Maine Cast & Blast
Two Traditions, One Trip
In the fall the grouse are drumming in the coverts and the brook trout are feeding hard before winter, so you shouldn’t have to choose. Start the morning with a shotgun in the covers, then swap it for a fly rod and drift flies over rising trout in the afternoon.
Across the day you may target:
- Ruffed grouse
- American woodcock
- Brook trout
- Landlocked salmon
- Rainbow trout
It is a long day, a hard day, and the best day you will spend in the woods this year.
Trip Essentials
What’s Included and What You May Catch
Birds in the morning, a fly rod in the afternoon, built around legal hunting hours. Your cast and blast includes:
- Guided by a Registered Maine Guide
- Transport during the day
- A field lunch
- Scouted orchards, alder runs and aspen
- Wading or floating the Kennebec or Sandy River
- Fall brook trout in spawning colours
Your Main Targets
Grouse & Woodcock
Then on the water
Brook trout
Landlocked salmon
Rainbow trout
You bring your shotgun and ammunition, waders or boots, a fly rod, and both a Maine hunting licence and a Maine fishing licence.
The Cast & Blast Itinerary
Morning vs. Afternoon
A typical day is built around how the birds and the fish behave.
Morning: The Blast
Target: ruffed grouse (partridge) and American woodcock.
We start early on the logging roads and covers of Central Maine, while the birds move from roost to feed. We hunt covers we have scouted extensively: abandoned orchards, alder runs and young aspen stands.
Afternoon: The Cast
Target: brook trout, landlocked salmon and rainbow trout.
As the air warms and insects become active, we move to the river, often wading or floating nearby sections of the Kennebec or Sandy River. Fall brook trout are in their spawning colors, and we fish streamers or dry flies through the afternoon hatch.
You need a Maine licence for both activities: hunting licence · fishing licence. The window for these trips is short, and dates fill up fast with returning clients.
Make a Memory
Join Us On Your Next Guided Cast & Blast Trip
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Booking & Policies
How cancellations work
- Free rescheduling 30+ days outCancel 30 or more days before your trip and your deposit moves to a new date.
- Inside 30 days, the deposit is keptIf you cancel with less than 30 days’ notice, or don’t show up, the deposit is forfeited.
- If we cancel, you chooseIf we call a trip off for weather, unsafe conditions or any other reason, you pick a new date or a full refund.
How you pay
- 50% deposit holds your datesRequired for every trip and non-refundable. Pay it by Venmo, check or cash.
- Balance due at the start of your tripPay the remainder on the day by Venmo, check or cash.
- Nothing to pay to askSending an enquiry is free. Nothing is taken until we confirm your dates.
Before You Book
Common Questions
What is a cast and blast trip?
One guided day that covers both traditions: upland birds over good cover, and a fly rod on trout water, with the day built around legal hunting hours.
What does it cost and how long is the day?
Trips start at $500 and run eight to ten hours, depending on legal hunting hours that time of year.
What licences do I need?
Both a Maine hunting licence and a Maine fishing licence, because you are doing both in the same day.
What should I bring?
Your shotgun and ammunition, waders or boots, a fly rod, and your Maine hunting and fishing licences.
From the Field
Guide Notes on This Trip
Tips and stories from our guides that pair well with this adventure.
How to Clean a Ruffed Grouse in Seconds: The Step-on-Wings MethodRead the article →
The Secret to Spring Success: 5 Best Flies for Maine TroutRead the article →
The Unforgettable Thrill of a Maine Grouse StruttingRead the article →
Master Maine Grouse Hunting: Opening Day Tips from a Maine GuideRead the article →