America. The land of the free. No matter what is taking place throughout the course of the year, during the Fourth of July and the weeks leading up to it, you can’t help but feel that people have a little more pep in their step. The summer weather is doing its thing, the kids are out of school, and baseball games with cold beers are in full motion. Although every year I get excited for these festivities, this year had some extra anticipation as I was able to spend it fishing and exploring in a place that I had never been : Maine.

So for those of you that read my blog, we have a first here… a fishing trip to the northeastern US. Are we for real? The answer is yes…we are for real, and for the spirit of full transparency, we should’ve been making this a thing a LONG time ago. Can’t tell you how many times I put fishing in this part of the country on the back burner (insert comments of “isn’t it cold up there?”, “isn’t it crowded?”). For this stupidity, I take full accountability, but the joke is on me as turns out Maine is a fishing mecca.

Although our trip to Maine this year was not solely focused on fishing (and was more of a relaxation/outdoor activity priority), I was able to spend some time throwing my 8-weight into the salty goodness of Maine’s coastal waters. While driving throughout the state, it was clear that there was a plethora of trout and bass opportunities to for fresh water (will need to go back for Atlantic Salmon fishing in the spring or fall), but I really wanted to get on some Striped Bass that are known for making an appearance during the summer. Upon immediately arriving at the coast, the water looked fishy and hopes were high.

The fishing for this trip was a DIY mission and not with a guide. With this in mind, my focus on fishing spots was two-fold: find the rocks, and find the breaking water. Although I have not fished a ton for Stripers, my fly fishing experience (especially from shore) over the years has taught me that rocks/structure is forever a friend, and that big fish want to be as lazy as possible when it comes to finding food. Fortunately for me, while on a hike next to the rocky southern Maine shoreline on our second day of the trip, I found some great water with our Striper friends in attendance. With a large white and gray clouser tied on, I proceeded to send out far casts into the crystal clear water and strip extremely fast. After about 30-minutes of nothing, a giant silver flash erupted on my fly about 5-feet away from my rod trip. My first Maine striper. After a great fight with some sketchy dancing on the rocks, I was able to land the fish and get a terrific photo opp from my always fish-accommodating girlfriend in tow.

As what happens usually to me after catching the “target” species I am after, this first Maine striper got my mind racing for how to catch more. This fish reacted to a large fly moving very fast and essentially ate right by my feet where the drop off from the rocks to the deep water took place. Knowing that I would be checking out a new spot the following day, I tied on some stronger leader (the saltwater Stripers definitely seemed to pull harder than some of the freshwater ones that I have run into) and left my large fly on.

The next day, we found an area that was completely different than the day prior. After some research online, we decided to go to a “jetty” where a main river flowed into the ocean that created a large deep trough between the flowing river and the saltwater. There were two large jetties on both side with massive rocks, and the current was ripping. Even better, fish were blowing up on baitfish about 80-90 feet off the jetties, and they were ready to bite. Problem was that the tide window was short, so we didn’t have much time. Fortunately at this spot, were able to hook into another nice Striper and also get on some great Hickory Shad action (a new species for me). For a new area and fishing for only about 2-hours, definitely counted it as a win and made the lobster rolls taste even better for lunch after.

Although the Stripers were definitely the highlight of the fishing time during this trip, would be remised not to call out another fun species I ran into in northern Maine. The pollock. These guys were a blast to catch off the rocks in the arctic-cold water near Acadia National Park, and were extremely eager to attack any yellow-colored fly that could get deep enough for them to see. A sinking line would be highly recommended for these, and definitely would exercise caution on the rocks as waves come in.

To wrap things up here, what a week it was on the Maine coast. Big thanks to my girlfriend for encouraging us to go check it out, and can’t wait to get back up there to see what else is swimming the waters. Grateful that there were some fish willing to cooperate for a first trip up there! Unbelievable food, fishing, and fun.

Tight lines!

Joe