2007 Information - Kennebec River, Shawmut Section

April  May  June  July  August  September  October

Click to see 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 or 2006 information

Thursday Review

I'm beginning to think I may as well end the Friday Update and switch to my winter format of doing a Thursday review.  It gets boring posting the same thing all the time - the river is high - is about all I have to type it seems.

Maybe I'll do that - don't be surprised if next week you click here and find a link to this winter's Thursday Reviews.  Any topics you'd like to see in the Thursday Review?

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

11/09/07 Water is high and dirty still.  Flow is over 1,000cfs in both the Carrabassett and the Sandy and until they drop we'll be high.  Judging from the graph on the water flow website they won't be down below 1,000cfs until late tomorrow - if then.  I'll keep an eye on the flow and if I remember I'll post tomorrow about 5:00pm when we close with a level report.

In the meantime there are still some waters open and if you need a fishing fix you want to get to some of those waters before they cool much more.  Fishing is going to get slow as the water temps with the frosty night are dropping. 

Out back right now the water is 40 degrees.

11/02/07 Conditions are still good.  Water temperature is 48 degrees (at 7:00am today) flow is slow, level low, clarity good but unfortunately it won't stay that way.  We've got big rain coming tomorrow and lots of wind also (15 -20mph with 35mph gusts).  That may well blow out Sunday. 

The upper sections of the Kennebec are closed now so if you're planning on fishing the Kennebec be sure your below the town of Madison.  From Madison down the river is open year round. 

I closed out the upper section over the weekend by going to the East Outlet on Sunday (big wind) and then down into the gorge on Monday.  I should have done it the other way around as the wind isn't very strong down in the gorge.  Anyway I had fair fishing on the East and good fishing down in the gorge.  No real big fish in either spot but, none the less, two full days of fishing those waters was a good way to end the upper river season.  The salmon on the left is from the East Outlet.  I decided I wasn't going to nymph for fish instead I took my seven-weight and a box of streamers. 

I might well have caught more fish nymphing but I want to get in some fishing with a heavier rod and longer line in preparation for Belize this winter.  I know throwing in the wind with a 7 or 8-weight will be the name of the game down there.

I did the same thing in the gorge the next day and had better luck - or at least more fish.  Brookies down in there as you can see on the right. I did catch salmon as well - a fair share of them - but more brookies than salmon.

With the water temps dropping fast and the spawn coming on fishing will slow down.  I hope we don't lose much time to the high water that's bound to result from the rain - we just don't have that much time to lose.

ps - After two days of swinging streamers (lots of different patterns) the two top producers were the Wood Special and the Supervisor.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

10/26/07 Conditions are great.  Clarity is good.  Flow slow and easy. Water temperature is a balmy 53 degrees.  Blue Winged Olives are hatching most afternoons but hatches are weak compared to what they can be.  There are fish like the one on the right waiting for you to show up.  The best thing about the fish on the right is he was high up in the wading area - they are finally moving up. 

Last weekend for the East Outlet and for that matter it's the last weekend for the Kennebec River anywhere above Madison.  Or said another way starting November 1st if you plan to fish the Kennebec River make sure you're below the 2nd Madison Dam.  If you fish above it you won't have much competition for a good spot - it'll be only you and the warden. 

 Here's a hot tip for you.  If you go fishing and it's raining and you get your flies wet be sure and dry them so they won't rust.  But if you choose to dry them in the oven be sure and keep an eye on them.  As you can see in the picture on the left the end result of a little to hot oven is at best a melted fly box or two.  Fortunately the oven wasn't hot enough to hurt the flies but those boxes will never be the same. (no they aren't mine)

My wet boxes go up on my dashboard (open) for the ride home.  I usually set them on the heater vent and put the fan on defrost.  Even better is a day when the sun breaks through and the sun dries them for me.  Anyway, do dry your flies but keep an eye on the heat.  

Do indeed get out this weekend.  I'll be at the East Outlet on Sunday or Monday and down in the gorge below Harris Dam whichever day I'm not on the East Outlet.  I can't believe it but I haven't fish the East Outlet once this season.  To many weekends spent hiking into remote ponds.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

As for hatches there should be midge, Blue Winged Olives and Mahogany Duns along with a smattering of caddis.  Another bug that's active this time of year but not in a happy way is the Deer Tick. Don't put your Buzz-Off hats and shirts away yet.  According to state records October and November are the peak months for Lyme Disease infections - protect yourselves.

Another fall issue for those of us who like the outdoors is hypothermia.  A day like today - mid-50s for an air temp, 53 degree water, with no sun is a perfect day for an onset of hypothermia.  Remember to watch for the signs.

But all those cautions aside if you can get out this weekend get out there on the water and fish.  We can count the weekends left for good fishing on one hand - don't waste them.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

10/13/07 Well, I posted that I'd be surprised if the Carrabassett and Sandy Rivers got up over 1,000cfs and shut Shawmut down.  And here I sit, very surprised, typing this.   

Both rivers jumped from below 100cfs to almost 1,400cfs and are just now cresting.  Their combined slows have, indeed, shut us down.  The good side of this is they will drop quickly – perhaps enough so that we can fish tomorrow – and the flow will have flushed out a lot of the weed debris that was making swinging streamers or drifting nymphs a pain.  The flow should also serve to bring fish up into the wading area and start the young of the year alewives running out of Lakewood.  Those are good things. 

So, if you were planning on Shawmut this morning it’s high, fast and only wadable by people who are very comfortable with the ridges and bars that allow access in these kinds of flows.  Of course as always there remains some limited bank fishing as well. 

Upriver things are a better.  Solon is running at 4,500cfs – high if you gotten used to the low flows of summer but very fishable – Bingham will be at 6,000cfs all day and the East Outlet is still at 2007cfs – no change there.

Flows are moderate, level low, clarity good.  However due to the low wading levels there have been fewer fish on the Shawmut side than I'd like as the deeper water is on the Benton side.  Now for the disclaimer - levels are rising and this mornings flow is about 3,800cfs (normal is 6,000cfs) and all last week the flow was down around 2,300cfs so the rain is bringing the level up some.  I'll be VERY surprised if the level gets up high enough to stop us from wading.  I'll be happy if it gets above 4,000cfs and stays there as that will allow the fish to move up in the wading area and stay instead of dropping down into the deeper water after the hatch.

You can see fish rising again during the Blue Winged Olive hatch (anytime after 11:00am until about 4:00pm you're apt to see them) and when the hatch is on the fish are coming up onto the flats above the island and feeding. Yesterday Marshall was out with a gentleman who saw so many good fish (hooked up to several but none to the boat - break-offs) that he rebooked for today - he wants another crack at them.

There were two gentleman wading and one of them was fishing from the big rock at the head of the pasture and his tippet held Marshall and his client watched him land it and they estimated the fish at over 18".  The guy later stopped into the shop and he said it was indeed 18" + and that wasn't the only one he had on. 

So it's happening - pick your spot and go fish.  East Outlet (which is still at 2007cfs but should drop any day) down to here should be fishing well.  It's a long time until spring - don't miss what's left.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

East Outlet is flowing at 2007cfs as it has for about a month now.  A little fast for some but it's fishing fairly well.  The Dead has been flowing between 800 and 900cfs and today has been dropped to only 100.  The fish that were brought up by the big flows should be pocketed up in any deep spot they can find.  (the Dead is open until the end of this month)  Another spot that you might want to check out is the gorge below Harris - flow today from noon until six is only 325 - man if I had today off that's where I'd be headed.  Love that gorge but it sure is a lot of work to get in there and fish it. If you're headed there remember to keep looking upriver - sometimes they don't stick to the schedule below Harris.

Bingham is another place you might want to check out.  However, instead of reading this you should be there now (it's 9:42am) because the flow has been only 1,800cfs since 7:00am and it will be there until noon.  At noon it's only going to jump to 3,500cfs and it will stay at that level until 9:00pm - good flow.

Solon is only at 2,400cfs and so it might also be a good place to check out.  There is plenty of deeper water there and fish should be in any deep hole or run.  That's not much water for Solon. 

And don't forget Madison.  This level makes Madison much easier to wade.  However, Jim Thibodeau and Willie Grenier were fishing Madison last week and it wasn't Brown Trout that surprised them it was this:

And that brown spot you see swimming across the river in Madison is a Bobcat.  Both those guys are glad it swam past and didn't decide to pause for a rest in their boat - shades of Jimmy Carter and his swimming, attack rabbit.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

09/28/07 Water temperature is 66 degrees this morning.  The last two days of hot weather didn't help us much but they didn't hurt us much either.  The water temperature along with some increased flow is pulling some fish up into Shawmut's wading area again - finally. 

Marshall's guided trips have started producing opportunities to cast at rising trout again. For the last month or so we've just been guiding for the Smallies.  The trout were around but hanging low in the deep water and hatches had all but shut down.  So while there were trout around we just couldn't encourage people to come pay for a "trout" trip because the trout were so inactive.

However, with the drop in temps Marshall has been seeing and catching trout when the bugs bring them up and I got lucky yesterday morning with a - SURE-BET.  Yep, if you look at the picture in the upper left even though the fish wouldn't pose you can get a glimpse of the Sure-Bet hanging in the net bag (click the picture to enlarge).  Love that fly - just wish I had some in stock - sold my last one awhile ago and Selene hasn't been feeling well and so is behind in her tying.  She assures me I'll have some soon. 

Anyway, it's starting to happen and it will only get better for the next few weeks.  Today the rain clouds are supposed to hang around and that's bound to bring out some Blue Winged Olives.  Fly Ants have been an almost everyday occurrence and if you're not sure what to use an ant is a good idea right now. 

The October Caddis I mentioned last week is hatching strong right now and there are more caddis on the water in the morning now than there have been for the last several weeks.  The ones I'm seeing are tan and small.  Little Mahogany Duns are also showing and big attractors like the Bugmeister are still working well (try hanging an ant off the back of a Bugmeister - great combination). 

East Outlet is fishing well, Bingham is producing also but has been running at 4,000cfs during the day for quite awhile and that's more than some people like to wade.  Actually, Solon, Madison and just about anywhere you normally fish is probably worth visiting as the water temps have dropped enough to get fish active.

As I mentioned the Sure-Bet was working for me yesterday and I got two fish.  I'm sure I would have caught at least another one before I had to leave but never got to find out - thunder drove me off the water (the time stamp in the corner of the picture tells me those fish were within 10 minutes of each other).  I never saw a flash of lighting but I could hear the thunder and that's enough to stop me from waving a (lighting) rod around in the air.

Don't forget this weekend is the last weekend for most of our waters - check your rule book if you go fishing in October.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

This morning the water temperature is 63 degrees. Last night when I left at 7:00pm the water temperature was 66 degrees.  Good temps and things are starting to happen.  We are seeing trout off and on during the day now instead of just at dusk for a 20 minute blitz.  Surface activity is still dependent upon bug activity and there is little of that as the fall hatches haven't kicked in strong yet but it will get better day by day from now until the end of October.  I'm anxious for the Blue Winged Olives to start but that doesn't usually start until into October.

However, there are bugs.  Last night as I left I checked the back door and there were Cream Cahills, a few small Sulphurs and the first of the October Caddis I've seen this year.  Great big guys Tom Ames lists them as Northern Casemaker Caddis and you can find them on page 188 of his book. 

Fishing reports are good up and down the river.  Madison is producing some nice Browns and Bingham has recovered from its' short slump.  Solon also is fishing better and Marshall floated that the other day and while they caught few fish there was - you know - that big one that got away.

East Outlet is good but the flow is 2,000 cfs which bothers some people but it shouldn't.  If the flow there is too fast and levels too high to reach your normal wading spots - don't wade out there is what I say.  Fish closer to shore - take advantage of the boulders and ledge outcroppings and fish the edges of the river.  The fish don't like to fight that fast current out in the center any more than you do. 

So fishing is picking up.  Get out and fish.  Don't forget the West Branch of the Penobscot is closing the end of the month.  If you plan to fish it once more this season - do it soon - time is short.

One update on my moose skull that it has been confiscated by IF&W and I've applied for a permit to get it back and am waiting for a reply.  I'll post a whole summary of the trip in and out with it along with the whole outline of the laws pertaining to skulls and bones found in the woods.  

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

starting to show again.  I didn't do any great shakes up there this morning but I did manage a Brown Trout - however small.

There is bug activity again (caddis laying eggs in the morning) and it's a mixed bag of bugs.  Caddis are getting active again, Leadwinged Coachmen are about, and the Blue Winged Olives (real small) are showing at times.

I'm sure today's hot temps aren't going to help us much but after these couple of hot days we're going to fall back into normal temperatures and things should cool down fast. Normally we're fighting 75 to 78 degrees for a water temperature this time of year and cooler water is three weeks away still.  Next week we should see good temps and fishing.

An update on my moose skull and horns story is that I'm meeting the warden for the Millinocket area on Sunday to see if I can get a permit for possession of a skull with horns.  It seems you can find the horns and pick them up and you can find a skull bone and pick it up - BUT - if the skull and horns are attached you had best leave them lay where they are.  Unless you can talk to a warden and get him to issue you a permit for them.  I'll let you know how I make out.

Sorry to be so late posting this - computer problems - couldn't sign on - all day long

08/31/07 I'm afraid my guess last week was a good one as the water temps are going the wrong way. This morning at 6:00am Shawmut was 71 degrees. The morning hatch and egg laying activity is slow and the evening activity while a little better than the morning's is condensed into a blitz just about at dark. Temps are bound to drop soon as the nights are going to start dipping down into the 50's but daytime temps for this weekend are going to be high so it will probably be a wash.
So I'm afraid I have little to report. It's back to camp for me this weekend to retrieve the moose skull I found (see last weeks post) and some pond fishing. Better days are coming.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

However, the next few days aren't going to help our water temps much.  80's for the next three days with night temps dropping into the 60's.  The night temps will help but I'm afraid we may see the morning temps creep back into the 70's. 

Fish are biting and when there is a hatch they are feeding.  This morning I hooked and lost one rainbow on a White Wulff.  I was just searching likely looking water and this fish came up out of the water completely into the air - made a sweeping arc and hit my fly on the way down.  It was very cool to watch and it was good to have it on the line but like many of that type of take this one was doomed to failure. 

It wasn't but about 40 seconds later that fish was off and I was standing there trying to figure our what triggered the strike.  Well, I never did figure it out and went the rest of the morning (only there for an hour and a half) without a rise.  I did switch to streamers and try some small Alewife patterns but no luck there.  I did catch a lot of weeds with my streamer - but all in all even the weeds aren't too bad this year.

Linda and I were up to camp again this last weekend and I finally found a pond near my camp that holds water - unlike the beaver bog I hiked to a week or so ago.  This one is tough to find and I had to do a fair amount of skidder tail 4-wheeling but the truck was up to it. Even with that 4-wheeling I had to walk over a mile and most if it was uphill.  Because I was bushwacking and exploring I didn't have my float tube with me but I'll have it when I go back. 

I caught no fish from this pond but I did find the moose skull you see on the right. I've spent a lot of time walking in the woods and I've found a few bones here and there - even a moosehorn now and again but this time I found the whole skeleton of an adult bull moose. I picked the head and horns up and stuck them onto a nearby Black Spruce to take these pictures.  I didn't have rope or a backpack frame to strap this find to so I left the whole thing stuck up in the air on the spruce and plan to return to the pond in a week or so to retrieve the whole rack.  This pond is so far back in the woods I'm not worried about anyone finding it before I can get back. 

Another neat find was the pitcher plant you see on the left.  Half of this pond is ringed by bog plants and there are tons of Sphagnum Moss with Juniper bushes growing here and there.  Mixed in among all that are a fair amount of these Pitcher Plants.  Another great find.  Now if I can just get into a mess of Brookies when I return with my float tube I'll be a very happy man.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

There are some bugs hatching and most of them are small.  Our old friends the Light and Cream Cahills are still around and the abdomen of the females have a decided orange cast to them.  The rest of the mayflies look more like the picture on the left. That size mayfly covered our back door this morning.  Mostly small Blue Winged Olives and Tricos.  At first I thought the Blue Winged Olives were Mahogany Duns but when I got close and looked they don't have the Mahogany Dun's three tails - only two. One reason I though they were Mahoganies is that the Mahogany Dun has been the most consistent hatch this season.  They seem to have been on the water almost every day since hatches started. They are wicked small though - that's the tip of my little finger along side those three mayflies. 

Caddis activity has slowed down and we aren't seeing many.  Perhaps they don't like these cold nights.  Black Caddis seem to have stopped. 

In the lost and found department the phone shown on the right was found at Shawmut.  If you think it's yours give us a call at (207) 453-6242.  It has LG on the front and is a Verizon phone.  The phone was half open and the battery dead when it was found but it appears to be OK.

Shad seem to have left the river but there are a few striper around. The one on the shown on the left was caught last week in the Waterville to Sidney stretch.  Not many like that hanging around right now but the young of the year run of alewives may well bring a slug of stripers back into the river.  However, if you didn't get down to fish the Shad you probably won't get another chance until next year. 

A little follow-up to last week's post showing the pond that I hiked into is this picture on the left of someone Linda and I know only as Lora or Autumn Joy. When I got back to my boat after hiking to the dried up beaver flowage I met several Appalachian Trail hikers.  The Appalachian Trail touches our lake right where I park my boat to hike into these beaver ponds and many of the hikers take advantage of the lake and swim relax on the shore. 

Autumn Joy and others were enjoying the lake when I got back to the boat and I invited them to ride back down the lake with me to our camp where they could use the bunkhouse we built or camp on the beach.  All said no save Autumn. 

She had already hiked 21 miles that day and was way ahead of schedule so she jumped on the boat and to camp we went.  It was fun talking to her.  She had been hiking the trail for 4 months and had through hiked the whole way from Georgia in that time.  I'm not sure if she was happier to have a roof over her head that night, or a home cooked meal or the two Guinness that she seemed delighted with.

Anyway I took her back to the trail at 5:00am the next day and off she went.  Well, yesterday we got a card from her addressed to Mike and Linda aka Trail Angels.  (she had told us hikers call those who help them along the way Trail Angels) and she said she had finished the hike three days later (another 50 miles) on a clear, beautiful day and that while standing on the peak she had tried to identify our lake but she wasn't quite sure if she had picked ours out or not.  Imagine walking all that way.

And she did walk all that way.  I'm fairly sure of that because I offered to drop her about two miles further down the lake where again the trail gets close to the lake and she said no.  She wanted to be taken to the same spot where I picked her up because after walking all that way she wasn't going to start skipping sections now. 

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

get up there and enjoy it.

One thing I didn't enjoy was hiking into this little flowage shown on the right and finding it so dried up that the only fish I saw were 8 dead - as in belly-up - suckers. I didn't mind the 4 miles in as much as the 4 miles back out.

It did offer me a chance to use my new DeLorme Earthmate GPS (PN-20) and what a tool for walking into remote ponds.  The picture you see was being displayed with an icon (which represented my position) in my hand while I was walking in.  When I got close to the flowage I was in the center right of the picture and it was thick growth and hard walking.  I kept looking at the picture as I walked and realized if I just moved to my right (towards the top of the picture) I'd be in hardwoods instead of spruce.  So I tried it - sure enough - I moved about 80 feet to my right (slightly uphill) and it was like walking in a park.  Old growth hardwood with lots of room for me and my fly rod to walk along. I just walked along until I got what seemed to be mid-way of the pond - turned left (downhill) and walked right into the middle of the dried up flowage.  Talk about mixed emotions - I was some happy with the GPS and some sad about there being no water.   

Linda and I returned to find the water behind the shop about as low as we've ever seen it.  There is work being done on a downstream dam and the dam operation has dropped the impoundment to get at the damaged area.  Mother Nature seems to have decided the river was too low and if you came right now you'd say the river was high at Shawmut and it is (wadable but fast). 

The Carrabassett and Sandy jumped over 1,000cfs each on Wednesday and that put some water back in the system in a hurry.  Cold water by the way.  The river right now reads 67 degrees - wow.  When we got back on Tuesday the temp was 71 in the morning and 75 by the end of the day.  Those temps held until yesterday.  When that water got here from Sugarloaf happily it was still cool.  I'll post the temperature tonight on the forum so you can see if it stayed down or if the impoundment was holding enough heat to drive it right back up.

Hatches are slow.  Lots of caddis the other morning laying eggs - few fish showing.  Mayflies are few right now and those that are hatching are small.  However, it won't be but a couple of weeks and the White Fly hatch will start. 

If they hatch in quantity like the picture on the left shows (we had to sweep them out of the doorway because stepping on them was so messy) and the water temps stay down - well - the White Fly hatch could well be the hatch of the season.

Temps may creep back up some but the heat of the summer is already gone.  The forecast says we have some 80 degree days coming in the next week but only one night is projected to be above 60 degrees the rest of the nights will be in the 50's.  Fifty degree nights go a long way towards canceling out the absorbed heat of an 80 degree day.

Sorry I don't have more information for you about the river - being gone a week and returning to a drained river kinda throws a monkey wrench into the mix.  Like you I'm just going to have to wait and see what happens in the next couple of days when they finish the job down below us and refill the impoundment.

I also have heard little about the Kennebec upriver other than to hear that Bingham fish were getting skittish due to the increased pressure they are seeing (as in 14' leaders, 6X and one less than perfect cast puts them down).  That's what you get if you're a fish living in the coldest water around.  However, this blast of cooler water may help fishing everywhere and take some pressure off Bingham. 

Shawmut is warming up.  70 degrees this morning - 74 by the end of the day yesterday.  Madison and Solon about the same and so the heat has finally settled in and the only cool water around is up in Bingham below Wyman.  There are still fish showing in the evening and the picture on the right shows why.  Hatches are still pretty good with Sulphurs, Black Caddis, Little Mahogany Mayflies, Cahills and others making a strong showing.  Hatches have been weird (and late) but at least they are hatching.

The picture below shows a close-up of one of the mayflies on the door this morning.  If you enlarge it you'll see why I put some orange in some of the Sulphur patterns I tie up.  There's a lot of orange in that.  The Tom Ames book suggests that orange is the formation of eggs - don't know for sure but I do know a touch of orange makes Sulphur patterns effective.

We had lots of bugs the last few day and our ole friend the Dobson showed up as well. Always an interesting bug that one.  Also one I really don't like much.  They can bite and they are just to damm big to be flying around my head when I'm wading the stream - but you take what you get so I'll deal with them - don't like it but I will.

Stripers and Shad have really slowed down.  I fear the trout kept me away from the Shad again this year.  I really should put the trout rod down next year for a day or two and go for some of the Shad but, well, I do like my trout.  I didn't even give the Stripers a run this summer.  I will though - they'll be back soon.  Jim Thibodeau reported a load of juvenile Alewives dropping down out of the Sebasticook the day before yesterday.  Once they start in force (hopefully not to soon it would be nice for the water to cool some) the Stripers will be back.

Got a quiz question for you. What's this thing?

It was in with a bunch of fly tying stuff a customer brought in for me to identify.  It clamps onto the table like a fly tying vise - has a tray above the clamp that rests on the table top - it angles like a vise - has a weird horizontal post sticking out the the side - has rubber button just where the vertical shaft kicks off at an angle and when the shaft kicks off at an angle like a fly tying vise - well - there's no vise there the bent shaft just ends.  Odd unit - any ideas? 
Post on the forum if you have an answer.

Anyway back to the water.  Here's a bit of information for you.  Kennebec Hydro (Old Scott mill in Winslow) is going to repair a hydraulic shaft (9" diameter - must have been some strain to bend that) that got bent some time ago.  They have picked the week of August 6th to do the repair and they will drop the water level in Fairfield SIX VERTICAL FEET - WOW. It will be down at that level for 4 to 7 days depending on problems or the lack thereof.  So, don't be planning on floating down from Shawmut that week.  Shawmut will have water due to a natural ledge dam that makes it own pond and set the level from behind the shop back up to the Shawmut dam.  But below the natural ledge dam (downtown Fairfield including the boat ramp area) things will be low and slow.  Hate it when they do things like this but at least they let people know.  The last time they had a repair like this they dropped the water and stranded boats out on the river - it wasn't pleasant.

Well, that's it for this week.  Linda and I are headed for camp and we're looking forward to it.  See you on the 10th of August when I post again.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

"Oh well, the good part of Mother Nature is last nights rain, I guess.  The rain did drive the water temperature down from it's high of 78 degrees to a - still high 72 degrees.  So here are the conditions at Shawmut.  Flashboards not up, flow moderate and hovering between 5 and 6,000cfs, clarity good and temperature warm."

So you can see how surprising 68 degrees is. Fish are definitely still biting and Scott Davis proved the other day that there are still some big ones around (22" hooked by the White Rock and not landed until down by the culverts) Midday is slow if it's bright and sunny but with days like the last couple - overcast and drizzly - the fish were up most of the day on Blue Winged Olives and Caddis.  More fish showing the last two days then most of the days in June. 

Anyway here are some follow-up items I've been meaning to get to. 

First - sorry no report last Friday.  We did our annual Casting Contest on the 14th and Friday I just got caught up in getting ready for the contest.  We had raised $545 by the end of the Casting Contest and I was pretty happy with that.  But it wasn't over when the Fat Lady Sang - nope - instead Neal (a poster on our Forum) came on the next day and challenged the Forum Readers to a second effort hoping to push the donated amount to $1,000.00 - and that second effort is still going on. 

We're up to $751.00 with people still calling in.  Click here to see the forum thread about the Casting Contest Second Effort or Click here to see some pictures of the Casting Contest and some comments from people who were there. Also feel free to call us here at the shop to donate if you'd like - (207) 453-6242 - even though the contest is over you can still be a winner as all who donate win points with the fish gods.

Second - Shad are still in the river. A visit to Waterville/Winslow is still a good thing to do. However it won't last much longer.  Juvenile Alewives are starting to drop out of the ponds already and Stripers should pick back up as well.  Another Shad item is a follow-up to the picture I posted awhile back of Willie G. holding a shad.  Here it is on the right if you missed it.

Now "for the rest of the story" check out this updated picture on the left and you'll see Willie wasn't having an easy time of holding onto that Shad.  They never give up and never stop fighting - solid muscle and wanting to get back to the spawn - hang on tight.

Third - my beaver dam. I posted on the forum last month that I had found a beaver dam and planned on returning to it for the fine fishing a new beaver dam can offer.  The picture on the left was taken last month and it shows the dam being constructed - about half done and water already backing up.  Big and little trout were to be found there already as this little trout on the right shows. 

However, I returned this month and found the dam abandon. I'm afraid the picture on the left shows how it looks now.  Dried up sticks - low water and no beaver - few trout. Oh well. The good part is the beaver(s) have already started on another dam about 1/4 mile downstream - they'll find a place and I'll find them.

Fourth - how low is low.  I made a post on the forum yesterday about the low water.  Click on this link to see some pictures of the Shawmut launch.  We can hardly get the boats off the trailers.  I have to fight to find enough water to float my CANOE - let alone float the driftboat with clients in it.  We need some more of this drizzle or some cold thundershowers (no warm tropical rain sneaking up the coast, thank you) to fill the impoundments.

And that I guess wraps up the Friday Update. Again - sorry about last week - I'll try not to miss anymore Fridays.  Oops - that however reminds me there is one more thing to mention.  I will be missing the August 3rd Update as we will be on vacation.  Yep, it's one of those "J" months and we're heading to camp for a week.  Our last day here at the shop will be July 28th (Saturday - we'll close at 5:00pm sharp ) and we'll reopen on August 7th 10:00am (maybe not so sharp).  So if you need something please stop in before we go.  

So that wraps up the Friday Update - oops - nope it doesn't. One more, one last thing, and that's the Spey Class. There's one more space left. Call us if you want to learn Spey Casting from Jim Rusher - a great instructor.  Find out more by following this link.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

Sulphurs, Black Caddis, Tan Caddis, Light Cahills - still lots of different types of bugs - not a lot of any of them. My new theory is that the weeds are the root of the problem of few fish showing.  Weeds got scoured out and the bugs lost a lot of their habitat - fewer bugs - fewer rising fish.  The fish seem to be there when we do get a good hatch but until the weeds return and thicken we'll be going down after fish instead of fishing to rising fish.

The word from upriver is that much up the upper river is also showing weak hatches.  However, there are bugs out there and some hatching - I don't mean to make it sound like NOTHING is hatching because there are times when the hatch is heavy enough to provide holding in place rising fish.

East Outlet had dropped to 1800cfs or so and is back to 2200cfs which is a little much for some but can provide good fishing.  I hear a lot of trout are hitting at the East.  I might have to go up there this weekend and check it out.  However, I'm more apt to hit Bingham as it has been staying down around 1700cfs until noon for about a week now.  If they keep that up over Sunday and Monday (our closed days) - well - I just may take the shorter run and go to Bingham.

With the heat and long days the cool water won't last.  Get out there before too long.  Don't wait until it's hot and the fish stop coming up.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

06/29/07 Let me start with a note to Dave Martel - Hey Dave - No Alder Flies yet any day now after all it is the last week of June and almost into the first week of July. 

Water temperature today, despite the last couple of HOT days is 67 degrees. Clarity is good, flow is slow, level is low hatches are picking up (mayflies still weak but the caddis and stones are strong) and there are a fair amount of fish showing when the bugs are on the water. The picture on the right shows the first Little Yellow Sally I've seen. Below it is a black caddis (there are lots of black caddis) and along with the black caddis are caddis of just about any size and color. 

For mayflies we are seeing Cahills and Sulphurs and an occasional Leadwing Coachman thrown in for good measure.  There are also good hatches of small BWOs when it clouds up and giant spinner falls in the morning (at least the last couple of mornings) of a mix of small mayflies.  I'm embarrassed to say I've been so intent on fishing that spinner fall that I haven't even taken any time to capture some of the bugs and identify they.  I just know they are spent mayflies and a CDC, Rust, Comparadun with a biot body does the trick. (yes, Andre that's the same CDC, Comparadun, biot body pattern you like so much)

The flashing picture on the right is a composite of 8 or so pictures I snapped - one right after another - to show how many spinners there were on the water.  I didn't move the camera around I just held it over the side of the canoe and snapped the pictures and got back to fishing.  You can see there were a lot of bugs. 

Funny thing is I was using a Dun imitation not a spinner but the fish didn't seem to mind.  (there were some duns on the water as well as spinners) So I guess to sum it up there are fish, good water temps, and bugs on the water off and on through the day and all you need to do for some good surface action is be lucky enough to be here (or anywhere) when the bugs are bringing the fish up.  Otherwise, as always, it's go down after them by nymphing or start your own hatch by broadcasting your dry out to places where as Marshall says "fish ought to be." This is the time of year when you can draw some really good fish up by drifting big Stimulators or Bugmeisters down likely looking runs. It's sure a hoot when they come out of nowhere to slam a big dry "searching fly."

Switching to another topic altogether let me remind people we do have casting contest coming right up.  This is our annual Casting Contest (July 14th) to help raise money for the Maine TU Trout Camp and all of you are invited to come and try winning a new Zero Gravity fly rod.  Watch the forum for more details - I'll be putting up some information there later today.  Also there are a couple of Spey Class (July 28th and 29th) spots left so if you're interested be sure and call the shop to book your spot.  Class is limited to six (4 slots already taken).

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

06/22/07  Just checked the river temp and it's 66 degrees - bless those cool nights - good sleeping and good water temps.  Hatches are coming off well and along with the Sulphurs, Light Cahills, Cream Cahills and Blue Winged Olives we have guys like this one on the right hatching.

Caddis are coming on as well and the day before yesterday I saw my first Black Caddis.  Haven't seen any Zebra Caddis yet and since I have told several people we don't normally see them here in Shawmut until the 1st week of July I'm hoping we don't see any for a week or so.

The caddis are out in all colors and sizes right now.  Tan, sizes 14, 16, olives 16, black 18 and ones with a bright green underbody 18.  Lots of bug types on the water but the hatches are weak this year.  I'm not sure why but my guess is that the high water flows of the last two years have scoured the bottom and cut back on the weed growth and so there is less habitat for the little critters. 

The river is fishing well mornings and evening but the bright bluebird days we have been having have kept the hatches slow during the day. That and the fact that the Hendricksons, Quill Gordons and other daytime guys have run their course.  The late and early guys are on the starting blocks now.

Shawmut, East Outlet, Madison, Solon, Bingham - all up and down the river is fishing well. Lots of Shad showing up in Waterville/Winslow, Gardiner and Augusta.  Fishing is good now and if you can go you should go.  Don't wait.  With water temperatures creeping up towards the 70's it won't last. Jim Thibodeau and Willie Grenier took 24 each on the outing the picture came from. (on the 20th)

Ps- Ponds are fishing well also - Hex flies will be hatching soon.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

06/15/07 - My big problem today was keeping myself from flock shooting.  There are a lot of fish showing and slowing yourself down and picking one fish to cast at instead of broadcasting at the general area can be a problem.  The fishing version of Buck Fever

Anyway, water is clear, level is perfect, flashboards are up and fish are showing - hell - I think I feel sick. I wonder if Linda will buy that one? Probably not.

The big problem (after flock shooting) is deciding what to put on.  There are lots of bugs on the water.  After trying several the Henryville Special (size 18) proved to be the one they wanted.

I did start the morning drifting nymphs and got hits on a green LaFontaine Sparkle Caddis pupa and just the other day Marshall was doing well on the LaFontaine but in tan.  (I had both on but they seemed to be into green today)

If you can get here it's worth the trip.  Things are just right.

06/13/07 - Levels are good, water is 60 degrees, bugs are hatching, clarity is good - flashboards aren't up yet but will be soon.

All is well in the Shawmut stretch.

  06/09/07 - Shawmut - White Rock just barely showing (6 to 8" showing) - flows stable but high -
some wading but flows are pushing fairly hard. 
Spots to fish if you are comfortable with higher flows at Shawmut. Yes, there are hatches still of Hendricksons and the Blue Winged Olives should be showing today - cloudy with scattered showers is right up their alley.

Dead River is being pulsed today with peaks about 3,000cfs - must be a big raft weekend.

Williams (Solon) is at 6,500cfs all day - marginal wading - good drifting

Wyman (Bingham) is at 6,500cfs all day - high for wading

East Outlet is at 3,000cfs all day - high for wading.

Another high water weekend.  The water is high up and down the river but very close to being flows we are looking for.  Close but not there doesn't mean you can't catch fish - you just have to be careful if you try some of these waters - exception is the Dead - at 3,000cfs it's just plain high.

Watch where you wade if you hit the main stem of the Kennebec and think about what's downstream of you should you fall or get swept by the current.  If the water is open and free of sweepers (downed trees) and comes up to a riffle, well, fall and all you get is wet. 

If the downstream water is boulder strewn, has sweepers, class 2 or 3 whitewater, well, fall and you may not make it out of the water alive - remember it's only fishing.  Pick your spots and be realistic about your wading ability.  Ponds are fishing well.

06/08/07 Water is high, 59 degrees, White Rock is underwater and the flashboards are several days from being put up.  However, I'm guessing it will be wadable tomorrow.  If it isn't I'll post early in the morning.  I think it will be wadable because they are lowering the upriver flows (Wyman is 7,000cfs all day, East Outlet is 3,501cfs, Williams is 8,000cfs) and the Carrabassett and Sandy are down below 1,000cfs so one more full day of draining the upper river impoundments should do it.  When they close the gates up there we'll drop fast.

I didn't follow my own advise this morning and waded Shawmut even though I couldn't see the White Rock.  It can be done and I did catch several Smallmouth. They were laying on gravel bars in slower water (which there isn't much of) and a Muddler would get them to hit.  I decided to try a little faster water and while I was bulling my way upstream a fish rose not 15 feet in front of me.  I couldn't have been making more noise if I had been trying but the fish rose anyway.

As often happens to me in the morning it was just about time for me to reel in and head back to the shop so, of course, another fish rose.  Then I saw the telltale sailboat shape of a mayfly.  Sure enough there was another one and another rise.  So I quickly changed spools and lined up with a floating line to try my luck in the 15 minutes I had left.  All to no avail.  

The fish were there and just starting to show but it was so early in the hatch that there weren't enough flies on the water to have fish start to hold. So for about 15 minutes I just broadcast my dry or took a shot a rise form.  It was hard to leave the water and I'm convinced that both the trout and mayflies are involved in a conspiracy and that they started this hatch and rise program just to have a laugh at my expense.  Is that being paranoid?

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

06/02/07 - closing at 2:00pm today - sorry for the short notice.

Trout are showing with a few nice ones being reported.  However, I've not hooked up with many - two yesterday and none this morning.  I can't blame that on the fishing though I've got family visiting and I was a tour guide this morning taking 4 people down the river looking for eagles and sightseeing.

The phone just rang as I'm typing this and it was Jim Thibodeau who had promised to call if the Shad showed up in Waterville/Winslow - well there're here.  Largest he knows of being caught so far was in Gardiner weighing in at just over six pounds.  Stripers are also showing but no big ones yet.  More stripers being caught in the Gardiner area than Winslow right now but they stripers will be moving up I'm sure.

Shawmut is having Hendrickson hatches in the afternoon and a few caddis are showing - very few.  They really haven't started yet.  Water temperature is about 55 degrees.  Fishing should be good the next few days - come and give it a try.

There seem to be few changes in the bottom - no big scours or new bars - at least not that I've seen so far.  There are more trees on the bank that are bound to fall during the next big wind like this one shown on the right.

There have been some browns stocked this season and this is what the fin clip is for the 07 season. IF&W didn't stock as many Rainbows this year as in the last few years.  They are trying to determine if the drop in the Brown Trout numbers are a result of competition with the Rainbows or if the Browns just dropped down river with the high current flows. 

And finally on the right is a view of the White Rock and a look at the Dead Head that is hung up just above it.  Click any of those pictures to enlarge them.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

5/30/07 - White Rock is showing.  Not by much but it did peek out yesterday and the flashboards are there and ready.  FPL should be putting them up today or tomorrow.

Boats are the answer if you want to fish the Kennebec.  They will get you to limited wading and allow you to set up in some likely hatch areas.  There are sections of the river that you can wade at this level but you better be comfortable with the area you're wading if you plan to try.  I will be running the drift boat down the river a couple of times this weekend (around 2:00pm looking for those early hatches) and I'll post what I find on Tuesday.

Grand Lake Stream treated me well.  It was crowded but with most all the rest of the water in the state running high that's to be expected.  I got some good fish and even managed some on a dry.  However, my favorite fish of the trip was this fish a friend of mine caught.  It's his first fish on a fly and it was a nice one - certainly better than my first fly rod fish.  He caught it using a strike indicator rigged with a black stone and pheasant tail dropper (20) and the fish took the dropper.  My next lesson with him is going to include a talk about how to pick up and hold a fish - but the fish did swim off when released so I guess the death grip didn't hurt it to badly. 

Now, back to the Kennebec - like I said earlier the flows are still high (both the Carrabassett and Sandy are still over 1,000 cfs) but the clarity is good.  Keep checking the flows and if it drops a bit and you're comfortable fishing and wading high water give it a shot.  Otherwise your best bet is to work some of the smaller streams and ponds wherever you can find them near your Memorial Day weekend destination. 

Have a great weekend and good luck fishing.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

The only good thing about this flow level and rain is that the water temperatures are in the low 40s - that bodes well for fishing when the water goes down.  Last year at this time the water was already in the 50's and when the levels dropped (not until almost end of June) the water temps were already up close to 70.  I don't think we have to worry much about that problem.

I'll post some information about GLS when I get back.  Looks like it will be nymphs and streamers this time around.

I wish I had better news for you.  By the way I've been calling everyone who has booked trips with us and letting them know we are flooded out.  If you have a trip booked in the next week or so you should call and check with us - it is probably cancelled.

So it's off to the north country for me this weekend.  I'll be at our camp on Pemadumcook lake (ice out the day before yesterday - Moosehead being only 30 miles away can't be far behind) and I'll be working the smelt runs casting to the Landlocks that are taking advantage of easy pickings.  Hopefully, some of those Landlocks will mistake my fly for easy pickings. 

Locally some ponds are producing but I haven't heard of any hatches on them.  However, some people have sent and posted an occasional pictures of mayflies. Caddis are still a long way off.  

05/04/07 Well instead of high, cold and dirty the river is high, cold and clear

Other than that not much change.  Lakes and ponds around here are open.  Sebec and lakes north of there are still frozen. Snow is melting fast and the Carrabassett and Sandy are down to 2,200 and 3,200 respectively.  When they get below 1,000cfs each we have a chance of wading.

Flagstaff and Moosehead are dumping water and Bingham has flood gates open.  That sounds bad but it actually is a good thing.  It doesn't take long when Bingham is dumping to bring that impoundment down enough to absorb the discharges from above.  When Bingham starts pulsing the generators we should have low enough flows from both the Carrabassett and Sandy to allow wading.  I'm still guessing we'll be wading Shawmut by the middle of May - right on schedule for a normal spring - let's hope we'll have a normal summer.

Sorry I can't tell you more about the river - hatches will start soon on the river and I'll bring you some pictures.

Last week I talked about waders and fitting them.  Here are some wader repair tips I typed up in case you've experienced "stressed seams" or punctures.

This is a link to the Orvis wader repair page.  http://orvis.com/intro.asp?subject=744

There are some good tips in there and here are some more. 

If you try the air pressure trick outlined on that page there is an easy way to constrict the wader top around the vacuum hose – use your wader belt.  Just gather up the excess material and wrap the belt around the whole mess – several times – and then tie it or use the normal clasp.  Don’t use Duct Tape – makes a mess and is too strong.  Masking tape works but even masking tape leaves a residue to clean off the finished waders. 

They mention soap and water as a way to detect leaks by way of bubbles.  That works but I’ve found that using the pre-mixed bubble mixtures for kids “blow some bubbles” toys works even better.  You can buy that stuff at almost any department store – hopefully – you can find some.  That stuff finds even the smallest of leaks.  

Sometimes the tape will have started to come off the seams. The tape problem is a pain.  When faced with that I carefully cut and peel away as much of the tape as I can.  I only leave tape that is solidly attached.  Then I cover the areas that had and the areas that still have tape with a thin layer of Aqua-Seal, which I spread with a Popsicle stick.  I make no attempt to replace the tape.  The Aqua-Seal works fine all by itself. 

The spreading of this can take a lot of time, as you often have to do an area and let it dry before you can do another area or you end up with a mess.  Here’s a trick for that also. What I do is stuff the stocking feet with newspaper and then insert something into the leg to fill them.  We have a pair of inflatable legs that normally are used to fill out a pair of display waders but I used to use 4” scrap PVC pipe lengths and have used the cardboard boxes rods are shipped in. 

The end result of all this stuffing is that you can often stand the waders upside down (and they are inside out as I patch on the inside) and get them to stay standing by using some twine to tie them to a table leg or chair back.   

With then standing, inside out, and the feet and legs full there are all the seams right there in front of you and easily accessible.  After all this I don’t just coat the suspected seams.  I do all of the seams – top to bottom.  The seams are the weakest part of a pair of waders and if one section of seam and seam tape has started to fail the rest can’t be far behind – coat them while you can easily do it. 

I use Aqua-Seal on any holes I detect as well.  The stuff is very strong, long lasting and easy to work with.  The one problem is it does run if you use a heavy coating.  It doesn’t take much to work – a thin layer normally does it. 

Another great patch product is the Loon Wader Seal product that cures with UV light.  It isn’t something I’d use on a big job like I just outlined but it’s great to carry with you.  You can repair punctures and tears right in the field and all you need to have is some sunlight to cure it in seconds.  On a cloudy day it will cure without direct sun but it takes a little longer.  I have a friend who blew out the bladder in his float tube and he repaired the bladder on the edge of a pond with the Loon product; re-inflated his tube and went back to fishing. 

ps You can buy an accelerator for Aqua-Seal called Coltol-240 and it works well.  I don’t use it unless I have some sort of time constraint.  I’d rather take my time applying the Aqua-Seal and then let it set up overnight.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

Today the river in back of the shop is clearing up.  It no longer looks like coffee with too much cream.  It is still very high (in the trees) and will stay that way for awhile.  The Sidney flow is over 35,000cfs and while down from the high of 60,000cfs plus it has a way to go before fishing will be safe.  I'm guessing we'll be fishing in Shawmut by mid-May.

The upcountry snow is leaving fast, the rain and fog we have coming will accelerate the melt and soon those who control the dams will start dumping the impoundments.  I called the flow lines this morning and checked the web.  East Outlet and Flagstaff releases are still low but with the Carrabassett and Sandy down around 4,000cfs the impoundments will open soon.

The Carrabassett peaked a little above 10,000cfs and the Sandy peaked a little over 13,000cfs and both have to get below 1,000cfs before we can do much wading down here.  The webcam in Augusta shows that the river is out of the parking lots and back in the banks which is another reason I think they will start dumping the impoundments.  Barring heavy rains I'd say we are having about a normal melt.  We just got spoiled last year with everything going out so early.  I sure hope we don't get a repeat of last years rains. 

Let me shift gears here and talk a bit about breathable waders.  I repair a lot of waders and the biggest problem I see is seam leakage - mostly in the crotch area.  The reason is simple - people buy waders that are too small.  Breathable waders should be a tad on the baggy side - no make that baggy - and if you try them on in a store with just a pair of jeans on and they seem to fit just right - newsflash - they don't fit! 

So my number one hint is buy your waders a little bit baggy so you can bulk up under them for cold water wading and still be able to move around and climb the river bank or step in and out of a canoe or drift boat without straining the seams.  That's hint number one and hint number two is to dry them after you use them.  Don't roll them up and stuff them away.  Air them out and dry them out - they'll smell better and last longer.

Here's my normal drying process and it starts right at the truck when I take my waders off.  What I do is roll them inside out.  Right down to and including the booties.  (or boot-top with bootfoot) After all the booties are not breathable on most stockingfoot waders and body moisture (sweat if you will) builds up.  It will evaporate eventually but often not before the next day and if you plan on fishing the next day - well you start out with some residual moisture and each day adds to it.

So turn them completely inside out and drape them over the rear seat or lay them out somewhere in the vehicle. After all they should be dry on the inside so it isn't like you're laying wet waders on the seat.  By the time you get home, unless your drive is really short, the booties will be dry and any slight moisture that may have accumulated on the inside of the breathable fabric will gone as well.

Then it is a simple matter of turning them right side out when you get home and draping them over the porch railing to finish drying.  I'm sure this simple drying procedure increases the comfort and life of my breathable waders.  It keeps them smelling better, helps prevent mildew (something I believe is a major cause of waders starting to weep) and makes them more comfortable to put on several days in a row as the inside never gets clammy.  Try it and see if it works for you.

Be sure and visit our Forum - Comments welcome

04/13/07 Well there isn't much change.  The river is full bank to bank and so tempting in some places.  East outlet is below the 2,000cfs level many use as a cutoff point for wading.  Williams Dam (Solon) is around 4,300cfs, also just about the upper limit for many when wading.  The catch is those are cutoff levels for wading when the water is in the 50's or so.  For my money, with mid to low 30's for water temps the flows have to be lower than that before I'll make the bet I can wade safely. 

My biggest reason for that is I consider the start of each season as the first time I've fished wherever I'm wading. Even if it's Shawmut which I wade often all season long - come spring it's on my NEW WATER list.  Why?  Because to much changes when we have those high flows. Remember the high flows of last fall - they made changes - new logs - holes where last year there were gravel bars and that's not to mention the chance of an ice flow knocking you down.

Yep, each spring it's all new water in my book and until the flows are lower and the temps higher I'll be doing little wading.  That's a old rule of mine - Don't wade new water unless conditions are good for wading and recovery should you fall and get soaked.  50 degree water puts you in danger of hypothermia - 35 degree water kills quickly. I'll wade some but mostly I'll fish the edges and banks - you won't see me out at the White Rock for awhile.

Higher water is coming.  This new snow (that we didn't need) will be melting over the next couple of days and there will be rain dumped on top of it.  The spring flooding is coming soon to a river near you.

If you want to check on the flows (Kennebec and Androscoggin) dial 1-800-557-flow (1-800-557-3569) and follow the prompts.  They update the flow information daily and hold to the flows they give fairly well.  However, especially in the spring, you have to keep an eye on the water levels because as conditions change flow adjustments are made and you might not like some of them. You can get some additional flow information by following this link.
 

http://www.maineflyfishing.com/waterflow.htm

That's it for today.  It may be April but I've got to go finish plowing.

ps - message for dbirdmn@aol.com I did answer your e-mail but got a message from AOL saying
 

Here's a rundown of what I saw Opening day.

First Bingham.

As I drove into Bingham I could see the river was up but not the normal almost flood stage ones often sees in April.  The section across from the Bingham Motel was almost inviting.  I kept on going and crossed Austin Stream and wished that was open as the levels in it looked good.  However, the wild rainbows of Bingham deserve protection during the spring spawn so it was only a passing thought.  So I drove on to visit Wyman Dam my usual starting point for my April 1st run. 

When I got to Wyman I was surprised to see the flood gates not only weren't open but they hadn't even been washed clean of snow.  A sure sign the melt hasn't really started upcountry. 

There were people fishing and I took a couple of photos and tried to highlight the guys with red outlines.  You can see two guys who must have walked down on the power line side to get some wading in. 

A few people had caught fish and one guy came in yesterday with a picture of a 20" plus Splake or Brookie.  I looked at the picture and couldn't tell - tail was pretty square and it was a handsome fish.  The guy wasn't sure either but said other than being curious he didn't really care and his son (who caught the fish) surely didn't care. His son was just happy to have caught such a fish on opening day.

There were people using the new boat ramp and when I headed back down river towards Solon I saw a group of people at the head of the Multi-Use trail so there must have been some wading going on down below.  Bingham is still not real high as you can see by this chart. The flow is being regulated and only a few spikes of really high water so far.

Then down to Solon which was fairly low. As you can see looking upstream there were people out in canoes and the rock pile just above the bridge was showing.

I didn't see anyone wading but they certainly could have.  That may change soon with the melt we're bound to have but until it starts Solon might well be a good area to try. 

Looking downstream the river was clear of ice.  As a matter of fact all of the upper river sections looked to be free of ice. It was a different story when I got down to Madison. 

Madison had ice and snow.  Now after yesterday's storm everyplace has snow but there wasn't all that much on the first when I was driving around.  That is until I got to Madison.  There I saw lots of snow and quite a bit of ice on the river.

And, I saw a lot of geese.  One field that had some large open areas had a lot of geese.  Enough so that I heard them before I saw them.  Those birds sure can make a racket. A nice bonus that comes with spring days is being able to ride around with your window part way down so you can hear such things. 

My next stop was Shawmut and it was high.  High enough so that they had one bay of the mechanical gates wide open.  That's right you guessed it the White Rock wasn't showing.  It might be awhile before we see that.

All in all it's a typical April.  Water is low when you think about what we have coming in the next few weeks and it's tempting to think about some serious wading.  But for my money I'll take the edges and shoreline for my casting and fishing.  That water is just to cold to risk much wading and at 33 to 36 degrees I can tell I DO NOT want to fall in. 

Yep, I'll be fishing the smaller feeder streams and lake inlets for awhile and leaving the main stem of the river to the soon to be returning Ospreys.