I have been doing some design work trying to come up with a good logo. Tell me what you think!!!!!

May offer this in Patches and decals…Tshirts and Hats ????

Region G – Aroostook County

With snowbanks so high that I have difficulty seeing traffic go up Station Hill in Ashland, peering into our crystal ball we will predict that ice out will occur as normal, that being late April in southern Aroostook County and May 8-15 in the remainder of the region. As usual travel in the North Maine Woods area will be subject to the effects of mud season – culvert washouts, frost heaves and unplowed roads that may be full of snow hampering travel to some ponds.

The usual ponds were stocked with fingerling brook trout in fall 2007 and should reward anglers with ice out fishing. These include Deep and Carry lakes in Littleton, Echo Lake and Hanson Brook Lake in Presque Isle and Daigle Pond in New Canada. Spring yearling brook trout will also be stocked in the same waters: Mud Pond and Logan Lake in the Houlton area, Arnold Brook Lake and Monson Pond in central Aroostook, Island Pond and Upper Elbow Pond in the back country.

Improved catches of salmon and smelts in Square Lake this winter should cause optimism for those anglers that have longed for the fast ice out fishing for which the lake was well known. Increased smelt abundance has improved the growth of these salmon. Brook trout fishing in Square Lake has produce nice catches of 14-16 inch fish. As has been the case in past years, anglers will flock to Long Lake looking for the trophy salmon. Mud Brook will be open to smelt dipping again in 2008.

By all reports, trout fishing in the larger streams and rivers was excellent last year and should continue into 2008. The Aroostook River between Caribou and Fort Fairfield, under special regulation, is now known for excellent catches of trout 12-16 inches. The Presque Isle Stream, Prestile Stream, Fish River and Allagash should all offer some decent brook trout as the water drops and warms in late May and early June.

The 2008 Open Water lawbook has been printed and is now available to the public. We would recommend taking the opportunity to read this pamphlet while anglers wait for the snowbanks to recede and the ice to leave their favorite waters.

Finally, the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club’s Sportsman Show is scheduled for April 5-6 at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. This may be the first sign of spring in the County and should offer the public a great opportunity to get ready for the upcoming fishing, boating and camping season.

– David Basley, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Ashland

This box will be auctioned off by Joni over at NAFF to benefit “Casting For A Cure”

For all you folks who were following along. NAFFF held it’s 1st swap of the year. Previuosly linked to here at AFT. The swap came off without a hitch and all the tyers did it impressively.The whole thing came about as it did because Joni Tomich did an incredible job!! Not only to keep it organized, but she made us furled leaders and shared with us some sweet little fly boxes. All in All an increibly enjoyable experience. ( Thanks again Joni!!!)

The Link to the flies:

NAFFF Swap: Wet Flies 2008

It is my intent not to host anymore swaps here for the forseeable future. There are far too many out there in cyberspace that are struggling. Instead I will join the other swaps and report on them here. I am currently involved in swaps at several other sites and the stories are to follow shortly.

In drawing attention to all these other sites I hope to bolster the flytying community. Unification of our diversity is our best defense and greatest strength.

My next posting will be on the “Saltwater Swap” held by The Virtual Flybox. Ken Staples is hosting and I am looking forward to the flies for my wall. Yes that’s what I do with all my swaps, minus the fly I tyed. Framing and matting them for display.

My Go To Fly For Spring……PT NYMPH

At the start of each season every angler must plan for the first day of the season. As a fly angler, that leads to the flybench. What to tye?

Well for me I fall back to the tried and true. I tye nymphs and streamers and wets to get me started. Here are a few of the flies I rely on to get me going each spring.

Nymphs:
1. Pt Nymph
(Natural coloration makes it a killer fly for early season.

2. Prince Nymph
( I think the trout see that white wing thing)

3. Gold Ribbed Hares Ear
( the shine and contrast of a good buggy nymph)

4.Copper John
(Standard red/copper or green, love the shine in muddy or off colored water

5. Muskrat Nymph
(Backup to the PT and Hares Ear.)

6.Stonefly “raffia” nymph
(Several names are attached to this style..all work. Prefer Black and Brown.)

Streamers:
7. BT Slayer
(See Previoius posts for pattern)

8. Joes Smelt
( Sleek design looks good to all trout, and looks very smelt like in the water.)

9. Kennebago Smelt
(The darker smelt pattern of the Kennebago makes it more visible under certain circumstances. the white and yellow add attraction as does the silver shine of the body.)

10. Black Ghost
(Same idea as the Kennebago, darker can be seen better at specific times. This pattern uses more white and less silver shine.)
11. Ripogenus smelt
(In stark contrast the Rip is lighter than most would choose and catches alot of “local” fish)
Wets:
12. Carey Special

(Westfly Photo)
HOOK:sizes 4-10
THREAD: Black
TAIL: Pheasant tail
RIB: Copper wire
BODY: Olive chenile or peacock herl
HACKLE: Pheasant tail

13. Muddler Minnow
The classic hopper minnow, I prefer in gold and browns over other variants.

14. Bergman

(Flikr Photo)

15. Picket Pin
(A Classic wetfly of the old school. Basicly some peacock on a hook, ribbed with a hen hackle, a squirrel tail wing. Monster brookie fly early in the season as the bugs first start surfacing.)

16. Partridge and Yellow
( Standard and neon, a classic mayfly pattern.)

Now your list may vary from these few patterns I have listed, but that is an individual thing. These are just some of the 200+ flies that grace my flybox each spring. Variety is the spice of life, even in flyfishing.

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The warmth has returned to the sun and the snows are melting here and there. It’s mid-march and we need it to be Spring.

The trout are finning away under the ice waiting for us. The tyers are glued to their benches. The icehuts are being pulled from area lakes here and there. The anglers are preparing for open water. The bassers are pouring plastic and tying jigs. The spinner crowd are bending wires and mounting blades. But most are wondering around the local Dicks or Walmart looking for deals and steals. BassPro is on speed dial and Cabelas is their top “favorite” website.

Whether you buy your stuff or make it. Now is the time to get it ready for the swiftly approaching season. Dust off that pole and clan it up. Change the line and wax the guides. If it has anything broken, fix or replace it. The time you spend now is the fishing fun you save later.

This time each year I gather all my gear. Check everything twice and fix anything that I forgot to take care of last year. I even run my vest through the washer. Empty the tackle bags and wash them too. I clean out the tackle box, wipe it out and toss away those dried up crawlers I forgot in their last September.

Among the preparations every angler needs to make is to sharpen those hooks!!!! Now flies are most often lost before they need this. But you lure tossers and baiters need to keep those bits of steel razor sharp. If you hate to sharpen them, just replace them. Now while we are mucking through your tackle try to locate all those lures and reels that gave you trouble last year. Deal with them now.

I know this is scary….. But from me to you. Please take the time to take your kids fishing all you can. These are perilous times for our youth and for our freedoms. Make them part of the Army of Tradition that has preserved these traditions for years. I have put a face to go with this message so you can see…..this is something I truly believe we need to do. So from Me to you… have a great St Patty’s Day..and go fishin’!!!!

In an effort to bring more to this blog. I have added a couple affiliates to the blog to generate income from the site. The purpose of which is to finance the contests and promotions I have planned. I am still working on adding sponsors as they present themselves. But these Affiliate programs offer income at no risk.

Please check out the Disney Promo featured above, and the Bass Pro shops links in the sidebar. I will add more as I can. All proceeds from these two links will be put in a fund to pay for prizes and advertising to promote the Blogs.

Until just recently I never really gave the subgect any real thought. I have always worn a fly vest, probably always will. But I have noticed a trend in the fishing community. People are carrying less, but are carrying a whole lot more. Sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it. But look at the new trends in tackle carrying. Vests are on the way out and “paks” are on the way in. A smaller “pak” is worn front and back and the bulkier vest is given way to a lighter sleeker looking tackle system. The addition of an H20 bladder for hydration. This guy is carrying less, but carrying way more. No more soda bottles in the pouch on your back. An insulated chamber means the H2o will not be “pee-warm”. The drinking tube means no digging through dead trout to drink from a slimey bottle.

This is the William Joseph Exodus. One of the new line of paks that are taking over.

This as you can see is a standard Pflueger vest. The archtypical trouters vest.

Now as I said I am vest wearing flyrod toter from way back. When all of this new stuff started showing up I had to admit I was curious. So I tried some of it on and checked out the pricing and the specifics of what the new gear could do. I immediately took a pass on the “Trout Lanyard” thing. Sorry not into wire and beads made up with tackle tools and clips. Looked like fishing voodoo jewelry. Lost me really quick on that one.

But these “paks” are kinda cool. Albeit a little too “yuppish” for my tastes. But in comparison to a vest I can see how some folks will opt for the “pak” concept. The prices are what keeps me spooked. Gear wise the paks reduce the carryable space, and add a large compartment to the back for the hydration bladder. As I said for me the bladder is the only reason to switch your carrying system.

With that in mind I discovered something at my local Walmart the other day. They sell a hydration “pak” for hikers. It is made out of the same “ballistic nylon web” that most of these other paks are. But is lighter and fits quite nice under my flyvest. No more slimey water bottles. Just nice cool water on my back and no “protrusions” from my chest that the other paks have. These “pouches” just seemed to get in my way when I tried that “pak” at Dick’s. Now I have my trusty Orvis vest and my hydration pak. The Vest was a gift from my wife, so it would have been treacherous to retire it anyway. Oh, the Bell Pak was less than $20.00. Beats 150.00 to 300.00 for the “yuppish” versions.

Tom Remington

You gotta go check out the listerene story on the BB Blog. This gets out and Aroostook County will never smell the same.