The Adventure of Chasing Fish Up the Coast of Maine

Ross Sanner Fly Fishing

There’s nothing quite like the adventure of chasing fish as they swim up the eastern coast of the United States. Each spring, thousands of fisherman flock from all over — the East Coast, the Baltimore area, the Carolinas — to follow striped bass and bluefish as they swim up the coast.

It’s a delicate dance that depends entirely on the weather. The great migration begins as early as March down in the Carolinas, but it can take a few months for the fish to reach Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine. That’s because the bass make their way upstream only once the water begins its climb into warmer temperatures. It’s a long chase from the Carolinas up to Maine, but there along the coastline lie some of the best fishing holes in the world.

Fly fishing for native Landlocked Salmon is another joy that comes with the arrival of spring. As soon as the ice starts to leave the lake in early May, that’s when fly fishing for salmon hits its stride.

One legendary salmon fly-fishing destination is Maine’s Grand Lake Stream, which has been drawing considerable crowds of fishermen since the middle of the 1800s. For nearly two centuries, Maine’s Grand Lake Stream has been a venerable fishing magnet for local and international anglers alike.

Grand Lake Stream is one of the only regions in Maine where you’ll find this landlocked cousin of the Atlantic Salmon, which generally run between 12 and 20 inches. Grand Lake Stream sits right on Grand Lake, a lake with crystal-clear waters and a clean gravel bottom — conditions that make for perfect salmon spawning grounds. Anglers who fish just once are bound to get hooked!

If you don’t have any plans this spring, consider springing for the crisp, clean air as you join in on the chase up the east coast. You can enjoy the great outdoors, fish in some of the most respected fishing spots in the world, and become a part of a hunt that dates back centuries.