White Mountain Anglers: Spring Fly Fishing in Northern NH

As we all know the North Country has not been untouched by this pandemic. In an effort I'm writing this article to help get your minds off the challenging start of 2020. One of the things I’m grateful for is the changing of the seasons that brings outdoor activities most of us have been looking so forward to. Especially us fly fishing anglers! After a long winter and a “Stay at Home” ordinance issued to NH residents. “Cabin Fever” doesn’t begin to describe how most New Englanders feel right about now. Thankfully fishing is a great way to practice your social distancing and is one of the many outdoor activities you during this time.

With temperatures on the rise and spring finally showing its face, I've been doing a lot exploratory scouting throughout the north country. Patiently watching for faint signs of life to show themselves. On a warmer day you can observe small midges & early dark stoneflies crawling on the banks and fluttering across the water’s surface. Trout are in a lethargic state during winter’s cold temperature and insufficient food sources. This causes a hibernation-like state to conserve energy. As water temperature approaches optimal temperatures for trout (between 44༠-67༠ degrees), their metabolism increases and gives them the energy to move about and begin foraging for opportunistic meals.