The first brookie of the afternoon.
The Pleasant River is a relatively short stream which originates in Gray and merges with the Presumpscot River near South Windham. The stretch I am targeting this afternoon flows upstream from the bridge on Windham Center Road in Windham (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 D2). Other good fishing areas flow between Windham Center Road and the Pope Road bridge (behind the Windham high school), and the stretch downstream from Pope Road. It and I are ancient friends as I have been visiting these waters on and off for over 25 years. It is remarkable how few people have discovered this place, given its central location close to several large population centers in southern Maine. I do not remember ever bumping into more than 3 or 4 people during any one outing. In fact, I see no one else during today’s trip even though it is a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in late spring, which is prime time for trout fishing!
I focus my efforts on the pools.
The stretch of the Pleasant River upstream of the Windham Center Road is 20-40 ft wide. Even though it flows through busy Windham, the surrounding area has a definite “remote” feel to it which I personally deeply enjoy. The river moves mostly through an intact riparian corridor which provides much shade from the overhanging trees and branches. Some of the white pines growing along the shoreline are massive and ancient-looking and must be well over 100 years old. The river shows multiple personalities, consisting of long and deep slow-flowing pools, swift runs, and shallow riffles. Depending on the location, the substrate may consist of a combination of bedrock, silt, coarse sand, gravel/cobble, or boulders. One “negative” is the obvious intense scouring that takes place along its entire shoreline. The banks are deeply eroded with multiple toppled trees, the surface water has a permanent cloudy look to it even under base flow, and all the substrate is covered with a fine layer of silt. It is a “flashy” river that becomes a muddy mess during high flow events. The State stocks it several times throughout the spring with a combined total of about 2,500 brown trout and brook trout measuring 9 to 12 inches. Be aware of the strict rules that pertain to this stretch of water, as follows: (a) fishing is permitted from April 1 to November 30; (b) only artificial lures are allowed, and (c) all trout must be released alive at once. I see bobbers hanging from branches and earthworm containers on the ground which shows that some people are not following the rules…
The brown trout are decidedly of a smaller size.
I arrive at the Pleasant River flowing underneath the Windham Center Road bridge at 3:45 pm, put on my waders and wading boots, grab my ultralight spinning rod, and walk down towards the water. I start fishing at the large pool just downstream of the bridge. Everyone does the same because that pool always produces, and today is no exception. I quickly land two brookies which fall for a #2 Mepps spinner. However, do not make the mistake of getting stuck at this location because so much more water is available to explore further upstream! I will add that this pool is a great spot for fly fishing. Few other places on this river lend themselves to dry flying or nymphing on account of the closed canopy and its multiple overhanging branches. Besides, the excessive siltation severely degrades the quality of the substrate habitat needed to sustain a healthy bug community. I have rarely seen rises and the bugs are few and far apart, except for mosquitos of which there are a trillion!!
The brookies are my all-time favorites!
I slowly wade my way upstream, focusing my angling efforts on the deeper pools and mostly bypassing the riffles and runs. The pools are 2 to 5 ft. deep and provide great fish holding habitat. However, I find wading to be a challenge because the banks are steep, the silty boulders are slippery, and this stretch of river is choked with multiple fallen trees. But the trout are at their post and eager to bite. I land a total of ten brook trout and brown trout measuring between 9 and 11 inches. That is the going rate for the Pleasant River: quantity but little quality. In fact, the largest fish I have ever caught in here measured 14 inches. The river is unable to hold trout year-over-year so that anglers will only catch this year’s stockers. Regardless, I truly enjoy my time alone in the water trying to fool the trout and highly recommend a spring visit. Just make sure to bring plenty of bug dope to ward of the hordes of mosquitos that will pester the angler in late May-early June.
The results: I caught a total of 10 brook trout and brown trout in 2 hours of fun wader fishing.
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