July 13, 2022.
I intended to go fishing just ahead of predicted rain last night to further test the lore about trout being especially vulnerable in crummy weather but as I readied to go nasty thunderstorms were popping up on radar. I decided to wait until morning. Good choice. A nasty front swept by with lightning, hail and heavy rain.
I was on the river by 7:15 the next morning at Satan's Kingdom about a half mile below the Rt 44 bridge. No one there. Bright blue skies. Water was still low despite previous night's storm. We've had very little rain over the past month. Algae turned parts of the river bed bright green. Wading was relatively easy and the low water made it obvious where the best pools were. Not many bugs hatching, even fewer rises.
After about 20 minutes I had a 7-8 inch fish on a foam Caddis of my own making however, he slipped off the barbless hook after just a few seconds. Over the next 2 hours I fished riffles and slow, deep pools getting 6-7 strikes but but only one fish on. I hunted a specific, albeit infrequent riser only to see him too slip off the hook within a few seconds after getting him to pounce on an elk hair.
That makes it 0 for my last 4 or 5 outings. Very discouraging. I've tried early in the AM, dusk, and in the middle of the day. There have been heavy hatches, no hatches, fast water and slow. Time to let the Farmington be for now. Allagash river trip begins in a week. Forecast predicts ample opportunity to test the good-fishing-in-bad-weather idea a bit further.
Now don't be thinking the Allagash will be easy fishing. It isn't very productive but you could try bushwhacking.
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