Fishing!

[hilljack13]

Heading home tomorrow. We were on lake Hartwell. Didn't have much luck, but gave one hell of an effort. It was nice to try the new gear.

 

[day_trippr]

Is the road to mid paved? One of these times I'm renting a truck for some joy rides

The only approaches that make it to Middledam are from 16 to the NW, and once you leave 16 it's packed dirt regardless of how one tries to get to Middle. And there's a gate a good couple miles from Lakewood on the best road which leaves 16 up in Marston Mills. The original Carry Road doesn't make it to 16 anymore as it's trenched and mounded a few places.

Also, the logging companies that have active leases close their gates during Mud Season which can make all approaches save for the direct shot to Lakewood "non-viable" unless one packs a bicycle (which I did in my yute )...

Cheers!

 

[passedpawn]

The only approaches that make it to Middledam are from 16 to the NW, and once you leave 16 it's packed dirt regardless of how one tries to get to Middle. And there's a gate a good couple miles from Lakewood on the best road which leaves 16 up in Marston Mills. The original Carry Road doesn't make it to 16 anymore as it's trenched and mounded a few places.

Also, the logging companies that have active leases close their gates during Mud Season which can make all approaches save for the direct shot to Lakewood "non-viable" unless one packs a bicycle (which I did in my yute )...

Cheers!

Canoe/kayak up/down it and portage past the unnavigable parts? I have no knowledge of this river, just riffing here.

 

[day_trippr]

There actually is an Outward Bound organization with a small lodge adjacent to Middle Dam proper, and they take canoes and kayaks down the Rapid to Umbagog Lake and eventually the Androscoggin where they pull out. I have put my canoes in at Pond In The River - in the first map image it's just one left turn at the southern corner of the pond - and gone up to where the river comes in, and also paddled down to where it goes out (which is just above where Lower Dam was).

To go much below the Lower Dam site requires a good water release and a very lightly loaded vessel as it gets pretty hairy on the way down to Umbagog, but the Outward Bound people do it. Otoh, it'd be nigh impossible to make it up from Umbagog by kayak or canoe and I've never heard of it being done. I don't think a human could maintain the stroke rate needed to get through the hairy stuff. It isn't called the Rapid River for nothing

This is a brookie I caught with an alderfly larvae aka "Green Rock Worm" right off the tail of the gravel bar just above Pond In The River. I think I was in my 40s...

Cheers!

 

[fluketamer]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBMMQ5QB?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

hi seas bibs on sale for 18$ with coupon at checkout.

i got two pairs this is a great deal
\

 

[passedpawn]

Boys and I had a great time in TN fishing a couple of weeks ago. Didn't catch as many as we wanted, but the lake was beautiful and quiet, cabin was excellent, boat had bluetooth radio and was fun. Lots of Yahtzee at night. Made smores on the huge fire pit by the water. Already planning the next trip.

 

[passedpawn]

There actually is an Outward Bound organization with a small lodge adjacent to Middle Dam proper, and they take canoes and kayaks down the Rapid to Umbagog Lake and eventually the Androscoggin where they pull out. I have put my canoes in at Pond In The River - in the first map image it's just one left turn at the southern corner of the pond - and gone up to where the river comes in, and also paddled down to where it goes out (which is just above where Lower Dam was).

To go much below the Lower Dam site requires a good water release and a very lightly loaded vessel as it gets pretty hairy on the way down to Umbagog, but the Outward Bound people do it. Otoh, it'd be nigh impossible to make it up from Umbagog by kayak or canoe and I've never heard of it being done. I don't think a human could maintain the stroke rate needed to get through the hairy stuff. It isn't called the Rapid River for nothing

This is a brookie I caught with an alderfly larvae aka "Green Rock Worm" right off the tail of the gravel bar just above Pond In The River. I think I was in my 40s...

View attachment 848430

Cheers!

man just looking at that pic, I miss smoking. It was so integral to my fishing enjoyment back in the day. anyway, it's a habit that is long kicked and I'm not resetting that effort.

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

Cigarettes and physical licenses

 

[day_trippr]

When men were men and sheep ran scared and Digital Equipment Corp flyfishers wore this patch as a riff on Trout Unlimited...

As for the smoking, after 53 years I quit in March of 2019 - when smokers were dropping like flies from Covid.
Have never caught Covid, but don't miss the smoking...

Cheers!

 

[passedpawn]

Cigarettes and physical licenses

Right. I just bought licenses for a couple of states and was surprised at this. No paper. I'm OK with it, but it also feels weird.

 

[hilljack13]

Right. I just bought licenses for a couple of states and was surprised at this. No paper. I'm OK with it, but it also feels weird.

Just don't forget the phone...some states still have an option to print at home.

 

[user 246304]

Boys and I had a great time in TN fishing a couple of weeks ago. Didn't catch as many as we wanted, but the lake was beautiful and quiet, cabin was excellent, boat had bluetooth radio and was fun. Lots of Yahtzee at night. Made smores on the huge fire pit by the water. Already planning the next trip.

View attachment 849458
View attachment 849459

View attachment 849460

Beautiful, Andy, slice of paradise!

 

[passedpawn]

Took my pole down to the SW side of Lake Tarpon outfall canal. There were SO many tarpon all over the place. Glass minnows everywhere drew them up the canal from Tampa bay. I watched some big ones getting hooked buy a couple of other guys fishing from the shore, and one even landed, but the sea gulls were a complete nuisance, kept snapping at my line and lures. I moved up the canal to the freshwater side of the sluice gates and worked the bass. Well, I cast a lot anyway LOL. I was competing there with a chunky gator.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Well nothing like some of the fish pics posted above but we had a great couple days tenting and fly fishing on a small creek in Northern PA I didn't take many pics though.

 

[fluketamer]

we still getting realy good bass here :

 

[wepeeler]

Just found this thread! Here's a video from Feb 2024. NH Ice Fishing. (I'm in the sunglasses.)

 

[day_trippr]

First outing of the year took me up to Moore Dam Reservoir on the NH/VT CT river. The torrential rains that ended Wednesday night dragged a lot of silt into the reservoir which also was running a good 3 feet higher than typical which in turn dislodged a crapton of old pulp wood. So I to carefully pick my way along to find some backwater pockets out of the main stem that were a bit clearer to toss froggy poppers.

Caught a few smallies including this chunk...

Hoping the silt drops some more overnight...

Cheers!

 

[fluketamer]

monster smallie . i love how they fight and the bite is always so aggressive.

 

[day_trippr]

The water temperature on the upper Connecticut has finally dropped into the 60s so I'm up at our place in NH to combine some fishing with some work on the house. Today was fishing, and a lovely day on the water it was.

I was flyfishing shore line pockets with froggy poppers and after catching a whole bunch of short smallies I finally tucked into a nice one, shown next to my size 14 water shoe.

The water got cooler the further upstream I went so I ran as far up as I could (~7 miles from the ramp) where I immediately caught a Walleye!

I didn't even know there were Walleyes in this part of the river! Back in 2016 the NH DFW was approached to stock Walleyes here but they turned it down. Hmmm....some Bucket Biologist at work?

Housework tomorrow. Give the fishies a rest

Cheers!

 

[day_trippr]

Went back up north last night, woke up this morning to a herd of wild turkeys. Only half of the total are in this shot, the rest were making another lap around the house.

Dragged the boat to the Moore Reservoir, this was the view from the ramp. Had the whole 11 miles to myself.

This is 11 miles up river, the head of the reservoir - and prop biting territory.

I fished up and down that stretch, hooked a bunch of fish, landed some, got bit by one (an axe handle Northern Pike, the toothy bastid drew blood!

Small Smallie

Medium Smallie

Big Smallie

Bigly fog predicted for Saturday morning, I may sleep in...

Cheers!

 

[fluketamer]

really nice smallies
i love how they fight like little bulldogs. they pack a lot of punch for there size.



scup season . we have been getting the biggest porgies i have ever seen. this one is 16.5 inches a real bruiser .

 

[passedpawn]

Went back up north last night, woke up this morning to a herd of wild turkeys. Only half of the total are in this shot, the rest were making another lap around the house.

View attachment 857808

Dragged the boat to the Moore Reservoir, this was the view from the ramp. Had the whole 11 miles to myself.

View attachment 857809

This is 11 miles up river, the head of the reservoir - and prop biting territory.

View attachment 857810

I fished up and down that stretch, hooked a bunch of fish, landed some, got bit by one (an axe handle Northern Pike, the toothy bastid drew blood!

Small Smallie

View attachment 857811

Medium Smallie

View attachment 857812

Big Smallie

View attachment 857813

Bigly fog predicted for Saturday morning, I may sleep in...

Cheers!

man that's some placid water. I'd love to put a ripple in it myself

 

[ba-brewer]

I didn't even know there were Walleyes in this part of the river! Back in 2016 the NH DFW was approached to stock Walleyes here but they turned it down. Hmmm....some Bucket Biologist at work?

Did the walleye take the popper from the surface?

Only ever caught them on spinning gear or with bait under the ice, they tasted good deep fried.

 

[day_trippr]

That Walleye was caught using a translucent medium depth swim bait I was lobbing across the river and letting it swing below. Hooked it on the first drift - and didn't catch anything else with it. Switched back to poppers thrown at the near bank and caught more smallies.

That was all with a 9' 7wt Sage. Today I brought a 9' 9wt IM6 my dad rolled for me 40-something years ago. As sweet as any of my Winstons, I was booming casts to the banks with a lot less effort...

Cheers!

 

[wepeeler]

Went out fishing with my Dad last Sunday. Got this chaco Smallie

 

[day_trippr]

Up north on the CT river again, fishing the head of the reservoir. Sky full of "Canada Fog" - could actually smell the smoke.

Trees are starting to show some color...

Caught a bunch of smallies, mostly shorts. This chunk was the best of the day...

There's a special observer in the middle of this shot...

Well hello there!

A bit of enhancement...

Cheers!

 

[day_trippr]

After a few weekends of bashing foam frog poppers against banks and boulders it was well time to reseal the chipped foam with some nail polish (I favor Hard As Nails, fwiw). Fish don't care about the chipping but they do prefer a high-floating popper...

Cheers!

 

[passedpawn]

lemme buy one of your poppers. I'll send pics of the whopper gill I get. PM me

 

[day_trippr]

I'd be happy (if slightly embarrassed) to send you one of my beaters, but you can get a bunch of unmolested ones from Cabela's https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/betts-bee-pop-popper-assortment-100068134

and Orvis sells their version https://www.orvis.com/product/bass-popper/12A7.html

Cheers!

 

[passedpawn]

but I want yours!