fly fishing weekend 2026

A dream of mine has been to host small groups for fly fishing instruction at our small studio and yurts in Bethel, Maine. This past weekend that dream became a reality! I got together with fellow registered Maine guides John (Johnny) Scangas and Mike Jones. We came up with a curriculum focused on making the beginner - intermediate fly fisherman more successful, less intimidated, and prepared for most fly fishing circumstances.

The weekend started off with with a 3pm checkin on Friday. I was onsite from 3-5pm to help attendees settle in and find their yurt. Than we met for a guide cooked breakfast at the gallery at 8:30am Saturday morning. Class started at 9am, we broke for another guide cooked lunch at 12. Than more classes, followed by outside casting instruction around 2pm, and a class wrap up at 5pm (we ran over a bit!).

Kielbasa Hoagies for the win!

Johnny diving into the details

Mike getting in depth with dry flies

Maine guide and casting instructor Mike Jones imparting his casting knowledge

Johnny always putting in time with clients, even when class is not in session

Simplifying entomology

We focused on the basics of fly fishing, bug simplification, tactics, rigging, leader setup, breaking down water, safety, ethics, and so much more.

On Sunday we met for a second guide breakfast at the gallery. We gathered our thoughts and gear and headed to the river. Me, Johnny, and Mike split into three groups. I instructed on streamer fishing, Johnny on nymphing, and Mike dry fly. This gave us the ability to make the groups smaller and really dissect the nuances of each fly fishing tactic and give more hands on training. The ability to see the differences going from one group to the other was a huge benefit for the attendees! You could see their skills and understanding improve in the time we spent together!

I cannot say enough about the group we had! They were a group that were eager to learn, did not hesitate to ask questions, and formed a sense of camaraderie! I continue to be amazed at the people I meet through fly fishing. The close friends I have made simply by being part of this beautiful sport keeps growing. I am happy to say this group only increased that number! Thank you to the awesome Fly Fishing Weekend Group of 2026! You rock!

Knee Surgery, Stoicism, and spring FIshing report

ACL reconstruction and repaired double meniscus tear in November 2025

Probably seems odd to see a photo of my post surgery knee in a fishing report blog? However, it seems fitting from where I am sitting. For those that don’t know, I am a dad to teenagers. Five months ago, as the 2025 guide season was beginning to slow down, I suffered a knee injury. I was playing basketball with my sons Varsity buds and my 44 year old body did not like it. One drive to the basket and me trying to improvise a layup, elevating off the wrong planted foot and presto! Full ACL tear and meniscus tear. I had been playing with a previous injury for two years, but this time I did it in good. But here we are March 23rd and I am 4 months post op! My road to recovery has been amazing. I cannot thank the staff at Maine Health enough. My surgery and rehab have been off the charts. I am at 90% strength and entered the final stage of my rehab (return to sport). Right in time for fishing season prep. But, life is about perspective. Through the tough recovery process I was determined to turn the negative of wrecking my knee into a positive. Enter fly tying and philosophy?

Getting ahead on Hornbergs!

Fire poppers!

A little stoicism

“Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own.”

‍ ‍-Marcus Aurelius

“Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will, then your life will flow well".

-Epictetus

Stoic philosophy……oh boy! But hear me out. In my life I have found some of my largest leaps in personal growth have come at some of my lowest times. Granted there have been much lower points in my life than my knee injury, but I was determined to accept my “fate” and roll with it. Fly tying became my silver lining to recovery. I love to tie and pride myself on being prepared with the needed flies for almost any situation. But time is always at a shortage, so my desire to be a fly tying work horse in the winter is not always a reality. However, now I found myself with nothing but time on my hands. I was non weight bearing for the first 6 weeks on my right leg. So aside from rehab, getting to bed, and the bathroom, I was in a recliner most of the time. But I started a list of the most important flies I needed for the 2026 season. I burnt through that list quickly and started tying flies I always wanted to but never did. My mind stayed off the negative and was seated in the positive. I was somehow moving forward even though physically it seemed like I wasn’t

Tube Sock Fly

Now it is the end of March. I am doing inventory of fly lines, reels, fixing broken rods, stocking up on tippet, and organizing the fly boxes. I feel a sense of gratitude as I do it. Grateful to be physically capable to guide this year. Just so lucky and blessed. But looking forward to the 2026 season what should you look for?

April fishing

As many remember 2025 brought severe drought to Maine. We still are not out of the woods yet. Hopefully our snowpack melts slowly and we have a nice steady supply of rain through the summer. April is a tough month to plan fishing trips in Maine. Due to flows being unpredictable and water temps being low, the fishing can be great or it can be challenging. However, if you are a trophy hunter for trout than this is the month for you! The conditions have to align perfectly, but when they do, this is when we catch our largest trout of the year. In April the three most important factors are flow, clarity, and temperature. Often in April fly fisherman are looking for that nice warm day to enjoy the river. Granted after a long winter this is a nice reprieve. However, this is not always the day that will show the best fishing. In early spring even a 2-3 degree spike in water temperature will bump a trout’s metabolism. The problem with a super warm day is it often lowers the river water temp. This is due to excessive snow melt. This is where knowing a guide can be very helpful. They have an intimate relationship with their rivers and tributaries and understand the nuances of flow, clarity, and temp. It is not something that a USGS site can tell you. Whether the clarity will improve during the day or the river will spike in temp, or drop in temp, etc. But a guide through countless days on the water can have almost a sixth sense. When all 3 factors (flow, clarity, temp) align it can make for a very, very exciting day. Beware though, success in April is not always measured by the number of fish you catch but the size! Streamer fishing is the name of the game, in Maines large rivers, in early spring. It is fun for those that enjoy bombing the bank with meat and looking for that reactionary bite!

April Brown Trout taken on a circus peanut

May fishing

May marks a change in spring fishing. Typically water temps have stabilized. The trout are in the optimal metabolic window and have put the feedbag on. This is also when frogs are migrating back from their winter muddy homes (think smallmouth). Plus pike are coming off the spawn and looking to put weight back on! However, in the trout world May is when you will start seeing your first bugs of significance flying around. Hendricksons start making an appearance, followed by sporadic caddis. This is a fun time of year because you need to be prepared for everything. You never know what you will encounter on the river in May. Streamers, dries, nymphs, and emergers are all possibilities. For those looking to plan a trip May-June typically starts to be more predictable flow and clarity wise as well. It is a great time to be on the water and in nature!

June Fishing

June is the unofficial beginning of summer. On the Androscoggin and many other rivers in Maine, it can be a great trout month. I suggest those looking to trout fish in June, shoot for the first 2, maybe 3 weeks. On the Androscoggin River we normally start seeing water temps touching 70 degrees toward the end of this month. This is when we make the full transition from offering trout trips, to only smallmouth trips. As the water starts flirty with 70 degrees the smallmouth sections of the Androscoggin turn into topwater, fly fishing heaven. As I say when the dog days of summer hit, “save a trout, catch a smallie”. This is when it begins. However, discussing July and smallmouth is………….to be continued! Next blog.

Get out there!

I hope as spring fishing is approaching, you are as excited as I am! A new season brings about that sense of discovery again. The trees spring buds, fiddleheads peak through the surface, rainbow trout focus on the next generation, and green becomes the new color of the outdoors. What a great time to…. in the paraphrased words of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus, “Love the hand that fate has dealt you……..so……..then your life will flow well”.

-Alex

Fly Fishing Seminar weekend

Fly Fishing weekend

April 10-12

A weekend focusing on all things fly fishing. Held April 10th-12th 2026. The weekend kicks of Friday with a 3pm checkin time at Western Maine Yurts. You will be met by Alex to settle into your yurt and get a lay of the land. Onsite seminars and instruction will be held at the Gallery/Studio. Classes kick off Saturday morning and are held throughout the day. Breakfast and lunch is included. Once the day ends (early evening) fisherman are encouraged to explore the fine dining that bethel has to offer. Sunday morning starts back off with breakfast and more seminars until noon. With on water training, weather permitting.

Classes are taught by Register Maine Guides. Most weekends will feature 2-3 different guides. Keeping the instruction fun and changing.

The weekend will cover the following topics and more!

• Entomology…. bug basics, what bug is what?

• Reading Water…..where to fish!

• Rigging……untangle how to rig for different fly fishing styles

• Tactics…..what to fish, when and where?

• Casting…..You don’t cast the same for all situations…plus basics!

• Fly Line Selection…..How to navigate this confusing world!

• Ethics…..Do the right thing for the longevity of our sport!

• Safety…..Always important!

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*Class has a 16 person capacity

*Bring your own bedding

This is going to be a blast of a weekend! We will have lots of info to dive into, to help you become a better fly fisherman. Plus a good round of community to start the fishing season! Reach out to secure your spot.

-Alex

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Fly fisherman Magazine

What a pretty shot

Featured in a issue with Blane Chocklett on the cover

If you are so inclined, take a look a the Feb/March issue of Fly Fisherman Magazine! You will find an article written and photographed my Brian Irwin (www.brianirwinmedia.com) featuring me! If I was to have a “young boy dream” being featured in Fly Fisherman Mag would be it. I am very humbled and appreciative of the opportunity to guide Brian and his delightful wife Darcy. I had the joy of hosting them at the yurts for 3 days back in July. We fished for smallmouth bass along the Androscoggin River. I love these waters and I consider them home. There is no happier place for me than to row and guide clients along its endless runs, pools, and diverse structure.

Brian’s photographing is top notch!

As a guide and artist it can be unnerving to be in an article. You never know the true light an article will portray until it is written. I have an appreciation for this because I view writing the same as painting. At least the creative process and evolution that transpires with putting words to meaning. When I paint I often start with a specific vision. However as I start the painting it turns into whatever it wants. With this in mind I waited with anticipation. After what seemed like an eternity the article came out! I must say I was amazed my Brian’s thorough approach to the article. He was able to weave history, fame, conservation, nature, and how special these smallmouth on the Androscoggin really are. Without giving up the specifics of the article all I can say is thanks to those at Fly Fisherman and Brian and Darcy. Oh and go get a copy!!!