Acadia Fly Fishing Frequently Asked Questions
Do you provide all gear?
Yes, Sarge provides all the necessary gear. If you would like to use some of your own gear, that is perfectly fine, too. You can talk to Sarge about what he recommends you bring.
If weather causes a cancellation will I be refunded?
Yes, if the weather requires us to cancel a trip, you will be 100% refunded. We honor a 48-hour cancellation policy. In other words, if you cancel within 48 hours or are a no-show to the trip, then we do not return your deposit.
What is pricing, and are the prices per person or per trip?
Prices can be found on the site under "book your experience." The prices are per trip and up to 3 people. A deposit (half the payment) is required upon booking. The second half of the payment can be made on the day of the trip by check, cash, or Venmo.
How do I know what dates are available?
You can see what dates are available on this site. First, click on "book your experience." When you click "book" to the right of each trip option, a calendar will open up. The darker dates are the available ones. Here, you can also choose a starting time (which is occasionally flexible, depending on the week). After you pick a date and time, you follow the prompts and enter your personal information, etc.
What kind of fish can I hope to catch?
From April until June it is possible to fish for Landlocked Salmon, Lake trout, Brown trout, Brook trout, Small and Largemouth Bass.
From Late June/early July until mid-September we target mostly Smallmouth Bass with some Largemouth, Perch, Pickerel, Sunfish, and the occasional Brown trout mixed in.
From mid-September until October 31st the focus goes back towards Salmon, Lake Trout, and Brook trout, with the bass fishing still good through October.
Where are the ponds located?
The ponds are all located on Mount Desert Island, or "MDI". For those of you unfamiliar with MDI, the majority of Acadia National Park is ON the island. Bar Harbor is also a town ON the island.
Most of the ponds are surrounded by Acadia National Park and some are completely inside the park boundaries. Sarge decides which pond to fish based on weather (especially wind strength and which way the wind is blowing; some ponds are more protected) and the group size, experience, and mobility. Most of the ponds are 20-25 minutes from Bar Harbor.
Sarge also fishes some of the greater Hancock County area ponds. If you are staying off the island or interested in expanding your fishing options to off-island, this can be done by request and depends on Sarge's availability.
When should I be hearing from Captain Sarge? How can I contact Captain Sarge directly?
You should be receiving two emails from us: one email with a welcome note and a bit of information when you book, and a second email a week prior to the trip. Sarge will call you within the 24 hours prior to your trip to personally discuss details on where to meet. If you need location information (or have any questions or thoughts) sooner than 24 hours, we can email about it at acadiaflyfishing@gmail.com. All emails are discussed with Sarge.
Sarge runs deep sea fishing charters and sailing charters, as well as fly fishing charters. He is a busy man. He would love to answer or return every phone call he receives, but he has realized that this is impossible. You will, however, receive his private phone number in the 24 hours prior when he calls-- that way you can reach him personally if something comes up/thoughts arise.
How do I purchase my fishing license?
You can purchase your fishing license online at: https://moses.informe.org/cgi-bin/online/moses_v3/index. Click "purchase now" and fill out the information. You can purchase on the day of the trip if you would like to wait. Sarge recommends just taking a picture of the license on your phone so that you can have it handy in case a park ranger or game warden decides to stop the boat and check.
What wildlife can I hope to see?
There is an amazing array of wildlife that we encounter on the ponds, especially birdlife. Some of the most common sightings are: Bald Eagle, Common Loon, Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Common and Arctic Tern, Muskrat, Beaver, Fisher, Mink, Fox, Deer, Coyote. Moose and Black Bear are more rare.
Do I have to be an experienced fly fisher?
The short answer is a big NO! Sarge has a lot of experience teaching people who have never held a fly rod before. We can discuss your skill level prior to the trip and make a customized game plan to put you in a spot where you're comfortable. Trips geared towards beginners will include casting instruction, as well as basic fly tackle. Experienced fly fishers can expect a more hands-off approach with only as much instruction as is requested. Often these trips target harder-to-find fish, such as the Landlocked Salmon and Brook Trout.
Are there any wading opportunities?
We fish the streams when the water levels are up in the spring and early summer. Occasionally there will be enough water in September to target them as well. That being said, these streams are tiny, mostly less than 6ft. wide. The access points can also be difficult for most, with no designated trail and steep embankments. Any wading is done in rubber boots, and keeping your feet/body out of the stream is a sure way to catch more fish.
Can you tell me more about ice fishing?
Ice fishing is a traditional fishing technique. Essentially, we use traps (called tip-ups) baited with live minnows. When the fish takes the bait, the trap "trips" and a flag goes up. This lets us know that there is a fish running with our bait. We then hand-line the fish in. Depending on the lake, we can have 2-5 traps per person.
Landlocked salmon, brook trout, and especially lake trout all move and feed well under the ice. We also use small spinning rods to jig the above species plus perch and bass.
Ice fishing is very weather dependent. Some years there is very thick ice, and other years not. Sarge errs on the side of caution, and he will not take out a trip if he is at all concerned about the ice.
It is always a great day when you're on the ice: spectacular scenery, a warm tent with food and beverages, and the fun possibility for catching a trophy fish.