Spring is almost here!
It has been a while since I’ve reported. January and February saw our rivers fairly iced in, so I’ve been focused on family and skiing this winter. With warmer temps over the last week most of our rivers have opened up. I managed to squeeze the raft between ice sheets on the Saco yesterday with my good friend and fellow HCG guide Tom Freedman. Fishing was slow, as expected, but we got one good bump and spotted a giant brown. Then we spent the late afternoon winching the raft over more ice sheets. Right now river flows on the Saco and Androscoggin are at ideal flows for fishing and shelf ice is breaking up as I type this. That being said, with even warmer temps and rain in the forecast, we will see a big bump in runoff over the next few days. Higher and even colder water will slow fishing on all of our rivers for then next week or so. Fortunately we should be beyond the majority of our snowmelt by early April which should make for some great early season spring conditions. We are looking forward to chasing large browns, rainbows, brookies, LL salmon and hopefully even some lake trout this April.
New Hooligan XL
Next week I will be heading out of town to Balwin Michigan. I’ll be visiting Stealthcraft boats where I’ll be having the skiff get re-finished chines. I’ll also be picking up a new stealthcraft Hooligan XL raft. It Seems I can’t help but buy a new boat every few years. I’ve become obsessed with finding the perfect crafts for different water types here in NH. A big part of our success as a guide service has been effectively accessing productive, less pressured waters, and we look to continue improving our efficiency. The Hooligan XL will have a more rigid floor and drift boat style casting braces, than the PAC 1300 we have been using over the years. It is also non self bailing and has a motor mount capable of taking the 6hp mercury outboard that we use on our skinny skiff. This will allow us easier access with motor power on a variety of water types. We will still have our outcast pac 1300 and Stealthcraft Skinny Skiff in our fleet and we look forward to fishing with you out of all of our boats on a variety of waters this season!
While in Baldwin I’ll be meeting up with my good friend Milan Krainchich who is flying in from Idaho. We will be fishing the area out of the new Hooligan and dialing in just the right oar configuration. We have also booked a full day float with world renowned guide Tommy Lynch. Tommy is the inventor of one of our favorite streamer flies, the Drunk and Disorderly. As a professional fisherman I always find it refreshing to hire veteran guides when fishing new water. It is nice to play the role of client once in a while, and there is no better professional development than spending time on the water with another expert angler. Every guide has their go to strategies and flies for different conditions and it is easy to get into a pattern of repetition when on the water. I thoroughly enjoy letting other guides show me their habits so that I can tweak my own, and think more outside the box the next time I fish my home water.
I’ll be back from Michigan by March 30th, rigged and ready to start the guiding season here in NH.
Looking Forward:
With snowmelt underway, I’m anticipating a good early spring for fishing. While snowpack is moderate at the moment most low elevation snow will melt out during this next rain. Once snowmelt slows fish will be eager to pack on calories. We will be guiding on a variety of waters and water types based on conditions. Here are some things to think about if you plan to do some early season fishing here in the Whites.
Fly selection and techniques:
In early spring when water temps hover between the mid-thirties and low 40’s it pays to give fish a high calorie, easy meal. This means jig style streamers like Clouser minnows, jig style sculpin and circus peanut style streamers fished with a jig style or even dead drift retrieve. When conditions are less conducive to streamers fishing (lower flows and brighter sun) nymphing eggs, worms, or smaller streamers either tight lined or on a right-angle indicator rig will open mouths.
Time of Day
While there can be a sunrise and sun-set bite any time of the year mid morning to mid-afternoon can be the most productive time of the day as activity levels peak when water temps are warmest. Typically there is a good bite in April and May somewhere between 10 am until 3pm. I’ve often seen a bite around 11am and again around 2 pm. This varies greatly based on weather but the key take away is that you should never give up on the day before lunch. Keep fishing through the middle of the day with confident optimism. I’ve seen plenty of days when the best fish of the year and only fish of the day came after noon.
Best Water types:
In most cases fish will still be associated with their winter holding water. Deep slow pools are most productive. While many fish will be caught in the deep water, be sure to ply the flats above big pools as well as drop off’s and tail outs where more active fish will move to feed. I’ve done very well in spring slow swinging flies into drop offs and bouncing flies through inside bends. It doesn’t take much for a hungry trout to slide up and down a deep pool and I’ve been surprised to spook fish out of some surprisingly shallow water adjacent to deeper pools in the early spring.
Hatches?:
While the more prolific hatches of mayflies and caddis won’t come until mid-May to early June depending on water type, there are some early spring hatches you should always be prepared for. Midges are always a potential food item all winter and spring. In March and April small to larger midges of up to size 16 in black, grey, and brown hatch on slow water stretches of rivers and ponds. I tie a parachute dry midge on a curved caddis hook that does well with a dead drift or hand twist figure 8 retrieve. We also have early dark stoneflies in March and April. These bugs are usually a dark brown to charcoal black in size 14-16. I’ve seen large browns daitily pick these flies off the surface in late March. While it is rare to get fish to rise to the early stones. Your best bet of hitting it right is in the afternoons on warmer days with cloud cover, and lower flows with little wind. When fish aren’t taking the dries a darker pheasant tail nymph or rubber leg stone can do the trick. If you see stones and aren’t getting results on the dries or the nymphs go back to streamers or higher calorie nymphs (think eggs and worms). At times it seems that the fast swimming stonefly nymphs don’t offer fish enough motivation when waters are in the 30’s and low 40’s.
In Summary:
While we are still over a month away from prime-time fishing, there will be good opportunities to get out and catch some quality fish here in a week or so. If you are looking to book a trip for this spring, summer or fall, please don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. We have some dates still available but they are filling very fast. We can’t wait to fish with you in 2022 and look forward to making more memories on the water!
Tight lines,
Nate