Hi everyone, hope you are all enjoying this beautiful fall weather we have been having!

We have seen quite a few changes in the fishing conditions and foliage over the past few weeks. Late September rains brought flows up to above average for this time of the year and trout are starting to acclimate more to the cooler water temps. Water temps dropped from 66 to 53 degrees from mid to late September this year and temps may be even cooler as of this writing after another frost last night. With higher flows and lower water temperatures fish metabolisms slowed down and catch rates dipped for a week as fish adjusted. Fishing has picked back up with warmer days, consistent flows and water temps. We have also been seeing some better size trout in the mix over the past two weeks. As of this writing the foliage is right at peak in the white mountains and a little bit past peak in the north country.

Current conditions:

Flows on all streams large and small are at or above average for this time of the year. The Andro is flowing at 1800 out of Errol dam and around 2k in Gorham. This is a bit above average for this time of the year and much above what we have had the past two seasons. The higher flows have pro’s and cons. On the plus side the fish have more water and protection from predators. Also, larger trout are more likely to key in on streamers. On the downside, trout are more spread out and catch rates are slightly lower simply because there is more water to cover to catch fish. Smaller streams in the White Mountains will be cold and slow from here to the rest of the seasons, however lower elevation wild trout streams will still produce with both streamers and dries until the close of season.

A fine fall streamer eater from last week.

Looking forward:

The forecast Continues to look favorable for good fishing through the end of the work week. A brief cold front this weekend could make for a little slower fishing but with fish now adjusted to colder temps expect fishing to remain decent even on the cooler days. The last week of the “regular season” looks to remain favorable with highs in the mid to upper 50’s most days.

October 4th was a great day for foliage and wild rainbows!

Hatches and Flies:

Although the Isonychia mayfly hatches will be winding down with these colder temps, we are still seeing some good Iso hatches on the warmer days. A lot of these bugs did not come off during the colder weather in late September and they are arriving a little late to the party this fall. We are already seeing BWO’s around and there will be more and more as we head into Mid-October. Look for subtle rises in the slower eddy’s and seams late in the afternoon and fish an olive sparkle dun or small klinkhammer in the film. We will continue to see sporadic October caddis and Rhyacophilidae (free living green) caddis hatches over the next few weeks. Prince nymphs, birds nest nymphs and olive caddis pupea will all work for these bugs. In higher flows tan and olive mop flies seem to grab the attention of larvae seeking trout! Later in October worms, eggs and hellgrammite patterns will become more important. For streamers carrying a good variety of buggers in olive, brown, black, and white will get you far. In addition, we continue to do very well with copper/ gold Kreelix, Bob’s Better Baitfish (Whitefish color), and Mr. Creepo’s in white and Olive, along with the trusty Zoo Cougar in Yellow, Tan, White, or Olive. When it comes to streamers keep rotating until you find what triggers the most interest. Often times if the streamer bite is really “On” fish will hit a wide range of patterns as long as they are fished well.

Prime for Pike!

Last fall the pike bite really didn’t turn on until early October when water temps finally dipped below 50’ degrees. Right now, we are already seeing prime time pike conditions as water flows have settled, and water temps hover around 50 degrees. We have already had reports of good pike being caught and with air temps at or below freezing over the last few nights, the pike bite should only improve. We will start targeting pike as soon as our trout trips begin winding down later in October and we are booking pike trips Starting October 24th through late November or until the water freezes. We have found that Pike fishing remains productive as long as there is open water to cast into. So give us a shout if you want to get on the calendar!

This could be you this fall! looking forward to chasing more Pike on the fly!

In Summary:

It has been another successful year hear at Hill Country Guides and we appreciate all of you who have taken the time and money to share the water with us this season. It is not too late to get on the calendar for a late season trip so let us know i you want to hit the water before the snow flies. Lastly, we are already taking bookings for 2023 so if you are looking to get out for some prime-time fishing next year be sure to let us know asap so we can get you locked on our calendar! I hope you all have a wonderful fall and winter. Looking forward to hitting the water with you all again soon!

Tight Lines,

Nate