I used my paddle to push the 21-foot-long Maine Freighter canoe away from the dock and motored along the shoreline of a small lake. Ice had been out for a week, but patches of snow still lingered in shaded areas, and temperatures hovered in the low 50s.
My boat buddy in the bow cast out a favorite minnow-imitating streamer, a Magog Smelt, while the center angler trolled a small lure on the opposite side.
I made a couple of false casts with my 4-weight Powell fly rod and sailed a vividly hued fly about 30 feet behind the canoe. I lowered the rod tip and gave a couple of wrist flicks to add action.
The response was immediate.
A solid strike.
I set the hook, slipped the motor into neutral and, after a brief but wonderful tug-of-war, slid the net under a brightly spotted 13-inch brook trout.
We had traveled maybe 50 yards.
Forty-five minutes later, after circling the pond, I had caught and released eight trout and missed two more. My friend in the bow landed two. The center angler managed one.
I suggested a change.
The bow angler swapped out his Black-Nosed Dace for a bright attractor pattern. The center angler picked up my backup fly rod, already rigged with one.
During our second trip around, both anglers enjoyed more strikes and more trout to the net.
A week later, on a different waterway with the same canoe and one of the same partners, we saw the same results. One angler tied on a Magog Smelt, the other a Black-Nosed Dace. I fished another bright attractor pattern.
Once again, my fly produced noticeably more action.
When they finally switched, their results improved as well.
While much of Maine is seeing early signs of spring, Aroostook County still feels like winter. Temperatures are trending higher, snow levels are dropping and daylight stretches a bit longer each week. After a long stretch of hare hunting and ice fishing, I’ve spent more time at the fly-tying vise to stave off cabin fever and prepare for open water.
As I repair, rebuild and tie new flies, I think ahead to the coming season. Spring ice-out trolling and casting has proven, in my experience, to offer the most consistent action and often the largest fish of the open-water season.
The last several springs have provided outstanding fly-rod action, not because I’ve changed locations, altered techniques or simply gotten lucky.
It’s because I’ve changed fly patterns.
After years of sharing a canoe or wading the same waters with friends and acquaintances, it became clear that most anglers rely on the same tried-and-true streamer patterns. Ask a group of experienced fly casters for their top 10 favorites and you’ll likely hear many of the same names.
My father used to ask anglers a simple question: What is the most productive fly pattern?
Answers varied. His reply never did.
It’s the one you use the most.
There’s truth in that, but it can also keep anglers stuck in a rut.
Patterns like Gray Ghost, Black-Nosed Dace, Nine-Three and Warden’s Worry all imitate baitfish. They work, but they’re not always the best option.
Unless I’m fishing a waterway during an active smelt run, I steer away from baitfish imitations and turn to bright, flashy attractor patterns.
My top three are Little Brook Trout, Ouananiche Sunset and Blue Devil.
Most anglers I fish with don’t even carry them.
My second tier includes Parma Belle, Red and White Special, Morning Glory and Chief Needahbeh, a pattern created in Greenville that remains unfamiliar to many anglers.
Time after time, one of these brighter streamers will outproduce traditional patterns by four- or five-to-one when fished from the same boat over the same water.
And when I can convince a fishing partner to make the switch, their success almost always improves.
During April and May, whether wading or trolling streamers, I use a sinking-tip fly line. This approach has consistently increased success over many trips with many fishing partners.
Ice-out conditions often mean stained water and floating debris. Bright flies are simply easier for fish to see. In the fall, when trout and salmon are aggressive, they often strike bright patterns more readily than drab ones.
Unless you tie your own flies, or know someone who does, finding well-made versions of these patterns can be a challenge. I’d recommend these patterns in sizes 6, 8 and 10 on 2X or 3X long hooks for small ponds or brooks. These same patterns can also be tied as tandem streamers for lakes and rivers.
Even for novice tiers, these patterns are not overly difficult to tie. Late winter is a good time to spend a few evenings at the vise and prepare for spring.
Don’t take my word for how effective attractor patterns can be for spring and fall fly fishing. Even my closest friends had to be convinced. Prove it to yourself and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
By the way, any fly that doesn’t produce within 30 minutes should be changed.
