My dad always said “When the budding leaves are the size of a mouses ear, you should go trout fishing.” I thought of those words as I looked at the mouse ear sized leaves on the trees in the Western Mountains of Maine this past spring. I was in the Western Mountains for the sole purpose of fly fishing for some of Maines premier native brook trout. What my father didn’t tell me was when the suckers are spawning and laying eggs it is also a good time to go trout fishing. And suckers are what Greg and I found when we reached our destination at the end of a 2 mile trek along logging roads and river paths. There were hundreds of suckers lazily laying on the gravel. After studying them for awhile it was apparent not all the fish we were watching were suckers. Amongst them filling their bellies with fresh sucker spawn were brook trout. At that point Greg and I put away our plans to swing streamer flies. We switched over to nymph rigs and tied on micro egg fly patterns. After several drifts with nothing to show for it but several foul hooked suckers I was ready to give the flyrod up for a set of golf clubs. Imagine looking into gin clear water at native brook trout in the 3lb class and having them ignore your offerings and you will understand my sentiment towards the swap to golf clubs. Anyway, just as I was ready to change games my micro eqq offering caught the attention of a landlocked salmon. As soon as I felt the tug I was sure in my mind that this was no sucker. When the salmon catapulted himself out of the current in an attempt to rid himself of the size 20 hook a smile formed on my face. I hollered to Greg and said, “This is what we came for.” After a reasonable battle the salmon played out, came to net and was released. Subsequent drifts produced more salmon for both Greg and I but the brookies continued to ignore our offerings. Finally it all came together, the drift was right, the trout was ready, and I was focused. Game on, a very respectable brookie took my fly and raced through the rapid current looking for an escape. After the release of the brook trout I felt the trip to be complete. I am glad there were no golf courses near by to trade my fly rod in for golf clubs.
Pat,
What a gorgeous fish. I know how much you love fly fishing for Maine brook trout and I know that the brook trout ponds are really “your home.” Understandably so, as they lend themselves to quite times and relaxation and often very big brook trout. But, the rivers in Maine can also produce some amazing gems … so glad this trip worked out for you and Greg. That is a beautiful fish .. It seems no matter how many brook trout I see and catch; they never get old to look at. The red fins with white outline and the blue and yellow dots .. really an amazing species of trout in so many ways.
PS. I hear the hex’s are coming off pretty good on “your” ponds .. you will have to take me pond fishing someday .. I tried to get into one of “your” ponds last year .. and ended up lost on a logging road and never found the water .. tough to catch fish that way. Maybe we can get out sooner than later .. you can drive:)
Great fish! I had some luck the last 2 weeks but now the water is getting warm.
Pat,
What an awesome fish! Glad you and Greg were able to dial into that drift and get it done. Looks like a gorgeous piece of water as well.
That trip was a fun trip, Pat slept on the kitchen floor because I snored so loud, warned him. That was a good day of fishing. Jeremy and fisher boy caught brookies to and all I got was 4 or 5 land locked Salmon, OH Well. Lets try that again like tomorrow!!
who isn’t! Nice Fish!
Great fish Pat. Gotta love the micro egg patterns. My favorite. In a couple months it’ll be time to switch back to bigger egg patterns for steelies. Long live the egg…
Awsome brook trout pat! and the title is classic….any fisherman in their right mind would drool over those giant brookies sitting in 2 feet of water nosed right up behind the suckers. congrats on tricking one of those tough fish!
Great story and great fish! I am a penobscot indian and the elders always used to say for thousands of years ” when the buds on the trees are as big as a mouse’s ear, the atlantic salmon are starting to run”. But the salmon populations have been diminished in the Penobscot, but i believe the restoration trust can bring them back. Once again, Great story and great fish!
Tight lines!