Rangeley Region Fishing Report - August 31 2023

It looks like a dry and warm holiday weekend ahead of us. You couldn't ask for better water conditions on the rivers. Flow levels are at June levels and water temps are 58 to 60 in the morning. There are usually no hatches to count on this time of year other then those pesky midges. Some fish have moved into the rivers in preparation for the fall spawning event. Let's talk about fall fishing. There are no dependable hatches to match but there are some bugs around. Midges are of most importance in the fall. If you see swirls or sips but no bugs it is midges being eaten as they emerge in the film. Ants and grasshoppers can be important. The October Caddis is common in some rivers in our area and can be copied as a dry or wet fly. A big light winged caddis and partridge and orange soft hackle work well. Midges can be difficult to match but very exciting if you can figure it out. The flies need to be small (18 and smaller) and pulled under to look like an emerging bug. Flies like Griffith gnat, Mole, dark soft hackle wet flies,Palomino midge and more. More on fall fishing next time.

Brett