Late Summer/ Early Fall Report

Things have certainly turned a corner up here over the last two weeks. Typically by late August we have as many fall like days up here as we do summer days. This is the pattern we have been seeing as of late, with rain and cooler temps about half the time, and warmer days with highs in the 80’s the other half the time. This combination of cool and warm days really energizes the trout. Colder water and higher flows coupled with hatches spurred on by warmer days combine to send trout into a feeding frenzy.

Client Andrew Forauer with a nice hopper eater from a recent float trip.

Bugs and such:

We continue to see daily baetis hatches which fish are eating both on the surface and underneath. The andro and tribs are also still seeing good morning black caddis hatches and we’ve done well fishing foam emergers both in the film and under an indicator with a small split shot. On warmer days we’ve been seeing flying ant nuptial flights. Trout are keyed on these ants any time water temps are in the mid 60’s or lower. We’ve mostly done well with the larger female ants size 16 but a good warm day in the evenings will see fish transition to the male ants in a size 20 or smaller. In addition to ants, the hopper fishing has also been great, specifically on warmer windy days after a cold rain has cooled water temps. We did well on hoppers from about 11 am to 2pm yesterday.

A fine wild brook trout caught exploring some new beaver ponds with my son Ellis on my back!

Our guide Tom Freedman took a stomach pump of trout on the Andro during our last cold rain and found them full of Isonychia nymphs. This hatch will become more constant over the next week as water temps drop on the Andro. Fishing a size 12 purple pheasant tail or zug bug will do the trick as will a purple peacock and grizzly soft hackle when fish are actively feeding on the swimming nymphs. I like a purple haze or purple comparadun for the dries. I talk a lot about Isonychia as being one of our most consistent and productive hatches. This bug will be important from now through early October and can provide some of the best big river dry fly-fishing opportunities of the year. It is convenient that Iso’s hatch mid-day anywhere from about 10am to 5pm. In addition to Isonychia be ready for fall golden stonefly hatches from now through September as well as October caddis. A size 12 orange stimulator or orange foam EHC can sometimes out fish the Iso dry as fish key in on this less abundant but juicy bug.

A fine double bow brown caught this week on a double nymph (black caddis and baetis) rig by client Parker Coleman!

Looking forward:

The ant flights will subside with the last warm humid days of September. We’ll start seeing more BWO’s mixed with the Isonychia’s by early October. At this time fishing a size 12 Iso dry coupled with a smaller BWO can be a great dry fly strategy. Flows on the Andro just bumped to 1800 today and should remain at prime fishing levels through October. It does not look like we will see minimum flows at all this fall even if we get little rain. Small stream fishing will remain productive with orange stimulators and hoppers until about mid-September. From there we seem to do better on the slower lower elevation streams where wild brook trout are feeding voraciously before the spawn. Hunting for bright brook trout among bright foliage in late September and Early October is one of our favorite past times. Fishing brightly colored streamers or attractor dries like the Royal PMX typically does well through the end of the open season.

This salmon ate a small Baetis nymph mid-morning. We typically start seeing more salmon as fall progresses.

Availability:

We still have some prime-time dates available this fall. Nate has Sept 7, 13,14, 19, open at the moment and we have other guides available other dates. We also have more dates after the regular trout season closes on October 15th. Don’t forget we still have great fishing on the lower Andro through at least mid-November and from Late October until Ice in we will again be offering Pike trips. There are few freshwater fish that produce the adrenaline rush of an Adult Pike inhaling your 6”-8” streamer. We are addicted to hunting Pike and look forward to sharing this addiction with you! Give us a shout if you want to get on our calendar for this fall.

Tight Lines,

Nate

August report

It has been a long time since we posted a report. A busy spring and first half of the summer as well as time spent with family has kept me off the computer. We had a lot of productive float trips this June and early July with water temps hanging on for the month of June on the Andro and some of our other floats producing through July. Lately the small stream fishing has been very productive with dries and dry droppers producing very well.

A fine male brown that took a size 16 caddis pupa on a float earlier this season.

Current conditions:

With the hot weather this week we’ve been doing some smallmouth floats and have found some larger bass lately. These fish fight hard, jump like crazy and take surface poppers and dragon flies out of the air what is not to like? Today looks to be the hottest day of the summer which is one reason I am sitting here writing this instead of getting out on the water. Fortunately, things begin to cool off tomorrow with rain in the forecast for tonight through tomorrow night. By next week a cooler pattern takes over with highs in the low to mid 70’s and lows in the lower 50’s from Tuesday through the end of the work week. While most of our streams are on the lower side of average for this time of the year there are rain chances again next week and we should see some happy trout as things cool and flows bump a bit.

Cody Floyd of Ledge Brewing holding a trophy smallmouth caught while throwing streamers just the other day!

Bugs:

On our smaller streams We’ve been doing well fishing black caddis in the mornings. An emerging pupae in size 20 as well as adult black caddis cdc dries size 20-16 have been working well. By late morning when the wind picks up ants, beetles and hoppers begin producing. A high floating attractor dry with a Baetis nymph below has been a deadly combo. For smallmouth our own mini crayfish jig as well as Clouser style streamers have done well along with Chris Thompson’s foam dragonfly for when the fish are up top.

We love guiding kids for wild native brook trout. Nate’s nephew Rowan with a fine specimen!

Looking forward:

As we get into the middle of August fish will become a little more educated and fishing 6Xinstead of 5X can make the difference between looks and eats. By the third week of August we should begin seeing some fall hatches of October Caddis, Light Cahill's in the evenings and Isonychia mayflies on the Andro. As soon as the Andro cools off these bugs will be prominent, and the fish will take advantage of this bigger mayfly. Along with these aquatic insects look for flying ant swarms on humid late summer days. I’ve written a lot about these ants over the years as they can produce some of the best dry fly bites of the season. Some years we only get a day or two of good ant swarms while on other years they give us many days of great dry fly fishing. Usually beginning in the early afternoon you will see the larger female ants arrive first typically in a size 14-18 the color of honey or cinnamon the fish are eager to eat these bigger ants. After a few hours the males arrive in droves to mate with the females outnumbering the girls by about 100 to 1 the trout typically switch their focus to this smaller but more numerous food source. fishing to a trout rising to millions of natural size 22 ants can be a frustrating experience but an accurate cast on a consistently rising fish with a small chocolate ant usually gets the job done and can result on very large trout on small dries.

Nicole with one of many nice browns she caught while Tenkara fishing with us the other day!

Availability:

Our books for the fall are filling fast. We still have some dates for late August and early September (5-7 and 13-14 come to mind). October 13th and 15th are still open and we have a good number of dates available with our other guides. After the regular trout season closes October 15th we still have productive trout water open on the Andro as well as the Pike game on the Connecticut and some local lakes and ponds. Give us a should asap if you want to get out this summer or fall! As always thank you to all who have fished with us this season and we look forward to seeing many of you later this season!

Tight Lines,

Nate

May Report

What a wild month of conditions! From high and cold water to dropping and warming water back to rising and cooling water and again to dropping and warming water starting tomorrow into the weekend. May has been a month of constant change. May has always been a month of change and we are thankful to have water to buffer these heat waves this year. As with the weather the fishing has been hot and cold. At the start of the heat wave last week we saw some good Hendrickson nymph activity and our guide Kevin Gordon had a banner day with some big browns and rainbows landed. I also had a productive day guiding with Hendrickson dries over wild brook trout. We had a few slower days on the andro later in the heat wave as water temps jumped from the upper 40’s to lower 60’s in three days time. Fish were in transition on these days but we still managed a few nice salmon, rainbows and brookies.

Photo Credit HCG guide Kevin Gordon, Client Kerry with a nice May Brown trout!

Yesterday I did a float on the Saco and we were determined to fish streamers all day. While flows were nearly ideal there was a tremendous amount of debris in the water from recent rains. And we moved only one smaller brown on a large streamer. There were a good amount of bugs coming off and I’m guessing that the browns were probably stuffed with worms and bugs and disinterested in even the best looking streamers in my box. I guess next time I’ll throw a nymphing rod in the boat no matter the plan. (As I usually do).

As of this writing flows on the Saco are at 1270 in Conway at the moment. A little to high to wade but an ideal flow to float. The Andro is a bit higher, with a good deal of rain falling in the Rangely region flows should stay above average for the next week or longer if we get more rain. This is probably better for the fish than the fishermen as it gives them more places to hide from our flies but we should start seeing some more good bug activity over the next few days and I’m hoping to find some bigger dry fly fish in these higher flows. This higher water will also help buffer the next heat wave before temps drop into the 60’s early next week. If you plan to get out and wade fish do know that the rivers like the andro are very high and depth changes can be abrupt. We recommend wearing manual waist or over the shoulder PFD’s when wading in these higher colder flows. Or better yet choose to wade fish smaller streams this time of the year. The Ellis and other tributaries should be turning on as they drop and will drop much faster than the larger rivers.

Photo Credit HCG guide Kevin Gordon. Client Dave with a find wild rainbow.

Right now we are fully booked through June. We still have dates available for July and with the high water chances are good that July will be a productive month for fishing here in the Whites. If you are eager to get out before July be sure to follow us on Instagram @hillcountryguides as we post cancellation notifications for last minute re-bookings. If you are thinking about booking a trip for this fall please let us know asap as fall dates are already filling up! We look forward to seeing many of you this spring and summer or fall.

Tight Lines,

Nate

March Report

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

January 2022 report

Happy New Year!

I Hope you have all had a positive start to 2022. While I was hoping to update you all on some winter float fishing, I’ve been quarantined with the family over the last week. Thankfully the kids and Alicia had mild symptoms. I have had no symptoms and tested negative twice and am now in the clear. I have had some reports of friends catching some lake run fish and some trout below some of the dams on our larger rivers. I am hoping to hit the water the water once we get through this next cold snap. I’ll keep you all posted when I do. In the meantime, here is a little re-mix on an older article about winter fishing.

Why Winter?

Often times when we mention fishing in January people wince at the thought of cold hands and fingers and few fish to the boat. While winter fishing can be cold and challenging, these colder months can offer chances at the biggest fish in the river. During warmer months many larger trout shift their feeding to nighttime, when waters cool, and larger prey items are more vulnerable (ie. Mice and other trout). While good hatches and high water can certainly bring about excellent prime time opportunities for large trout you will need to weed through average size fish to find alpha trout. While this isn’t a negative for most anglers it does make landing a large fish more difficult. Freshly stocked fish that arrive on our local rivers in June and July often get to our flies before the more cautious wild and holdover trout. Stocked trout also represent an abundant food source for large trout, providing such easy meals that Alpha trout become full and are less likely to chase smaller food items.

In winter milder days bump water temps and get large fish feeding. The months of January, February and March are also a time when large brown and brook trout are desperate to put on weight after their fall spawn and rainbow trout are packing on weight for their spring spawn. While cold water temps do slow fish metabolisms the largest fish in the river require more food than smaller fish to maintain body weight in winter.

Fewer food items:

While prime time conditions offer trout a veritable buffet of food options this diversity in biomass means that trout have the luxury of becoming picky eaters. A large trout might refuse all bugs except one…or simply decide to focus on eating large mice at night. Conversely when bug activity is limited fish must eat what they can find. Eggs, midges, worms, stoneflies, crayfish, and smaller baitfish provide hard to refuse meals when large trout need to feed in the winter. If you do see a hatch in winter it is usually of one specific bug like a midge, early dark stonefly or winter caddis making matching the hatch much less complicated.

Less angling pressure:

The fact that few anglers are willing to brave the cold weather, means that fish are less pressured and therefore more likely to mistake your flies as food. Winter is a good time of the year to explore water that is too crowded with other anglers, swimmers and/or boaters during prime-time months.

Less variability in conditions:

In winter water flows are usually relatively stable with little rain or snowmelt resulting in high water, and water temps usually fluctuate less than in summer months. This allows fish to get into more consistent rhythms and results in predictable bite windows and holding water.  

Winter Challenges:

There are of course many things that work against the angler during the winter months. The obvious ones are cold water for the fish and cold air for the angler. With this comes the issue of iced over water. Even on some fast-moving freestone streams the coldest months can lock the rivers up. This is especially problematic given that fish tend to hold in the slower pools where ice builds up quickly. Tailwaters and sections below dams are usually the least likely waters to freeze and other waters simply require observation to know when they are fishable. When fishing recently thawed or thawing water it is important to keep an eye out for ice chunks when both wade fishing and anchored in a boat. Access to rivers can also become problematic where roads are not plowed, or steep banks create slipping hazards, be sure to swap out your felt soled boots for rubber, and ideally spikes when wade fishing.

Keep the faith and keep throwing:

While some winter days can provide good fishing for hours on end, it is common for winter bite windows to be short and spread out. If you’ve gone hours without a bite resist the urge to call it a day. Often times it isn’t where you are fishing or what you are throwing but rather that the fish are between feedings.

Slow down but keep it twitching:

Fish the slower water and when retrieving flies retrieve them slowly. Fish can be deep or shallow, but they aren’t likely to move quickly to intercept a fly. When dead drifting flies through faster currents a perfect dead drift lets the fly get down to the fish. However, when dead drifting nymphs and streamers in slower runs try giving them subtle twitches to entice trout to move from their winter lies.

Preparation and timing are key:

While there are certainly winter days that are downright brutal for fishing there are also plenty of days that are mild enough to provide a surprisingly comfortable fishing experience. We’ve found that a calm winter day with highs between 30-40 degrees is very comfortable for fishing. Wearing nitril gloves to prevent hands from getting wet is crucial and carrying the following items will ensure the comfort and endurance you need for a successful winter trout hunt:

Clothing:

·         Heavy winter socks

·         Long underwear or insulated pants

·         Waders or high boots like muck boots (as long as you don’t plan to wade fish)

·         Rubber or studded rubber boots (felt is deadly on snow and ice)

·         Spare gloves and mittens, (mittens are a great accessory to get hands warm if they do get cold)

·         Winter hat

·         Down jacket (down jackets provide excellent insulations and better range of motion than heavy insulated clothing)

·         Sunglasses

·         Hand warmers

·         Synthetic layers (Changing temps and activity levels make having layers you can shed or add throughout the day essential

·         Balaclava or neck warmer

Food:

·         Easy to access snacks (bars, nuts, anything that isn’t hard to open or access)

·         Something warm (a thermos of soup or just hot tea goes a long way)

·         Plenty of water (dehydration can sneak up on you in the winter force yourself to drink water and don’t be afraid to ask your guide if you need a pee break)

 Looking Forward:

This cold front with slow things down and lock things up for a few days. When temps moderate focus on fishing lake tributaries or below dams on the larger rivers, where open water will should still provide some access. It will be a while now before we are back on the freestone rivers, most likely sometime in March. Hoping to have some fish pics for the next report.

Tight Lines,

Nate