Guide Service Different Trips The Two Rivers About the Owner What to Bring Reservations & Current Rates Current News	Forward Cast 2008 RECORD FEBRUARY SNOWPACK The outlook for water flows in both the Connecticut and Androscoggin Rivers is superb due to record snow falls during the month of February. A winter more typical of those in the distant past will serve to refill groundwater supplies, lakes, and ponds throughout New Hampshire's Great North Woods. This is a far cry from what its been in recent years due to lower than normal winter snow falls. Manipulation of flowages, particularly on the upper Connecticut River by Hydroelectric concerns should have minimal effects and excellent water temperatures can be expected to be present throughout the upcoming season. 2007 SEASON- THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY THE GOOD... The 2007 season was one for the record books both in terms of fish boated and number of days on the river. The season began in full swing the day after we got out of school here in Colebrook (early June) and didn't skip a beat until after the first week of July. This seemed to be the status quo for the season as some 85% of available dates were booked by mid May and the remainder were picked up by the end of June. I spent the month of June and the 1st week of July on the Androscoggin as both the insects and the fish seemed bent upon being exceptionally cooperative. The Alder fly showed up in late June, more typical of years past than recent ones, and the fish didn't argue. Landlocked salmon and brookies began the season with reckless abandon. The state had apparently stocked the river with stripper brookies (brood stock) by air boat in areas not normally accessible to stocking trucks. Working the shorelines boated us several fish over 3 pounds with the largest a 5lb brookie in fast water. We caught this fish twice and hooked her a third time but she broke us off on a sharp ledge. Who says brookies can't learn survial skills eh?! THE BAD... Meanwhile, on the otherside of Dixville Notch things were going to the dogs fast. My first inkling of impending trouble on the Connecticut River came after I stopped down to New Hampshire Fish & Game's Region I office to speak with Diane Emerson on my first day off from fishing since the season had begun. I was extremely concerned about dangerously high water temps. I was seeing on the Connecticut due to the consistently low flows maintained by TransCanada Hydro throughout June and the first week of July. I had tried unsuccessfully by phone to urge officials to increase flow, both in TransCanada's McIndoes office and in the Connecticut Rivers Joint Commsions, and hoped that Diane could push the right buttons. Water temperatures in North Stratford's Catch and Release had climbed to the upper 70's and even low 80's (°F) and I was frightened. I saw Diane on a Thursday and she told me she was going to be on leave (to get married) the next day. THE UGLY... After I had voiced my concerns she proceeded to inform me that we had even bigger problems as she had just recieved word from New Hampshire's Department of Envrionmental Services (NHDES) ecologists that they had confirmed the prescence in the upper Connecticut River of an extremely nasty invasive species of diatomaceous algae called Didymosphenia geminata also appropriately known as 'rock snot'. Although the term does not elicit a pleasant picture neither does the actual algae which covers the bottom wherever there is rocky substrate. It doen't seem to affect sandy or fine gravel substrate unless there is interspersed large cobble to anchor onto. As of this moment there is no practically known way to eliminate this invasive species from the watershed. Didymo has its orgins in Arctic waters but has somehow evolved to inhabit warmer more nutrient laden waters. Officials from the states of New Hampshire and Vermont along with other volunteers have begun a campaign directed towards education of how to prevent the spread of this organism to unaffected sections of the river, or worse yet, to rivers that have not been invaded. Talk now is to situate cleansing stations strategically throughout the upper watershed for treating wading footwear such as felt soled waders, wading shoes, or any footwear that has been in contact with the algae. Sterilization in hot soapy water for a minimum of 10-20 minutes and complete drying for a 24 hour period is one way of stopping the spread of Didymosphenia to other places on your fishing agenda. Water craft such as canoes, kayaks, motorized craft and, oh yes, drift boats along with their paddles or oars are also required. Thus far the effects on the fisheries have been minimal to the best of my knowledge but invertebrates such as Plecoptera (stoneflys) and swifter water species of Trichoptera (caddis) have experienced a substantial loss of habitat and these make up the majority of insects in the upper reaches from Murphy Dam in Pittsburg to West Stewartstown, NH. One can only pray that natural selection will find other species to fill their empty niches. What the future holds for the upper Connecticut due to the effects of Didymo only time will tell but for those of us who love and care about the health of the river we ask you to follow the aforementioned recommendations and relay this to any who plan to fish the river in the up coming season. May there be many more of the pictures below in the future of the mighty Connecticut River. last updated 2/12/08

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