Fishing for brook trout and brown trout on the Saco River, North Conway, Carroll County, New Hampshire (July 7, 2022)

 

 

Our target pool this morning is located downstream of the the River Road bridge in North Conway

 

The fam and I are spending the long July 4th holiday week camping at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park located right off Route 302 in Glenn, NH (see the New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer map 45 G9). This well-maintained and well-organized campground sits right next to the beautiful Saco River, which has its source in the heart of the White Mountains at Crawford Notch and flows southeasterly into Maine at Fryeburg. I brought my fly-fishing gear in order to catch some of the numerous trout that call this river home. My target this morning is a large, slow-moving pool located just downstream of the bridge on River Road in downtown North Conway. Keep in mind that this general location turns into a circus during the summer months as it is a popular take-out point for hordes of people floating down the Saco River on tubes from further upstream. Kids also use several rope swings along the banks of the pool to jump into the water. The only time to properly fish this section is early in the morning before the crowds arrive or late in the evening after the crowds have left. Parking is available in a small area along the shoulder of River Road opposite the bridge. Keep in mind that the maintained parking lot next to the bridge is managed by the town of North Conway. It costs $20 to park there after 8 am, when an attendant is present to collect the fee.

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Fishing for brook trout and rainbow trout in the Saco River, North Conway, Carroll County, New Hampshire (July 6, 2020)

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The put-in is just below the River Road bridge in downtown North Conway. I fish the large pool to the left. The municipal park is to the right, upstream of the bridge.

 

I spend the long July the 4th weekend camping with family members at the Glenn Ellis Family Campground located right off Route 302 in Glenn, NH (see the New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer map 45 G9). This well-maintained and well-organized campground sits on the beautiful Saco River. I brought my fishing equipment in order to catch some of the numerous trout that live in this river. I fished a different section of this waterbody two days ago, and I am eager to explore, and blog about, other sections.

 

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Fishing for brown trout and rainbow trout in the Saco River, Glen, Carroll County, New Hampshire (July 4, 2020)

I spend the long July the 4th weekend camping with family members at the Glenn Ellis Family Campground located right off Route 302 in Glenn, NH (see the New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer map 45 G9). This well-maintained and well-organized campground sits on the beautiful Saco River. I brought my fishing equipment in order to catch some of the numerous trout that live in its waters. I fished this waterbody during our camping trip last year, and I’m ready to explore, and blog about, other sections.

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Saco River in Hiram, Oxford County, Maine (September 8, 2019)

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The put-in is located in a quiet side channel. Note the surrounding “sand dunes” created by erosion.

 

I want to try my luck this morning fishing for smallmouth bass on the Saco River in front of the hydroelectric station located by the Hiram Falls dam in Hiram, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 C3). To access this location, drive into downtown Hiram on Routes 5/1134/117 (Pequawket Trail) and cross the bridge over the river. Make an immediate left on River Road and drive down that road for 2.3 miles (note: the power station will be visible to your left after 2.0 miles). Look for an unnamed dirt road on the left that leads to a spacious dirt parking area. The river is about 400 ft down a path through the woods on the right. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from this location.

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Fishing for brown trout and rainbow trout in the Saco River, Glen, Carroll County, New Hampshire (July 6, 2019)

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The railroad tracks (upper left) run on top of the embankment which plunges into the Saco River.

 

I spend the long July the 4th weekend camping with family members at the Glen Ellis Family Campground located right off Route 302 in Glen, NH (see the New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer map 45 G9). This well-maintained and well-organized campground sits at the confluence of the Ellis River with the much larger Saco River. I brought my ultralight spinning rod and my flyfishing rod in the hope of catching some trout, although I still have to figure out a good fishing spot close to camp. That location becomes obvious when we rent tubes from the campground to float the Saco River from our camp site all the way to North Conway (the trip takes up to 5 hours, covers about 8 miles, and requires a “return” car). The Conway Scenic Railroad tracks run right along the river bank just downstream of where the Ellis River flows into the Saco River. I suspect, as I look down into the water column when floating by on my tube, that the river along that bank holds trout because it is quite deep (I’m guessing 8+ ft in some spots) and filled with large boulders. The best part is that this choicy spot is an easy 10-minute walk from the campground. From the fresh, but not too cold, feel of the water during our tubing adventure, I’m guessing that the water temperature is in the high 60’s. I note for the record that the Conway Scenic Railroad is a local tourist attraction. Hence, the train only operates during the day and moves at a snail’s pace. It is therefore safe to fish from that embankment.

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Saco River in Dayton, Maine (July 28, 2018)

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The Tragedy of the Commons

 

Water flowing out of a dam generates powerful downstream currents that will reliably attract, concentrate, and retain river smallmouth bass throughout the summer, as I have outlined in several earlier blogs (click here and here for examples). One such location is the Skelton Dam located on the Saco River in Dayton, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 3 B1). The tailrace below this dam is the focus of my fishing efforts this afternoon.

 

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Brown trout fishing on the Saco River, Buxton, Maine (October 8, 2016)

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Fall is in the air and trout fishing is back on the agenda!!

Fall is in the air and trout fishing is back on the agenda!!

The Saco River in this part of southern Maine passes through a series of hydroelectric dams on its way to the sea. My target today is a small stretch of river right below the West Buxton dam located in Buxton (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 2 A5). The reason for selecting this section of water is that it was stocked last week with brown trout and also has flowing water coming through the dam turbines. I’d love for my 13-year old nephew Christian to catch one of those fish. The access point is located off Route 112 (River Road) just below the green bridge that carries the road over the river. Keep in mind that only hand-carried craft can be launched from this point.

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