Happy Halloween...

from johnlejeune.com

Quote Of The Week...

Returning to our weekly traditions...

"To go fishing is the chance to wash one's soul with pure air, with the rush of the brook, or with the shimmer of sun on blue water. It brings meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature, charity toward tackle-makers, patience toward fish, a mockery of profits and egos, a quieting of hate, a rejoicing that you do not have to decide a darned thing until next week. And it is discipline in the equality of men - for all men are equal before fish."


- Herbert Hoover
 

New Connections...

After a weekend with Greg from Maine River Guides, we were reminded about the crew from Flies and Fins...and the CRAZY SHIT that they get on film...

Incase you've been under a rock for the last several years, Flies and Fins is a website dedicated to documenting fly fishing in various locations around the world...from Maine to...well everywhere...

The website was started by Jeremy Cameron some years ago...and holds more videos and stories then anyone could probably read through in a year straight...Nevermind the great tunes he comes up with...

The site is based out of Portland, ME (as are many of the great things in life...), and certainly deserves to be checked out daily...if not at least weekly for updates, stories, tunes, and of course videos. There's a forum to post your own reports and pictures as well. Make sure you bookmark the page...HERE

Here's one of their videos from Youtube...for your viewing pleasure...

Facebook Newbie

Yeah, we found it...come friend me so I don't look like a complete loser....

Maine Part 2

I've got many more new pictures below, but first I thought I'd finish off the rest of the weekends events...

We got off the water that evening, and headed out to explore some more of the city. Portland, ME is by far one of the most amazing cities I've even been in. To start, I don't get super aprehensive about driving in it, or walking in it. It's a city by the sea (Casco Bay), so the salt water can be smelled in much of the city. It's a small city, so it's possible to walk most of the places of interest with parking in one or two spots...

ALSO - there's tons of sea food...and cheap. This past weekend, soft shell lobsters were $4.99/lb. Go check out the local grocery store to get YOUR current market price...

Anyways, we headed into town for a tremendous dinner and tour...realizing that the in the morning we were leaving for home...leaving a town we both loved...

None the less, we enjoyed the night with some great company, great scotch, and great stories...

Amy will have a post coming soon with the food and places we saw out on the town, and I shall pass along...

We left Saturday morning to hit a traditional halloween party back home in CT...

Here's the rest of the Important Fish Pictures...

Greg caught a hook set...

Juneau wanted to see/taste...

Seriously...Juneau had to be held away from every fish...and many were lost because of a dog lunge...however he was a blast to have around...

Alas...Large brookies, deep spawning colors...

A special thanks to Greg for the hospitality, as well as MAINE RIVER GUIDES. I can't even begin to describe some of the pictures he showed me from this past summer's guiding trips. AMAZING Salmon, Brook Trout, Lake Trout, Bass...you name it...

Be sure to check out the site here...http://www.maineriverguides.com/

Here's till next time up North...

Maine Fall Trip...Part I

Well...As I'm sure you've seen...Maine was a success...

We left Wednesday evening and made the 9 hour drive into CT to drop Finn off at G-ma B's house. Since we were dealing with some last minute obligations at the house, the time at the bench was cut down, and certain flies weren't made...

Until...

We got a little creative with an in car bench. Not that it was easy to do each whip finish...but we were able to get 8 1/2 flies out without too much trouble in the 1.5 hours that Amy drove...

turns out that they proved fruitful...

Thursday we headed up North and did a little shopping for a tremendous dinner feast that Amy threw together.

We headed back to Greg & Emilia's house and settled in for the evening with some Samuel Adams & a cozy warm fire...along with a big JUNEAU! More on him...

Friday was fish day...and you know what that meant...

Meet Juneau...120+ lbs of pure fish love...

And while we fished...he kept busy...

Until the trouts were caught...

And now the players...at least some...

Greg & Juneau...Nymphing a run...

View from the dock...surf casting on Sebago...

More coming...Pictures and story TBC...

Updates from ME are coming...

Maine...Here We Come!!!

As we prepare for the trip up to the North Country, we make some final preparations...including some time at the vice...

With a departure the day after tomorrow, this will surely be the last post before I shove off. I'm not sure when the posts will be back, but you can rest assured that there will be lots of pictures, and hopefully fish to tell about...

The plan is to shove off on Wednesday evening, and then hit the Portland area by Thursday at noon...

Fishing will take place through Saturday morning, back into CT for a little halloween party before coming home.

We're looking forward to being up North, and are looking to explore some area waters with Boz...
Till we get back...tight lines...

Schmidt's Famous...

A few years ago, a fellow fly tyer and fisherman asked Mike for some samples of his steelhead flies to photograph and write about in a book he was writing...

2 years later, the book is out...

If you find the book on Amazon (Click Here), and log into an account, you can search for the sections that have Mike's pictures and flies...

Reviews give this publication 5 stars. There are supposed to be some new insights on reading steelhead waters, and edgy perspectives on rigging...

My copy is to be on order this evening...

Congrats to Mike on your first publication!

Steelhead Season 2009 - Week 3

Well...we need rain...

The fish are starting to really stage at the river mouths. Even with a little bit of rain over the weekend...we haven't gotten the rivers up at all. Many of the fish in the systems have been seeing lots of flies, so getting eager fresh fish has been difficult at best. Smaller nymphs have been the ticket in the clear conditions. The best chance right now is surf casting streamers near a river mouth...

Regretfully, I didn't wet a line either...

However, Mike already has his first trip booked for Halloween weekend. You can bet there should be some good stories and pictures taken, but until then, we'll hold out for the rain...

Till then, we'll keep searching for reports and rain...

Schmidt Care Package

So with the Autumn trip to Maine coming in a week, I've been frantically picking Schmidt's brain on flies I've never even heard of.

Schmidt however sent us a little care package to take the edge off at the bench...some flies to peruse and use as models...

Our package included...

Grey Ghost Variation...

MONTREAL WHORE

Mallard Wing Pattern...

White Foxy Smelt

Prop's To Our Guy From ANGLERS CHOICE FLIES (click to the left)

We here at The Mad Trouter would like to personally thank Mike and Anglers Choice Flies...and we can ensure that pictures from the upcomming trip will surely be posted afterward...Great flies..thanks guys!

MV DERBY UPDATE

Looks Like Justin has captured a spot on the leaderboard...

Fly Rod Albie...

LINK

As the derby closes up this week, we look for some more great Albie reports...

Rumor has it that there have been a good push of fish over the last week...

Enjoy boys...hopefully next year I'll finally be able to enjoy...

Steelhead Season 2009 - Week #2

Well in Week#2 I failed to actually fish...AT ALL...I must've been too busy getting the bathroom ready for the steelhead fishermen who frequent the PAGE household...Damn...

We've been getting first hand reports of fish being caught well into river systems from PA to the west side of town...But many more fish are still to come...scores of fish have been starting to stage at the mouths...

With a family trip WAY to the westside this past weekend, TMT spent the weekend exploring some new waters and westside steelhead sites that should hold fish throughout the winter...Some places to fish during family get togethers and outings...

No fear...There will be trips coming this week!

Some small exploration pictures...

Mostly of the lake...but we all know where the river fish come from...

"Fly" Fishing

"And after hunting out the salmon dish they celebrated by throwing it about between them before wolfing it down."

ARTICLE HERE
via the sun

Quote Of The Week

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.

-John Muir

How NOT To Produce A Fly Fishing DVD - Rant...

So...Interesting story from the TMT group this week...


A friend of mine...coughcoughSchmidtcoughcough...gets this e-mail earlier this week about a fly fishing magazine (to stay nameless), looking for groups to take their cameras out on local rivers for good numbers and shots of fish. They were looking for people in Oregon, N. Cali, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The idea was for them to find two anglers to fish "side by side" with while the footage is shot...


Or so we thought...


UPON further e-mail conversations, we've come to learn that the "company" in question is requesting that WE...the volunteers who are willing to show them around our locations...PAY them for the footage that THEY would profit from...


I'll repeat that for those readers who are a tad slow...


THEY WANT US, THE PEOPLE WILLING TO SHOW THEM OUR HONEY HOLES, TO PAY TO GET FUCKING TAPED....SO OUR SPOTS CAN GET SHOWN TO THE PUBLIC...


One word for you...SCAM.


Honestly...I'm going to allow some punk film group try to rip off another popular film tour by demanding that WE...THE VOLUNTEERS WILLING TO HELP THEM OUT...FINANCE THEIR FILM...AT $990 FOR TWO DAYS MINIMUM...


BLOW ME...



MORAL OF THE STORY...If you're going to start a fly fishing film...don't fuck the people that are willing to help support your film with their own free time...


And now The MAD Trouter is going to cool off with a PBR...

Steelhead Season 2009 - Week #1

Well the season has finally come...

While there may still be a bass trip yet...we're gearing up for some bad ass chrome fish...

I haven't been out since Thursday, but some river fish are finally being caught. Waters are muddy, as the summer silt is filtering into the lake, our little silver friends are moving up river. With conditions being lower, but cloudy, there should be a trip or two in my future this week...

To all those chasing tail this winter, keep warm, enjoy the waters, make sure to clean the land/waters when you can, and most importantly...stay safe!

Tight Lines...

Good Times Mike...Good Times...

Ken Griffey And A Long Rod...

Short Article, but of interest...

ARTICLE

"So I guess if Griffey walks away from the game this weekend, we know who's to blame."

Quote Of The Week...

"The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem it will avail us little to solve all others."

-Theodore Roosevelt

A Must See Documentary Set

MORE HERE

FINALLY...

TMT finally knocked the dust off of the steelhead gear and made an attempt at what seemed like a lower river based on the flow gauge. While the flow had come down...visibility stayed categorized as shitty...

No fish, and I did cut the evening a bit short, but it was amazing to be back out on the water...

Hopefully the local water picks up soon...

Water's Upstream...

Water visibility down...

Looking from the knee down...I was figuring visability at about 8" - 9"

Shitty picture of some Deer on the way home...

We're expecting another inch of rain tomorrow, which should knock the rivers out of comission for the weekend...

Anyways, with some of the local guides scouting waters further East today, we will start the weekly Steelhead reports this upcoming Sunday...

Game on folks!