Working for Our Fish …

That’s certainly the case right now in northern New Hampshire’s Connecticut Lakes Region. The fish may be there, and fishing season has technically started, but just because the calendar says that the trout and salmon should be biting, that is not always the case. Lots of casting with little reward, but then, that next cast might just be the one that pays off …

TTL Guide Emeritus Jon Howe was out at Lake Francis Inlet today, landing and releasing one fish, but it was a good brown trout, making his excursion worthwhile. I had the same experience on the Magalloway stretch of the Connecticut River yesterday. The water level came down slightly from Saturday’s deluge, and it looks like the salmon could be running at any moment (as soon as the smelt start making their way upriver, so do the salmon), and while there were no salmon to be had yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised when a nice native brook trout was on the end of my line after much casting effort. It was a good male with some nice coloring on him and he was released to prowl the depths again.

The water temp on the Magalloway stretch yesterday was 42 degrees and it’s probably a bit colder at Lake Francis Inlet. A few degrees higher would help the fishing considerably, but it looks like we’re in for more cold weather the next two days (yes, snow is on it’s way tonight and tomorrow morning!!). Perhaps a warm up later on this week.

A few observations so far and some friendly advice:

1. Since the lake levels are so high, it is making it very difficult for wading anglers to get in the water and cast to likely holding spots for fish. Be careful wading out there everyone, one wrong step and you’re going for a swim (I witnessed it on Sunday – looked like a water buffalo struggling to get out of a watering hole …).
2. My switch rod, which requires very little back casting room, was a great tool to have in the arsenal the other day. They are perfect for conditions like this and consider bringing yours up if you have one.
3. Watercraft comes in real handy when the water is this high in the lakes. Boats, kayaks, and canoes will help you have access to water (and fish) that most wading anglers simply can’t cast to. Spend more time fishing and less time wondering where to fish, and bring up a boat.