5 Best Flies for Trout in Maine

Caddisflies are abundant across Maine's freestone rivers and remote streams, and the Elk Hair Caddis is the most reliable dry fly imitation from May through September. On the Kennebago River, where brook trout and landlocked salmon share the water, the Elk Hair Caddis produces on both species during evening emergences. Tan and olive cover the most common Maine caddis.

On the West Branch Penobscot's faster, rockier stretches, the Elk Hair Caddis is also highly effective prospecting water between hatches. Its high float and visibility in foam-flecked pocket water make it the searching dry for Maine's varied river character.

The Hornberg is the quintessential Maine fly - originated in the state, tied in a style unique to the region, and wildly effective on Maine's wild trout and landlocked salmon. Its distinctive mallard flank wing and silver-bodied profile allow it to fish as either a dry fly or a wet fly, making it the most versatile pattern in the Maine angler's box.

Fished as a dry fly with the wings spread, the Hornberg suggests a caddis or stonefly. Fished wet on a swung or stripped presentation, it imitates a small baitfish or large insect. Maine's brook trout in remote ponds and streams respond to both approaches, and the fly's proven effectiveness on landlocked salmon adds to its essential status.

On Maine's remote freestone rivers and the connecting streams between wilderness ponds, the Parachute Adams is the all-purpose searching dry that covers every situation when you don't know what the fish are eating. Wild brook trout in remote Maine water see limited pressure and will rise readily to a well-presented Adams throughout the season.

On the Rapid River and Roach River, where landlocked salmon and brook trout share the water, the Adams is also an effective prospecting dry during periods when specific hatches aren't occurring. Its visibility and buoyancy suit the moderate to fast currents typical of these rivers.

Maine's spring-fed rivers have excellent populations of mayfly nymphs throughout the season, and the Pheasant Tail Nymph is the subsurface staple that produces when fish are feeding below the surface. On the West Branch Penobscot, where big landlocked salmon and brown trout hold in the deep runs below Ripogenus Dam, a bead-head PT Nymph fished deep on a tight line or indicator rig is a consistent producer.

On the Kennebago and Rapid rivers, where current is faster and the water has more character, a bead-head PT Nymph fished in a dry-dropper rig covers both surface and subsurface feeding zones simultaneously - an efficient approach for Maine's rivers where fish can be spread across the water column.

The Mickey Finn is a classic Maine attractor streamer - its bold red and yellow bucktail combination is bright enough to be seen in Maine's tannic, tea-colored water and triggers the predatory response of both wild brook trout and landlocked salmon. It was developed as a smelt imitation and is one of the most recognizable patterns in the Maine fly fishing tradition.

On the Rapid River and Roach River, stripped through the deep pools where landlocked salmon hold, the Mickey Finn is one of the most effective salmon streamers available. On remote brook trout ponds fished from a canoe, casting toward the shoreline and stripping the fly back through the shallows produces spectacular strikes from large brookies.