As the salmon season in Pulaski comes to an end and the start of the winter steelhead and trout season is about to kick off, I cannot help to ponder on what had become an annual event and that is fishing for Landlock Salmon (LLS). For years it has been a ritual for me and my brother’s to meet in <ST1
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:State w:st="on">Maine</st1:State> in early October which kicked off the start of a week long adventure that culminates with fishing the spawning run of LLS. River’s with hallowed names for LLS such as Penobscot, Presumscot, Roach, and my favorite Kennebec to name just a select few.
This past August and September I missed tying Carrie Steven’s patterns for the troops, Gray and Black Ghost’s, and some Mickey Finn’s of which my fishing buddies have a pension for finding tree branches that are just a wee bit too high to climb to retrieve on a regular basis. Of course every year the “non-fly fisherman” always out caught everyone. It wasn’t until last year at the East Outlet that I carefully watched him fish, where I discovered we have been sandbagged for all those years. While we fished, my older brother would go off and switch flies completely. Never knew of this until I grabbed the net to assist in the landing of one of his catches, which was met with a half dozen “I got it, I got it!” As any good fly fisherman, we always keep a corner of the eye on the other fisherman observing his technique, when you get a chance you look in their fly box, and if you are able to help with a netting of a fish, it is with the sole purpose of seeing what fly is stuck to the roof of the mouth of the fish. Undaunted, I netted the booger! That is when I discovered his secrete for years of out catching everyone. I saw a #8 Hare’s Ear! After much stream side commotion, his fly box was retrieved and opened for all to see. He’s a solid nymph fisherman! “Where’s my streamers!!!???” I heard myself exclaim, to wit, “I never use them, because they don’t catch fish!” Life can be harsh at times.
Fall fishing usually finds those stream gin clear and you are able to spot fish. You fish in and around boulders, deep slots, and pools for the LLS. He was regularly beating us with his down and across tight line swing with a nymph. He was on the bottom with a weighted Hare’s Ear or Pheasant Tail able to detect even the slightest bump and the quick reflexes able to set the hook. It has taken over a year to get over it (maybe).
I always fish with a small notebook tucked away somewhere, I like to make notes of the river, stream conditions, holes, runs, observations on techniques of the other fly fisherman, location of where I or other’s may have hooked into a fish for future reference. As stated above, we have a pension to look into fly boxes, like listen to fish stories to learn about locations and flies.
I did not make it up to Maine this fall for LLS fishing, however I do know of a regular on this board who had gone LLS fishing this season (I will not mention him by name, if that is ok with you Scott) and done reasonably well, and maybe with some coaxing, that nameless expert on the fine art of LLS fishing and tackle may just post a report for the rest of us to enjoy.
As always, wishing I could land a LLS.
2007 I will be found not in Pulaski, but Fryeburg.
AK Skim
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<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:State w:st="on">Maine</st1:State> in early October which kicked off the start of a week long adventure that culminates with fishing the spawning run of LLS. River’s with hallowed names for LLS such as Penobscot, Presumscot, Roach, and my favorite Kennebec to name just a select few.This past August and September I missed tying Carrie Steven’s patterns for the troops, Gray and Black Ghost’s, and some Mickey Finn’s of which my fishing buddies have a pension for finding tree branches that are just a wee bit too high to climb to retrieve on a regular basis. Of course every year the “non-fly fisherman” always out caught everyone. It wasn’t until last year at the East Outlet that I carefully watched him fish, where I discovered we have been sandbagged for all those years. While we fished, my older brother would go off and switch flies completely. Never knew of this until I grabbed the net to assist in the landing of one of his catches, which was met with a half dozen “I got it, I got it!” As any good fly fisherman, we always keep a corner of the eye on the other fisherman observing his technique, when you get a chance you look in their fly box, and if you are able to help with a netting of a fish, it is with the sole purpose of seeing what fly is stuck to the roof of the mouth of the fish. Undaunted, I netted the booger! That is when I discovered his secrete for years of out catching everyone. I saw a #8 Hare’s Ear! After much stream side commotion, his fly box was retrieved and opened for all to see. He’s a solid nymph fisherman! “Where’s my streamers!!!???” I heard myself exclaim, to wit, “I never use them, because they don’t catch fish!” Life can be harsh at times.
Fall fishing usually finds those stream gin clear and you are able to spot fish. You fish in and around boulders, deep slots, and pools for the LLS. He was regularly beating us with his down and across tight line swing with a nymph. He was on the bottom with a weighted Hare’s Ear or Pheasant Tail able to detect even the slightest bump and the quick reflexes able to set the hook. It has taken over a year to get over it (maybe).
I always fish with a small notebook tucked away somewhere, I like to make notes of the river, stream conditions, holes, runs, observations on techniques of the other fly fisherman, location of where I or other’s may have hooked into a fish for future reference. As stated above, we have a pension to look into fly boxes, like listen to fish stories to learn about locations and flies.
I did not make it up to Maine this fall for LLS fishing, however I do know of a regular on this board who had gone LLS fishing this season (I will not mention him by name, if that is ok with you Scott) and done reasonably well, and maybe with some coaxing, that nameless expert on the fine art of LLS fishing and tackle may just post a report for the rest of us to enjoy.
As always, wishing I could land a LLS.
2007 I will be found not in Pulaski, but Fryeburg.
AK Skim
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