Hermit Island, ME

[cravin'salt]

I am headed to Hermit Island with the family next week.
Never Been there, fairly new to saltwater flyfishing. Can anybody offer advice on locations, tactics, flies, this time of year?? I'll be shorebound with only waders. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cravin'salt from VT

[DuffyB]

Originally Posted by cravin'salt

I am headed to Hermit Island with the family next week.
Never Been there, fairly new to saltwater flyfishing. Can anybody offer advice on locations, tactics, flies, this time of year?? I'll be shorebound with only waders. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cravin'salt from VT

Any of the rocky points could hold fish. Best bet might be at Popham beach at the mouth of the Kennebec. Go to the point right in front of the fort. Cast a little up current with sinking line, strip enough to maintain contact and put a little action on and hold on! Clousers and deceivers should do the trick!

DuffyB

[adson]

if you want to try on the island I would start with the channel between the main island and gooseberry but you will need a sinking line to get down deeper.

after that I would take a trip down to the other end of the island ( sanddollar beach? ) and try some of the points as you work your way back along some of those beaches that you can only walk in to... ( can't remember their names)

I have also heard there is decent wading around the mouth of the Morse river

[FlyFishKid]

I used to fish off the beach where you enter. I now forget the name of it but its the one by the gift shop. If you walk up the rocks by the kelp shed with a white/olive clouser you will probably get some nice bass. Sinking line would be best. And if you do go on those rocks, be careful I've fallen alot on them.

[cravin'salt]

thanks for the advice everyone...I leave sunday, hoping for decent weather.

[fly_fool]

You're in great striper country. I suggest an intermediate line, even from the rocks, as a sink tip line tends to get your fly caught in the seaweed growing below the waterline. A lot of fish hang just off the rocks. It's is fun to cast into a cresting wave and let it wash your fly back into the deeper water. Keep contact with your fly and you will get hits right in front of you. Keep moving, and casting to holes and structure. It's almost like trout fishing. I like a medium - large surf on the rocks, but watch out for the occasional big one! The rocks are rough, so wear decent shoes. (I often wear my studded wading boots, but waders only if it is cold) I also like using a stripping basket, but otherwise travel light.
Take a ride to Ft. Popham, and if you have time, work the beach all the way around the mouth of the Kennebec to the Morse River. (Look at the Kennebec Page of FlyFishingOnly.com for a great arial view) This is tougher work in a medium (2') surf. Wear a rain coat over your waders and remember, you can't outrun the wave!
You might also rent a kayak and check out Totman Cove. Then you will want a sink tip line.
Good luck.

[boba]

I wish I had seen this earlier. I caught my first mackeral, first pollock and first lobster at Hermit long ago as a child off their floating dock. I haven't fished there in 45 years and wonder how it's changed. At this point, you have been there and back. Any luck?

[cravin'salt]

Well, it took me a while to get back on here....but the trip was great. I caught a striper on my first cast! I caught around 40 stripers the whole trip, schoolies...all early morning from the rocks right near the campground..on clousers and big decievers..the biggest fish caught was 21"..but some very BIG bass followed the big decievers right to my feet, but never hit.
I met a very friendly chap on the beach with an extra kayak who invited me to go with him out to the other side of a rocky island to fish a spot he had been nailing them....we went and caught a few...but then when we were getting back in the boats they started blitzing and we each caught a bunch from the kayaks just drifitng off this rocky island. At one point I had what felt like a huge fish...and when it came up...it was a seal with the hooked fish in its mouth!!! That doesn't happen in VT!! Very exciting.
I didn't get to fish the mouth of the kennebec...but it looks incredible...I gotta get back there next year.
I'm headed to the cape next week to fish with a friend for the day...maybe I can hook up with one of those monsters
Good fishing.

[Mag Minnow]

Glad you did well at Hermit(Misquito as my kid's cal it) Island. I've had limited success with small metals. same story though...No big fish.