GREAT NORTH WOODS FISHING FORECAST - 2007

The melting of the ice, the changing of the lines...
By Andrew T. Schafermeyer, Fisheries Biologist, Region 1/Lancaster

Last week I brought out a few of my favorite fishing reels and began an annual process I call The Changing of the Lines. As the name implies, the process has a feel such as any rite of passage. Winter is over and it is time to again enter that season that brings renewed hope and enthusiasm. It is time to start fishing again.

A late-winter cold snap secured many of our lakes and ponds into typical winter ice conditions. Although significant ice still exists at their centers, edges are beginning to erode and ice-out is not far away. Rivers and streams are beginning to swell as snowmelt and spring rains begin to energize them. Days are getting longer and the sun really has the ability to warm up an afternoon. The biggest snow bank in my yard is, unfortunately, the one that hides my boat. As it melts, I can actually envision my boat getting closer and closer to one of my favorite fishing holes.

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I'm sure that my own personal fishing season will begin in April as I troll and cast at the landlocked salmon that are finally beginning their most concentrated feeding efforts. As they chase smelt around lakes such as Winnipessaukee, Winnisquam, and Lake Francis, I'll be sure to have plenty of streamer flies ready to entice a strike. My favorite is probably the Grey Ghost, but I'll use any combination of Pearl Smelt, Black Ghosts, and Silver Doctors. Knowing that I can be at many of these hot spots in just over an hour makes me restless and anxious.

Next on the schedule of early season opportunities is ice-out pike fishing. I'll keep a close watch on Partridge Lake in Littleton and try to hit it as soon as it opens up. Imagine one of nature's most successful predators emerging from a cold water slumber looking to feed and spawn in shallower, warmer conditions. Throwing buzz-baits and noisy surface plugs can put an angler on the edge of his seat in anticipation of a strike from one of these massive fish. Another North Country hot spot for pike is Moore Reservoir.

It would be hard to write about spring fishing opportunities without mentioning the thousands of opportunities to catch trout. Hatchery trucks are rolling in April and we have so many quality trout waters, one can be sure to find an un-crowded spot to try to outwit a brook, brown, or rainbow trout. One of the greatest ways to teach a young person about trout fishing is to take advantage of these opportunities. Try trolling for three-year-old trout in Mirror Lake, Whitefield or Martin Meadow Pond in Lancaster. If you want to see a child become a lifelong fisherman, just look at his or her face when they smile for a picture with one of these big fish. Both spots also offer bankside fishing for those without a boat or canoe. For anyone perfecting their fly-casting skills, early spring is the time to fish a number of these ponds. Sitting on Scott's Bog in Pittsburg as the trout rise around you is a great way to connect with New Hampshire's remote beauty. Other spots for quiet trout fishing include Trio Ponds in Odell or Clarksville Pond in Clarksville.

One way to increase the fight of a brook trout is to downsize your gear and add some current to the water. If you've never packed an ultra-light rod into a meandering trout stream, you could be missing some exciting fishing. Nash Stream and all of its tributaries offer some remarkable opportunities for this type of fishing.

I hope that I've provided some help as you plan your spring fishing in Northern New Hampshire. As summer progresses, we'll explore new opportunities such as hot August largemouth, deep river trout, and matching late evening insect hatches on the Androscoggin river.
   

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