. Ice is still hanging on in the ponds and lakes and there is enough snow to still snowshoe in the woods. It is snowing today and snowed most of last weekend. Woods roads are starting to thaw but not there yet.

My fishing has been primarily local streams, rivers, and ponds and most places haven’t been stocked yet so I am catching holdovers or trying for wild fish – the drought last year probably means less wild fish in small streams. I tried in March and early April for big browns but didn’t connect. I have seen on social media photos of giant pike (44 inches plus) caught on Sebago Lake – going to have to try that next year and definitely trying for pike in the next month. I have never caught one in Maine.

A new favorite early spring stream: Mill Brook.
The headwaters of another local river I like to try in early spring.

The New Season is Upon Us

The start of fishing season is upon us. A warm late March has quickened ice out. Who would have thought over a foot of ice would almost disappear in less than two weeks. Some rivers and streams are raging and some are in reasonable shape. It will be interesting to see when the stocking trucks start moving.

This is the time of the year to look for early black or brown stoneflies, they are the earliest hatch to bring fish to the surface, even though waters are quite cold. This hatch may already be declining if you live in warmer environs.

LIttle Brown Stonefly

The smelt will be running soon as well. Identify which lakes and ponds that you might want to fish have a smelt population and trout or salmon. Visit inlet rivers, streams, and trickles of water that will be bone dry in a month. Keep on the lookout for signs of smelt and start casting your favorite smelt imitation. My book, “Flyfishing Northern New England Seasons” delves into the smelt run and best patterns in detail. Here is a good video of a smelt run in a little outlet stream – watch till the end…

I like when the brown trout comes in at the end

Come see me at the Maine Sportsman’s Show either Friday or Saturday. I have a presentation each of those two days.


Upcoming Speaking Events

I will be giving a presentation to the Fly-fishing club of the University of New Hampshire on March 21st. If you would like to attend, please contact
unhflyfishingclub@gmail.com for more information.

I will also have a table at the annual western Maine fly-fishing event on March 26th Western Maine Fly Fishing Forum. at Gould Academy Fieldhouse on 39 Church Street, Bethel, Maine 04217. I will be selling my books and showing examples of my favorite trophy brook trout flies.

I write a column every other month for the Maine Sportsman monthly newsprint magazine. If you have never checked this publication out, I wholeheartedly recommend it, it is chock full of useful and interesting information. In the November issue, I wrote a column about a new fly pattern that I had some luck with at Upper Dam and elsewhere. It drew quite a bit of attention and so many asked for the recipe that the magazine published it. Since there seemed like such interest, I thought I would post my draft of the original column here along with a photo of the recipe from my book, “In Pursuit of Trophy Brook Trout”. Here it is:

A kaleidoscope of yellow and red leaves swirled down from the tops of birch and maple trees as I drove a western Maine logging road. Peak color was on the wane, and all but the aspens would be bare-branched soon. October’s bird season appeared in full swing on this Saturday. Every few minutes I passed a truck parked roadside, or the bird hunters themselves outfitted in blaze orange as they walked the side woods roads cradling their shotguns, sometimes with bird dogs sniffing ahead of them.

But no leaf-peeping or bird hunting for me, I continued on my way to Mooselookmeguntic Lake’s famous Upper Dam for a little late-season fly-fishing. Like any addict, I try to secure my angling fix before winter’s ice make me go cold turkey for months. I parked my car at the gate and briskly hiked down the hill to the dam. I was fully outfitted with waders, over-stuffed vest, wading staff, and two fly rods; my 10-foot nymphing rod and my seven-weight streamer rod.

Upper Dam

As I drew closer to the dam, I walked past an old apple tree. Suddenly, a half a dozen grouse exploded from within its yellow-leaved branches and flew across the open field. “How ironic after passing all of those hunters”, I said to myself, “If I had been walking with a shotgun, instead of a fly rod, I might have bagged two grouse.” But I was after creatures with scales, not feathers.

It was a decent day for the 2rd week in October; a slight overcast with a breeze running up the river channel (as it often does) and temps in the low 50s. Given the moderate weekend weather, it did not surprise me to see a full contingent of anglers in all the usual and productive places – I counted 12. But low water levels allwed me more room to roam. So, I crossed the dam bridge, meandered down the far shore, and then made my way through the rocks and small runs out towards the backside of the main flow, downstream from the main pool.

It took me awhile to get into position. I am cautious now as I approach social-security age, and deceptively strong side-currents, an unstable rock, or an unseen hole could cause a stumble that might screw up a knee or an ankle. Better to go slow, and use a good wading staff with a metal tip.

I arrived at my mid-river destination and the closest angler stood over 70 feet away and on the other side of the main current. Once in position, I lay my staff and rods on two convenient flat-topped rocks, and considered my options. I could high-stick nymph fish, and use the length of my rod, two nymphs, and adjustable split shot to probe deep underneath the many rocks and boulders within reach that divided the lively current. I could also attach a strike indicator and cast further up or down river to cover more territory.

Proven Tactics

If nymphing, my patterns had to imitate what was available to the fish. Most caddis and mayfly larva are small at this time of year, so a match would be hook size 16,18, or 20. If I want my point fly to be heavier to better sink in the faster flows, I often choose a larger stonefly nymph imitation, since their multi-year life cycle produces larger nymphs year-round.

Alternatively, I could grab my streamer rod already rigged with a weighted streamer to fish across and down the main current or probe the deeper and slower water of the lower pools. In the fall, salmon and trout are deep in spawning mode and will attack colorful streamers that they see as either rivals to drive off or distracted younger brethren to grab for a cannibalistic meal.

I decided to begin by high-stick nymphing, with a size-10 black stonefly pattern of my design called (Sim’s Stone) and a size-18 beadhead pheasant tail. After a few drifts without a take, I added a split-shot to deepen the drift. On the second cast near a refrigerator-sized boulder, I had a strong take from a big salmon that surged in the strong current and broke me off. When you are fishing 5x tippet and small flies, that happens sometimes.

Nymphing the rest of the run, I brought several salmon and a brightly colored brook trout to hand – but of course – none as big as the first one.

New Patterns

I then switched to my streamer rod because I wanted to experiment further with a new family of streamer patterns I had developed for my “In Pursuit of Trophy Brook Trout” book. These streamers feature the spawning brook-trout colors of green, orange, and red but we tie them with Fish-Skull brand weighted heads. The combination has proven effective for hooking pressured trout that have seen the more traditional streamer patterns and no longer react to them.

On my second cast into a deep hole outside of the main current, I felt a tug and then a fish exploded into the air. It was so broad-shouldered and dark, I thought for a moment it was a smallmouth bass, but since smallies haven’t invaded here yet, I prayed that wasn’t the case. It turned out to be an old, scarred, but still powerful salmon that probably weighed four pounds. My fly continued to nail salmon for the next hour. I have no idea why landlocks were hammering a brook trout imitation. Do salmon feed on baby brook trout? Do baby brook trout predate salmon redds? Trying to explain the continuing mysteries of fly-fishing keeps me captivated.

October Options

Upper Dam is one of a number of Maine October river-fishing options. Try the Presumpscot, Saco, and Mousam Rivers in southern Maine, the East Outlet by Moosehead Lake, or the Fish River for landlocks below Fish River Falls (just to name several good options). Always double-check regulations.

Extend your season into October and later. Winter’s enforced fly-fishing celibacy will be arriving soon enough.

I would like to remind folks that my trophy brook trout book includes descriptions and recipes for all of the “guide’s flies” that I used to target trophy brook trout all over Maine for years. You can purchase directly from me signed or from other retailers such as Amazon, Orvis, the Rangeley Fly Shop, Royal River Books, and Shermans in Windham.

Here is Lou’s Brookie Sculpin with both head types.

February Brings Crazy Weather

February continued the topsy-turvy weather that has typified this winter. In Windham we had two days that hit the mid 60’s, a number of mornings below zero, very little snow but inches of sleet, rain, and ice. As I write this, we are having the first major snowstorm of the month, but it is falling on bare ground.

February 23rd at noon
18 hours later
Frozen, very cold pond at sunset
Thawed pond a day later before it refroze with next cold front

What does all of this mean for the fishing?

Unless we get some major storms, spring snowmelt will be minimal in Maine and streams and rivers should be fishable early. I am still worried about drought conditions in western Maine, we need a big snowpack melting to refresh the groundwater and we do not have it. They did get one 18-inch snow in mid-February that most of Maine didn’t get, but with subsequent warm weather it wasn’t enough.

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Spring Run-off now means less later.

With no insulating snow and some very cold nights, ice cover is thicker than you might expect on ponds and lakes. Many of the smaller water bodies in southern and central Maine have 20 inches of ice. If cold weather continues, ice out dates maybe normal, certainly later than the last few years. Ice Out in the Windham area last year was March 28th. I am not sure 20 inches of ice will melt by then.

Mid Winter Fishing Report

Happy mid-winter, but the days are getting longer and spring is around the corner! Covid once again is derailing the usual winter fly-fishing events with everything for the most part cancelled or postponed. Currently, I have absolutely no presentations planned for the next few months, but then I will get very busy. On April 1,2, and 3, I will be at the Maine Sportsman Show and giving presentations on how to catch pressured (i.e. smart) trout and salmon including hopefully some old big-boys. April 22, 23, and 24 will be the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show, postponed from this coming weekend. I will present each day: Patterns and Tactics for Pressured  N.E. Trout/Salmon that Refuse Usual Methods

I am also in the process of planning a few other presentations to smaller groups. I will keep you posted. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @mainelyflyfishing. I am going to keep this blog more active as well.

I have all my books in stock including my 2021/2022 updated Flyfisher’s Guide to New England. Most shops and stores that sell fly fishing equipment sells at least one title of my books. I am also in most of the Sherman Book’s locations. If you don’t see one you are interested in, ask. Or go to this website and order directly from me. Amazon is always an option.

The last month’s weather has been variable in Maine. Short cold snaps, followed by brief wqrm ups, and snow that ends in rain. Not much of a snowpack anywhere except perhaps the far north. During the warm spells, fly casters have been catching fish. I have heard good reports from the Mousam and photos of nice browns and brook trout from who knows where (although I have a few guesses).

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But as we hit mid-January, colder air has resulted in thickening ice and even the hardcore fly casters have moved on to ice fishing or fly tying. The early part of the fly-fishing season was great if you were a risk-taker and didn’t mind easing out to ice that was less than three inches thick. Now, ice is safe in almost all places except the larger lakes or where current runs.

A nice-looking brook trout we caught at
Chickawaukie Lake this week.

I have gotten out a few times myself. I find it fascinating that huge largemouths can be caught through the ice. Bucketmouths just seem more natural to a slough in Florida or a big lake in Texas. Yet, my friend Will and I (mostly Will) have caught fish from 3 to 6 pounds or larger so far.

This bass was well over 5 pounds with enormous mouth.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that due to the warm December (and a little help from a coldframe, we harvested and ate fresh vegetables from the garden until the end of the month including tomatoes that we ripened on our windowsills

Kale and Beet Tops
Last Tomatoes on December 23rd.

Till next time…

December Fishing Report

Sticker is laying on the book. My 3rd book, “In Pursuit of Trophy Brook Trout” not pictured

It will be Christmas before you know it and if you are looking for books for a flyfisher, I am in stock on all of my titles. For more information on the books and how to order, see right hand column of this website. Of course, I will personalize and autograph them for you. Anyone ordering before Xmas will also get a flyfishing Maine sticker, which you can put anywhere – I like mine on my car window. If you just want just the sticker or see other sticker options, you can go to www.reclaimedsignco.com.

Shops that carry all of my books include: Royal River Book Store in Yarmouth, Maine, Rangeley Sport Shop in Rangeley, LLCotes in Errol NH, and Evening Sun Fly Shop in Mass.

Next Wednesday, December 15, I am giving a zoom presentation to Downeast Trout Unlimited but anyone can zoom in, don’t have to be a TU member. Just go to the Downeast TU Facebook page and register. The title is:
Tactics and Fly Patterns for Catching Brook Trout and Landlocked Salmon Throughout the Year.” I use photos and videos to show how to successfully fish for salmonids from ice-out through the fall spawning season. Look forward to seeing you there.

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Early December became seasonally cold and I only got fishing one more time. I took my kayak for a spin on Dundee Pond casting a Cosohammer streamer (brook trout colors) towards springs and inlets to see if some brook trout might be hanging out. I got several immediate strikes, see photo below:

Not the species I was expecting, but if yellow perch are the last fish I catch flycasting, so be it!

By the first weekend of December, small ponds and lakes were starting to freeze up in central and northern Vermont, NH, and Maine, so unless we get a real warm spell, I might be limited to ice fishing for the foreseeable future.

A small lake in the vicinity of Mount Moosilauke in frozen over from shore to shore on December 5th.