Maine Smallmouth & Salmon - help?

[teflon_jones]

I'm heading up to Grand Lake Stream in June for some smallmouth fishing (with some salmon on the side) and I'm wondering of anybody has any general tips for me. I've done a bit of smallmouth fishing before on the fly, but not much. I'll be fishing out of the float tube for the most part with the fly rod, and also the spinning rod as a backup and change-up if I spot a fish that won't hit my fly.

As for salmon fishing, I've never done it so I have no idea where to even start!

[pushaw]

You're in for a treat. LL salmon on the fly are awesome. Your basic trout setup and flies are generally OK, just pick up some local patterns when you get there. Bring a 6 wt and you should be all set for the bass or the salmon. I've never been to GLS, hope to make it there this year.

[fleshfly]

I haven't fished GLS in Maine, but I do fish most of the other rivers in Maine for freshawater. I had thought GLS is mostly a Landlock Salmon river, at times it can get a lot off pressure, so I have avoided it. It does have some big salmon in there. I have heard there are some great sight casting abilities. No clue about the Bass. By some Aglers in Maine, Smallmouth aren't looked to highly upon, they are big predators the salmon and more importantly the native brookies. In some rivers anglers are encouraged to NOT release smallmouth, even some fly fishing organizations have gone as far as having smallmouth harvest days..

Have fun.

[pushaw]

To clarify, those smallmouth that you're after are mostly found in the lakes downeast -- the fishing in the river itself is for salmon, which is what makes heading out to GLS worth the trip. There are native brookies in the trickles down there too.

And yes, most Maine coldwater anglers don't look too highly on smallmouth, since they compete with coldwater species, and have recently been illegally introduced in multiple coldwater fisheries, most notably the Rapid River watershed. But most of them agree that smallmouth have a place in Maine, just not in the coldwater lakes where they've been introduced.

[DRYFLY]

not sure how much this will help but in the salmon rivers i fish in vermont at this time of year a wooly bugger, conehead bugger, or streamer cast down and across will take both salmon and smallmouth- find yourselve some spawning redfin, suckers, etc and their will be smallies downstream feeding on the spawn.

[teflon_jones]

Yup, you nailed it pushaw! My smallmouth fishing will be on West Grand Lake and possibly Big Lake, while the salmon fishing will be on Grand Lake Stream. I've heard that you can hook the salmon in the lakes too and that they're an occassional by-catch when going for smallmouth. (nice by-catch, huh? )

I have three fly rods and I'm a bit split on which ones to use. I have a 4, 5/6, and 8. The 4 will be reserved for some panfish (which are always fun) since it's a full flex and it can't really handle the big smallmouth flies or the weight of a LL salmon. The 5/6 can handle the flies ok, but it's only a 7'6 rod and I'd like a longer rod to use from the float tube for bass. Will it be a good rod to use for the salmon? The 8 wt is a light 8, but it's still kind of heavy for what I'll be doing. But it's a 9' rod and I'd like to have the extra length for casting from the float tube. I'll pick up some salmon flies locally up there since there's gotta be a place selling them somewhere nearby!

So any tips in general for salmon? I've been fly fishing for trout for 17+ years and I'm imagining it's a lot like that, but I'm really not sure!

[ned]

go here www.maineflyfish.com

or

www.flyfishingonly.com (click on forum)

Grand lake stream is a frequent topic.

I know if you're looking for bass, the lake itself has some hog smallies.

enjoy

[bass3six]

Smallie fishing in June should be at it's peak.
If they are on beds, they will hit anything....small surface twitch baits are the most fun.
Rapalas, Storm Wiggle warts, and Rebel Wee-R should suffice for spin tackle....though smallies won't hesistate to hit spinnerbaits and most soft plastics.

[pushaw]

I've caught my landlocks in rivers fishing the same way I would for trout in larger rivers. More guys fish streamers for them than for trout, and these you can get locally, but I'd bring your trout stuff too. There are guys that get them on size 20 midge pupa, and guys that get them on size 2 streamers. My best day of salmon fishing was using caddis emergers. You should prepare in the same way you'd prepare to go fish for trout in a good-sized river. If your 7.5 ft 5/6 is what you'd use for that, by all means, use it. You should be able to get some bass on big poppers and deer-hair bugs. I like big marabou muddlers too. If they are on the beds, which they should be, you should be able to get them on top with your flyrod. I'd probably use the 8 wt for throwing the big stuff to the bass. Your six would work, but I'm usually armsore after throwing big bass bugs with my 6 wt all day.

[capemike88]

Man hooking a salmon is amazing, i caught one in Big Cliff on my 7ft 4wt with 4lb tippet a few weekends ago, the pic is posted in here somewhere, and it just took off like a rocket, cleared the water twice that i saw, dad said it jumped 3 times but i was just worrying about clearing my line as he hit very close but still took me into the backing in a FLASH!! I caught him on a size 10 beadhead olive bugger.

Good Luck!!

Mike

[casual dress]

I've been going there for 25 years. I leave Thursday for another visit. Dont really go in June or August. Black flys can eat you a live. Hendrickson drys for the salmon in the stream. Olive wooly buggers for smallmouth. Big Lake out produces west grand lake for smallies. Late August for smallmouth is prime with-out the black flys.

You'll do good for smallies in june - just bring some 100% DEET and netting. A little wind on the lake will make it more tolerable.

Roland---

PS- Check out Bob Uphams flies at the Pine Tree Store.