Anticipation Of Fall Trout & Salmon

Man the summers are hard in New England.  Most waters south of the 45 parallel are just too warm and low these days.  The trout and salmon retreat into the deep lakes and the rivers are waiting for an autumn flush.  The north country and the few bottom release dams there will continue to fish well all summer.  These are day trips that can ware you down and be costly given the price of gas.  They are wonderful vacation spots with great fishing available from dawn to dark.  I go because fishing there is as close to perfect as an angler can get.

After one of the best spring seasons I can remember, I am now hopeful that the fall will bring a few trophies to hand.  This is a time of migration, as well as emigration, and you need only find the ins and outs of all the major water bodies throughout the entire region.  What is needed to kick off the season is that first major rain event.  I noticed there is a hurricane headed north after the week end and  heavy rain is expected for all of New England.

The first thing that will happen will be for trout to emigrate over dams.  They feel the water in the lake start to move and get close enough to be pulled into the flow.  These will be big fish and can reach twenty eight inches with most in the eighteen to twenty one inch range.   The possibility of this happening will increase between now and the end of the season.  Every rain can add fish to the system.

The major salmon runs will also start in the far north and continue in location farther south through the month of October. In a few cases the run will not happen till after the season closings in November.  These landlocked salmon have the same make up as their larger Atlantic brethren.  When Atlantic's spawn is also determined by latitude and happens from late October and into November.

A lessor known migration is that of the Brown Trout.  If you are lucky and hit these locations the last few days of the season you can be in for a wonderful surprise.  There are some locations where the browns are very large and they will move up to dams from lake and river locations.  This can happen from mid September through October.

The bows are a mystery to me.  I have been told that because these fish are hatchery raised they think that their naturally spring spawning run should be in the fall.  Although not the target of migration they are a big target for me as emigraters.  I have released my largest Rainbow Trout during this fall season.

This is also the time of the Brook Trout spawning.  Maine is alive at this time right to the final day of the season.  I love heading to Rangely with the anticipation of some wonderful angling.  This is New England in the old time tradition and I make at least two trips every fall. 

Between the beginning of September and the end of October you could fish a different trophy water each and every week and never visit the same location twice.  There are more of these hollowed waters than most of us can imagine.  What determines the place are the conditions and the conditions are determined by the rain.  Follow the weather and the river flow charts.  Make yourself a collection of these links and study them year after year.  You will understand what is the good to bad flows and having this info will help you make knowledgeable decisions.

William