A GORP Content Partner Adapted from Fishing Maine by Tom Seymour

Brook Trout and Baxter State Park

Maine has more brook trout waters than any other state. Salvelinus fontinalis, or brook trout, are fish of cold, well-oxygenated waters. Because so much of Maine is rural, and so many lakes, rivers, and streams are in near-pristine condition, Maine represents the last frontier for native brook trout. In all but the southern sections of Maine, most streams and brooks that do not run dry in summer hold populations of native brook trout.

Brook trout vary in size according to the waters in which they live. A mature fish from a large lake may be 18 inches long, while another fish of the same age living in a tiny brook may be only 8 inches long. The largest brook trout taken in Maine weighed 8.5 pounds, but specimens half that size are considered trophies. Many small streams hold populations of stunted trout, with 8-inch fish considered a good size and fish of 12 or more inches giants. The largest brook trout come from lakes and ponds, where 3- and 4-pound fish cruise rocky shorelines in search of minnows. Anglers intent upon taking trophy fish should take notice of those ponds that are strictly regulated as part of the Quality Fishing Initiative, because these will produce the largest brook trout. Check the current Maine open water fishing regulations for the locations of these waters.

Brook trout are dogged battlers. Unlike brown trout or landlocked salmon, brook trout seldom jump, although they do splash on the surface when hooked. Brookies make short but spirited runs and then settle down to slug it out in deep water. Most brook trout spend their entire lives in fresh water but will migrate to salt water if allowed the opportunity. Anadromous or sea-run brook trout usually ascend brooks, rivers, and streams in early spring. In fact, sea-run brook trout provide Maine's earliest open water fishing.

Streams and rivers that are not dammed usually host runs of anadromous brookies. Even the tiniest brooks, the kind that all but dry up in summer, will see a run of brilliantly colored brook trout in early- to mid-April.

Fishing these tiny brooks is sometimes difficult. Alders and raspberry bushes line the banks and casting is almost impossible. Although sea-run brook trout will hit flies and other artificials, the easiest way to go about it is to use an ultralight spinning outfit and worms as bait.

These little trout can be skittery to the extreme, so the brook fisher must sometimes creep about on hands and knees in order to prevent a shadow from spooking the fish. Sometimes the only way to get a bait into a pool is to stick your rod through an opening in the bushes and drop your line straight down. Even if you do hook a fish, it can be difficult to guide it through the ever-present tangle of the brush and limbs.

Sometimes patches of snow still spot the ground in the shady glen where the little sea-run brookies are found. The author has kept his catch fresh by placing a few handfuls of granular snow in his creel and placing the just-caught fish on ice. Fishing for Maine sea-run brook trout in April presents some interesting paradoxes. Where else can you catch brook trout while standing in the snow, within earshot of the surf? Sea-run brook trout can be found in rivers that also hold Atlantic salmon smolt. Because newly arrived sea-run brookies are iridescent, they are sometimes mistaken for salmon smolt. If you are not sure what you have caught, remember that all brook trout have vermiculations on the back and all brook trout have a square tail. Salmon have a forked tail and no vermiculations.

Beaver Flowages
Beavers are ubiquitous in Maine. Though sometimes cursed by landowners, the busy rodents are responsible for creating some fantastic, albeit short-lived brook trout fishing. When beavers dam a stream or brook, the resulting impoundment is called a "beaver flowage." Any native brook trout living in the newly created pond is suddenly faced with an abundance of food and plenty of room to grow. Eventually, tannin leaching from decaying plants renders the water infertile, forcing the trout to move on.

Most beaver flowages are small, usually much less than 10 acres. The fish are easily caught and heavy fishing pressure can wipe out the population in a short time. That is why beaver flowages are such well-kept secrets. Ardent brook trout anglers search far and wide for new flowages, always hoping to strike it rich. And they never, never divulge the location of a prime flowage.

You can find your own personal brook trout haven if you are willing to expend enough time and energy. The hours of tramping through alder jungles will be forgotten when you first behold wild brook trout dimpling the surface of some remote flowage and realize that you are the only person who knows of its existence. Treat such flowages with respect, for they are special places. Penobscot, Piscataquis, Aroostook, and Washington counties are all worth exploring for flowages.

Techniques
Spin fishing - An ultralight spinning outfit is perfect for brook trout fishing. Use from 2-to 4-pound test lines, since the light line will not scare the fish as would a heavier line and you will be able to make longer casts. Most Maine anglers favor a one-piece rod simply because it is usually shorter than the two-piece types, making it easier to tote along brushy streams and brooks.

One of the best spinning lures for brook trout is shaped like a small minnow and is called a goldfish by several manufacturers. This lure is of a simple, basic design, but it is a real brook trout killer. Use this lure in streams or ponds. If fishing a stream, cast upstream and reel slowly as the spoon is carried downstream with the current. When fishing ponds, cast out as far as you can and let the spoon settle to the bottom. Reel in slowly, imparting action with the tip of your rod. This lure is especially good early in the season.

Small spinners such as the Mepps series are effective on brook trout. These are best used in streams and rivers. As with the goldfish lure, reel in slowly, allowing the current to take your spinner where it may. You may want to bend the barbs down on the hooks of your spinning lures to make it easier to release fish.

The Super-Duper is another old-time favorite of Maine brook trout anglers. This odd-shaped lure is good for ponds, streams, and especially beaver flowages. Use the smallest, lightest Super-Duper you can find and fish it slowly.

Fly casting - Fly casting for brook trout is the most enjoyable and rewarding method of all. Unless you are fishing a big lake on a windy day, use the lightest rod you can find. A 7.5- or 8-foot, 3- to 5-weight rod is a pleasure to use and provides the most sport.

Brook trout are not terribly leader-shy, so a 9-foot leader with a 3-pound test tippet is about right for most situations. Brook trout are not usually as selective as brown trout, although at times they can drive you to the brink of frustration. While most brook trout are taken on underwater offerings, brookies do feed on the surface. Brook trout can also be "pounded up" with attractor patterns such as the royal coachman and Adams. You should stock some caddis patterns, as well as dun variants and blue-winged olives in a variety of sizes. The best time to take brookies on dry flies is in the morning and evening hours. Brook trout sometimes feed on the surface during the day, especially in shaded sections of ponds and streams and on overcast or rainy days. If you are fishing with bucktails or nymphs from a boat or canoe, always keep a separate fly rod strung up with a dry-fly attractor pattern. That way, you will be ready to present a surface offering should surface activity commence.

Nymph fishers take their share of brookies too. Again, pattern is not especially important. The author has pared his nymph fishing down to one pattern, the soft-hackle fly. These simple flies, in various shades and sizes, are very effective on not only brook trout, but all salmonids. A sinking fly line, long leader, and 2- to 3-pound test tippet will round out your outfit.

Bucktails and streamers are popular brook-trout flies, with bucktails taking the edge in fish appeal. Bucktails, hair-wing flies tied on size 6, 8, and 10 hooks, are realistic minnow imitations. Popular patterns include red-and-white, Edson tiger light, Edson tiger dark, gray ghost, Jerry's Smelt, any of the Thunder Creek series, and muddler minnows.

Just after ice-out, bucktails can be used to take brook trout by trolling. Troll in a zig-zag pattern, not more than 50 feet from the shore. It is important that you go slow and impart plenty of action to your fly. Bucktails can be used in conjunction with dodgers to take brook trout. Use a 5- or 6-inch leader between the fly and the dodger.

Bait fishing - In early spring a can of earthworms, an ultralight spinning outfit, and a small stream spell brook trout fishing for many Maine anglers. At this time of year, trout are sluggish because of the influx of super-chilled water from snowmelt. Spring freshets wash earthworms and other land-based food forms into the trout's habitat so the fish are attuned to feeding on worms. A meal of fresh brook trout, coupled with a plate of steamed fiddleheads (the immature fronds of the ostrich fern) is a rite of spring for Maine folk.

Using a size 8 or 10 barbless hook, lightly impale one or two earthworms so they dangle. Do not ball the worm up on the hook. If you must use a sinker, use only one size b.b. split shot, about 10 inches above the hook. Do not use a swivel or any other terminal gear. You want your offering to appear as natural as possible. If fishing a brook or stream, cast upstream and let your offering float downstream. Keep your line tight enough to detect a take but don't impart any artificial action.

You can fish ponds from the shore, using worms. Cast out and let your bait sink to the bottom. Slowly retrieve it in short increments. You might use two rods, letting one worm sit on the bottom while you slowly retrieve the other. In early spring, search for sandy bottom on the south side of a pond or lake. The trout will be here now, taking advantage of the warm mini-climate created by the sun's rays.

Ice fishing - Brook trout are willing feeders in winter. Tip-ups, baited with small minnows or earthworms, are standard fare. Brook trout bite so well through the ice that many trout ponds are closed to ice-fishing. In general, trout bite best in the early part of the season.

Set your tip-ups out in no more than 20 feet of water. When you get a flag, make haste to attend your tip-up. Carefully watch the underwater spool for signs of movement but don't pick it up until you are sure the fish has a solid hold on the bait. Any undue pressure before the fish is ready to be hooked will cause the fish to drop the bait and depart.

Best bets for Maine brook trout: Prestile Stream, Site 80; Moose River, Site 68; Rangeley Lake, Site 14; and Swan Lake, Site 31.

Baxter State Park

Key Species: brook trout
Best Way to Fish: wading, bank, canoe
Best Time to Fish: May through September
MAG: 50 and 51

Description: 202,539-acre Baxter State Park is sometimes called the last stronghold for native eastern brook trout, although the same could be said about the entire state of Maine. Former Maine governor Percival P. Baxter purchased this land and gave it to the people of Maine, as a part of their heritage to be kept forever wild. Baxter gets crowded in summer and campgrounds are often packed, so you should reserve a campsite well in advance.

In spite of the large number of visitors, Baxter State Park is still truly wild. Roads, trails, and campgrounds cover only a small percentage of this vast area, and all of Maine's wildlife species are found in profusion. Moose, white-tailed deer, black bear, and eagles thrive in the remote splendor of the park. Since hunting is barred in most of the park, the animals are not particularly afraid of humans. Because of this, be sure to respect the animals' right to peace and tranquillity and do not attempt to come in close contact with any wildlife.

The speed limit on the park's unpaved roads is 20 miles per hour. No gasoline or other amenities are available within the park. You should write to the park authorities and request maps of the area. Special fishing regulations include a ban on motorboats except on Matagamon or Webster lakes and a prohibition on the use of live fish as bait. Dead fish, worms, and salmon eggs are permitted.

Fishing Index: Brook trout anglers will enjoy the great fishing and wilderness atmosphere of Rocky and Round Ponds. Rocky and Round Pounds are easily accessible and hold plenty of brook trout. Fishing from shore or wading is productive. Fly-fishers can take brookies on dry flies, including hairwing royal coachman, Adams, Mosquito, caddis patterns, and small dun variants. Nymphs, small woolly buggers, and small leech patterns are also effective, as are size 10 bucktails such as Edson tiger light, black-nosed dace, and red-and-white. Small spinners can be used effectively here and non-fly fishers take trout on worms. May, June, and early July offer the best fishing in these ponds. Rocky and Round Ponds are perfect choices to take children fishing.

Next, you can take fish all summer in Nesowadnehunk Stream, a fly-fishing-only water. The lower reaches of this stream contain landlocked salmon as well as brook trout, so carry a few Jerry's smelt for the salmon. Daicey Pond, along the Appalachian Trail, is another fly-fishing-only water. You can rent cabins on this beautiful pond if you contact the park authorities. July sees some of the best dry-fly fishing of the year on Daicey Pond.

Directions: From Millinocket, follow signs for Baxter State Park. This leads you to the park entrance at Togue Pond. Bear left after passing the checkpoint and at about 1 mile, you will see Round Pond on the right and Rocky Pond on the left. At about 8 miles up the road you will cross the Appalachian Trail, leading into Daicey Pond. About 3 miles after that, Nesowadnehunk Stream bounds the road on the left.

For more information: Contact Baxter State Park.

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