August 27, 2013 – fishing report

August 27, 2013

Low and slow is how we describe the end of  August. All the rivers are at their lowest flows of the season except for the Magalloway. Upper dam is at 120 cfs and middle dam is at 400 cfs. The good news is that the water temps are cooler than usual for this time of year. Cooler water temps are real important in keeping fish healthy through the summer. I was at a pool the other day that I had never before been able to see the bottom of, but this year I could look right to it’s deepest point and see the salmon comfortably hanging out around the rocks. The good thing about low water is that you can explore the pools and note the structure that will hold fish when the flows return to normal, sometimes you can even retrieve flies off snags. The Mag has a lot of fish in it, but they are getting harder to catch. As  more fish move up the river in Sept. they will not be as hard to fool as the summer residents, but for now stick with the small nymphs that I have talked about in past reports. What you can do in this slow time is prepare for when the fishing improves. Sinking line and streamers are important in the fall so make sure you are ready. Leaky waders in July aren’t but a nuisance but it can be a real problem in the end of Sept. when it is cold. Bright colored streamers and leaches are standard patterns in the fall when the fish are spawning and aggressive. Midges are very important in the fall also and I will talk about them in future reports. On our facebook page in Sept. I will be sharing “fall favorite flies” and asking people to share their favorite patterns. We also  have all our casting streamers and tandems in our online store at www.rangeleyflyshop.com. They will be running rafting water at the Mag again this week end between 10 am and 3 pm.

Brett