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18 . Newfound River

Location: Central New Hampshire, about a 1-hour ride from Manchester; and a 2-hour ride from Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine. Full-service airports are available in all three cities.

When I first started working at author Bob Mallard’s fly shop, I noticed that 4 of the 16 fish pictures on the wall came from a river I did not recognize. After several attempts to pry the name from him, he finally came clean—the Newfound River in Bristol, New Hampshire. When I asked why so many large fish came from that one river,

he replied, “Because it is one of the best trophy trout fisheries in New England.” A decade later I moved from Maine to New Hampshire. I found myself just a short ride from the Newfound. Within a couple of months, I was fishing the Newfound almost exclusively. Since then the river has accounted for some of the largest rainbow trout of my life. Bob was right—it is one of the best trophy trout fisheries in New England.

The Newfound River flows from Newfound Lake. Both have a long history of salmonid fishing. The lake is a 4,100-acre jewel, considered one of the cleanest in the region. Fed by at least eight springs, it remains clear and cold even in the warmest months. Its icy 180-foot depths provide refuge for salmon and trout. The Newfound is a small freestone river—even by Northeast standards. Water flows are fairly consistent, with fall and winter

levels around 150–300 cfs. The river is susceptible to spikes, which can top 1,500 cfs. In the early spring, the lake begins to shed its ice. At this time levels will increase, making wading difficult. But it is this increase that draws fish from the lake and into the river.

A couple of hundred yards below the lake is a small dam. This is one of the few structures you will encounter on the upper river. From here the river is a series of riffles, runs, and pools. Roughly a mile below the dam is a nowdry