North Country Angling: A traditional spring fishing season along the Saco River

It wasn’t long ago when spring fishing season was a time when insulated pants were worn under waders and long sleeve shirts with insulated vest were the staples of early June fishing. There was many a Memorial Day when guides in the rod iced up and a quick fire in the woodstove rewarmed bones after a day on the water.

The last few years have seen winter turn to summer with spring being a speed bump along the way. Just last year we had one of the longest heatwaves in early memory at about this time. Rivers were low in flow and ponds had reached August temperatures. Hatches on the river were prolific. Anglers were catching fish without much effort.