A week earlier I went fishing at the East Outlet on Maine’s Kennebec River and while I was out there they opened the gates enough to double the flow and they almost got me. All week the water stayed up and so when I got another day off I knew the water would be high. I also knew of a deep ravine area that has lots of small pocket water at high flows.There are two problems with this area though. One is that if you fall in you’re going a long way down BIG white water and second it’s a climb down to the river, like 80 feet or so. That’s not so bad it’s the climb out that makes you wonder if you really needed a fish that bad.
Well, I decided I did need a fish that bad and down in I went. Little pockets and back eddies were the order of the day and streamers were all I needed. The Fly of The Day was a Montreal Whore. Several others worked but when their attraction wore off it was back to the Whore. (Somehow that doesn’t sound right)Anyway, lots of fish to the net. No monsters, but good action and always the potential of a really large Brookie or Landlock.
No problems getting down in or back out. In fact the only problem I did have was that to move down river to the next pocket water you have to climb halfway out and back down in to get around the ledge outcroppings. It’s that or fish the same pocket all day long because there is no way to get around those ledges when the water is up. All in all great fun and I slept well that night.
Great post mike, great fish too!!! Glad to see you made do with the high water
Austin
Hey Mike,
Glad to see you had some time off. I was in the Forks last weekend and didn’t see any means of fishing with the water level at what it was. Sure messed up my season ending plans. Great looking fish, and a great article. Must have been a little worrisome when the gates opened and the water came rushing down river. is the photo below the dam?
Hey Mike, Thanks for posting your EO adventure here. That’s no”Small” Salmon(!) and you’re brave to go down to the gorge. I hope you have more adventures to share here as the last of the Maine season winds down. Clean up here is almost over, but I am exausted.
Mike,
I think I might have white water rafted that same stretch of the river a couple years ago. By the looks of it , the water wasn’t much higher then… You’re a brave man. There have been a few times where I could have perished in the river trying to cover that outside eddie or next piece of pocket water. Great story!
Mike, great read. I love those jaunts down to unpressured runs where the pressure is limited and you know that the fish are generally unmolested and eager to take a fly. I’m glad the high water did’nt take you downstream. It can get pretty hairy when your fishing alone and you scaling rock faces, one wrong step and you could be history.
mike – great story – it was certainly an awesome season for the Landlock Salmon in Maine. It’s great to see because they are such fantastic fish and especially fun to flyfish for. they jump – they get big – they are strong and they will take all sorts of stuff. i agree with marshall – i don’t kow that i would call that a “small” fish. looks like a nice fish to me.
Hey i got a question for you. I know the landlocks can get really big – i see the pictures of some of the ones that guys pull out of the lakes. However, I have never cought one of such sizes (8-10 pounds) – The biggest RIVER fish I have ever caught is probably the ones that EO was producing this fall. So – in all reality 22 or 23″ – don’t get me wrong – that is plenty big and i am not complaining by any means. My question is this — I know you and lots of guys on your forum and joey and marshall etc… all got really nice fish this fall 20-23″ and it seems as though some guys even got lot’s of them. However, I have never personally seen a LL bigger than that size come out of a Maine River. I have also never seen anything bigger on any of the forums or anything….so – it is safe to say that bigger than let’s say 23″ is fairly uncommon. I could be wrong – I HOPE SO! So here is my quesiton.
– Obviously there are bigger fish in the lakes. How big do you think the biggest lake fish is? And do those big lake dwelling fish go up in the rivers to? Are there rivers in maine that 30″ LL Salmon are very possible to catch? I am not looking for you, nor do I want you to, tell me locations. I am just looking for an answer as to the likelihood of catching Big Lake Sized Salmon in the rivers in Maine.
Again the master slips away and catches my fish, OH!, Ya, my fish. I have looked for him and couldn’t remember where he was. All I can think of , is that I mentioned his location in passing and then you snuck off and caught him, Ya thats it. You can send any correspondance to me at the Ha, Ha Hilton in care of nurse Diesel. Now I have to go and find my Golf clubs. Nice fish Mike obviously you still got the swing.
i fished the east outlet this past june with jeremy and second guessed my every move when the water was up. I did go down once, but was lucky enough to have a change of clothes in the car.
Thanks for the read and the good service when I visited your shop. Congrats on the new website, it is well laid out and very informative.
Nice read Mike thanks…..What a nice looking fish, golden belly, dark spots makes it worth the descend into the gorge.
j-
Pat, Those photos were below Harris Dam in the Gorge. I hadn’t made it up there even once this year so I figured it would be a good place to end the season. Great workout.
When they caught me out in the middle of the East Outlet was the week before and it was “worrisone” 🙂
Check out my post on that at
http://flyfishingonly.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2477
Jeremy,
I’ve had fish on that I feel were over that 23″ barrier but never landed them. I did break 23” this fall at the East Outlet but that was the biggest yet to net here in Maine.
I’m always looking for and won’t be surprised (happy but not surprise because I’m sure they are there) when I catch one pushing 30”.
No secret where I expect to hook (and feel I have hooked and lost) one like that. Three spots come to mind:
West Branch of the Penobscot (North Branch also)
Grand Lake Stream
Kennebec River above the Forks (probably below the Forks also but above is where I look to catch a fish like that)
you off your meds again?
Good to see a posting from you Mike!Good story,beautiful fish.Will you be starting a free climbing course for fishermen this winter?That’s some gorge!
do you use the stairs at carry brook to get into the gorge?
Jeremy,
I think a fish over 24″ would be exceptional. In years past I have trolled for salmon on many of Maines best LL lakes, Rangley, Grand Lake, Moosehead and yes even Sebago in its day. I have never caught a fish on any lake over 24″ regardless of the bait I employed. What I hope for in Maine is that the quanity of 20-24 inch fish increases. And of course I believe there is a monster laying in every pool I drift a fly through, thats one of the things that makes me keep going.
Pat,
Mama always told me stairs are for sissies – besides I was on the other side of the river. Next time you’re up I’ll show you the route.