Merrymeeting River Salmon Fishing

One of the top spring landlocked salmon waters in New Hampshire is the upper Androscoggin River. Fishermen will find about one mile of productive water running from the dam in Errol downstream to Bragg Bay. The uppermost part above the path 26 bridge consists mainly of riffles, rapids and some pools, and below are the so-called Bridge Rapids. There’s good salmon water all the way downstream to Clear Stream, which enters on the west bank. Almost all the fishing is done from shore in this part, which is constrained to fly-fishing only. (gameandfishmag.com)

We did not seriously start fishing till Wednesday on the Merrymeeting River in the town of Alton Bay N. H. For land lock salmon. I think it was the only river open to salmon fishing that had fishable water levels. My son Ty and good friend Tom Schwendler were my companions for the day. Tom guided for me out of my old fly shop, now has a family and does not guide anymore. There were quite some anglers on the water for a week day. Ty got permission downstream on some private land for us to have a spot on the best holding spot on the river. My second cast I had a follow that Tom told me about, I did not see the fish behind the fly, I represented the fly and had the fish take, it was a big rainbow, I dare say the biggest I have ever had on. (greatoutdoorprovision.com)

Fish & Game’s Viar’s concern for this spring is the comparatively little amount of spring runoff in spite of the depth of the snowpack. Viar thinks it is because so most of the snow fell throughout cold temperatures. Although the snowpack is beginning to decrease, it is not leading to much water running off. there is not much moisture content to that snow, it is like it is evaporating. The spring runoff is important to the local fishery because smelt, a small, silvery fish which are preyed upon by bigger game fish, congregate to breed at regions where runoff enters their water body. If we do not have lots of runoff, it can influence their breeding. (laconiadailysun.com)

    it’s a rare thing to fish the Merrymeeting without company. There isn’t lots of river and only a small part has fishing access, so thing may be a little crowed. The Merrymetting is one of those places where you’re just about guaranteed to meet someone you know. And most of the anglers that fish there do know each other and so a little elbow to elbow fishing is overlooked. I once suggested to a couple of the regulars that setting up a rotation system, like they do on salmon rivers in Canada, may be a smart idea. They were of the consensus that wasn’t worth the effort because they knew everyone and that they all got along. (northcountryangler.com)

Has worked for over 30 years with Guaraldi Insurance Agency in Lebanon. She served two years as president of the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation and remains active on that organization’s executive board. Guaraldi has took part on the planning board for the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program, co-supported by Fish and Game and the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation, for some number of years. She holds a lifetime hunting and fishing license, has held a pistol permit since 1975, and has effectively hunted moose in New Hampshire and black bear in Quebec. On the commission, Guaraldi looks forward to being a resource for outdoors fans. (nhfishandwildlife.com)

Merrymeeting Bay isn’t a bay, in spite of its appearances. At the convergence of two great rivers, it’s more like a freshwater river than a bay, however with two important differences: 1 it’s partially impounded by the constriction called the Chops and 2 it’s subject to the action of the tides. Unlike most rivers, the Bay has vast, vegetated intertidal flats which support a productive and diverse biological community, though subject to the action of the tides undoubtedly the supply of its identification as a ‘bay’, the Bay is generally freshwater in nature with little of the biological community related with marine and estuarine ecosystems. (Additional resources)

Said that he was beginning to hear encouraging reports from some smelt camps. This could be a badly needed increase after last year s depressing crash. For brook trout, brown trout and largemouth bass Ken is keen on Kennebunk Pond. Bunganut is a better bet for smallmouth bass and white perch but it also has brown trout. Isinglass is tiny but has brookies while Pequawket Pond is the place for browns, brookies and smallies; fluctuating numbers of smelt are part of the forage base. For a versatile fish-catcher, Kenny recommends a size 2 Swedish Pimple which will catch right out of the blister pack but will fish better if you embellish it with a little bucktail on the bottom split ring. (onthewater.com)

At the height of the Algonquian Indian life in central New Hampshire, the village of Aquedoctan, of the Winnipesaukee branch of the Southern fringe of the Abnaki Tribes Confederacy, was the biggest village in the Northeast; and it covered the shore of what is Lake Paugus from below Indian Cove up the Weirs Channel and along the Weirs Beach area to the foot of Brickyard Mt. Little is recorded of this great community since its finding about 1632, and less is passed down by word of mouth. We do know that this was a fishing and assembly hamlet of the Woodland People, using the Winnipesaukee Channel as the prime place to annually install sapling-and-branch "fish-weirs" to trap the shad run, hence the name Weirs. (lwhs.us)

Pacific Salmon are born in and remain in freshwater streams for the early years of life. The number differs by species. Then they migrate to the Pacific Ocean waters where they bulk up and prepare for their once in a lifetime spawning run up the freshwater stream where they were born. They’ll instinctively return to their birthplace, spawn and die. They’re found in the streams which empty into the ocean, and adjoining ocean waters. (aa-fishing.com)

In the 1980s most buildings along the lake were simple summer camps. Throughout the 1990s most of these structures were replaced by higher class summer homes, some worth millions of dollars. The town of New Durham maintains two paved roads, North Shore Road and South Shore Road, which nearly surround the lake, allowing for year-round residence. But the winter population is small. Most properties on the lake are second homes for plentiful families. (lakefrontliving.com)