Greetings, anglers! Take a friend fishing this Saturday on Free Fishing Day (June 7). State Fish Hatcheries are also open that day for visitors. In Concord, talk to fisheries biologists and test gear and kayaks at the Free New England Demo Day. Details at http://www.fishnh.com/Newsroom/2014/Q2/free_fishing_day_2.html
Access note: The public boat access facility at Potanipo Lake in Brookline, N.H., will be closed one day for maintenance on Thursday, June 12: http://wildnh.com/Newsroom/2014/Q2/access_Potanipo_closure_060514.html
Fish stocking report: http://www.fishnh.com/Fishing/Stocking/current.html
Fishing licenses: http://www.fishnh.com. Kids under 16 fish free in N.H.!
Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nhfishandgame
—————————
NORTH COUNTRY
Last Friday afternoon, I sat in my canoe on a remote trout pond and heard something I hadn’t in a long time – thunder. It wasn’t particularly ominous, but I remembered the many thunderstorms that have snuck up on me in my life as a fisherman. I paddled to shore with just enough time to stand under a pine tree while the sky opened up and drenched the landscape. It started around 6:00 p.m. and ended 15 minutes later. The atmosphere that came after the storm was humid, but calm. As quickly as the water turned as smooth as glass, fish started rising to shatter it. Insects were hatching slightly, but the fish seemed to be involved in some type of acrobatic celebration. As soon as I could get back on the water, I was hooked up. Brook trout were hitting dry flies on the surface and wooly buggers just below it. As I released one fish, it coughed up a dragonfly nymph into the bottom of my canoe, which explained the sub-surface hits. I have always enjoyed good luck right after a heavy rain – trout, bass, or otherwise. Friday was a night to remember, as I caught and released more than a dozen fish.
A recent work detail had me in the Ammonoosuc River, where I was greeted by a healthy spring flow and cool temperatures. There are many sections of the river that are stocked with brook trout, but today I was in the headwaters, far from any roads. I saw non-stocked trout scurry around in almost every pool. I ran into a fisherman who had great tales of catching these beautiful fish. The water looked very clean and cold – I couldn’t imagine active insect life, so I asked him what he was using. He told me that he takes a small bead-headed nymph like a prince or pheasant tail and drops it into any part of the water that has a broken surface appearance. He reasoned that if he couldn’t see into the water, the fish can’t see out of it. He plunged the fly in, let it drift, and usually felt a good hit. He told me that he used to worm fish the same way. He was a smart old guy and I learned a lot from talking with him.
The long June days are a great time to fish. Early mornings or late evenings allow so much opportunity. The black flies are out, but not out of control. Back roads are soft, but not muddy. Water is cool, but not cold. After the oppressive winter we just emerged from, fishing northern New Hampshire seems like a reward now. I hope everyone is as excited as I am and gets some great fishing in this summer. – Andy Schafermeyer, Regional Fisheries Biologist
LAKES REGION
Summer has finally showed her colors here in the Lakes Region, after a cold, wet spring. Lake temperatures are at the 60 degree range, and bass, sunfish, and soon, crappies will be on their nests. This is a critical time for these shoreline-nesting centrarchids (the sunfish family, which also includes bass). Remember, nesting bass will guard their nests with ferocity, to the point that they will abandon that nest after being repeatedly caught. Try fishing the edges of drop-offs where many non-nesting bass will be found. Only a certain percentage of bass spawn within a given spring. There are a number of factors that determine whether a male bass will initiate nest building and lure females to that location. Be aware that catch-and-release season on bass continues through June 15, but often this date will not protect some of the late spawners. The end of June brings my favorite time of year to fish for bass. I use panfish poppers, size 6, and work the shorelines in 2-10 feet of water. It doesn’t matter what time of day … I’ve caught them at high noon on a calm-water day. The action is wonderful, and these hungry bass fight hard! Soon, shorelines will warm, and smallmouth will retreat to the 20-30 foot range where poppers will not work.
Trout pond fishermen (and women) are having a field day right now on ponds in the lakes region and White Mountains. Butterfield (Wilmot), Spectacle (Hebron), Saltmarsh (Gilford), and Sky (New Hampton) ponds are producing some great fish; brookies and rainbows. Hatches are on, and I’ve seen some blue-wing olives already, in addition to flying ant hatches that are apparent here on Winnisquam as I write this article. The time is on to fish these ponds before water temps drive the trout down.
The alewife stocking continues here on Lake Winnisquam. Fisheries biologists Matt Carpenter and Ben Nugent spend some long hours driving to Maine rivers, such as the Kennebec, Androscoggin and Saco, in search of these herring. River flows are still pretty high in Maine, and that has affected the runs of herring. To date, Lake Winnisquam has received approximately 7,500 herring; the goal is 10,000 fish. There has been quite a lot of discussion about the stocking of herring into Lake Winnisquam, some of it not too factual. The reason for stocking these herring into a large inland lake is ultimately to increase returning numbers of adult herring to rivers in the Gulf of Maine. These rivers are located in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It is highly beneficial to increase returns, as they not only act as forage for saltwater stocks, they “fill the void” that was created by dams in the 1800s. This program is geared to rebuild nati
ve stocks to their once great numbers. And as a by-product, Lake Winnisquam receives a short-term forage species that landlocked salmon and rainbow trout find very tasty. The chance of these herring becoming landlocked (not leaving) in Lake Winnisquam is very low. It would likely take a geologic event (earthquake) to close off the emigration route to force these herring to become “trapped” in the lake. – Don Miller, Regional Fisheries Biologist
MONADNOCK/UPPER VALLEY
I recently did some scouting of small streams in the Chesterfield -Westmoreland area for future Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture surveys this summer. I use topo maps beforehand to locate spots where streams cross under roads and provide easy access. This section of the Monadnock Region is very hilly, and many of these streams spring out of the higher elevation hillsides and provide cold, clean water, which is ideal for wild brook trout. At most of the stream crossings that I checked out, I could see wild brook trout either in the downstream pools of the crossings or, if I investigated upstream or downstream, I would catch a glimpse of a trout darting away. Some of the crossings where I didn’t see any fish still looked very “trouty,” and I will have to wait until we survey them to see if they hold any trout.
For those of you who enjoy stream fishing for trout or would like to give it a try, this is a great way to explore and learn your local watershed and find wild brook trout. Most of these streams are small, so you need to be sneaky as you approach a spot that may hold fish. It’s best to use short, light fishing rods, because you will find yourself in tight quarters at times. I prefer the simplest of set-ups, just a snelled hook and a worm, maybe a split shot depending on the flow or size of the stream. It’s best to approach potential spots from downstream, casting upstream and allowing your bait to drift naturally downstream with the current. Fish naturally face upstream, waiting for food to drift to them, and dart out into the main current to ambush prey. Get out and do some exploring this spring and summer; you will be surprised at some of the places that our native wild brook trout inhabit. – Jason Carrier, Regional Fisheries Biologist
SOUTHEAST NH/MERRIMACK VALLEY
At this point, all of the remaining broodstock Atlantic salmon have been stocked. The Pemigewasset River section in Bristol and New Hampton has had salmon for three weeks now, while the Merrimack River stocking locations (the Franklin section, the mouth of the Contoocook River, Sewall’s Falls, and below the Hooksett Dam) received all the remaining fish by May 22. Angler reports show that fish are continuing to be caught. Last week’s cooler days with rain will likely help keep the fish in the system longer than normal. Once the Pemigewasset and Merrimack Rivers warm, the salmon either try to head downstream or seek out the mouths of cooler tributaries entering the rivers. The salmon tend to nose into the tributaries or stage in the mainstem sections, where the cooler water from the tributaries mixes with the much warmer temperature of the larger rivers.
We have recently received reports of larger rainbow trout being caught in both the Cocheco River in Dover and Barbadoes Pond in Madbury. To access the Cocheco River in Dover, park just north of the dam on Watson Road. There is some good water (riffles and deeper pools) in the stretch below the dam. Due to the close proximity of Watson Road, this stretch receives the most pressure in the area. That being said, a trail parallels the north side of the river, providing countless access points as the river flows toward the center of Dover. It is likely that those who explore different points along this trail will be rewarded by both undisturbed scenery and fish that have moved down from being stocked at Watson Road. I think a lot of people will be surprised by condition of the Cocheco River in this area. A well-established riparian area makes you feel like you’re at a remote northern river. There’s also a variety of different habitat to f
ish. The river has several ledges, creating falls with pools below them, slower-moving sections with good depths, and faster rapids.
Barbadoes Pond could be considered somewhat of a sleeper trout pond. Due to the required walk-in to the pond, it typically receives less pressure than other designated trout ponds in the area. Although the pond is in Madbury, the city of Dover provides access to the pond. A parking lot is provided on Old Stage Road (off of Route 9). A quick walk to the pond reveals substantial shoreline fishing opportunities. At this point, it may be worth bringing in a canoe or kayak, as current water temperatures are pushing the rainbow trout into deeper water. – Ben Nugent, Regional Fisheries Biologist
SEACOAST AREA
The stripers have arrived. We have reports of them in the Piscataqua, as well as in the bay and up to the head-of-tide dams. Striped bass anglers have been catching larger fish in amongst the schools of migrating river herring in the Exeter, Lamprey and Cocheco rivers. The best way to catch a striper at these spots is with live herring and, as luck would have it, river herring are plentiful this spring! When schools are in, it is as simple as snagging one. Just be mindful that fishing for river herring is closed on Wednesdays, and there are additional restrictions in some rivers, so check the saltwater fishing digest (online at http://wildnh.com/pubs/fishing.html) or call the Marine Fisheries Division office (603-868-1095) if you are not clear on the rules. Live eels have been working well in the river; these are available at some of the local bait shops, but call ahead if you are counting on them.
Mackerel are being caught consistently close to our shores, and there are even reports of flounder around! Spring fishing has finally begun. – Becky Heuss, Marine Biologist