Mainely Outdoors: Regular rainstorms riling ‘Roostook rivers

A few weeks ago a couple of fishing buddies trailered their 12-foot boat to the Presque Isle boat launch under the Route 1 bridge. Despite unusually high water they launched anyway against better judgment, and 10 minutes later they were loading their boat back on the trailer. Bait casters on a couple of Meduxnekeag pools between Littleton and Houlton that generally produce steady June action from brook trout and brown trout tolerated two fishless hours of casting in high, dirty, debris-filled water before giving up last weekend. Regular rainstorms are really ruining the river and stream fishing so far this spring.
On the plus side, the high water levels and cooling rain will keep the fish spread out and active until a stretch of hot weather causes the trout to school up. Over the next week to 10 days, trolling should be prime on the Aroostook, Meduxnekeag, St. Croix, Fish River and Little Madawaska waterways. Conditions will mimic late May so long as we don’t get inundated with more rain. Dragging streamer flies and medium-sized lures with the current, not against it, ought to offer steady trout strikes.
As to streamer size and color, use single 4X to 6X long hooks in size 2, 4, or 6, not tandem patterns. Flies which imitate bait fish and minnows such as a gray ghost, black nose dace, black and white bucktail, Herb Johnson special and a Nine-Three work well on all local rivers. Attractor patterns are brightly colored flies that seldom resemble any real aquatic bait, but still induce a strike reaction from game fish. Among the most dependable are a red and white bucktail, a counterfeiter, an Ouananiche sunset, a Mickey Finn and a little brook trout.
For some reason plugs such as Rapalas, Yo-Zuri smelt and Mirror Minnows do not draw strikes as well as metal lures. Copper and silver/copper on opposite sides of a Sutton spoon are perennial favorites. An Al’s goldfish, a white Phoebe with red spots, a red and white Dardevle and a copper Mooselook Wobbler continue to hook trout year after year.
A couple of tricks to successful river trolling are to make a series of slow S-turns and to vary the distance flies and let lures drag in the boat wake. I always try a spinning rod and lure with monofilament line, a sinking tip fly line and a floating fly line to assure my baits are running at different depths. In the evening I faithfully have a dry fly outfit rigged and ready too. Occasionally after a warm day there will be a short evening hatch, and the surface action can be hot and heavy for 30 to 60 minutes for the well prepared angler.
Trolling the Aroostook River above and below the Route 1 bridge in Presque Isle remains popular and generally productive, but this stretch does get a lot of attention due to its convenience. I’d suggest a quick drive to Caribou and the launch site upstream of the dam and power station. Then troll back toward Presque Isle giving lots of attention near Prestile, Spring, Hardwood, Richardson and Ginn Brook inlets.
Between Caribou and Fort Fairfield make use of the launch site near Little Madawaska River or the one off Route 161, these are top rate trolling runs. Ashland and Washburn villages each have good boat ramps as well and trolling runs up and downstream are plentiful.
As for the Meduxnekeag, trolling runs are limited, but well worth the effort for the chance at one of the 2- to 5-pound brown trout available in no other flowing waterway in central Aroostook. The Covered Bridge pool and Dow’s hole are prime trolling runs and there are at least two more unnamed high-water pools in-between.
While the farmers have not appreciated the excess rain delaying planting plans, regional fishermen can enjoy an unusually long trolling season thanks to high water levels on local rivers. Get out often while the fast fishing continues and large trout continue to cooperate. Make sure to wear your flotation vest, stow an extra paddle, and have a sturdy anchor and rope, just in case!