Time is running out. The days are getting shorter, the nights growing colder and the crisp autumn air carries a quiet sense of urgency. Yes, you guessed it — the fishing season in Maine is winding down.

Most waters close at the end of September, with only a few rivers staying open year-round under fly-fishing-only, catch-and-release regulations. For the hardcore angler, those places are a lifeline.

For me, the guiding season usually winds down in late September, though we often squeeze in one last October trip — typically chasing musky.

This year, however, that tradition slipped away when a client’s bad back forced a cancellation — and musky fishing is no place for a weak back. At the end of every retrieve, you bend deep into a figure eight with your fly.

If you’ve never witnessed a bo

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