Hello from Cotter Arkansas

Well we arrived last Sunday March 6th and the streamer fishing has been both educational and productive. We started things off with a bang with a 27" brown on our night of arrival. From there we've been getting large trout 25" + with many average fish in-between. With warmer weather and more moderate flows this week look for smaller streamers and nymphs to come into their own. Flows may increase later this week into next week as they draw water down in response to last weeks flooding. 

If you are interested in pursuing the fish of a lifetime this is the place to do it. We are booking trips up until April 11th. 

I hope to see you down here. P.S today it was 76 degrees and sunny....

Check out the video below and pics to SEE what we've been up to.

2015... A Year In Review

What a year 2015 was! We had our busiest season to date here at HCG with 153 trips on the books. That's a better than 50% increase over 2014. We started things off with a brand new fleet of Orvis rods, reels and waders which armed us for a year of many successful days on the water. We began the season floating new stretches of water on the Saco and found some amazingly large brown trout and rainbows on streamers. 

An early season Saco streamer eater!

With a busy season under way we took on a second guide, Steve Bowman of Wolfeborough  NH. Steve had a great season with positive feedback from all of his clients and many nice fish landed under his guidance. We look forward to working as a team again next season and hope to bring on a third guide to keep up with demand. 

Trips in mid to late may were exciting ones. We had some epic days hunting for wild brook trout and our clients made it count on some gorgeous native fish. As a bonus some of our lake outlet streams provided some fast action for rainbows and LL salmon. 

This native brookie gulped a large dry fly. Caught on a remote un-stocked pond.

Stealthy hook set on a wild brook trout.

Wading for spring creek brookies.

Spring creek brook trout.

A spring lake run rainbow.

As the season got underway we got word that WMUR's show, NH Chronicle, wanted to do a spot on us. After two rain postponements we were able to get a shoot done on the Saco. Although we got a late start we caught fish from start to finish.. When it came to editing the piece, Cindy Cupp Jones and crew were spot on, and captured exactly what we are all about. If you missed it, see it HERE!

Late May through mid June provided us with some epic caddis hatches on the Andro. On some floats we only needed one fly to catch fish from top to bottom. Mid June Through early July provided ample trips on the Saco throwing streamers and dries to hungry browns and rainbows. With frequent rain events we were able to find, and then explore  many new hot spots.

Wild Andro bow taken on an X Caddis Late May.

Streamer caught brown... we measured this big boy at 21"

Another streamer eater.

As July came around the Andro dropped to fishable flows and provided some of the best top water action on Golden Stoneflies that I have ever seen.. One memorable float accounted for over 30 rainbows landed on large foam imitations. 

July means Stonefly city on the Andro 

One of many trout taken off the bank with a foam golden stone.

later in July we got the call to guide well known country Singer Luke Bryan and friends. Luke was a truly nice guy and one heck of a fly fisherman. I especially enjoyed working with his nephew Til and Til's friend Christian. We'd like to thank Luke for the concert tickets to his shows at Meadowbrook in Gilford. What a great performance! 

Luke Bryan with a dry fly caught brown. This man can fish!

Eating lunch with Luke Bryan and crew.

Late July and August provided some banner dry fly and nymph fishing on the Saco. The rainbows seemed especially fat this season. And the browns were aggressive terrestrial eaters. We had some magical evenings fishing everything from flying ants, to Chernobyl ants and BWO's. It seemed that the fish chose new foods constantly, which kept us on our toes figuring out new strategies by the minute. 

This Saco brookie took a chubby Chernobyl 

This Saco Brown was fooled by a big ugly stonefly nymph.

A Saco Bow taken by yours truly during a late afternoon BWO hatch in early August. 

In Early August The Book 25 Best Towns: Fly Fishing For Trout hit bookstores. Written by  Bob Mallard the book chronicles the authors travels to the  Nations top fly fishing towns. The book is well organized with a national map of all towns included.  Each chapter profiles a different town and includes: information on the towns fisheries, and how to fish them,  points of interest, lodging, shops and guide services.. We are proud that our hometown of North Conway made the list and that the Saco, Ellis, and Andro all received worthy mention. We appreciate that HCG is listed as the recommended guide service and North Country Angler the recommended fly shop. 

In August and September the Andro came alive with Isonychia and we had some epic days swinging soft hackles to capitalize on this large mayfly hatch. Flying ants and October caddis also provided excellent big river and  small stream action late summer. As Fall progressed we had some banner days below some of the dams on the river and more successful floats using BWO's and streamers patterns.

Iso eater.

This sixteen inch Andro Brown exploded on a swung wet fly.

In September we had the opportunity to help NH Fish and Game and USFS Biologists survey the Wildcat River. They were looking to see if the river would qualify for Wild Trout Management designation. The biologists were blown away by the number of wild brook trout they surveyed. The river proved that it produces more than double the number of trout needed to qualify for wild trout management! More on this in our next report! 

Shocking the town stretch.

Wild brook trout just after release.

A dry dropper combo was often all we needed to get tight in October and when that wasn't the ticket a white or off white streamer often was. We  had some banner streamer fishing on the Saco. And we even used the boat to find some local LL Salmon just before the close of season.

A healthy Saco Rainbow.

Wild Landlocked salmon...we will be exploring this water further this year!

As November came about fish began to key in on Egg patterns and streamers. On warmer days midge and BWO hatches were discovered. We had success with emergers and dries. With a mild December we continued to catch fish on nymphs and streamers right up until Christmas. Fish were found on the Andro and some of our local lakes before they froze over just before the New Year. 

Chowed down on a white articulated Butt Monkey.

A late season wild Andro Bow taken on a nymph. 

December  lake rainbow caught on a streamer as it cruised the shallows. 

December Rainbow on the Andro. This fish slammed a flashy Angel Hair streamer.

So what is to come in 2016? We are excited to announce that we will be spending March and April guiding on the White and Norfork rivers out of Cotter AR. These rivers have defined themselves as two of the best trophy trout waters in the nation. If you are interested in booking a trip please contact us asap as dates are limited (We have already booked a few). Look for our Cotter reports in March and April. Before we leave for Cotter we will be presenting at the NH Fly Fishing Show on February 27th in Manchester NH. This years presentation will focus on our unique drift trip opportunities on the Saco and Androscoggin rivers. 

White River Brown.

When we return from Cotter you can look forward to local reports to come frequently.. We plan to explore new rivers this spring from the boat, along with new stretches on the Saco and Andro. When not hitting the rivers we will be hiking into our remote brook trout ponds and disecting our rainbow and LL salmon fisheries. There is a lot to be excited about for 2016. It is nice to see that others are excited as well. We have been booking trips and selling gift certificates as of late. If you are looking to book a trip for 2016 let us know ASAP!  We look forward to spending time wth you on the water this season! 

Tight Lines,

Nate

Early December Report

Fishing on the Andro has been consistent with at least a few good fish taken on every outing. Fish have moved to their wintering grounds. Focus on the biggest pools. On warmer days fish can be caught in the last bit of fast water before the river slows. When in doubt move downstream to slower flowing water. Nymphing is always a good bet with  buggers or stoneflies coupled with a pink san juan worm or egg pattern being  a good choice. Fish streamers on a full sink or sink tip line depending on depth. I prefer a kreelix or other flashy patterns to fish the slower waters. On warmer/ calm days expect hatches of BWO's and black midges to kick in around noon. Watch for subtle rises along the edges of currents and in the tail ends of slower pools. 

Be patient. With cold water fish activity will be concentrated to the warmest hours of the day. It is not a bad idea to get a later start. Skip the fastest water where you would want to spend time in the summer months. Focus on slower currents and deeper runs to drift your nymphs through. With streamers vary your retrieve, when in doubt slow things down and go deeper. Always be aware of surface activity, especially in the slowest, calmest water. 
I prefer a double dry rig including an adult and emerger pattern. A swung nymph is a good bet if bugs are on the water but fish are not rising.

Lakes and ponds managed for rainbow trout are also still fishing well. Here to you will want to focus on the warmest and calmest hours of the day. Look for rising fish to be cruising. To catch them you will need to lead them a foot or two. Black midge emergers and dries are your best bets. This is challenging but very rewarding fishing. Fishing streamers and buggers near drop offs or tributary inlets and outlets can also produce fish. I had good luck with an olive leach pattern at a lake outlet the other day. 

High temps over the next seven days will range from 39 to 47 degrees,  still on the warmer side for this time of the year. This weekend looks to be a good time to get out with temps in the mid to upper forties, bright sun and light west winds.

Early November Report

Over the past few weeks I have taken the opportunity to actually go fishing. Most of my clients seem to understand that although I am on the water almost every day of the season, rarely do I get to wave the magic stick myself. On October 21st I had the pleasure of taking out Bill and Janet of North Country Angler. You can read a full report of that trip on their website here .

On October 22nd I had the opportunity to  fish with my good friends Bill Rioux and Greg Inglis. I met bill nine years ago when I taught at Kennett High School. Bill was the head of guidance and hunted me down to talk fishing after work one day. I taught him to fly fish that summer and we fished nearly every day I wasn't guiding. Of course now-a-days that isn't often and this was our first day out together in over a year. Greg and I met years ago through a mutual guide friend Pat Ard. Greg guides full time for Lopstick Lodge up in Pittsburg NH. Greg and I make it a point to fish together every season when guiding slows down. We joke that when most peoples fishing season ends ours begins. 

The stretch of water we set out to fish is not easy to access and it took us a good half hour to get the boat into the water. As we set out the river was high, which is ideal for this stretch as it pushes the bigger browns into side channels and banks where we can entice them with streamers. Unfortunately as we pushed the boat out the water dropped to a trickle. The dam controls these flows and it is hard to predict when the company will stick to their scheduled releases and when they won't. The day started slow with only a few fallfish to net. As we came upon a juicy riffle I couldn't help but take out the nymph rig. . Greg and Bill stuck with the streamers. After a few fishless drifts I noticed a BWO flutter by. Quickly I tied a BWO nymph below my other two nymphs and made a long tension cast upstream. As my flies drifted past the indicator shot down. I lifted tight to a 12" wild brown trout. This stretch of river has a mix of both wild and stocked fish. Biologists track the stocked fish through fin clipping. The stocked browns have different fins clipped each year to determine holdover rates. This fish did not have any fin clips, indicating that it was wild. A few casts later I came tight to a 15" wild rainbow that rocketed into the air. Both fish ate the BWO.

Wild rainbow caught on a dead drifted BWO nymph.

While I was having fun with the nymphs neither Greg nor Bill were excited about nymphing. They were intent on catching fish on streamers. We got back in the boat with me at the oars. After another half mile without a streamer bite Greg said he would take a turn at the oars. I couldn't pass up the offer as I hadn't cast a fly out of my own boat in nearly six months. After another quarter mile I finally came tight to a trout on the big fly. It was a fourteen inch brown with a clipped caudal fin. I was guessing that it had been stocked this year as the previous year they had been clipping the adipose fins. We pushed on with Greg at the oars in search of larger fish. We concentrated on some side channels that were much lower than we would prefer. I cast to the bank of the channel, in almost dead calm water there was a violent boil on my fly. I cast again and again but the fish never returned. With these larger fish you often only get one chance. As we moved down the channel i heard Bill yell, he had felt the violent grab of a monster but the fish was gone. We continued to concentrate on the left bank when suddenly Greg shifted towards the middle of the river. "What are you doing?" I asked, "We should fish this left bank." I like the look of this seam forming on the right, it looks fishy." "Alright, I guess it's worth a shot" I wanted to fish water where I had seen fish before. But how could I argue, conditions were different and it always pays to experiment. 

On my third cast I came tight. 

"SEE!!" Greg yelled. We all laughed as I pulled a fat seventeen inch rainbow to the boat. As we released the fish Bill let out another yell. "Gahhhh missed another one!" 

Holdover rainbow caught on an articulated Butt Monkey.

We fished on and as we came to some slower water I spotted some trouty noses coming up.. With only an hour left of daylight we decided to stick with the streamers. We didn't land another trout, but it was a great day. We learned some new tricks on this piece of water and we had a few fish to come back for. 

Last week I finally got the chance to fish with my good friend and author Bob Mallard. Bob has been trying to get me out on the water now for over a week and we wanted at least two full days to fish together. We set out to fish a good stretch of water for BWO's. We were hopeful that the hatch would be in full swing. It surely was, in-fact it may have been the best BWO hatch I have ever seen.On top of that we had a bonus hatch of caddis both evenings. In two days of fishing together we conservatively estimated that we landed 80 fish, mostly browns. "Yeah right!" You must be saying. And I would be too. But when you get the perfect hatch and find the perfect water these numbers are possible. To give you an example of how furious the fishing was, below are two pictures of two of more than six doubles that we had. In many cases we were hooking multiple fish while the other angler worked to release and re-dry his flies. It was honestly the best brown trout fishing I have ever had. 

One of many Brown Trout doubles.

Tiger Trout?

This fish ate a Purple Haze on the surface sixty feet out.

One of many.

Since then I have been out a few more times. On Friday I got into some good rainbows fishing egg patterns and small buggers. Yesterday I had another great BWO hatch on a different stretch of water this one was more challenging. I hooked six fish but all threw my hook before I could get them to the net. My guess is that they were all big wild rainbows as they shook violently on the hook sets. I will be back there with the boat to get revenge.

So what is to come? November means colder water temps which will make the warmest hours of the day most productive. BWO and midge hatches will persist and your best bet for dry fly action will be from 1pm to 4pm. I can't count how many times I have seen anglers giving up on the fishing before the hatch has even started. When the bugs aren't on the water egg patterns can be effective in side channels where rainbows move to feed on the spawn of other species. When fishing these areas be aware of light colored gravel. These are often spawning beds and should not be interfered with. As the month progresses more fish will be moving to the slower pools and eddies where you would expect to find nothing but warm water species. This water can be streamer fished, or fished with nymphs, both dead drifted or stripped. This is also the best water type for BWO hatches. There is still plenty of time to get out on the water before ski season arrives. We are still booking trips through November. This is a great time of year to float the bigger rivers!

Foliage and Fish Behavior...an October Report

Well we are just past peak foliage here in the mountains.  I have been on the water every day for the past three weeks. Either exploring or guiding, so I am sorry for the lack of reports. While this season has provided some of the most breathtaking foliage I've ever seen, we have been finding more than just brightly colored leaves. The fishing has been outstanding. 

One thing I love about guiding, and being on the water every day is that I get to see the subtle changes that the river and her surroundings go through on a day to day, week to week, and month to month basis. As I drove through the notch every day over the past few weeks I could see the colors continue to brighten. Then over the past few days they have  begun to dull a little. As for the fishing the changing of the seasons causes many behavioral changes in trout. Browns are in pre spawn and moving to their spawning grounds. They have been aggressively chasing streamers, and hitting dries and nymphs...if you can find them. Brook trout have just about finished spawning in many of our mountain streams and are in spawn in our lower elevation streams. (Most waters containing brook trout closed on October 15th) Rainbows, who are spring spawners are only concerned with fattening up for winter at this moment. 

In rivers like the Androscoggin that are nutrient rich, fish have been very active at some points of the day and almost completely inactive at other times of the day. This is a common pattern in the Fall. During the summer months bug activity tends to be more consistent with at least some insects hatching or falling into the water all the time. As hatches become more pronounced and concentrated to certain days and certain times of day the fish wait for their opportunity to feed and then do so with reckless abandon. This weeks trips will provide a great example of this phenomenon. I'll explain them here for my own future reference as well. 

On Saturday I guided Matthew Martin and Thomas Karens. Neither had ever fly fished before and the forecast called for a stiff breeze throughout the day with sun and temps in the 50's. I knew this was going to be a challenge as sun and cold temps can make for some of the toughest days on the water in the fall. This is because the most prominent bug this time of the year are BWO's. BWO's hatch best on overcast and calm days. With wind and sun, even if they do hatch they get blown off the water and the fish can't take advantage. On these day's nymphing is usually your best bet. 

So we began with nymph rigs and both Matthew and Tom missed multiple fish in the first two pools. I find that teaching the hook-set can only be done through first hand experience.  Although neither had landed a fish I was happy that they had both missed fish before lunch. After lunch the fishing really slowed. After nearly two hours without another bite I told Matt and Tom to remain patient as the fishing could turn on at any moment. One that should present it self as the sun dropped and the bugs popped. Minutes after this explanation I noticed a few BWO's float by the boat. I mentioned them to Mark and Matt and told them to stay focused. As if on cue Matthew's indicator went under and he came tight to a fourteen inch rainbow. From there we hooked half a dozen or more fish and landed three more. It was a pleasure to see the look of sheer gratification on Matt's face when he caught that first fish. And I could tell that he completely understood the need for patience on the water. 

On Sunday I guided Andrew Hodson and Thomas Hodson for a half day float. We started around two pm. Although we were on a different stretch of water the fishing was very similar to Saturday. We missed a few fish in the first few runs and then the action slowed to a crawl. Then as the sun dipped the fish went crazy with three landed and many lost in the last hour of the float. Fish were taking dries and nymphs indiscriminately. 

On Monday I guided Bob Norton. Bob floated the Androscoggin with me this spring and had a banner day fishing emerging caddis. With a weather forecast of sun and high sixties I was curious how the fish would respond. Bob seems to have a four leaf clover tucked in one of his pockets because the fish were crushing nymphs and dries throughout the float. We landed a healthy fifteen inch wild rainbow on a size twenty emerging BWO and many more rainbows on both the BWO and a larger purple haze.

Can you find the fly?

So it seemed that the high temps had gotten the bugs and trout active a bit earlier in the day. But what would Monday hold? Forecast: Wind 5-10 mph chance of showers in the afternoon. A tough forecast to figure out. If the wind stayed down and the clouds hung in without too much rain it could make for a great day. However if the wind blew at 10-20mph and the sun came out the fishing could be slow. I was guiding Penny Lindsay and Donna Vann of Panama City FL. I wasn't sure how either would like the cool New Hampshire weather but these women were both tough as nails and loved every minute of their adventure. Luckily the forecast was way off and we had calm wind with partial clouds and temps from 55-65 degrees all day long. We were on the water at 11 am and the fishing was slow for the first hour...then both women hooked up at the same time. In that instant I knew it was going to be a great day. We hooked, caught, and lost fish for the next four hours straight. It was a half day trip but I think we may have gone a little long. There were just too many big noses rising for me to leave too soon. We never got any of the monsters to the boat but both Penny and Donna landed some beautiful rainbows. Ladies, I'll send you what I got for pictures. Please send me yours!

Wednesday's forecast looked suspect as well. It seemed the weatherman took what he had predicted for Tuesday and simply moved it to Wednesday. I was scheduled with Bob Norton for another half day. With rain and wind scheduled for Wednesday afternoon I called him to suggest we get an earlier start. I woke up at 6 am on Wednesday and checked the forecast. They had dropped the wind speeds down from 10-15 to 5-10 and the timeline was 25% chance of showers with consistent wind all day long. I sent a text to Bob explaining that we might as well start a bit later as the fishing had been better later in the day. We met at 10 am and were on the water by 11am. I had chosen a stretch of water that had more islands and side channels where we could hide from the wind. We landed our first fish, a brown, around noon in the first side channel we came to. From there on we landed rainbows, browns and even a nice brook trout from side channel riffles and slow foam pockets. Bob got another fifteen inch wild rainbow on a large dry to end the day. 

Thursday I was scheduled to guide Mark Hogopian a regular client of mine. We were considering searching for Landlocked salmon but with a chance of sunny weather we opted for the Andro. Landlocked salmon tend to go lock-jaw in sunny weather while with trout you can at least get some on nymphs through the faster water. And we did miss a few fish on nymphs through the first half of the day with one fish caught on a swung dry fly. However it was not the same fishing that I'd had with Penny and Donna a few days prior. With a high sun and slow bite we decided to take an early lunch with hopes that we would not skip too much good water before the hatch started. After lunch we made our way to a slower stretch of water where I had seen some large rises two days before. At first we saw nothing but glassy water in the last of the days bright sun. Then, just as the sun fell behind the first tree there was a rise,, and then another. I handed mark the already rigged dry fly rod armed with a size 16 purple haze. Mark cast and I studied the trout. The fish were not touching the parachute dry and their rises looked like boils (mouths sucking bugs in from just under the surface) I dug through my fly box for a floating nymph and tied it behind the purple haze. On the first cast there was a boil behind the purple haze. Mark came tight but lost the fist fish...then landed the second. We took two more rainbows and had one beast slash three times at the nymph before becoming educated. We worked down the river and found another pod of risers that struck our flies until darkness made them impossible to see. 

So what is the moral of this story? If you are fishing in the fall be persistent. Know that just because the fish are not biting doesn't mean that they wont. This weeks trips presented different scenario's and the fish fed in different ways at different times of the day. The important part is that even on the toughest of days we had at least a few hours of very fast action. 

So what is to come? Although many waters closed on October 15th our float stretches are still open for the rest of the year as are all ponds and some other rivers in the state. Look for ponds to fish well until they ice over. Here midges and streamers are your best bet. As with the rivers fish will be very sporadic in their activity levels. On the rivers look for fish to continue to feed on hatches of BWO's, midges, a few Iso's and perhaps even a swarm of lady bugs (if we get any unusually warm calm days). As Fall progresses egg patterns will become  important especially in waters that contain brown trout. Look for rainbows to take advantage of their spawning behavior. As the hatches become more sporadic be sure to transition your focus to streamer fishing. Large trout can't pass up a big meal to help hold them over through the long New Hampshire winter to come. Late October and November represent one of your best chances to get a true beast on a streamer. That being said always be prepared to switch to dries or nymphs. Under the right conditions BWO's and midges will hatch throughout the fall and into the winter months. 

If you haven't been out fishing in a while and think that you missed your chance, think again. It is not too late to get your fly fishing fix for 2015. We are booking trips through October and November. Let us know of any dates of interest. 

Tight lines, 

Nate

See other catches from this month below!