Pittsburg, NH Upper Connecticut River & Back Lake Fishing Report: 5/23

bs — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:12:30 +0000

The Upper Connecticut River has continued to be a little slow this week, as our constant rainy weather pattern has thrown things off a bit. While we definitely needed the water to fill the Connecticut Lakes, it has rained just about every day for a week, which makes us all yearn for those sunny days (that are tough for the fishing but great for the soul).The increase of water has meant some delayed salmon action (primarily on streamers and nymphs) in the Magalloway Stretch, so the weather hasn’t all been bad for the fishing. The Trophy Stretch of the Connecticut River continues to be very slow, as it appears as though the stocking truck hasn’t made an appearance there yet. There’s always tomorrow though, so hopefully they throw a few in before the weekend begins.

Back Lake has been cooking this week – lots of rainbows, a few browns here and there and some metabolically challenged brook trout (pictured above) that were probably stocked this past week. Many of the typical fly patterns (Hornberg, Golden Demon, Mickey Finn) and lures (Super Dupers have been the most reliable) have been working so far on the lake.

The good news with all of this weather is that the water temperatures are remaining cool, and it sounds like our weather pattern is to continue in to the weekend.

Give us a call at 1-800-835-6343 if you can break away this weekend for a little fishing – we have a few openings!

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Pittsburg, NH Pond Fishing Report: 5/19

bs — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:13:24 +0000

Good times fishing on Pittsburg, NH’s outer ponds this weekend – lots of action at Round Pond yesterday, and Coon Brook Bog was good too. It’s not rocket science with our eager brook trout right now: Adams and Yellow Hornbergs worked great, and “on the strip” no less!

Greta was leaning to the left when I took the picture …

Nothing of size yesterday for me at Round Pond, but there are reports of much larger lunkers in there, so that should be investigated. Cindy and Jon are checking out our boats in some of the other locations today, so we’ll know more about those spots soon.

The Connecticut River in Pittsburg continued to be slow for our guests yesterday, but there have been encouraging reports on the angling south of here. If you’re on your way up, or headed home from Pittsburg, check out the likely spots and you may be pleasantly surprised with New England’s longest river. We expect stocking of the Trophy Stretch this week in anticipation of next weekend.

Sounds like the Connecticut Lakes were pretty good this weekend. Lake Francis was particularly good for some of our guests trolling hardware, and there are reports from First Connecticut Lake that the lakers there have been on “the bite” this week. Third Connecticut Lake was recently stocked with rainbows too, so there’s lots of options on the lakes right now.

We have some Lodging Specials this week, so give us a call at 1-800-835-6343 if you can make it up to cast a line.

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Pittsburg, NH Fishing Report: May 18

bs — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:07:08 +0000

Finally, a beautiful day for enjoying Back Lake’s fishing this morning. It’s been a bit blustery over the last few days, so we’re happy that the wind’s subsided today.

The fishing has been challenging on the Connecticut River this week – flows in all sections remain low, and various low pressure systems moved through this week, which seemed to put the fish down at times. Looks like this week may offer more unsettled weather, so we’ll see how that affects our local trout and salmon.

Recommendations if you’re coming up soon:

Back Lake has remained very consistent for our anglers, with small lures (Super Dupers and Rooster Tails) as the most effective method so far. Trolling flies like Yellow Hornbergs and Golden Demons usually work great in the spring too, so grab a few when you venture in to our fly shop. Nothing huge yet, but there’s been some nice 14″ – 15″ rainbows taken this past week.

Many of the Outer Ponds were stocked this week, so the brook trout fishing on these bodies of water will be great for the next month or so. Specifically, Moose Pond, Middle Pond, Terrell Dam, Round Pond, Coon Brook Bog, East Inlet and Moose Falls Flowage should all be really good right now.

The gate to Boundary Pond is open according to reports, and getting back out there for the evening hatch on Boundary following the work on the newly renovated dam there has been a priority for us here at the lodge. This is a great time to bring up your canoe or kayak to fish these places, but if you don’t, we have aluminum row boats at many of the ponds.

We have boats at: Terrell Dam, Round Pond, Coon Brook Bog and East Inlet right now. The road to Big Brook Bog is currently closed, but we’ll have a boat there too once the road has been fixed and we’ll also be checking on the status of our Boundary Pond boat this week. Our outer pond boats are free for our guests to use – just pick up the key and oars at our place before heading out there.

Note: the dam at Scott Bog is getting worked on this summer by the state, so it really isn’t worth fishing this year.

The Connecticut River has been inconsistent this week. The Magalloway section was good early in the week, but the flow was dropped yesterday to 113 CFS, which is a pretty low flow to keep salmon in there in any numbers.

The Lake Francis Inlet has had its moments this week as well, but has also proved frequently frustrating for fishermen too, and the Trophy Stretch has not been stocked yet, so fishing anything other than the lower pools prior to Lake Francis may be fruitless.

The flow remains constant below Murphy Dam (188 CFS for about 4-5 months now), so the trout down there are rather skittish. Hopefully that flow comes up soon!

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Connecticut River Fishing Report: 5/12

bs — Sun, 12 May 2013 19:50:16 +0000

Lots of rain yesterday evening has given us a fresh charge of water for the river, and cooled it as well. Thursday’s water temp at Magalloway was a luke warm 55, while it was a frosty 48 up there this morning. With temps down to 30 degrees tonight, and 25 degrees tomorrow night, this weather might just be what we need to turn the salmon on again.

Lots of fishermen plying Pittsburg’s waters this weekend, but we should have a good week ahead – just bring along the thermos of hot coffee and maybe some gloves too. And, wearing two pairs of socks might also be helpful, as several of us found out this morning.

Beadheads of all kinds with soft hackle droppers are probably the best way to go right now, but be prepared to switch to emergers or dries when they come up to the surface.

The Lake Francis Inlet was high and muddy today after last night’s rain, but should return to normal in a day or so. The flows all remain the same out of the dams – about 190 CFS out of Second Dam, 144 CFS out of First Dam and 187 out of Murphy Dam.

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Connecticut River Fishing Report: May 10

bs — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:13:37 +0000

Spring fishing is getting off to a solid start in Pittsburg, NH. The rain we had yesterday helped cool things down a bit, and the forecast is for more rain this weekend in to next week. The weathermen are also calling for a cool down in our temps too, which may help with the fishing as well.

Here’s What We Know:

Magalloway Stretch – salmon are in and running, though yesterday’s 55 degree water temp is way ahead of schedule. The flow dropped to 193 CFS yesterday, but the salmon are still biting. Small emerger patterns (soft hackle PT, hatching pupa), midge patterns, and BWO patterns when called for would be best on top right now – think size 16 and up. If you like to go slow and low, a beadhead like a PT or Prince followed by soft hackle emerger might be your best option.

Lake Francis Inlet – all of the above, plus some streamers should do well here. As usual, a watercraft of some kind will serve you well in getting your casts to those hard to reach fish.

Back Lake, Moose Pond and Middle Pond have all been stocked by now, and Round Pond is always a good bet at this time of year. Many of the gates on the logging roads remain closed, so the easier to get to ponds are the only option at the moment.

Fishing season is upon us folks, and more updates will be coming soon.

More importantly, the Rainbow Grille & Tavern is open again, along with our lodge, so give us a call at 1-800-835-6343 if you need clean, comfortable accommodations while you’re up here along with a great meal.

Our bar is buzzing with the Bruins and fishing BS right now, so come in and join the fun!

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Pittsburg, NH fishing report 5/2/2013

chowe — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:12:12 +0000

SALMON are in! You heard that right. Jon went fishing today and hit the usual inlets, First Connecticut Lake and Lake Francis, and reported that the salmon and trout are hitting.

Water temperature at First Conecticut Lake inlet (Magalloway) = 40 degrees.

Water temperature at Lake Francis inlet = 45 degrees.

There were BWOs coming off and he hooked a few on Soft Hackle Pheasant Tails which was our #1 fly on the Missouri River this Spring. Great Beatis/BWO pattern.

Streamers are always great at this time. Smelt patterns. Grey Ghost, Red Grey Ghost, Putt’s Favorite, Gray Soft Hackle Streamer and a Black Ghost.

Ice is out on Back Lake, Lake Francis and First Connecticut Lake. Moose, Middle and Little Diamond Ponds should be fishing well, and Back Lake too.

Tom has been in his waders for the last 3 days but he hasn’t been fishing. He’s been busy fixing the boat docks which took a beating from the lake ice this winter. With the help of Kevin Lassonde and our maintenance guy Josh, the docks are looking much better.

We have cabins open, a few boats in the water and the Rainbow Grille opens next Thursday. Give us a call and we’ll hook you up.

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Connecticut River Fishing Report: April 26

bs — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:41:06 +0000

It’s been a while folks … sorry about that. Truth be told, there’s been very little to talk about in regards to our fishy friends lately, but all of that may be changing. Above is this morning’s picture of Back Lake – not iced out yet, but it should be in two more days we’re thinking.

Caught a nice brown yesterday on the river on a white soft hackle streamer, but that was my only fish contact of the day, and only my third contact in six weeks (one got off and one gave me a bump), so it has been quite slow up here.

Here are my thoughts on why:

1. Our weather has been pretty miserable (cold and snowy) until the last two weeks, so maybe we’ve turned a corner and the water temp will inch upward (water temp was 39 degrees last week).

2. The river flow has remained at a constant of 180 CFS for nearly three months now. The typical flow below Murphy Dam at Lake Francis is somewhere between 300 – 400 CFS, so the fish need a change, mostly to get them moving again and to feel safe enough to feed consistently.

Making matters worse is that one day I spotted an eagle and an otter making the rounds on the river – apparently we are all of similar mind when it comes to what constitutes good trout holding water …

There are reasons for optimism though.

The weather has been exceedingly nice this week, and this will continue well in to next week. This should help kick start some hatches to get the trout more active.

We’ve also had some good melting of the snowpack going on as well, so the lakes are filling now. In fact, the flow out of Second Connecticut Lake dramatically increased two days ago, so once First Lake fills, the chain reaction will continue down the line, making for some very relieved trout below Murphy Dam.

So, here’s the advice for various bodies of water in Pittsburg:

Connecticut River and streams – still cold water right now, but that will change quickly once the warm up happens. The salmon run in the Magalloway section between Second CT Lake and First Lake usually happens about May 8 – 18.

Back Lake – ice should be out in a few days, and then get ready for some great fishing. With NH Fish & Game stocking, things should be very good for Memorial Day weekend.

Connecticut Lakes – I drove by First CT Lake today – looks like it still has a week to go, but the fishing is usually hot for a month or so following ice out. Salmon, on top, is pretty hard to beat. Lake Francis will also probably be out in the next week. Second CT Lake will be a little while longer and Third Lake will go out by July 4th – just joking!

Outer Ponds – the only ponds that are currently iced out are Middle Pond and Moose Pond, so if you’re in to brook trout on opening day, those are the only options right now. Round Pond still looked pretty solid today, as are the other northern ponds and bogs (Coon Brook Bog, Big Brook Bog and Boundary Pond) – some of those might be good to go in a week or two, as long as the roads going to them are free of washouts.

Of course, updates will be more frequent as our season gets underway!

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Connecticut River Fishing Report: April 5

bs — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 12:57:27 +0000

Been plying the Connecticut River in Pittsburg, NH fishing when the weather permits lately, with little to show for our efforts. Air temps have been cold, and the water’s even colder – we think the trout are sleeping and simply don’t want to come out of bed until the water’s warmer and there’s more of it.

The water temperature as of earlier this week was 36 degrees – not much difference at all from where it was two months ago. To make matters worse, the weather has been so cold lately (12 degrees as I write this, with very healthy ~~gusts~~ breeze) that the snow really hasn’t melted too much, so there’s no runoff happening. This keeps the lakes from filling with all of that snow melt, which, you guessed it, keeps the river pretty low too.

The Connecticut below Murphy Dam is currently 183 CFS (normal flow here is usually 300 – 400 CFS), and has been this flow for nearly two months. The trout need a change, pure and simple, to more and warmer water. This week I glimpsed a bald eagle, a large hawk of some kind, and … an otter in one of my favorite pools – none of these are good omens for my beloved trout, but I guess all of these predators have to eat too. The trout are hiding right now, and who can blame them?

To give you an idea of the kind of weather we’ve had in Pittsburg this winter (and early spring), someone cut a hole in the ice on Back Lake this week to check the depth – 26 inches, and we probably made ice a few nights this week! The ice went out on April 13 last year … I’m guessing we’re looking at early May this year.

However, all of this dreary news bodes well for the salmon run this May – we should have a good amount of water by that time, which didn’t really happen last year as a result from the early run off in March.

Keep watching the weather – a “warm up” is supposedly on the way next week, but at this point I’ll have to see it to believe it.

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Connecticut River Fishing Report: March 11

bs — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:15:09 +0000

Pretty good day for early March fishing on the upper Connecticut River today – two lunker browns took the gray soft hackle streamer today – combined weight somewhere around 10 pounds. Both were released back to the deep …

Tried nymphs to no avail at first this afternoon, then switched to the streamer with almost immediate results. The great thing today was watching at least five other fish routinely coming up to take tiny mayflies – what appeared to be BWOs.

Tomorrow’s weather looks ok, maybe a bit rainy, then we’re back in to winter for the next week.

Choose your time well if you can sneak away – it may be worth it!

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We’re honored / Connecticut River Fishing Report

bs — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 18:49:39 +0000

That’s our own Cindy – the boss, our fearless leader, and every other title you want – accepting the Silver Trout Award last night from Basil Woods Chapter of Trout Unlimited President Dan Stickney (right), with her faithful Tonto, Jon Howe on the left.

While Cindy accepted this award on behalf of our entire family, the recognition for over 25 years of service and contributions to Trout Unlimited conservation projects really belongs to her alone. Cindy has been committed to promoting the sport of fly fishing, and also how this “sport” can transform and enrich a person’s life for at least 25 years, and we couldn’t agree more. We’re happy to be able to help out when and where we can, and if its good for trout and people, that sounds pretty good to us. What was even better is that Cindy was surrounded last night by many of our fishing friends from the lodge, and it’s only a couple of months before the waters of the north country will be plied again by all of this fly fishing talent …

The Connecticut River sparkles in the March 9 sunshine

CONNECTICUT RIVER FISHING REPORT

That bright orb in the sky actually made its long awaited return yesterday (we go close to three months without seeing it in the winter time), heating the 36 degree water (it’s coming up …. very slowly), however the flows are still low out there. This does a couple of things:

wading is pretty easy right now, in fact I crossed the river yesterday in a couple of spots that usually are not easily forded when the flow is higher.
fish are restricted in the defined pools along the river, which is where they usually are at this time of year anyway. Look for the soft seam (usually the inside seam of the current).
high, sunny skies yesterday meant that it was an unlikely day for catching fish, and I obliged.
the low flow makes the fish a trifle skittish – they’re more worried about self preservation than feeding when the flow is this low.

This all adds up to some challenging conditions for spring fishing on the Connecticut – these conditions should improve when the flows come up (rain and snow melt will contribute to this). Anyway, here’s the deal with the fishing:

Streamers – probably the most preferred method. Smelt imitations are best, but you could also throw something else at them. Whether it’s a floating smelt on top, or the traditional swing and strip method, this may be the way to go.

Nymphs – think heavily weighted beadhead (Prince, PT) followed by an egg, spawn or San Juan Worm, and you may have some success. Saw some BWOs on the surface yesterday in the sunshine (very small ones), so you may want to try a small BWO emerger pattern when you see them coming off.

Dries – not yet, but if you spot a riser, try a BWO or midge pattern. We need some much warmer weather to get this going.

The weather the next two days looks conducive to getting out on the water – then, it’s back in to winter again.

Hopefully, we’ll have an updated entry tomorrow …

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