I spent a day with some of Maine’s most experienced fly fishermen. Here’s how it went.

By V. Paul Reynolds

Those outdoorsmen and women who have been there would rarely give you an argument if you contended that Rangeley, Maine, is ground zero for those whose passion is to cast a long line on the Magalloway River or the Kennebago. So it was no surprise that some of Maine’s most experienced fly fishermen gathered recently at the historic Rangeley Inn and Tavern for the fifth annual White Nose Pete Fly Fishing Festival.

Who the heck is White Nose Pete? 

It’s a fish, a purely fictional big trout that, as the story goes, haunts the pocket waters of the fabled Rapid River — a real hook-jawed, fat-bellied slobberknocker. Legend holds that a few trout men have hooked him long enough to see his white nose, but never long enough to get him anywhere near the net. 

Sponsored by the Rangeley Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, the festival was a two-day affair with lots to see and do and a great chance to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. 

Friday night at the inn, two well-known and unforgettable fly-fishing characters had their names added to the Fly Fishing Legends Honor Board. The new inductees were Rangeley guide Herb Ellis and angler and artist Dave Tibbetts. Both men follow in the long shadows cast by such local and national angling icons as Fly Rod Crosby and Carrie Stevens, not to mention Herb Welch, Don Palmer, Ed Grant, Bud Wilcox and others. 

Following the induction, a live auction was held, hosted by the always witty and sardonic Bill Pierce. A pile of money was raised from the donated items. My newest trout watercolor painting, titled “Rapid River Runner,” which retailed for $195, sold for $400. Also auctioned were some marvelous prints by Dave Tibbetts and the late David Footer. 

The festival kicked off Saturday morning in full force despite a light drizzle. Many of the vendors set up their displays in the inn while others were under tents outside. 

For me, one of the most remarkable and eye-catching displays was a collection of brook trout mounts by the late David Footer. Footer’s son was on hand to answer questions about the impressive trout, many of them caught in Labrador or Quebec. Footer was a rare combination of superb taxidermist and fine artist. His trout under glass are alive like no other mounted brookies you will ever see. 

While a friend looked after my Northwoods Sporting Journal vending table, I took a break and sat in on a wonderful and informative slide presentation by guide and outdoor writer Bob Romano.  

Bob, an Italian from the Bronx, showed up in Rangeley to fish more than 40 years ago and never left the western mountains. He is as colorful as he is informed about Rangeley and its precious fishery. 

Romano surveyed area guides and asked them to name their two favorite flies. He also discussed why those flies earned top billing with Rangeley fishing guides. As you might suspect, no two guides think alike when it comes to their go-to flies.  

Angler and historian Leslie Hilyard, for example, hoves to the Green Beauty and the Jitterbug. 

What’s a Jitterbug? It was news to me. It sounds like a bass bug, but it’s a serious trout fly and, surprisingly, it was tied and created by the boss lady herself, Carrie Stevens. 

What I also learned was that a highly effective wet fly is the Hare’s Ear. Bob Romano swears by it.

The only Hare’s Ear I ever used or heard of is the Hare’s Ear nymph, which is almost as popular as a Copper John.

Isaac Walton, or some other angling forebear, observed that angling is much like mathematics in that it can never be fully learned. And, as you know if you fish, that is part of the fun of it all. 

The Rangeley Lakes Region White Nose Pete Fly Fishing Festival is a gathering of more than just interesting and convivial souls. It’s a treasure trove of some of the most seasoned and experienced anglers in Maine. And they will talk to you. 

In 12 months, Rangeley will do it all over again. Put it on your calendar. It’s well worth the drive. 

The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide and host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. He has authored three books. Online purchase information is available at www.sportingjournal.com, Outdoor Books.