Cobb’s Camp, my base of operation for the weekend.
Pierce Pond is a 1650-acre protected gem located in Pierce Pond Township, Somerset County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 30 A2). I have visited this beautiful three-basin lake (Lower Pond, Middle Pond, and Upper Pond) annually for well over 20 years during the long Memorial Day weekend at the end of May. The goal, always, is to catch landlocked Atlantic salmon and brook trout on dry flies during the spectacular mayfly hatches that peak during that period. This year, I wanted to mix things up a bit by fishing on opening day, which on this lake is May 1. I made prior arrangements with Cobb’s Camp to stay in one of their cozy cabins for two nights and spare me the hassle of having to haul out and set up my camping gear.
A quiet moment on Middle Pond. The wind will pick up soon, though…
Trolling is the only way to reliably catch salmonids this early in the spring. Even though the ice came out in mid-April, which was the fourth earliest ice-out on record for Pierce Pond, the water temperature is a chilly 44°F when I launch my boat from Lindsey Cove. The fish are still quite sluggish and the mayflies won’t be hatching for another three weeks or so. I troll with my lead-core line and 8-weight fly fishing rod all day on Saturday May 1 in Lower and Upper Pond but end up short. The wind has been roaring down the length of the lake from the northwest, making for tough and challenging fishing conditions, including 2+ foot white caps. But by the end of the day I have figured out that the fish have not yet moved in the rocky shallows and are interested in a compact single-hook Blue Ghost streamer fly which imitates a small rainbow smelt. I also feel that my trolling speed of between 2 and 2.5 mph is too fast given the conditions.
This gorgeous and powerful landlocked Atlantic salmon fell for the Blue Ghost.
My game plan for today (Sunday) is to troll with my lead core line two to two and a half colors down (about 15 ft. below the surface) over 25-40 ft of water using three one-hook Grey Ghost streamer flies. By the way, I like trolling with three streamer flies tied in tandem because it creates the illusion of a little school of baitfish. I am also slowing down my boat by deploying a large bucket at the back of the boat as a drift sock. After breakfast at camp, I troll my way up through Lower Pond and Middle Pond, gently “ripping” my rod to impart erratic action to the streamer flies below. My speed is down to a more reasonable 1.5 mph but the fish do not seem to be paying any attention to my sincere efforts at catching them. I reach the uppermost island in Middle Pond 1.5 hours later when I get a strong hit and a hook-up. Finally, none too soon!! The fish gives a tremendous fight and refuses to come to the boat. I soon understand why: I foul-hooked an 18″ landlocked salmon which is swimming sideways and refuses to get netted… I have learned over the years to re-troll an area after catching a fish. And that tactic pays off today. Twenty five minutes later, I get a second hookup in the same general area and tussle with a gorgeous 19.5″ landlocked salmon. It looks like I found my strides.
This brookie told me to pay close attention to the vertical cliff. If only I could have landed those four other fish!!
I continue loitering around the island and am now trolling just 25 ft. away from a shear vertical cliff over 40 ft. of water. I get a third hookup, this time by a 15″ brook trout. This particular setup next to the cliff intrigues me. I decide to turn around, motor back up, and retroll the exact same stretch. I get another hit and a hookup! Ahah, that’s a pattern! Meanwhile, the wind has really picked up and is aggressively pushing my boat into the cliff. I cannot immediately fight the fish but have to adjust the engine to stay away from the nearby rocks. That moment of slack line is all it takes for the fish to unhook. Damn! I circle back three more times to retroll the same stretch of water next to the cliff. I hook three more fish but every one of them gets off the hook as soon as I have to futz with the engine on account of the blowing wind and the nearby rocks. This is so frustrating!!! Unfortunately, the moment passes and I fail to get any more bites next to that cliff. Regardless, I leave Pierce Pond a happy camper. The first day of fishing was hard but yielded important clues which I put to good use on the second day. Fear not, we shall meet again in three weeks for more action!
The results: I caught an 18″ and 19.5″ landlocked Atlantic salmon, and a 15″ brook trout in 4 hours of trolling.
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