Back on the Line: Updates, Rain, and Summer Fly Fishing Wisdom
Happy First Day of Summer New England!
It’s been a little while since I last posted —not because I’ve lost interest, but because I’ve been deep in the field doing exactly what Fly Fishing New England is all about: exploring waters, connecting with other guides and fly fishers (on the water), and preparing unforgettable experiences for future clients (you?).
Between prepping for guiding trips (a few this upcoming week), working my full-time job, and scouting out new waters across New Hampshire, "free time" has been anything but free. That’s not a complaint - just part of the update 😉 . And that’s just how I like it—immersed in our rivers and streams, learning the subtle signs of fish behavior, and finding the very best spots to introduce you to fly fishing experiences in NH – everything from our native wild Brook Trout to Smallmouth and Fall Fish!
So far this Spring Season I’ve had the chance to:
Hike into remote streams fishing for (and catching!) wild trout (hint, not just Brook Trout!).
Volunteer with the Native Fish Coalition of NH to do some stream restoration work in the White Mountains.
Create, organize and test out my “guide pack” with all the essential gear for guiding clients into those remote wild Brook Trout streams – and yes, test out the new Jet Boil Flash Java kit and it works great! 😊
Test out dropper rigs and dry flies on waters that whisper tradition and challenge.
Connect with fellow anglers & guides who share a deep love for our fish and their ecosystems.
🌧️ A Slow Spring, but a Promising Summer
This spring was unusually rainy in New England. And while that made the fishing a bit slow at times, there’s a silver lining: the wild brook trout streams are charged and flowing strong—a hopeful sign they’ll remain healthy into the summer months. But no doubt it was tough to get out and fish our rivers and streams as the water was just too high.
A colleague at work had asked me, during our “monsoon season”, how does all that water affects the fish? I told him, there’s not much of an impact on fish, but more for us as anglers. Because there’s more water, the fish have more room (habitat) to spread-out and because there’s more water, there’s more food. So it makes it more challenging to catch fish. Not to mention, the inherent danger of being near or in moving water, even in normal flows let alone when we have higher flows.
It is nice to be back to normal flows throughout the region - USGS data for the six New England states:
Ø Maine
Ø NH
Ø VT
Ø MA
Ø CT
Ø RI
But….as of today (June 20th), we are now officially into Summer! So that brings us to yet another phase of New England’s Bi-Polar weather – Heat Waves!
🔥 Heat Waves & Trout Caution
Of course, in true New England fashion, we went from cool and wet to full-on heatwave almost overnight. If you're planning to target trout this week (or anytime in the hot weeks ahead), I encourage you to be thoughtful.
☀️ Tips for Fishing in the Heat:
Fish early morning or late evening when air and water temps are cooler.
Use a stream thermometer and avoid fishing when temps exceed:
Brook Trout: 65°F
Rainbow Trout: 67°F
Brown Trout: 68–70°F
If temps are too warm, give the trout a break—and shift your focus to warm water species.
Smallmouth Bass 55-80°F
Bluegill 65-80+°F
Pickerel 70-80°F
Smallmouth & Fallfish on the Fly
New England streams and rivers don’t just hold trout—many also host incredible warmwater opportunities. Smallmouth bass, in particular, are aggressive and athletic fighters, especially on a fly rod.
And then there are the unsung heroes: fallfish. Just recently, I was floating the Pemi with another guide in his drift boat and hooked into what we both thought was a healthy beast of a Brown Trout. Copper and orange coloration, big shoulders, and a strong fight, twisting, turning and bolting away every time I got him close to the boat… turned out to be the biggest fallfish either of us had ever seen—easily pushing 2 lbs. I’m a completely Unbiased Fly Fisher – I don’t care what I catch! And that fish was a crazy and pleasant surprise!
🎣 Great Flies for Smallmouth & Fallfish:
Clouser Minnow (Olive/White or Chartreuse) - Thank you Bob for the many Stripers and Smallies I have caught over the years!
Foam Poppers (Black or Red)
Muddler Minnow
Woolly Bugger (Brown, Black)
Hellgrammite patterns
🐟 Warmwater Fun at Local Ponds
Don’t overlook the joy of a warm summer evening casting to bluegills and panfish. These fish can be aggressive and fun, especially on light gear. Take your 3 or 4-weight brookie rod and have a blast.
🎣 Top Flies for Bluegills:
Foam Spider
Elk Hair Caddis
Poppers
Small bead-head nymphs
Soft Hackle Wet Flies
The late, great Dave Whitlock (in addition to others) wrote extensively about warmwater fly fishing, and for good reason: it’s accessible, exciting, and educational.
📸 Fish, Friends & the Future
Below are some photos from the past couple of months— fish caught by friends and me, and some beautiful waters I’ve explored for future guiding trips.
Thank you for your support, patience, and passion for this sport. More blog posts and social media content are coming soon—including gear tips, trip reports, and conservation reflections.
Tight lines,
—Stephen
Fly Fishing New England
