late May Report

Well the season has gotten off to a great start here in the Whites. After a week of guiding over wild brook trout and lake run rainbows I was able to get out on the Androscoggin River on Saturday May 21st with local anglers Steve and Woody. I had a hunch the caddis and mayfly hatches might be on and I was right! We were on fish from the get go with browns and rainbows in the boat from the first anchor drop. As we fished a low pressure system began to creep in and the nymph bite slowed down, so I had Woody switch to a white streamer to see if we could find a big brown. 

One thing I learned while fishing in Arkansas is that big brown trout are not on the same feeding cycles as other trout. Large browns prefer larger meals so their feeding is not always dictated by bug activity.

As we fished down the river I coached Woody on the retrieve and how to focus casts in front of the boat. As we came upon a deep log filled pool Woody had his rhythm down and sent a cast just ahead of the boat tight to an overhanging tree. On the third strip there was a jarring strike and a golden brown flash under the frothy flow. Woody kept pressure but when the brown ran towards the trees he eased up, "Pull him out!" I yelled. " You've got twelve pound test on there." With confidence in his tippet strength Woody muscled the fish to the boat and we netted this 20" brown. 

Woody with his Andro gold bar...

Browns were hungry from the put in.

As we floated down We missed a few big rainbows on the streamer and then a good caddis hatch hit and we landed some nice rainbows and browns on dries. 

This wild rainbow made three blistering runs and two cartwheels before being landed.

On Monday I guided Paul of Montreal Canada. Paul was interested in learning the Saco river and how to dry fly fish...two things that go together nicely. We started off at 7am on a large pool that I know holds large trout. These fish were rising from the get go but getting a cast to them was a challenging matter. After working on casting to these large trout for about an hour the wind picked up and the bite slowed. I told Paul that we could hit some wild brook trout water and, if he was interested break after lunch and take the boat out in the evening for better casting positions. Paul agreed. After arranging a shuttle and getting the keys to my private take out we met back up at 4:30 pm.  

The fishing was slow to start but around 6:30 we began seeing rises, and a solid caddis hatch materialized. We found a good pod of risers and Paul worked on perfecting his dry fly presentation. After tricking a few that came un-buttoned Paul got tight for good and landed his first dry fly trout, a solid 13" brown. Soon the caddis hatch transitioned to a mayfly spinner fall and Paul missed a few then landed another fish on the mayflies. Paul is excited to continue dry fly fishing in the future.

Paul's first trout on a dry fly

Tuesday I guided Clint from Austin Texas. With an unsettled weather forecast I elected we meet earlier instead of planning to fish until dark. After landing one rainbow right off the bat the fishing slowed. This didn't surprise me much as there were no bugs in the air. The Andro turns on and off like a light switch with bug activity and it is usually a matter of switching to streamers until you see bugs begin to pop. After landing a wild rainbow on a streamer we began seeing caddis come off the water, and a dead drifted and swung caddis nymph resulted in a dozen rainbows. As a low pressure system exited and windy high pressure set in the fishing slowed a bit but we still managed a few more rainbows and a gorgeous wild brook trout on the nymphs as well as a silvery wild rainbow on a caddis dry fly. Clint was pleased to catch fish on nymphs, Dries and Streamers and I was very impressed that he didn't lose any flies throughout the entire trip. 

A rare wild brook trout from the Androscoggin 

So that's what the fishing has been like in a nut shell. Good hatches should continue into the future with warmer days meaning solid grey drake mayfly hatches on the Saco with Caddis and assorted mayflies on both the Saco and Andro. As July approaches we can look forward to golden stoneflies on the Andro and great Terrestrial fishing on the Saco.

If you haven't booked your trip with us yet this year we still have dates available with Steve and our newest guide Tom for June. Nate has availability from July through November. We look forward to seeing you catch fish this year!

Tight Lines,

Nate

Mid-May Report

Well I it is about time I wrote a report for NH again. Arrived back the last week of April and We've been guiding and fishing ever since. The three big stories so far have been lake rainbows, wild brook trout, and wild brown trout on the Saco. We've seen some very fat rainbows out of some local lakes recently with the biggest ones coming out of some of the tributaries. Every spring rainbows get washed out of lake outlets during high flows. This phenomenon can allow for some very big fish in small water. 

Right now these rainbows are keyed in on caddis, but earlier in the spring they key in on sucker spawn and smelt. It is also possible to catch these big rainbows right out of the lakes as they cruise around looking for an easy meal. Yesterday we took three nice rainbows fishing Caddis from shore. We've also done well from the raft. Check the jumping rainbow video on or video page to see these fish in action. 

After arriving home from Arkansas I was eager to try some new streamer patterns and techniques out on the Saco. With the Saco running low on my arrival home I knew we would need a good rain. Luckily our first big rain lined up with a day of fishing I had planned with my good friend Tom Freedman (Tom will be guiding for us this year.) Tom and I had been discussing streamers and strategies for browns over the phone while I was in Arkansas and we both had some theories that we wanted to test. 

Since the Saco is such a slow clear river the bigger fish become extremely cautious when water is low and clear. This is why so few of these fish are caught on dry flies in the late spring. However when heavy rains raise flows minnows and smaller trout get pushed around and the bigger fish take advantage. 

The biggest thing I learned while in Arkansas about hunting big brown trout is that these fish do not eat as often as smaller bug eating trout. Consider how many more potato chips you can eat than hamburgers. When these big browns chomp a 10" rainbow trout they may not eat for another few days. 

So the key to targeting big brown trout on big streamers is to understand that even when you are doing everything right you may not hook a fish for hours. It takes confidence and persistence to find a big brown that is looking to eat. With this in mind Tom and I elected to fish a long stretch of river.

Our theories paid off as we were able to net a 24" brown towards the middle of the float and a 22" brown towards the end. We also landed a 10" wild brook trout and a 12" wild brown trout. I am fairly confident that these were truly wild fish as the river had yet to have been stocked for the season. It is looking like we may get some rain this weekend and I am hoping to find a few more of these fish on Monday.

As waters have been warming we have been seeing some great hatches on our wild brook trout waters. Depending on the streams substrate we have been seeing a mix of Caddis and Handrickson's coming off  from mid morning through the afternoon. It has been an exciting spring as we've discovered a few new to us brook trout spots that are simply amazing. Some of these streams flow slowly through pristine meadows and bogs while others snake their way through old growth pine forests. All of these streams are spring fed which allows brook trout to grow to a larger size than in other New England streams. 8 to even 12" wild brook trout are not uncommon here. This fishing will is best through May so if you'd like to give it a shot give us a call soon as dates are limited! See the prehistoric brookie video on our video page to see this fishing in action. 

Spring fed wild brook trout stream.

A plump wild brook trout taken on a caddis. 

With rain in the forecast we are looking to hunt big browns again on monday. On Tuesday temps will moderate and the wild brook trout fishing and rainbow trout fishing should be hot! 

The Androscoggin River should begin to turn on as well with warming temps. Caddis hatches may only be a week away. Looking forward to seeing many of you this season.

Tight Lines,

Nate

April report Arkansas and New Hampshire

Right now the fishing is good at home in NH and here in Arkansas. While we've been having a great time learning the waters of the Ozarks we are looking forward to returning home to test some new techniques out in the Granite State. 

A mid-day streamer eater.

Fishing conditions here in Arkansas have been varied over the past few weeks with changing flows and weather we have been able to see the rivers in many different conditions which has provided a great learning experience. We have figured out how to catch fish in a variety of conditions, from sunny days with low flows to cloudy days with high flows and everything in between, we have learned that big fish can be caught no matter the weather and flow. It is more a matter of persistence than waiting for the "right" conditions around here. With so many large fish in the White River system it is just a matter of time before a large fish gets hungry. 

A late day streamer eater. Took a rainbow trout pattern.

We have found that these big fish can be taken on nymphs and dries but the most consistent method of taking them continues to be with streamers in just about every condition. The key here is varying your pattern choice, water type, and retrieve based on flow and weather. Yesterday we enticed a few big browns to take streamers in sunny, windy conditions with low flow. 

A nymph caught brown from the Norfork river. 

With our raft we have also been able to explore some more remote waters here in the Ozarks. One such stream has proven to be a true jem with wild rainbows to 20" and big holdover browns to keep things interesting. We have really enjoyed the beauty and remote feel of this water. It is like a piece of Montana without the crowds. 

A large wild rainbow from a remote stretch of water.

Back in NH our Guide Steve Bowman has been busy fishing and guiding the Lakes region of NH for large rainbows and LL salmon. Steve had a great day on the water the other day with brothers Mark and Luke Antal. Both caught twenty inch fish on size 22 flies and were able to join the prestigious 20 on a 20 club. See our facebook page for pictures of these beautiful bows!

We have two trips booked for this week here in Arkansas and then we begin our Journey home on April 16th. We plan to take the scenic route and should be back home to start fishing and guiding by April 25th. We are excited to test out some new streamer and nymphing techniques on the local waters of New Hampshire. The Saco especially has some potential for large browns in Late April and Early May (as we saw last season). 

If you would like to book a trip for this season please contact us ASAP, Dates are filling fast especially in June.  As  of this writing Nate Hill is available June 1st, 2nd, 3rd, June 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 20th, 24th,26th. If you are interested in other dates Steve Bowman may be available. Please let us know what you are interested in and we will do what we can to get you on the water. July and August are starting to fill fast so let us know if you are interested in summer datesThanks for reading and be sure to check out our facebook page for daily pics and videos. 

Tight lines,

Nate

Hello from Cotter Arkansas

Well we arrived last Sunday March 6th and the streamer fishing has been both educational and productive. We started things off with a bang with a 27" brown on our night of arrival. From there we've been getting large trout 25" + with many average fish in-between. With warmer weather and more moderate flows this week look for smaller streamers and nymphs to come into their own. Flows may increase later this week into next week as they draw water down in response to last weeks flooding. 

If you are interested in pursuing the fish of a lifetime this is the place to do it. We are booking trips up until April 11th. 

I hope to see you down here. P.S today it was 76 degrees and sunny....

Check out the video below and pics to SEE what we've been up to.

2015... A Year In Review

What a year 2015 was! We had our busiest season to date here at HCG with 153 trips on the books. That's a better than 50% increase over 2014. We started things off with a brand new fleet of Orvis rods, reels and waders which armed us for a year of many successful days on the water. We began the season floating new stretches of water on the Saco and found some amazingly large brown trout and rainbows on streamers. 

An early season Saco streamer eater!

With a busy season under way we took on a second guide, Steve Bowman of Wolfeborough  NH. Steve had a great season with positive feedback from all of his clients and many nice fish landed under his guidance. We look forward to working as a team again next season and hope to bring on a third guide to keep up with demand. 

Trips in mid to late may were exciting ones. We had some epic days hunting for wild brook trout and our clients made it count on some gorgeous native fish. As a bonus some of our lake outlet streams provided some fast action for rainbows and LL salmon. 

This native brookie gulped a large dry fly. Caught on a remote un-stocked pond.

Stealthy hook set on a wild brook trout.

Wading for spring creek brookies.

Spring creek brook trout.

A spring lake run rainbow.

As the season got underway we got word that WMUR's show, NH Chronicle, wanted to do a spot on us. After two rain postponements we were able to get a shoot done on the Saco. Although we got a late start we caught fish from start to finish.. When it came to editing the piece, Cindy Cupp Jones and crew were spot on, and captured exactly what we are all about. If you missed it, see it HERE!

Late May through mid June provided us with some epic caddis hatches on the Andro. On some floats we only needed one fly to catch fish from top to bottom. Mid June Through early July provided ample trips on the Saco throwing streamers and dries to hungry browns and rainbows. With frequent rain events we were able to find, and then explore  many new hot spots.

Wild Andro bow taken on an X Caddis Late May.

Streamer caught brown... we measured this big boy at 21"

Another streamer eater.

As July came around the Andro dropped to fishable flows and provided some of the best top water action on Golden Stoneflies that I have ever seen.. One memorable float accounted for over 30 rainbows landed on large foam imitations. 

July means Stonefly city on the Andro 

One of many trout taken off the bank with a foam golden stone.

later in July we got the call to guide well known country Singer Luke Bryan and friends. Luke was a truly nice guy and one heck of a fly fisherman. I especially enjoyed working with his nephew Til and Til's friend Christian. We'd like to thank Luke for the concert tickets to his shows at Meadowbrook in Gilford. What a great performance! 

Luke Bryan with a dry fly caught brown. This man can fish!

Eating lunch with Luke Bryan and crew.

Late July and August provided some banner dry fly and nymph fishing on the Saco. The rainbows seemed especially fat this season. And the browns were aggressive terrestrial eaters. We had some magical evenings fishing everything from flying ants, to Chernobyl ants and BWO's. It seemed that the fish chose new foods constantly, which kept us on our toes figuring out new strategies by the minute. 

This Saco brookie took a chubby Chernobyl 

This Saco Brown was fooled by a big ugly stonefly nymph.

A Saco Bow taken by yours truly during a late afternoon BWO hatch in early August. 

In Early August The Book 25 Best Towns: Fly Fishing For Trout hit bookstores. Written by  Bob Mallard the book chronicles the authors travels to the  Nations top fly fishing towns. The book is well organized with a national map of all towns included.  Each chapter profiles a different town and includes: information on the towns fisheries, and how to fish them,  points of interest, lodging, shops and guide services.. We are proud that our hometown of North Conway made the list and that the Saco, Ellis, and Andro all received worthy mention. We appreciate that HCG is listed as the recommended guide service and North Country Angler the recommended fly shop. 

In August and September the Andro came alive with Isonychia and we had some epic days swinging soft hackles to capitalize on this large mayfly hatch. Flying ants and October caddis also provided excellent big river and  small stream action late summer. As Fall progressed we had some banner days below some of the dams on the river and more successful floats using BWO's and streamers patterns.

Iso eater.

This sixteen inch Andro Brown exploded on a swung wet fly.

In September we had the opportunity to help NH Fish and Game and USFS Biologists survey the Wildcat River. They were looking to see if the river would qualify for Wild Trout Management designation. The biologists were blown away by the number of wild brook trout they surveyed. The river proved that it produces more than double the number of trout needed to qualify for wild trout management! More on this in our next report! 

Shocking the town stretch.

Wild brook trout just after release.

A dry dropper combo was often all we needed to get tight in October and when that wasn't the ticket a white or off white streamer often was. We  had some banner streamer fishing on the Saco. And we even used the boat to find some local LL Salmon just before the close of season.

A healthy Saco Rainbow.

Wild Landlocked salmon...we will be exploring this water further this year!

As November came about fish began to key in on Egg patterns and streamers. On warmer days midge and BWO hatches were discovered. We had success with emergers and dries. With a mild December we continued to catch fish on nymphs and streamers right up until Christmas. Fish were found on the Andro and some of our local lakes before they froze over just before the New Year. 

Chowed down on a white articulated Butt Monkey.

A late season wild Andro Bow taken on a nymph. 

December  lake rainbow caught on a streamer as it cruised the shallows. 

December Rainbow on the Andro. This fish slammed a flashy Angel Hair streamer.

So what is to come in 2016? We are excited to announce that we will be spending March and April guiding on the White and Norfork rivers out of Cotter AR. These rivers have defined themselves as two of the best trophy trout waters in the nation. If you are interested in booking a trip please contact us asap as dates are limited (We have already booked a few). Look for our Cotter reports in March and April. Before we leave for Cotter we will be presenting at the NH Fly Fishing Show on February 27th in Manchester NH. This years presentation will focus on our unique drift trip opportunities on the Saco and Androscoggin rivers. 

White River Brown.

When we return from Cotter you can look forward to local reports to come frequently.. We plan to explore new rivers this spring from the boat, along with new stretches on the Saco and Andro. When not hitting the rivers we will be hiking into our remote brook trout ponds and disecting our rainbow and LL salmon fisheries. There is a lot to be excited about for 2016. It is nice to see that others are excited as well. We have been booking trips and selling gift certificates as of late. If you are looking to book a trip for 2016 let us know ASAP!  We look forward to spending time wth you on the water this season! 

Tight Lines,

Nate