It’s not a stretch now to say that floating a river in a drift boat may be my favorite way to spend time in pursuit of fish, or just to reset the “spirit meter”. Whether it’s in New England or out West (Montana), there is no substitute for seeing a river in this leisurely way.
We ventured forth yesterday, on the mighty Androscoggin River in Errol, N.H., under the guidance of Chuck Degray of North Country Fly Shop & Guide Service. It’s not a river that we get over to very often, so Mickey and I jumped at the chance to try to find some fish under Chuck’s expert eye.
The day was typically good weather for fishing – 50’s with occasional rain, but that was much better than the conditions we faced driving through Dixville Notch, N.H. on our way to the river. Hurricane force winds were literally blowing the monsoon rains off the roadway, and the poor flag girl for the road crew doing some roadside ditching looked like she might blow away like the witch in the Wizard of Oz … yes, it didn’t look good.
Our karma must have been good because the rain let up a bit and the winds were light when we launched on the Andro. In a short time, we were picking up trout and salmon, fished deeply on streamers (me) and nymphs (Mickey). None were particularly huge, but we probably boated a dozen fish in three hours of fishing, with a few others that escaped us before getting to the drift boat.
Chuck managed the rapids on the Androscoggin like a seasoned veteran – running at 2550 CFS yesterday, it was rollicking in a few different spots, but Mickey and I kept on casting in to the soft spots on the edges of those rapids. A good flow for drifting and fishing the Androscoggin River is in the 1200 – 1400 CFS range from the reports that I’ve heard, so we were in the upper reaches of that comfort zone. The Androscoggin River will make one pay dearly for navigating mistakes, so it is certainly not for the faint of heart or those lacking rowing skills.
We’ll explore it some more this summer, and we can’t wait to go back …
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By: bs
Tom Caron dispenses advice, wisdom, and bs in the pursuit of trout and salmon daily for Tall Timber guests.
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See You at the Show!
Salmon Serenade
Upper Connecticut River Fishing Report: 8/25
Connecticut River Flow Update: 8/12
A Glimmer of Hope
Hendrickson
May 28, 2017 — 7:34 pm
Sounds like a good way to put the spirit of happiness back in one’s life, and to end the day & then see fish finning through your dreams. Great post, Tom!
Also had quite an evening. Although I was on my bike and not fishing, I watched a blizzard hatch of the German equivalent of our brown drakes (ephemera vulgaris, up to an inch-and-a-half in size) being feasted upon by trout the size of steelhead. Many were taken at the surface as emergers. It was thrilling; wish I’d brought my fly rod! There’s a farmer we know who will let me fish his stream. Next time!
Matthew Sisk
May 28, 2017 — 7:52 pm
Tom,
Great post! For us fellas on foot the “Trophy Stretch” of the CT River really lived up to its name this week! My pal Jason and I landed dozens of 2lb plus Rainbows and Browns!
As usual Tall Timbers was a pleasure to stay at… see you in the fall with both rod and shotgun!