Holdover browns, colored up natives, a decent mountain bite, and action on tide water. With the weather ranging from hot to like early winter, September provided a pile of good options if you were able to follow changing conditions.
The holdover browns continued to provide the rewards that started in the small water in the foothills in August. These weren't big fish by any means, but it's nice to see that the stocking investment yields dividends for more than just a few weeks.
The camera's flash in the dark really popped the yellow on this late biter.
As the month went by, the browns also colored up and added white edges on their fins
Summer hung on for much in the month in bigger water and lower elevations. Few trout showed up here, but the warm water fish took up the slack. It was obvious that this guy could have swallowed the reel on my 3-weight in one bite.
It was also apparent that the fish's runs exposed flaws in my line control.
I also spotted a chipmunk making a swim for it (in the middle of the pic), but from what I've read since, it's not all that uncommon.
The colors started early in mountains.
The fish continued to cooperate, with most falling for an emerger or soft hackle trailed behind an EHC or Parachute Adams.
There were times when I couldn't crack the high ground code. There were some true mountain pool monsters in this hole, browns with spots bigger than dimes and 'bows with eye-popping crimson stripes. The deep water and unstable banks made for a complicated approach at best. I threw everything I had at them without a look, until one tipped up and nudged my partridge and orange at dusk. My set was a full whiff, and ended the action for the evening. The distance between that fish's dorsal and tail fins told me a bunch....20" and more...one I'd love to have back
By late month, the colors closer to the coast began to burst.
Low water was a consistent complication, that somewhat limited success. It seems to be a recurring theme in recent Falls. These pictures span a variety of locations and different types of water.
The last pic of low water above is an Androscoggin River trib that often pulls in some bigger river run fish right to the base of the escarpment. As can be seen, no water or upbound big boys and gals this year. If one thing was hurt the most by the lack of water, it was the lake and river run fish, but there's still time!
With a bit of footpower (about a mile off Old Mill Road and a mile downstream), I found a few pools close to the coast with enough groundwater seep and gradient to hold some fine natives. I have to say that the 2nd pic here is one of those rare ones that does a fish justice.
There's worse ways to pass the day than with few chunky stockies in a scenic spot, and I fit a bit of that in.
No Fall would be complete without a few shots at tide water. Stripers cooperated in the dark on ebb tides.
I hoped to tie into a few big white catfish with the stripers, but they proved to be a elusive.
On to October, hopefully better flows and bigger trout and salmon on the move
