Yes the broodstocks are still here on the Pemi. Despite a "not so great" season so far, because of changing weather and water flows, this one reminded me of the good old times. I started with nymphs and wet flies and that brought me a few regular size trouts.
Then I switched to streamers, as the sun was going down. A few rainbows gave me some thrills, as they were hitting the light streamer right at the surface, with splashes of their tails. Finally a big whirl and the back of the salmon breaking the reflection of the clouds stopped the time. I didn't feel the hit and I knew it didn't take the fly. The next 0.2 went by as I was begging for a second chance. Then came the shock in my line and the fight started.
The fish made back in the water I was thinking about how awesome would this be if the Merrimack and the Pemi were free flowing rivers, without the dams that killed the natural migration of the atlantic salmon....
The fall is more and more visible over NH. Salmon time! The broodstocks are in the river, but from what I've seen they are smaller than last year.
Today I combined nymphs and streamers for some of the biggest fish I've caught this season. It all started with a smallmouth bass that found my cotton candy streamer too sweet, and just a little bitter at the end. Probably my personal record for smallmouth on the fly.
Than the broodstock salmon started to hit. A huge number of attacks, most of them without touching the fly, but only 3 got in the net, plus one lost in the fight. I think they are not used yet to hit a moving target.
I know some of the attacks came from trout, such this colorful brown
This was my candy box of the day:
Then I had to change location. Just as I started to feel better, my friends from the dam started to let the water go. I wish Fish and Game could do something to make the water release schedule more fisheman-friendly. I know there are a lot of people that drive for more than an hour just to catch the king, and it's extremely frustrating when they start to release the water and the fish stop biting.
I think I got even with Dwayne after I landed this strong, jumpy rainbow. I wish he was there so I could see my face in a picture.
The last fish of the day was the biggest, a big fat landlocked salmon who made my reel scream at the highest pitch I've heard it yet.
It was 2:30 pm and that was the moment I realized that I haven't touched food or water from 7 o'clock in the morning....
As I was saying a few posts ago, the area below Eastman Falls Dam in Franklin is now fly fishing only. But guess what, wormdunkers are among us, they don't just break the law, but they litter too. I would love to here that one of this guys is paying a fine. So if you here about it, give me a sign, it will make my day.
Now back to fishing: first victim of the day was actually fall fish or chub as it's called in Europe. It took a decent size streamer.
The salmon came a little later, probably one of those stocked recently by Fish and Game. Nice fish, great fighter, 22"+. Untagged, and if they decided not to tag the fish anymore, I agree with it. Less harm to the fish.
After I released it, I noticed something weird to my line. At a closer look, I realized that the connector loop was actually destroyed in the fight. Now that is how an atlantic salmon fights!
I couldn't miss fishing in the first REAL day of spring. It's been more than 3 painful months since I had the last fish fighting at the end of the line. Hopes were up for today, as the temperatures climbed up to 64F (approx 18 degrees Celsius). Snow is still melting and the little brook coming off Chance Pond in Franklin looked huge. I'm surprised Pemi was not as high as I thought, and the water was pretty clear. But coooold!!!!!
I attacked the water with a couple of nymphs that worked pretty well last year. I usually combine a natural color with a flashy one. This time was an orange caddis with a hare's ear. I started to use a slighter longer leader, so the fly line doesn't even come out at all, which improves the contact with the nymphs and makes it easier to feel the strikes. First 2 casts I only hooked a branch on the bottom and then I had a surprise: someone was there today.
The piece of night crawler was still fresh and the hook was in perfect state. On top of that, there was a lead sinker hangin' in there (for the people that don't know this, using lead sinkers with a weight under an ounce is prohibited in NH waters since 2005). I'm not surprised anymore that someone is fishing with live worms in a salmon water where natural bait is strictly prohibited. Last year I fished there quite often and I've seen a lot of people breaking the law on that section of the Pemi in Franklin, fishing either with natural bait or with treble hook lures. What I haven't seen yet is a fish cop in the area. In my opinion, especially after the salmon is stocked, law enforcement should be really tough.
The next hook-up brought me a piece of wood from an underwater log. There was an entire sunken world on that piece of wood. I wasn't thinking that hydropsychidae larvaes are so active already.
As a result, the hare's ear gave its place to another BH nymph that imitates this bug closer. Good pick!!!! Just a few minutes later I feel the smooth take, I set the hook in a reflex and the game begins. I found myself playing my first fish of 2009, which happened to be an Atlantic salmon. Here is a little movie, with fragments of the fight and release.
The fish was in excellent shape, strong, and surprise: didn't have a tag!!!!! I don't think this makes it a wild one, but if it ever had a tag, it was gone and the skin healed without a trace.
I took a few pictures but I tried to limit the time this fish was handled as much as possible. However, the water is very oxygenated right now, especially right below the dam and the fish was quite fat, so I think it had a very good chance to survive. Once I put it back in the water it took off slowly. I returned to fishing with a big smile on my face. No more strikes, so I switched to a streamer, with no further success. I didn't matter. Now I can declare the 2009 fishing season is officially open for me!!! Not too long ago I was still thinking that I will have to wait until I go to Romania in May to catch some fish.
Dupa aproape doua saptamani de vreme extrem de rece, urmata de ploi, am beneficiat si eu de Thanksgiving Day, care e o sarbatoare foarte mare aici la americani, una dintre cele 2 zile pe an (+ Craciunul) in care majoritatea oamenilor nu lucreaza (ma rog, sunt exceptii si aici). temperatura a urcat azi pana pe la 5-6 grade si cum ardeam de nerabdare sa ma merg la un peste, am considerat ca merita o incercare.
Apa era mai mare decat am vazut-o pana acuma anul asta, asa ca locul de pescuit nu a fost greu de ales: era singurul in care ma puteam apropia de apa cat de cat.
Dupa vreo 15 minute de tatonare, pescuind mai mult printre tufe scufundate, bazandu-ma pe amintiri cam pe unde ar fi portiuni fara agatzari, am primul atac. de fapt a fost o oprire subtila a firului, fara sa simt nici macar o piscatura. am fost aproape convins ca nimfa mi s-a agatzat pe fund de ceva. spre mirarea mea, acel ceva a prins viatza. si inca ce viatza!
Am impartit filmuletzul in trei: LUPTA
CAPITULAREA
ELIBERAREA
Daca vreti calitate mai buna dati dublu click pe filmuletz, asta va va transfera pe site la youtube si acolo puteti incerca "watch in high quality" inca nu am reusit sa imi dau seama cum pot sa "ingrop" in postul asta varianta "high quality".
Apa era extrem de rece, pe unele lacuri din apropiere e pojghitza de gheatza deja, azi a fost probabil cea mai calda zi din ultimele 10 (in majoritate temeperatura maxima a fost negativa). La 5 minute dupa ce am intrat in apa imi erau deja amortite picioarele.
A fost cea mai scurta partida de pescuit de anul asta, pentru ca la vreo 10 minute dupa ce am eliberat pestele am tras o baitza de toata frumusetzea, la un metru de mal, in apa pana in gat. toate hainele de pe mine s-au grabit sa absoarba cat mai multa apa, asa ca o continuare a partidei era exclusa. noroc ca motorul masinii nici nu apucase sa se raceasca si ca stau la doar 12 minute de locul de pescuit. asa ca restul pestilor care asteptau nerabdatori sa isi masoare fortzele cu mustele mele au ramas cu o mare dezamagire. poate data viitoare. visul meu e sa pescuiesc pe o ninsoare "torentiala" si sa prind peste. sa speram ca anul asta o sa se indeplineasca.
It gets colder and colder and I know the end of the season is near. I am just curios when is going to be cold enough for the fish so they stop feeding. Probably I'll give up first when the winter is gonna show its full strength.
I'm still trying to trick the fish, no matter how high the water is. and I can tell you the rain and the guys from the Eastman Falls Dam can make it reeeaaally high So far every weekend was productive, however. It takes a bit to find the fish but they are still there. AndI'm talking both about trout and salmon.
First scaled critter I stumbled upon was not a fish. I'm surprised the snakes are still out, despite the cold. I think that Saturday's warm weather made them come out for a last chance to capture a frog, but on Sunday the temperatures dropped, catching them exposed. This one seemed really numb, moving slowly toward its hole in the ground.
I moved up and down on the shore for a half an hour to find a good spot and I finally got the first hit, on a nymph. A brown, followed by a few rainbows and more browns.
Nymphs ruled that afternoon, green and pink being the main catchers. I ended with a little salmon on what else but a pink nymph. I think it's the forth this season on that fly.
Same problem as last week, when you are trying to reel in a salmon and to record it in the same time, it doesn't look too pretty, a third hand would be really helpful. Enjoy!
For a better quality you can check the youtube version here and click on "watch on high quality"
