The fat lady has sung her last notes folks, and the fishing season is over here in northern New Hampshire. For those hardcore anglers, the Vermont fishing season doesn’t end until October 31, but the weather can often be a factor in one’s decision to lace up the wading boots again.

It was a solid end to the season from most anglers I spoke with. Thanks to timely and frequent rain that we received, and the efforts of Great River Hydro to keep the flow in the Trophy Stretch at a good level to the end of the season, there was plenty of water for fishermen and more importantly, fish.

Salmon were present in the river all fall, and more new arrivals seemed to come upriver from Lake Francis with each new rainfall that we would get. Trout seemed to be more prevalent from the Carr Ridge Bridge area north to the dam, but the middle and lower pools were home to salmon, and it was solid fishing for most.

Connecticut River's Trophy Stretch
Chuck Degray hooks up with a landlocked salmon on the last day of fishing season.

TTL Fishing Guide Mickey Cunliffe got out for the last day of the season with Lopstick Outfitters Guide Chuck Degray, looking for a couple tugs before it all ended. They did very well, as you might expect out of two seasoned guides – all salmon, all released to hopefully spawn (in a couple of weeks) and go back to the lake to do it all over again next year.

Salmon fishing on the Connecticut River
Tilly gives this salmon the once over before Mickey Cunliffe releases it.

Thanks to everyone that journeyed north to our neck of the woods this past season – it started off slow and late due to all of our cold spring weather, but then it seemed to settle in as it should. Flows were good most of the season as well. Let’s hope for a good winter ahead and slow melt next spring …