The title of a favorite Toots & the Maytals song is also appropriate for our change in the weather this weekend. The recent stretch of summer-like weather is over for the moment, and we can look forward to daytime temps in the 50’s and 60’s for the next week. It was HOT this past week, reaching 85 (perhaps even higher) several days in a row, making for challenging conditions for the anglers that were with us.
When you live and recreate in northern New England, you look forward to the sun coming out. It seems like there’s some months when it rarely, if ever, makes an appearance, so when it’s out you tend to take advantage of those occasions. If you’re an angler though, the sun can be a hindrance to your fishing pursuits. It usually results in wary fish, afraid to be discovered by predators, both aerial and on two legs.
Only nine days left in the New Hampshire trout fishing season, and it’s lately been a challenge for anglers in navigating the weather, the river flows, and the vagaries of getting trout and salmon interested in your flies. The image above of TTL guest Charlie Massin angling is courtesy of Tall Timber guest Rich Wyman.
Unlike the majority of central and southern New England, we have been fortunate to receive rain at the right times of the season, as the Connecticut Lakes and Connecticut River are in good shape as fall approaches. We received somewhere around 4 inches of rain just this past week, so there’s plenty of water in our system, meaning that more water will need to be released from the lakes to achieve the desired lake levels this fall.
Nice brookie, caught and released by our guest Jeff Molesso, under the expert guidance of TTL Fly Fishing Guide Mickey Cunliffe. Let’s be honest, that’s a nice fish, but take a look at his nephew’s fish (Lucas, below), and you be the judge …
The beat goes on up here in the northern reaches of the upper Connecticut River. We have entered the “sweet spot” of the fishing season, as the river flows are good, numerous caddis, mayfly and stonefly hatches are occurring, and the trout are present and active. Many thanks to TTL Fly Fishing Guide Mickey Cunliffe for his image above, a common sight for his clients so far this season.