Johnny Cash Couldn’t Have Said It Better

“How high’s the water, Mama?”

“It’s three feet high and rising …”

Johnny was right on about the weather we’ve been having for the last day or so. It’s been raining, sometimes hard and often harder, so that has put a minor crimp in the fishing options in the North Country. Not to bring you down any further, but this weather pattern is supposedly stalled over us for the next few days, so there isn’t a lot of relief in sight. While it is great conditions for a BWO hatch, it can be tough making a cast while you’re standing amongst the trees instead of in the river!

All is not lost though. There were anglers at the Magalloway Bridge today, with a couple of them doing quite well catching fish on streamers and what appeared to be sinking lines. Several of us were nymphing without much to show for our efforts. A small BWO hatch ensued this afternoon, and a few salmon were taking them, but it became hard even for them when they couldn’t see the insects because of the deluge of raindrops. The flow here is still wadeable, and fishable, so this is still an option as of this moment.

Back Lake and several brook trout ponds(Middle Pond, Round Pond, Little Diamond Pond) have also been well worth the try lately, so you should bring up float tubes, canoes, or kayaks if you’re coming up this week. Streamers and woolybuggers on sinking lines are the way to go right now on Back Lake and the ponds. Gates to the more distant outer ponds are still closed however, so plan on fishing the ones that are nearby or easily accessible.

The Trophy Stretch is still very high right now, as is the Connecticut River below Indian Stream – avoid these areas until we have some consistently good weather to lower things again. The Lake Francis Inlet will be tough because of the rise in water from silty Perry Stream – high and dirty water is a bad combination for trout fishing. The Andro is also blown out right now, for our friends that like to fish over by Errol.

Let’s hope for some good weather – soon!!