Fishing Reports News

First, let’s look at the New Hampshire freshwater angling scene. You folks who have just opened your north-country camps know that the time is right for Coos County trout and salmon angling.

Both the lower and middle sections of the Upper Connecticut River received fish plantings just weeks ago, as did the classic hotspots of East Inlet, Middle Pond, Moose Falls Pond, and Moose Pond.

Of course annual haunts like the town of Stark’s Pike and Kids Ponds, plus Phillips Brook had stocks supplemented, while both Bog Brook and Stratford Bog got fish. Wondering about the Androscoggin? Milan’s section got trout. So did Berlin’s.

Those of you who have some angling history at places like the Swift River (Albany), the Ellis River (Bartlett), and the Saco River (Bartlett/Conway) know that some decent angling can be had not far from the White Mountain mall outlets. Is that an opt-out-of-shopping option? Make of that what you will, fellow anglers . . .

In Belknap County, check out the Gunstock River, Saltmarsh Pond, the “Pemi,” (Pemigewasset River), and Sky Pond.

Grafton County ruled heavily in last month’s fish-drop list. The Bath/Bethlehem/Lisbon/Littleton sections of the Ammonoosuc River, plus the Bristol/Campton/Lincoln/Thornton/Woodstock stretches of the Pemigewasset are worth a try. Goose Pond Brook, Indian River, and the Upper Mascoma are three spots to try in Canaan. Near Enfield this coming week? Hit the Mascoma as well. Groton? Try Spectacle Pond.

Want more Grafton County locations? Try Moore Reservoir (Littleton), Baker River and Stinson Brook (both in Rumney), plus Warren/Wentworth sections of the Baker. The stocking truck hit ‘em all on the way through there.

You live, vacation, and fish in southeastern NH? Deerfield, Raymond, and Durham sections of the Lamprey River got fish last month. We’re transitioning out of trout mode though for the most part . . .

A shift in warmwater black bass angling takes place today, as the limit increases to five fish through “ice-in.” The latter condition is some time away (right?), and for those of you who bring home a few, a nine-inch bass is about perfect as suppertime keepers go (no minimum Granite State length for this species).

In fact, fish advisory consumption guidelines routinely suggest that such species under a foot long are best regarding man-made mercury potentially in their systems . . . bigger isn’t better in this case.

THE SALTY SCENE

Southern Maine’s Saco River is full of slot-limit school bass right now, and the lower Piscataqua River has boating anglers catching fish. Even Rogers Park in Kittery (park at the signs) had some anglers fishing the tidal water passing through there last Sunday.

For stripers, also hit Dover Point where foot access for “linesiders” is possible on shifting tides. Last I checked, angling at downtown Dover’s Henry Law Park was steady through late June, with some reports that it has slowed down there. That’s not surprising. By midsummer, this sort of shift isn’t uncommon as stripers seek out ideal waters as temperatures go. Some drop back down the river . . .

For some of the best surfcasting, fish rocky sections of our Granite State coastline on shifting tides. I’ve always favored hitting the turn of the low tide after dark, while some veterans routinely fish the last two hours of flood tide then the two dropping tide hours after full high tide. In the end, when you catch fish is what tide you tend to prefer.

Down on Plum Island, they’re starting to consistently get some yard-long stripers, and word has it that some of the bluefish at the river mouth are pushing thirty inches. That’s tail-walking action if ever (topwater plugs, anyone?). And yes, you can fish that spot from a boat (as I have, but only on infrequent invitations every decade or so), or from the shoreline, which is the case 99.9% of the time in my 20-year saltwater angling history there.

TIS THE SEASON

The robins under our deck have fledged young birds, and another robin is nesting there—the same one? Another? Anyone out there notice some of these same multiple brood tendencies? We’ve got a robin nesting above our motion lights as well, and the Eastern phoebes in the garage have also brought off young. That was good news for this pickup truck driver, as I could finally scrub off the mound of droppings left on my truck cap’s top from the feeding parents. The nest, as you likely have guessed, sat on a beam just above where I park.

As wild turkeys go, I noted the first poults of the year back on June 5 (a late-May hatch by the size of them). I’ve seen others since . . . our June weather had to help there.

This morning, one of my English setters and I successfully avoided trouble with a baby porcupine about the size of a three-week old bird dog pup, only more dangerous in a deceptively passive sort of way. Later, we encountered an even bigger one, and dodged that bullet too. Porky and dog meetings in the wild are often one-sided, and empty your wallet considerably as the subsequent vet visit goes for quill removal. We went the other way both times.

Mallard ducklings seem to be everywhere I go too, and many a so-called “resident” goose gosling can be seen in some unlikely places. Coming back from Portland, Maine recently we saw an entire group not far from the turnpike.

Steve Hickoff writes about the outdoors for Foster’s Sunday Citizen. Contact him at hickoffcomcast.net.

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