us map with states highlighted

Red states on map to the right represent states where my clients are from.

Please tell us about your experience with Albert Lane and Androscoggin Guide Service.


Submitted by Josephine and Frank Harrison from North Carolina:

JpsephineFrankOne day fly fishing on the Androscoggin with Albert Lane beats all of ourotherfishingexperiences combined including NC, WA, FL, MT, and Mexico.  First of all Albertwas knowledgeable about the sport and the river including where to find the fish. He was nice, fun, and very patient. Second, we caught so many small mouth bass that our arms got tired and we had to rest and watch the birds which was a wonderful alternative.  We probably caught between 50 and 60 2 to 4 pounders...if we could get our flys where Albert told us we always caught a fish.  We'll call on Albert every time we come to Maine.

Written by Paul Guernsey

PaulLast June, my buddy Moody and I had a terrific day fly-fishing for smallmouth  on the Androscoggin with our guide, Albert Lane. Albert seemed to know where every bass would be hiding, and he invariably put us within comfortable casting distance of them. Result: We caught smallies up to about 4 pounds—most of them right on the surface with foam and deer hair poppers. And, quite unlike most Maine trout waters in June, we didn't see another group of anglers all day long.

I'd fish with Albert again in a heartbeat.

Fishing the Androscoggin River with Albert Lane
Submitted by Steve Horgan from OHIO to The Bass Fishing Home Page (Places to Fish) on July 16, 2005

Steve HorganI just returned from fishing four days on the Androscoggin River with registered Maine guide Albert Lane (http://albertlaneguideservice.com)(a real bargain at $150/day). We fished three different stretches of the river that totaled about 20 miles. The first day (Rumford to Dixfield) had a lot of fast current areas and the fishing was really exciting as a result. I would hook smallmouth in slow current areas and they would immediately move into the fast water. A unique experiencewas getting my first double after fishing for 54 years - about 5.5 pounds of smallmouth total. The second day (Canton to Reilly dam) was quieter water but the action was comparable to the first day. The third day we fished the section between Dixfield and Canton. Again the action held up. The fourth day we repeated Canton to Reilly dam with results similar to the second day. I averaged 35 smallmouth in the boat per day and unfortunately lost a lot of fish when they became unbuttoned.

We were fishing in a john boat powered by a small outboard. Albert could hold position in fast water, return to re-fish hot areas, and also position the boat to retrieve lures that got hung up on the bottom. It would not have been possible to fish the way we did if we had been in a drift boat. I lost very few lures in four days despite many hang ups. I fished shallow running crank baits and soft plastics on jig heads. Albert picked up his rod only when I encouraged him to fish. He was always fishing behind me when he did so he didn't catch any fish that I would have gotten. I would estimate that the average size was about 2 pounds, with two fish at 20 inches, many 3 pounders, and not a lot of small fish.

The Androscoggin River is not greatly accessible which limits the number of fishermen on it. In four days (Monday-Thursday) we only saw four fishermen, who happened to be in two boats that had put in together. The stretches of river we fished were through undeveloped land and as a result the scenery was magnificent. I have been fortunate to fish some quality water with guides over the last 20 years, including the Penobscot River, the St. Croix River, the Niagara River, the Detroit River, Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair, Lake Winnipesaukee, Lake Michigan, Dale Hollow Lake, and the Boundary Waters. Fishing the Androscoggin River with Albert Lane was the finest smallmouth fishing experience of my life.

Written by: Dan LaGatta and Brooks Cowgill July 2007

Dan LaGattaA good guide should know where to find fish, how to catch fish and be a pleasant person to spend the day with.  Albert Lane fills these roles admirably.  Our two half-days on the Androscoggin River fishing for smallmouth bass were productive and fun.  Al always had the boat in the right position and would point to the right spot to cast.  Catching bass charging out of the shallows todestroy our surface poppers was exciting fishing.  The Anroscoggin bass are as strong a fish, pound for pound, as we have ever caught.  We'll be back !