After learning two new patterns at the Annual Saco Valley Trout meeting at Hobbs’s Brewery, Bridget and I tied up a few.
But having the correct material made all the difference.
Small Streamers
Fly Fishing
I did it!
On March 6th 2024 I realized a goal that I’ve been striving for since I got up here to New Hampshire. On my second attempt at a arduous task, I did it. I am now an official licensed fishing guide in the state of New Hampshire. Now I’ll be moving on to another part of my fishing lifestyle.
Have a Merry Christmas All!
“Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
This is what I should be doing now!
What in the world is going on out here?
It is the off-season. Trout fishing in the local rivers and streams closed in October. Ice fishing will not kick off until after the first of the year. So I am studying map and compass skills. I go outside and navigate to a landmark. I plot several locations on a map using UTM and then check them in the field with my GPS unit. I have been practicing using paper maps and compass as well as my Garmin GPS unit. You really do need a map and compass even with a high tech GPS unit. I think I have gotten pretty good at it.
I have read several books on the subject as well as numerous YouTube videos. This is what has begun to bother me. All the content providers state that one of the most important things to do is to leave an itinerary with someone. This is to give rescuers an idea of where to look for you if you don’t return when you should. A great idea. In older books, it is recommended that you leave the same information on your car even leave a map of your plan and any changes you might have made. Another great idea, rescuers would use your parked car as a starting point. However, in the newer books and videos, the authors strongly advise you not to do this. Why, because theaves will know that you will be away for a while and steal the contents or even have time to steal the car.
A similar issue came to light back in New Jersey. A fellow angler advised me to remove the Trout Unlimited and fishing company brand stickers off of my truck. When I asked why he stated unscrupulous people will use that as a clue as to the value of the stuff in your truck and break in.
All this makes me think that shitty people are staking out trailheads and fishing parking spots just waiting to rip you off. I thought that all us outdoors folk stick together and I was safe from this stuff out away from the city.
I guess not. What in the world is going on out here?
This one is in the books.
Here in New Hampshire, the trout regulations are a little wonky, but most trout fishing ended today. I went out Friday and today to close out the season. I did okay on the little mountain stream I have been fishing lately. No trophies. Just little heathy wild Brook Trout.
All in all, it was a great season even with all the rain we had. The weather forced me to explore all the tiny mountain streams we have around here. I was able to fish the headwaters when the bigger rivers were too high to fish. All the rain really spread the fish around and allowed me to keep fishing through the whole season.
I may head out to a local pond and through some feathers at some pickrel to keep the fishing joneses at bay. Explore more places to fish in the spring and check out some of the rivers that are open all year. Most of those are a bit of a drive. Then I will be gearing up for some hard water fishing.
Until the end.
Trout season in New Hampshire closes on October 15 on most streams and rivers. I am going out as much as I can up until the end.
I hit a mountain stream that I really have fallen in love with. The water is quite a bit lower than just four days ago. I picked up a few nice wild brookies and half a dozen little tiny ones. I am amazed at how aggressive these little fish are. A beautiful fall day in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Fishing hard until the end of the season.
The end of trout fishing season is fast approaching here in New Hampshire. The brookies are moving upstream to spawn and my old fishing haunts almost appear to be fishless. I have found a new tiny stream to fish it’s very much off the beaten path. Every time I go I feel like I spent the day rock scrambling which I have. This stream comes down off the side of a mountain it truly is a headwater stream. This is a waterfall plunge pool, waterfall plunge pool type of fishery. To move from pool to pool you have to climb up a rock jumble waterfall. I am amazed at the little pools that I’m catching brookies in. At the end of the day I’m quite tired. However like I’ve said hundreds of times the reason I love trout fishing is because of the beautiful places that you do it in.
New water
So I got out today on the Saco River in between rainy days. I wanted to check out the area where the proposed new fly fishing stretch would be. This is a beautiful area and a little bit difficult to get to. So the hope is that the fly fisherman won’t have to deal with the tourists and their float tubes all summer long.
I’m told there are some large brown trout and rainbows here. I hooked into one large fish from underneath the dead fall tree however by the count of 5 the fight was over and he was off. A long distance release.
I had one other small fish rise to a dry fly but that was it. It got very hot and all fish activity stopped. It was about 11:30 anyhow so I moved on to a wild trout stream where it stays cool and shady all the time. Where I know I would catch some fish.
Headed over to the Ellis River. This is become my go-to stream. I love to fish right at the base of Mount Washington. Almost always get a handful of wild brookies.
Tap 'n' Trout 