By Katherine Englishman
Photographed by Clayton Simoncic and Mark Fleming
Maine Fly Company’s Small Batch Rods
Meticulously designed fishing rods in a range of weights, lengths, and actions, hand-built in North Yarmouth. Each takes its name (and inspiration) from a different Maine waterway or natural feature — the Casco Bay is a heavier rod with a fighting butt, for larger game fish; the Tumbledown is a packable rod made for mountain hikes. Call the shop, and a real live builder will chat about your fishing needs. $279–$379. 877-633-5926.
The Fisherman’s Guide To Maine, First Edition
“The bond that welds fishermen together recognizes neither time nor distance nor borders,” Earle Doucette wrote in 1951. “It transcends race and creed and color.” This venerable guide has enough wisdom, charming anecdotes, and practical advice that it’s still relevant. The vintage hardcover looks good on your dashboard (find them online — ours was $12 from Farmington’s Spruce Gum Books), but it’s available as an ebook too.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Versa Fanny Pack
A good hip pack offers easy access to lures, pliers, phone, and other essentials, keeps everything dry, and attaches in versatile ways to your person, your PFD, or another pack. The Versa, from Biddeford-based Hyperlite, checks all the boxes. Made of waterproof composite fabric with water-resistant zipper seals, it’s durable and weighs less than 3 ounces. $70. 800-464-9208.
Old Maine Outfitters Striper Hats
Look fly while casting flies with these old-school snapbacks, emblazoned with a logo that riffs on the original (and superior) Maine flag. Options include a classic trucker or a flat-brimmed retro rope hat. A quarter of profits support the American Saltwater Guides Association, advocating conservation for commercially overfished striped bass. $25.
Daybreak Adventures Landing Nets
Fifth-generation guide and canoe maker Nate Bacon needed a winter project and a durable net for his 80-plus days of fishing and guiding in Grand Lake Stream. He uses Maine-harvested hardwoods and fish-friendly rubber netting on his heirloom-quality nets, working in a Hampden shop that houses an original 1924 mold for some of the earliest Grand Laker canoes, which his great-great-granddad pioneered. “We wanted to carry on that tradition,” Bacon says. $90–$150. 207-745-1700.
