Giant Salmon for the Merrimack Broodstock Program By
Jonathan Greenwood, Fisheries Biologist - Anadromous Fisheries
Hopefully we can say goodbye to the huge spring floods of 2005
and 2006. This week's unusual weather notwithstanding, the year's
river flows are shaping up for a normal spring runoff, and hold
promise for some excellent low-flow conditions for broodstock Atlantic
salmon anglers.
Fisheries biologist Ben Nugent shows
off one of hundreds of mammoth brood stock Atlantic salmon
recently tagged for release into the Merrimack and lower Pemigewasset
rivers. (NH Fish and Game photo)
New Hampshire Fish and Game has just completed tagging some of
the largest broodstock Atlantic salmon in the program's history.
This spring's release includes 500 4- and 5-year-old salmon reared
at the Nashua National fish hatchery, which were transferred to
Fish and Game's hatchery in Warren, NH, after spawning last fall.
The first lot of 100 fish are 5-year-old salmon, and average 11
pounds each. The second lot of 400 4-year-olds average almost 7
pounds apiece, making this group of broodstock salmon one of the
heaviest ever released for our program.
Since 1993, Fish and Game and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service have stocked Atlantic salmon into the
Merrimack and lower Pemigewasset
rivers every spring and fall. The broodstock Atlantic salmon program
gives anglers the exciting chance to catch what many call "the
king of fish" right here in the Merrimack River. Our spring
stocking plan -- pending river flow conditions -- calls for stocking
in late April and the first week of May, and again a week or so
later, around the middle of May. We plan to stock Bristol, Franklin,
Sewalls Falls (Concord), and the Garvins Falls and Hooksett Dam
areas. (For a free brochure, including a map of salmon-fishing
access points, call (603) 271-2501 -- or, click here for
a downloadable access map, a list of license agents and
lots more information on the program.)
New Hampshire's broodstock fishery is a unique U.S. fishing opportunity
-- it cannot be found in any other state and boasts a 40 percent
success rate! The closest thing to it is an expensive trip to Canada.
A permit fee of just $11 allows you to fish for these big salmon;
plus, you have the added satisfaction of knowing your permit fees
are directly supporting the fishery.
Program Status: Over the past
few years there has been considerable controversy as to the federal
budget funding for the Merrimack
Restoration and Fishery Program. Since 2005, sufficient
federal funds have been available through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, and efforts are ongoing to find a permanent solution for
funding the program.
Season and Permits: The special
broodstock Atlantic salmon season runs year-round, but all salmon
taken from October 1 through March
31 must be immediately released. Adult anglers need an $11 Atlantic
salmon permit and a regular New Hampshire fishing license. Children
under 16 are not required to hold a permit or a fishing license.
Each angler can keep one tagged salmon per day and five for the
season. The minimum length limit is 15 inches. Note that area 1a
(below Eastman Falls Dam in Franklin) is catch-and-release only.
Stamp and possession tags are no longer required for salmon anglers.
The salmon permit is a simple check box on the regular license
application. Don't forget -- anglers now can purchase their salmon
permit online (click here
to purchase permit or fishing license).
When to go: The best time to fish for broodstock is in April and
May and again in the fall during October and November, when water
temperatures are between 45 and 65 degrees F. Salmon are migratory,
and they head back to the ocean once water temperatures rise in
late June. An additional stocking takes place in the fall.
Best Fly-Fishing Areas: The most successful fly fishing is found
in the fast, free-flowing sections below the dams along the Merrimack
and Pemigewasset rivers and its tributaries. For fly anglers some
of the best spots include the area below the Ayers Island Dam in
Bristol. There are two sections that offer excellent wade fishing
opportunities: the first area is along Coolidge Woods Road on the
east side of the river, the other is Profile Falls Recreation Area.
This is a new site located near the Smith River confluence on the
east side of the river.
Other recommended areas include the catch-and-release section
just below the Eastman Falls Dam in Frankin, the river below this
section in the vicinity of the Winnipesaukee River confluence,
the section near the Stirrup Iron Brook in Boscawen, the Contoocook
River below the first dam in Penacook, and the Sewalls Falls Recreational
Park area in Concord.
Tackle tips: Gear recommendations for fly anglers include 7- to
9-wt. rods with either floating or sink-tip lines, depending on
the height and speed of the river flow. While most fly anglers
prefer heavyweight rods with 10-pound test line, nymph fishing
with lighter gear has proven successful in catching big salmon.
Recommended flies include traditional hair wing flies and streamers.
Some patterns to try are green highlander, black bear green butt,
cosseboom, soft hackle marabou and muddler minnow.
Spin-fishing areas: The area below the Garvin's Falls Dam in Bow
to the MA/NH border is open to both fly and spin fishing. The best
areas include in this section of the river just below the Garvin's
Falls and Hooksett dams where the river is fast flowing. Fishing
success in these two areas is best angling from a boat; however,
these two areas offer some limited but good shoreline angling as
well. Excellent boat access is provided at Public Service of New
Hampshire's ramp on the west side of the river in Bow and at the
state-owned ramp on the east side of the river below the Hooksett
Dam.
Gear tips: Spin casting anglers would do best to use medium to
heavy 6 1/2 to 7 foot rods with a minimum of 10-pound test mono
line. Some of the lures recommended are Little Cleo (chrome, chartreuse
colors), Blue Fox Pixie, Trixie (silver, chartreuse), Rapala's
CD model, and large in-line spinners such as Mepps Aglia (nickel,
green, yellow) and Rooster tails. Be reminded that the use of lures
for the taking salmon is by the use of an artificial lure having
no more than ONE hook point! A solution for lures sold with treble
hooks is to either cut off two of the hook points or replace the
treble hook with a #6 bait holder hook.
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