I am delighted to say the summer bass season is in full swing. During the height of the summer season it always makes me chuckle when a prospective client asks if it’s too late to pursue smallies in the river. There is little doubt that smallmouth bass fishing with flies becomes markedly more difficult in Maine’s lakes and ponds after water temperatures exceed 70 degrees. Fortunately, for those seeking smallies in Maine’s rivers during the height of our summer, we generally don’t have any trouble finding plenty of willing fish even as water temperatures nudge 80 degrees. In fact, it’s going to be a rare event if we don’t spend a good part of the day catching fish with my favorite top water flies. This summer is no exception as we continue to catch plenty of bass with Todd’s Wiggle Minnow and a variety of old fashioned poppers.
During the remaining days of July I’ll be drifting sections of the Androscoggin, Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers. The Kennebec, as usual, provides lots of action, although large fish are infrequent. If you are after large fish, the Androscoggin is your best bet and if you want to enjoy my favorite river I suggest you consider a day on the Penobscot. The Penobscot is a particularly interesting river now that the restoration effort providing fish passage for the diadromous fishes is nearly complete. With return of the river herring (i.e., alewives, bluebacks and shad), I suspect the Penobscot’s average sized smallmouth will increase as they continue to enjoy a late summer/fall diet of juvenile herring.
If you want to enjoy a day on one of Maine’s premier smallmout bass rivers, give me a call. My guiding calendar for August is beginning to fill in but I still have plenty of openings before my guiding season wraps up in late September or early October. Hope to hear from some of you soon.
