Members meet and Fish Three Rivers

Hi All

Got together with Paul (Fish Carva) and his friend Chris this Sat Morning and we had a great time fishing three rivers in the North Conway/Jackson area of New Hampshire.

Members meet and Fish Three Rivers
By: Lee Goldsmith
Site Administrator

4:30 am came early for me but I was up and about in no time and had a little cereal for breakfast and I was off for North Conway to meet up with Paul and Chris at the North Country Anglers.  On the trip up to North Conway I first saw a deer cross the road in front of me and then stop on the fairway of the Provence Lake CC.  Stood there pretty as a picture which I did not take and should have.  A few miles down the road I saw a big bird in the middle of the road and thought to myself it was a crow, lots of them these days and you see them all the time.  But to my surprise it was not a crow but a Ring Necked Pheasant, nice male in all his splendor.  He walked over to the side of the road and just stayed there, did not seem to be very much afraid of the car and again I should have taken a picture and did not, my bad. 

I arrived in North Conway around 5:40am so I thought I would get a coffee at Sid's.  Went to the store and the front down was open but there was no one around so I left thinking that the person who opened was in the back of the store, and I think they don't officially open till 6am.  It was best because a cup of coffee would have made me pee a lot more then needed with waders on.

Paul and Chris arrived just before 6am and it was nice to meet Paul in person for the first time.  Chris was very nice and I do hope he will become a member soon and add to the site.  After all the intro's and pleasantries we were off to the Saco.  We all got into our boots and rigged up and we proceeded down to the glide behind the golf course in North Conway.  We arrived and there was only one other person fishing the glide.  Paul said he would take up on a riffle up stream a little ways and Chris and I went down the glide a short ways.  No rising fish and only a few bugs hatching at this time.  Paul was having some success fishing over some newly stocked Brookies, so Chris and I moved up to where Paul was and he said to try the run.  I had no success in the run, Paul must have touched all the fish there or put them all off.  I moved down river a little in the run and did manage one Brookie about 10-12 inches long and a very good fight.  I had one other fish blast my fly (Mickey Finn Streamer) at least three times and he missed every time.  One time coming completely out of the water to try and get it.  Paul had caught about six fish so we did have some success. 

We now decided it would be best to try another river that Paul had never fished, the Ellis.  So up the road we went to Kringles for a little refreshment and then to the river.  Fished a section that usually has fish but the water was a little high and the three of us did nothing between us.  Knowing the area as I do I suggested the Wildcat, one of my favorite streams. 

We go to the bridge and road that leads to Black Mtn ski area and parked.  I decided to go down stream a ways and fish back to the bridge, Chris and Paul fished from the bridge down.  I started at some very nice water but had no action at all, I was using a ElkHair Caddis fly that is usually dynamite in this river.  I kept going up stream and managed to hook into a nice stocky in a good looking run.  I could see Paul and Chris at this time and they intern had seen me.  The fish was the same size as on the Saco about 10-12 inches long.  Missed getting a picture.  I continued up past Paul and Chris on another branch of the river and managed one more fish in a pool that I have never had much success in in the past.  This was nice to see.  I continued up a little more and found one more nice little pocket of water and managed one more fish, with a picture.

 

The three of us decided to take a little break and collected at the cars.  To our surprise a CO showed up, very nice individual and he did check all of our licenses as he should and said that they had stocked some very nice brook trout in the river.  We all said they had.  Paul and Chris each had caught several more fish each, so the day was turning out great.  Paul and Chris decided to call it a day around 11:30am and needed to check in with their families for the rest of the weekend.

I decided to check out a couple more spots on the Wildcat before I called it a day.  The first stop was at a pool that has always been good to me on this river.  It did not disappoint me today, I managed to hook and land or loss four more Stockes and many wild trout in this pool.

  I went down river to one more run and did nothing so I decided to move up to Mellon Road and try the pools there.  Again this section did not disappoint.  The river had had some changes since Irene flooded the area last fall.  There are now new areas that are bigger and deeper pools then before and each one had fish in them.  Before I was done I had hooked and released at least 12 more fish in the section.  Most were stockies but i did catch several nice wild fish as well.

That's it, we had a great day and I do hope all enjoy reading this little story of mine.

Thanks
Lee