Water Needed …

To give you a little context with this picture, this was in an area along the Connecticut River to the south of Pittsburg, where I like to wet a line on occasion. The water flow was the lowest I’ve seen in this spot, but the log suspended in the tree was illustrative of the amount of water that was coming through this area at some point this spring – yeah, pretty amazing. Thankfully, we did get some rain yesterday, but we have a long way to go before the dam flows come up.

How was the fishing, you may ask? One brown caught and released swinging Chuck Degray’s Olive Soft Hackle Streamer, as well as a couple others on the “long distance release” – not bad for the first trip in to the honey hole this season. Much needed driving rain abbreviated my session.

As noted above, the river flows out of First Connecticut Lake Dam and Murphy Dam remain lower than normal. The Trophy Stretch flows at a meager 98 CFS, normally around 150 CFS at this time of year, and Murphy Dam is a mere 185 CFS – it would normally be in the 300 – 400 CFS range most years.

What does this all mean for the fishing? Well, the fish are there, as NH Fish & Game stocked quite a few trout a couple of weeks ago, but they are seeking the deeper spots in the river to bide their time. This usually means the more defined pools have the fish, but I have heard of a few fish being caught in areas of deeper riffles between the pools. Still, the pools are where it’s at, and remember to be kind when fishing some of these spots, as you’re probably not going to be alone in enjoying your day on the water. Everyone’s looking for a little respite these days …

As far as fly choices, nymphs are probably still your best bet, as lower flows generally means fish that can be spooky and selective. Make sure you have at least 5X leaders and tippet, though 6X might be a better option these days. The fly combinations seem to be endless – caddis patterns (Caddis Pupa, Jailbird, Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, etc.), mayfly patterns (Beadhead Pheasant Tail, Chuck’s BWO Swing Fly, etc.) and attractor patterns (Eggs, Worms, Mops, etc.) all have been working. Experiment and see what works for you.

Fish are also occasionally being taken on streamers and even dries, so bring all of your arsenal to the river when you go. More rain is in the forecast for later this week, so hopefully we can get back on track with our precipitation. More updates to come …